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2017 NCAA Tournament - ORU's 27th Appearance


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3 hours ago, ORUJason said:

Thanks for the synopsis hogfan4.  No doubt Arkansas is well deserving of hosting a regional.  Whoever wins this regional will earn it.  I just prefer being in this regional where we aren't having to face a Top 5 team as we have had to so many times.  I think your current ranking is around 12/13, and I certainly prefer that matchup instead of facing a Top 5 team.

That is a fair point. We are able to beat just about anyone, like when we beat Florida 16-0 on Saturday with their best pitcher on the mound. However, we have stubbed our toe quite a bit this year, too. If you guys are smart, you would throw your lefty. We have multiple lefties in our lineup, and a switch hitter who hits better as a lefty. Our top 2 hitters at this point are both left handed hitters.  Our bullpen isn't very deep, so if you get to our starter early you have a very good chance. 

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ORU vs. Arkansas looks like maybe the most interesting of the 1-4 match ups.....along with Houston vs. Iowa......also, Missouri St. vs. OSU is just about a toss up....another great 2-3 game is OU vs. Xavier....the Musketeers have a pitcher who might be one of the top 5 in D-1.....that opening game is no picnic for the Sooners.....very impressive that the state of Oklahoma has 3 teams in the tournament once again.....:clap:

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On 5/28/2017 at 3:10 PM, ORUJason said:

How Yale is #48 in the RPI is beyond me.  They are 32-16 and went 0-2 vs the Top 100 in the RPI.

The reason Yale's RPI is that high is that they played 28 games on the road as opposed to 13 at home. Road wins, no matter how bad the opponent, are worth a lot more in the RPI than wins at home, and you don't get punished as bad when you lose them. It's the same reason Missouri State has an RPI of 29 despite going 0-3 against the top 50 and 10-9 against the top 100, they played 27 road games and 23 at home. The RPI was made that way a few years ago to help out the Northern teams that can't play many games at home during the early part of the season due to weather. I don't agree with it, think they should tweak it a little, but that's just my opinion.

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You are right on, Hog.....RPI is not indicative of how a team is playing....frankly, I think from the eye test that OSU is really the 2 seed in our region and Missouri State the 3. And ORU is really deserving of a 3 seed over other 3 seeds like Yale....I think one can make a case that ORU might be better than Michigan, South Alabama, Bethune-Cookman, Xavier, BYU and Rice...and we beat OSU 2 out of 3 so we have proved to be better than them.....it's all politics and conference related.....but that's the way life goes and now ORU needs to go out on the field and win some games next weekend to get the respect....beating the Hogs on Friday night is a tall task on their home field and going up against their ace....but if we get strong pitching and defense....a victory can be had....:eagles:

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By the way....the committee did TCU no favors putting them in with Virginia and Dallas Baptist.....the Patriots have no fear of TCU and the Cavaliers may have gotten hosed out of a #1 seed.....I could see Virginia winning that region if they get by DBU in the first game....:geek:

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19 hours ago, hogfan4 said:

If you guys are smart, you would throw your lefty. We have multiple lefties in our lineup, and a switch hitter who hits better as a lefty. Our top 2 hitters at this point are both left handed hitters. 

If Arkansas is that much more susceptible to left-handers than right-handers, I have to think that lefty midweek starter Taylor Varnell will figure prominently if ORU is able to advance past Saturday.

Despite not taking the mound this past week in the Summit League tournament, Taylor is a proven commodity who has already shown he's not intimidated by the "big name" opponents he faced on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and other than a shaky performance vs. OSU two weeks ago, he's been more and more effective with each outing.

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3 hours ago, theeagleman5 said:

You are right on, Hog.....RPI is not indicative of how a team is playing....frankly, I think from the eye test that OSU is really the 2 seed in our region and Missouri State the 3. And ORU is really deserving of a 3 seed over other 3 seeds like Yale....I think one can make a case that ORU might be better than Michigan, South Alabama, Bethune-Cookman, Xavier, BYU and Rice...and we beat OSU 2 out of 3 so we have proved to be better than them.....it's all politics and conference related.....but that's the way life goes and now ORU needs to go out on the field and win some games next weekend to get the respect....beating the Hogs on Friday night is a tall task on their home field and going up against their ace....but if we get strong pitching and defense....a victory can be had....:eagles:

I agree that strictly off the eye test that OSU is playing better than Missouri State. I know you guys won 2 of 3 against OSU in the midweek games, which is impressive, but those wins really don't carry a lot of weight with the selection committee. What you do on the weekend is what they really focus on. Bethune-Cookman, Yale, & Xavier were definitely not deserving of 3 seeds, but with a lot of autobids being stolen in conference tournaments, they got bumped up to the 3 line.

