Bad baseball

[CajunProud]

_ Keep in mind we lost Lucroy, who's been the leader of the team for three years. The everyday players who are upperclassment started off the year slow, and it's hard to be a leader when you're not showing it during pay. Keep in mind we lost Colin Hatfield for the season with a knee, lost Nolan Gisclair (who had just started to get a rythm) after getting hit on the hand the previous weekend, and lost Scott Hawkins (who was actually hot) prior to the game friday in pregame warmups to a severely sprained ankle. Those guys would have been the center of this lineup.

That being said, we play the hand we got dealt. In my mind we should have won this series on Sunday. Prior to the first three run inning against Cook, we dropped an infield popup which should have ended the inning with no runs scored and us with a 3-2 lead. Instead, we're behind by two again. We worked our way back to 5-4 down, have a 1-2 count against a guy who hit two homers on Friday and is a dead fastball hitter, and get a fastball over the center of the plate. According to what Robe said after the game, it was supposed to be thrown high and inside but missed. The guy looked awful in his two previous at bats trying to hit the curveball, so that's what I would have given him, but I can't say if the pitch would have been thrown correctly he wouldn't have been out as well. Both were emotional, game turning plays, which I think has been tough for a young team who's trying to find their hitting, to come back from. _

I agree for the most part.

I was there, but don't recall the infield pop up. I do recall Griffen trying to catch one close to the screen, but he did not throw his mask away and consequently dropped the ball. That would have gotten us out of the inning without damage. Also, I recall Bowman lolligaging it to an outfield hit instead of charging it to make a strong throw home, which also would have gotten us out of the inning.

I agree that without Gisclair, Hawkins and Hatfield, we are at a disadvantage, but these kids are recruited because they have talent and even though they are freshmen, there is no excuse for the poor hitting. I really think we need to go the JUCO route for some big, strong kids who will take agressive swings and who have experience hitting college pitching.

Not only has our hitting been horrible, but what was supposed to be one of the best pitching rotations in the country has not performed either. Our bullpen has been pretty weak as well.

One of the things that drives me nuts is when we take a 3rd strike. One of the most elementary priciples that you learn from little league is that with 2 strikes, you swing at anything close. We are constantly taking 3rd strikes.

[CajunAmos]

I was referring to Griffins drop of the popup but was trying to avoid names where possible. I agree fully with taking third strikes, which has been a problem since the start of the year. I also agree with the agressiveness of the hitters. We've made a number of pitchers who throw in the mid 80's look like All Conference pitchers.

[CajunProud]

_ I was referring to Griffins drop of the popup but was trying to avoid names where possible. I agree fully with taking third strikes, which has been a problem since the start of the year. I also agree with the agressiveness of the hitters. We've made a number of pitchers who throw in the mid 80's look like All Conference pitchers. _

I think the taking of 3rd strikes has been a problem for the last several years. I wish I had the statistics for how many strikeouts we have via looking as opposed to swinging.

[CajunProud]

I do like the way Griffin swings the bat. He needs to catch every game. Every ball he hits is hit hard. I was impressed with Poirrier as well. He put agressive swings on the ball.

[cajun4life]

_ I respectfully disagree. I think guys in the dugout can help with team chemistry, but I think it takes someone out on the field getting timely hits our making plays to actually be a team leader. I don't think you can say "you go out and do it" without doing it yourself. _

Quit being a "homer". An upperclassmen should step up and they are not, the loss of Lucroy hurt us but Hawkins and the other guys were just as importent as Lucroy was.


Robe has to be held resposible ofr this years failures so far this season and IMO the seasons after the 2000 season as well. Missing Regionals 3 out of the last 5 years is unacceptable.

[baseballcajun]

Before coach Sczef arrived, we couldn't hit water if we fell out of a boat. I remember sitting through some cajun games and seeing everyone bunt. And we were not bunting for a sacrifice, but because if was our only means of offense. We do have a better quality player here now since Sczef has arrived; we just have not put it together. Last year was our best chance, when the pitching and hitting all came together in the same year. We just got a bad draw having to go to A&M and not getting a home regional which we deserved. Everyone was talking about this being the "BIG YEAR", but I didn't know how that was to be. I mean we lost all kinds of fire power in the middle of the line up. Great college baseball teams are born when the pitching recuirts and hitters cycle at the same time. You have to have both the win big. If you have only one of the two, you can compete and "steal" a few but you will not win consistant. Just think if Lucroy would have stayed and hawkins and hatfield were not hurt. Whole different Story. BOTTOM LINE: THE PLAYERS ARE BETTER THAN THE PAST, JUST GOT TO PUT IT TOGETHER.

[LifeTimeCajun]

I'll buy into some of that. I agree with the philosophy that Shefz teaches and yes we hit over .300 as a team last year. However it is the players that have to carry out the philosophy. Are these the right kids?? Goulas(sp) is the only freshman that I a real impressed with. He seems like a gamer. I am not impressed with Will Long. He was suppose to be the best thing since sliced bread when he got here. What has he done? Never cared for Hatfield....other than the fact that he swings hard and dont get cheated when he swings. But he is an all or nothing guy. T-Robe is a defensive 1st baseman and pitcher. Solich is very hot and cold. Zorich has fallen off the map. Look I am not picking on any of these kids...Just wondering if we have who we need to get back to the postseason on a regular basis? In my book making postseason once every 3 or 4 year just isn't good enough. It will not be long before these"freshman" will not longer be freshman. Getting time for them to start to turn the corner

[CajunAmos]

Quit being a "homer". An upperclassmen should step up and they are not, the loss of Lucroy hurt us but Hawkins and the other guys were just as importent as Lucroy was.


Robe has to be held resposible ofr this years failures so far this season and IMO the seasons after the 2000 season as well. Missing Regionals 3 out of the last 5 years is unacceptable.

I don't see how what I said disagrees with the idea that upperclassmen should be your leaders. I'm pretty sure that the coaches fully expected Hawkins, Hatfield and Gisclair to be the leaders of this team on the field and Moody & Glass in the bullpen, but that hasn't happened. I do feel that you can't point at a guy and say "you be the leader" and they become one. Some players have the mentality for it, and others don't. I know the coaching staff has tried a number of different things this year to get players in a different frame of mind, but it just hasn't happened consistently.

Now I'll be a "homer". We have 18 conference games remaining, with our record standing at 5-7. We're not done yet, but do have to start getting consistent pitching (starters thru bullpen) and at least getting timely hitting. I am a Cajun fan, and won't call it a day just yet.

[cajun4life]

I'll say with 18 games left in conference and a 5-7 record we will finish with a losing record in baseball. We will probably get swept by ULM which will help our state wide perception tremendously.

[Sonsissymia]

_ I'll say with 18 games left in conference and a 5-7 record we will finish with a losing record in baseball. We will probably get swept by ULM which will help our state wide perception tremendously. _

it won't be as bad as losing to them almost every year in football. now that's an embarassment. at least the mcneese thing can be looked at as a fluke--the other is a yearly tradition.