How does this team improve in 2018?

[Swiv3D]

Well in my estimation they need a few stronger starters, a long middle reliever to carry it when stuff isn't working, and bats.

Too often this offense relies on runs through walks, HBP, wild pitches, a sac or ground out....

Lots and lots of strikeouts with runners on the bags all season (and the past few).

The pitching could be there if the bats were more lively. It's aluminum college baseball for heaven's sake. Swing away!

It's BBCore, ball doesn't fly as it once did.

Switch from Adidas bats to Demarini or Louisville Slugger.

we weren't visually any worse with adidas bats than we were with Rawlings. I think Adidas just started making bats this year anyways.

We have used Adidas for a couple years now. Rawlings bats are horrible also. lol

hmm I guess I didn't pay enough attention last year lol

I doubt that Adidas is "making bats". I know they have the Adidas label/brand, but they are probably outsourcing the bat manufacturing to a different company. I have no clue who that is though.

Decided to Google and found this
https://www.si.com/edge/2015/06/17/tech-talk-adidas-taylormade-carbon-baseball-bat

 

[Savage Husker]

I liked whoever coined the phrase "Coach Intensity" because this tight butthole "take care of business" approach is reflective of Erstad. It can work at times, but not when you haven't "been there done that" to know what taking care of business means.

Only have a 10,000 ft perspective but the way this teams finds ways to lose games consistently against level and inferior teams leads me to speculate if there is over coaching rather than letting kids develop and play within their means, you know..how they got themselves to be Huskers in the first place.

Asking a coach to change his philosophy is pretty tough to come by. He's going to need to find some steals in recruiting that turn into gems to carry future teams.

JMO

 

[Hayseed]

It's recruiting....not getting the sluggers....not getting a dominant pitcher.

​The usual problems of playing in a weak league, a month earlier than any rational person would play baseball in this area, the major league teams draft your best recruits......it is what it is.

​That's why I never blame Erstad who is doing the best he can with the circumstances he's given.

 

[Comish]

To be honest, the current baseball squad is not an outlier.

Not just in terms of baseball, but with respect to most all of the other major sports at Donu.

The sad, desultory whimpering finishes are reflective of the end-of-season performances lately of football, basketball, and wrestling as well as baseball.

I remain a strong supporter of all the teams and coaches, but wish there was some obvious beacon of change on the horizon to give future hope to all.

Unfortunately, no such easy magic solution appears to be imminent.

 

[HuskerFanatic1]

A few things

• I think that Erstad and company need to get on the recruiting trail a bit more far flung. Two California kids, most are from Big Ten country. While there are talented baseball players around the region I think we need to compete more for the national targets if we want to compete on the national stage.
• Coaching staff, we need to spend some money to get some experienced coaches from teams with post season pedigree. The athletic department makes more than enough money and have already infested in the facilities. Let's steal a coach or two from some teams with consistent CWS experience.
• Preparation. Something is wrong when there is this consistent lackluster performance in the post season. They need to examine how they get ready, maybe bring in an outside perspective.

This is a big point that stuck out to me for two reasons: 1) ever since Will Bolt left, we have yet to find a quality replacement and our hitting has suffered since then, and 2) IIRC, Erstad is taking base minimum as a coach, which is why we're able to pay top dollar and keep Silva on.

We have the money to go get a quality, proven coach that's going to work with Erstad and improve the cache of this program. It just requires Eichorst actually getting off his sorry *** and helping to do something about it.

How does Eichorst go out and find us a good assistant coach? Isn't that supposed to be Erstad's job which should be a bit easier taking the pay cut to offer a bit more than other schools? The investment Nebraska (Eichorst indirectly) has in baseball is much more than many schools who perform well in post season games and don't go 1-2, 0-2 BBQ.

 

[teachercd]

It is college baseball...it is still supposed to be fun and filled with energy. DE makes so "business" like that it seems like they are tight as a drum when tourney play comes around.

 

[hskrfan4life]

You have to wonder what's so special about Corvallis, Oregon?

Getting the mixture of talent and coaching. Casey is a special coach. You can see why they've only lost 4 times. The way they approach the game is amazing. If they can finish it out, they will easily be one of the best college baseball team record wise.
I do find it hard to believe that we are really missing one coach this much. Didn't Oklahoma fire their head coach or Alabama I believe, would be nice to get some more southern ties.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Well in my estimation they need a few stronger starters, a long middle reliever to carry it when stuff isn't working, and bats.

