Historically ND baseball has been pretty good & allthough
by IrishJoeinnc (2016-04-27 10:11:44)
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reading about this year's game makes it seem like they are pretty good, somehow I get the feeling they aren't. Are they good?

Pretty good in a brutal conference & brutal weather, IMO
by ndgotrobbedin97  (2016-04-27 12:21:02)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

While Manieri seemed to have a way to get his team playing good ball right from February on, it seems Aoki's teams get better (relative to the season) deeper into the season.

The ACC is not the Big East. Not even in the same conversation. Awesome baseball conference. The emergence of Louisville as a power program certainly doesn't help ND either. Just one more mine field in a conference full of them.
They are good with potential to be NCAA team.
by cbo86  (2016-04-27 11:02:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

However, every time I think they are ready to take the next step, they get outclassed by better ACC competition (eg Louisville and FSU and Miami (one game)). One of the things that I think may have exacerbated the situation for us is that the top ACC may be really good this year (hard to really tell until NCAA's). On the other hand we were in every FSU game late and we could have easily won 2 of 3 vs Louisville.

I have watched quite a bit of action this year and I think our fielding has been pretty strong, base running is better (yet we still make a lot of mistakes), hitting and power has improved, starting pitching (except vs top tier ACC competition) has been pretty solid. The bullpen has been a work in progress as guys like Bass work back from DL.

We are 8th in the ACC out of 14 teams with 3 series left against teams behind us in the standings. Winning each of those would be huge to get us into ACC tourney. Series against LSU has potential to help our NCAA resume but they are good as usual. In my mind, the Irish are good but not great and are squarely on the bubble of being a good enough to make it to NCAAs.

I agree with this
by TerryD  (2016-04-27 22:22:41)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

This team frustrates me at times. Today, it lost 8-0 to EMU.

But, I agree that this is a good but not great team.

Lidge is solid behind the plate, the infield is solid and the lineup can hit.

Michael Hearne has been impressive in midweek games but both the starting pitching and bullpen has been shaky in weekend (ACC) play.
they are good - just that the top 3 in the ACC are among the
by dbcsmith  (2016-04-27 11:51:55)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

top 8 in the country. We can play with them and there is not one we could not beat on a one game basis and maybe even 2 of 3. Probably do not have the depth to do 3 of 5. I suspect that Herne will be in the tournament rotation.







Stated much more succinctly than mine. I think I
by cbo86  (2016-04-27 11:59:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

wrote it up to try to convince myself a little. I'd love to try out Hearne in weekend rotation before the ACC tournament.