I have to respectfully disagree with your take on Rice, they are 18-4 in their last 22 games, have a strength of schedule of 3, and 16 RPI top 50 wins. They are one of the hottest teams in the tournament. Another thing that hurt you guys is that you only have 6 RPI top 100 wins, where as BYU has 13, Michigan has 12, & Xavier has 10. All that said, I can promise you the Hogs are not taking you guys lightly, as our ace Trevor Stephan is getting the ball in game 1.

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I remember my last trip to the ballpark at UofA.

Weekend sweep of Oklahoma State and Arkansas.

That was a fun weekend.

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You are probably correct on BYU, Rice and Michigan...Xavier stole the Big East tournament from St. Johns and has not played very consistently all season....I have a friend who's son plays 1B for the Musketeers and she is stunned to be going to Louisville next  weekend.....let alone a 3 seed.....TheEagleman agrees that Arkansas is a very tough opponent and while not a National Seed....the Hogs are a formidable foe and ORU will have to bring the A game to beat Stephan.....we will need to get up early on UA and try to force Stephan to use a lot of pitches and get to the bullpen...easier said than done....But at 42-14 we have had a great season and played well except for the Dairy Queen Classic in March....those 3 losses undoubtedly cost us a 3 seed.....:!:

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interesting tidbit about McMinn and Ausua that i was not aware of.....

 

Quote

http://www.the-standard.org/sports/fayetteville-regional-who-are-the-bears-going-to-have-to/article_2a69c9b2-4571-11e7-ab57-e31dc06d0801.html

Two seasons ago, ORU played in the Stillwater Regional, and was eliminated in part by Arkansas. This season Oral Roberts is riding their starting pitching. Miguel Ausua has blown opponents away, his 11-2 record and ninth best in the nation 1.67 ERA over 86.1 innings is stellar.

However, Ausua isn’t the only one producing on the mound Josh McMinn has posted a 2.08 ERA over 86.1 innings.

The two combine for the best ERA by two starters on the same team in the nation. Justin McGregor too, has had huge success going 9-0 with a 2.81 ERA over 77 innings. That type of pitching is a recipe for success, especially late in the season.

 

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I believe OSU and Mo. State have lefty-heavy lineups as well. Any chance Ausua gets the ball Saturday no matter the outcome on Friday?

 

 

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Ausua has to get a start in one of the first two games....if Maniac is correct I would think he goes Saturday....and if ORU can win against the host Hogs on Friday night....we might just take this regional....ORU has 4 solid starters and 3 maybe 4 relievers who I trust....deepest staff the Good Guys have had in a decade....plus our D is very strong and we have a line up than can manufacture runs and hit the long ball.... Arkansas is clearly the favorite but ORU could do it and OSU is on a roll and dangerous....can't overlook the Bears of MSU also....this Fayetteville Regional might be the most competitive of all 16....:geek:

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Ausua to start for Oral Roberts

FAYETTEVILLE — Oral Roberts University Coach Ryan Folmar said junior left-hander Miguel Ausua (11-2, 1.67 ERA) will start against the Arkansas Razorbacks Friday night when the teams play in the NCAA regional at Baum Stadium.

Ausua, 6-0 and 180 pounds, primarily was a reliever at Panola (Texas) Junior College, but the Puerto Rico native has been a workhorse for the Golden Eagles this season. He has pitched 86 1/3 innings in 15 games, including 14 starts.

"He's got good stuff," Folmar said. "He's pitched in our rotation all year long and been extremely consistent.

"He's been the same guy every time he's gone out and taken the ball this year."

Ausua's fastball hits between 86 and 90 miles per hour, Folmar said, and he also throws a slider, curveball and changeup. He has 79 strikeouts and 27 walks.

"He's been that guy that's won a lot of big games for us," Folmar said. "He can give you problems in a lot of different ways."

So he's crafty lefty?

"That he is," Folmar said. "That he is."

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I like it.

What are my TV/radio options for Friday night?

If we win Friday, I think a short jaunt over to Fayetteville will be on the agenda for Saturday...

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Folmar knows what he's doing...I thought Ausua might go in game 2 but no argument from TheEagleman starting the guy who has been our most consistant hurler all season in the opener against a Top 12 team....and not a huge drop off when we come back with McGregor on Saturday and hopefully McMinn gets a shot in game 3....I will be very disappointed if ORU goes two and out....Hogs will be very tough and the crowd will be boisterous....besides, what else do people in Arkansas have to do on a Friday night?........:eagles:

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i like the decision too Eagleman.....win or lose, throw out the most consistent arm and hope for the best.

i'd bet on McMinn throwing on Saturday then McGregor and Varnell if ORU advances in the regional.

Folmar is O-fer in regionals so this is a big weekend for him......i think this is best depth ORU has had in a long time.

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Folmar makes it official

  1. Ausua
  2. McMinn
  3. McGregor (if ORU advances)

 

 

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