Too often this offense relies on runs through walks, HBP, wild pitches, a sac or ground out....

Lots and lots of strikeouts with runners on the bags all season (and the past few).

The pitching could be there if the bats were more lively. It's aluminum college baseball for heaven's sake. Swing away!

It's BBCore, ball doesn't fly as it once did.

Switch from Adidas bats to Demarini or Louisville Slugger.

we weren't visually any worse with adidas bats than we were with Rawlings. I think Adidas just started making bats this year anyways.

We have used Adidas for a couple years now. Rawlings bats are horrible also. lol

hmm I guess I didn't pay enough attention last year lol

I doubt that Adidas is "making bats". I know they have the Adidas label/brand, but they are probably outsourcing the bat manufacturing to a different company. I have no clue who that is though.

Decided to Google and found this
https://www.si.com/edge/2015/06/17/tech-talk-adidas-taylormade-carbon-baseball-bat

Interesting. I figured Adidas was using Taylor Made golf technology for their baseball bats. I guess it could be considered "in-house" since Adidas had owned Taylor Made until recently.

 

[PaulCrewe]

Well in my estimation they need a few stronger starters, a long middle reliever to carry it when stuff isn't working, and bats.

Too often this offense relies on runs through walks, HBP, wild pitches, a sac or ground out....

Lots and lots of strikeouts with runners on the bags all season (and the past few).

The pitching could be there if the bats were more lively. It's aluminum college baseball for heaven's sake. Swing away!

It's BBCore, ball doesn't fly as it once did.

NU hit 25 homeruns as a team. Good for a tie at 234 out of 295.

Wake Forest hit 101

 

[Cdog923]

- Find an actual power hitter

- Find a Friday starter

- Loosen up.

 

[Mavric]

I think Erstad's "one pitch at a time; one game at a time" is a pretty good mind-set in general. But you have to wonder if there is too much of a "this is just another game" when it comes to tournament time that is keeping them from getting jacked up for the big games like others are.

And you also see how much screwing around goes on with other teams and makes you wonder how much fun we're having. Not that I'm a big fan of some of the stuff that I see go on other places but perhaps there is some middle ground between them on one extreme and us on the other.

 

[VectorVictor]

A few things

• I think that Erstad and company need to get on the recruiting trail a bit more far flung. Two California kids, most are from Big Ten country. While there are talented baseball players around the region I think we need to compete more for the national targets if we want to compete on the national stage.
• Coaching staff, we need to spend some money to get some experienced coaches from teams with post season pedigree. The athletic department makes more than enough money and have already infested in the facilities. Let's steal a coach or two from some teams with consistent CWS experience.
• Preparation. Something is wrong when there is this consistent lackluster performance in the post season. They need to examine how they get ready, maybe bring in an outside perspective.

This is a big point that stuck out to me for two reasons: 1) ever since Will Bolt left, we have yet to find a quality replacement and our hitting has suffered since then, and 2) IIRC, Erstad is taking base minimum as a coach, which is why we're able to pay top dollar and keep Silva on.

We have the money to go get a quality, proven coach that's going to work with Erstad and improve the cache of this program. It just requires Eichorst actually getting off his sorry *** and helping to do something about it.

 

[Savage Husker]

Get Meyers, Schreiber, and Alvarado to stick around for their senior year and you'll have solid depth and experience. Would be nice to have their leadership.

 

[BaytownHusker]

Well in my estimation they need a few stronger starters, a long middle reliever to carry it when stuff isn't working, and bats.

Too often this offense relies on runs through walks, HBP, wild pitches, a sac or ground out....

Lots and lots of strikeouts with runners on the bags all season (and the past few).

The pitching could be there if the bats were more lively. It's aluminum college baseball for heaven's sake. Swing away!

It's BBCore, ball doesn't fly as it once did.

Switch from Adidas bats to Demarini or Louisville Slugger.

 

[Swiv3D]

Well in my estimation they need a few stronger starters, a long middle reliever to carry it when stuff isn't working, and bats.

Too often this offense relies on runs through walks, HBP, wild pitches, a sac or ground out....

Lots and lots of strikeouts with runners on the bags all season (and the past few).

The pitching could be there if the bats were more lively. It's aluminum college baseball for heaven's sake. Swing away!

It's BBCore, ball doesn't fly as it once did.

Switch from Adidas bats to Demarini or Louisville Slugger.

we weren't visually any worse with adidas bats than we were with Rawlings. I think Adidas just started making bats this year anyways.