theeagleman5 Posted May 3, 2019 Share Posted May 3, 2019 Nine games left in the Summit League regular season and they are all huge.....so this weekends' series with WIU is a must win situation...ORU stands tied for 2nd with SDSU 3 games ahead of WIU and NDSU who are tied for the 4th and final spot in the playoffs.....we are four games behind Omaha.....an ORU sweep this weekend will pretty much clinch a spot in the Summit Tournament to be held at JLJ in three weeks....2 out 3 would put us in a decent spot four games ahead of WIU with six to play.....our final six games are all on the road at SDSU and first place Omaha.....so clearly ORU must win this series over WIU or we will be in some trouble....big trouble.....tonights' opener will set the tone...ORU needs to get the bats going early and we need a big effort from McMinn on the mound.....this is money time.....GO BLUE!!!..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 3, 2019 Author Share Posted May 3, 2019 BTW....weather forecast not looking good for tonight....90% chance of thunderstorms/rain.....but clear and 70's for Saturday and Sunday...so all 3 games should get played though a DH might be necessary on Saturday..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 4, 2019 Author Share Posted May 4, 2019 ORU loses game one 6-4 in 10 and down 9-3 in game two....in danger of losing 5 in a row to WIU.....TheEagleman is speechless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORU82 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 We lose game two 9-3. With everything on the line this team chokes BIG TIME! Absolutely pathetic, WIU comes into JLJ and we get swept in a double header on our own field. It is crunch time and we fail miserably. Welcome to the new norm for ORU Athletics. Way to crash and burn what was once a great baseball program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 I can’t recall ORU ever losing a season series to a Summit League team, and tomorrow they face the sobering prospect of a season sweep by a Summit League team. Definitely a low-water mark in ORU baseball history; and to think it’s coming at the hands of a WIU team fighting to even qualify for the conference tournament, and a school that is reportedly teetering on the brink of dropping Division 1 sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleManiac Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Five straight losses to WESTERN ILLINOIS. This has got to be rock bottom.. right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Attended both games - and am pretty sure I’ve never seen ORU get swept in a DH at JLJ before. WIU was better in all facets of the games today. They rocked our starting pitching, made some great defensive plays, and excelled in the FUNDAMENTALS of the game. In game one, we had two base running blunders that cost us two outs and took away at least two runs by killing rallies early. Although we fought back to tie it, we should have won it in regulation, and allowed them to stay in the game too long. Indicative of the day: We have runners on first and third with one out, and ground into an inning-ending double play. The next inning, they have exactly the same situation, and lay down a beautiful safety squeeze to score the run. Game two - we had no energy at all - and probably would have lost to Fort Wayne if they had been our opponent today. Not much season left to right the ship - and missing the Summit tourney is now a reasonable possibility. Tomorrow’s series finale is huge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Man, when TrueBlue82 sees the glass as half-empty, you KNOW it means trouble! After following and being a part for ORU baseball since the late 70’s, I’ve noticed that the end of the academic school year represents a watershed mark: with so much time available to the players for either focus or distraction, the better teams kick it into another gear, while the struggling teams fall apart. No team ever stays the same; they go one way or the other like there’s a fork in the road. Can’t say I’m very encouraged by the direction taken so far by this team in May. But, is there still time to reverse course? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 5, 2019 Author Share Posted May 5, 2019 Well....ORU finally beats WIU 11-1...salvaging the final game of the season series with a run rule victory....10 hits were nice but 13 walks didnt hurt....Good Guys 2 games ahead of the Leathernecks with just 6 to play...all on the road.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleManiac Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Nice to get a W on senior day, but 1-5 against Western Illinois on the season. ROUGH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted May 5, 2019 Share Posted May 5, 2019 Worst 2 team ERA's since the change to BBCOR bats have been the last two seasons; up almost 2 runs a game from Snedeker's last yr Team ERA: 2006 -- 3.63 (super regional team) 2007 -- 3.45 2008 -- 4.29 2009 -- 3.76 2010 -- 6.07 (• Record: 36-27 • Home: 22-5 • Away: 12-21 • Neutral: 2-1 • SummitLeague: 19-9 •) 2011 -- 3.50 (BBCOR bats mandated by NCAA) 2012 -- 3.03 (last season w/Walton HC/Pitching Coach) 2013 -- 3.54 2014 -- 3.48 2015 -- 3.30 2016 -- 3.91 2017 -- 3.06 (last season w/Snedeker as Pitching Coach) 2018 -- 4.23 2019 -- 4.93 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleManiac Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Yikes. Thanks for posting, Alum. Surely we’ll have someone new in the pitching coach job next season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted May 6, 2019 Author Share Posted May 6, 2019 Omaha 18-6....SDSU 16-8....ORU 14-10....WIU 12-12....NDSU 12-12...…..so ORU now in 3rd 2 games behind SDSU for 2nd and 2 ahead of WIU and NDSU for the final spot.....another huge series for the Good Guys at SDSU next weekend and it's pretty much a must win 2 of 3 weekend vs. the Jacks....not gonna be easy....WIU gets PFW which is going to be 3 easy wins....time for the ORU to wake up..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 16 hours ago, ORUalum said: Worst 2 team ERA's since the change to BBCOR bats have been the last two seasons; up almost 2 runs a game from Snedeker's last yr Team ERA: 2006 -- 3.63 (super regional team) 2007 -- 3.45 2008 -- 4.29 2009 -- 3.76 2010 -- 6.07 (• Record: 36-27 • Home: 22-5 • Away: 12-21 • Neutral: 2-1 • SummitLeague: 19-9 •) 2011 -- 3.50 (BBCOR bats mandated by NCAA) 2012 -- 3.03 (last season w/Walton HC/Pitching Coach) 2013 -- 3.54 2014 -- 3.48 2015 -- 3.30 2016 -- 3.91 2017 -- 3.06 (last season w/Snedeker as Pitching Coach) 2018 -- 4.23 2019 -- 4.93 Wes Davis (former ORU catcher and current pitching coach) is a GREAT guy, and does a LOT of things for this program on and off the field, but the numbers don't lie: I think a true pitching coach is sorely needed. Another thing I've noticed the last few seasons: ORU rarely plays "small ball" anymore. Much more of a "station-to-station-wait-for-the-3-run-homer" type of team. You may say that's a sign of the times throughout baseball now, but to me that's all the more reason to utilize it, if opposing defenses don't see it as often these days. I used to criticize Sunny Galloway for playing so much small ball during the regular season but then chucking it in the regionals, but it sure was fun to watch when ORU had it going back then: double steals, delayed steals, hit-and-runs, squeeze plays, etc. It put so much pressure on an opposing defense, particularly the battery, that it mentally exhausted teams in a 3-or-4-game series. Would not mind seeing ORU put more base runners in motion out there when they have the chance, and not leave runners on base (or the bases loaded) so many times with guys striking out or flying out to end the inning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Old Titan said: Wes Davis (former ORU catcher and current pitching coach) is a GREAT guy, and does a LOT of things for this program on and off the field, but the numbers don't lie: I think a true pitching coach is sorely needed. Another thing I've noticed the last few seasons: ORU rarely plays "small ball" anymore. Much more of a "station-to-station-wait-for-the-3-run-homer" type of team. You may say that's a sign of the times throughout baseball now, but to me that's all the more reason to utilize it, if opposing defenses don't see it as often these days. I used to criticize Sunny Galloway for playing so much small ball during the regular season but then chucking it in the regionals, but it sure was fun to watch when ORU had it going back then: double steals, delayed steals, hit-and-runs, squeeze plays, etc. It put so much pressure on an opposing defense, particularly the battery, that it mentally exhausted teams in a 3-or-4-game series. Would not mind seeing ORU put more base runners in motion out there when they have the chance, and not leave runners on base (or the bases loaded) so many times with guys striking out or flying out to end the inning. minor correction: Davis did not play at ORU -- JUCO and OBU to the style of play...it's been a sticking point of mine especially since the BBCOR bats came in 2011. Walton and Folmar both come from that Gary Ward "play for the big inning" mentality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, ORUalum said: minor correction: Davis did not play at ORU -- JUCO and OBU My bad - I wonder if I have him confused with another former ORU player? I do recall Wes playing for Owasso High School back in the late '90's when I lived there, but now I'm even wondering if he was a catcher or not - was he a pitcher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 45 minutes ago, Old Titan said: My bad - I wonder if I have him confused with another former ORU player? I do recall Wes playing for Owasso High School back in the late '90's when I lived there, but now I'm even wondering if he was a catcher or not - was he a pitcher? Unfortunately, TheBaseballCube does not list his position at Seward or OBU....fun fact I did not know is that he is the brother of Stockton Davis who was a decent reliever for ORU and drafted by the Expos in 2002. That might have been who you were thinking of. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=154467 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cornelius Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 21 hours ago, ORUalum said: Worst 2 team ERA's since the change to BBCOR bats have been the last two seasons; up almost 2 runs a game from Snedeker's last yr Team ERA: 2006 -- 3.63 (super regional team) 2007 -- 3.45 2008 -- 4.29 2009 -- 3.76 2010 -- 6.07 (• Record: 36-27 • Home: 22-5 • Away: 12-21 • Neutral: 2-1 • SummitLeague: 19-9 •) 2011 -- 3.50 (BBCOR bats mandated by NCAA) 2012 -- 3.03 (last season w/Walton HC/Pitching Coach) 2013 -- 3.54 2014 -- 3.48 2015 -- 3.30 2016 -- 3.91 2017 -- 3.06 (last season w/Snedeker as Pitching Coach) 2018 -- 4.23 2019 -- 4.93 That's not a good trend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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