Fighting Illini vs Fighting Erstads

[huskerswrkhavoc]

Hacker, yes it would have been fantastic to win the opening game. However, this is baseball. A game where if you win 75% of your games you are in fantastic position. For as much as you claim to understand about the game, something this simple should be very visible to you.

You say you didn't categorize the loss, but you said it was as "pathetic" as it can get, that's a category last time I checked.

Yes, we scored a ton of runs and lost a game, a game where we scored 3. That's not a ton of runs. Should we have scored more? Possibly. Did we? Nope, and there is no reason to sit and dwell on that game right now. We won the series and move on to the next one. Just because YOU gave this team unreasonable expectations at the beginning of the year does not mean that anyone else here did. Many realized that this is the first year with a first-year coach. There are going to be growing pains.

I care more about these numbers....

Rank Rating W L W L SoS Team

5 125.0 16 4 16 4 31 Purdue

13 120.7 16 6 16 6 30 Gonzaga

37 113.7 16 9 17 9 92 Nebraska

56 111.2 11 9 11 9 27 Illinois

57 111.0 13 9 13 9 60 California

67 109.6 13 7 13 7 152 Michigan State

81 107.8 13 10 13 10 104 Kansas State

http://boydsworld.com/baseball/isr/currentisr.html

 

[HuskerHacker]

as usual, well said havoc

and yea... I had unreal expectations but only because I (like many) consider the BIG as a weak baseball conference. I also won't deny that I expected a win in our historic conference opener as well as the series win. Losing the opener wasn't just an embarrassment to me but also the coach (see his post game comments) and therefore I think I can justify saying a loss is a loss but sometimes a loss is embarrassing (umm... like losing to Northwestern at Memorial Stadium.)

As for the strength of Schedule... lets see where it is at season's end and what our win/loss record is then but I'll give you the props for pointing out that we have played the 37th best schedule to date with a slightly below .700 winning %.

 

[hskrfan4life]

Baseball is baseball still. Just like hockey anything can happen. Sometimes we have good days, sometimes we have bad. Just depends on the day. Teams still lose to teams they shouldn't have. But let's focus on KSUx and Northwestern.

 

[huskerswrkhavoc]

as usual, well said havoc

and yea... I had unreal expectations but only because I (like many) consider the BIG as a weak baseball conference. I also won't deny that I expected a win in our historic conference opener as well as the series win. Losing the opener wasn't just an embarrassment to me but also the coach (see his post game comments) and therefore I think I can justify saying a loss is a loss but sometimes a loss is embarrassing (umm... like losing to Northwestern at Memorial Stadium.)

As for the strength of Schedule... lets see where it is at season's end and what our win/loss record is then but I'll give you the props for pointing out that we have played the 37th best schedule to date with a slightly below .700 winning %.

I will completely agree that it was embarrassing and from a media standpoint, definitely a setback. However, in the grand scheme of things, a series win is a good start and the NCAA doesn't judge our loss different than our two wins. Just because it was nationally televised doesn't change the impact on our record or RPI, just perception.

As for the numbers, those weren't SoS numbers, and I wish we had played that hard of a schedule. They are the Iterative Strength Ratings from boydsworld. The SoS numbers are on there in the right column, where we are 92nd, nothing special. However, the ISR is a widely accepted way of rating the teams in college baseball from top to bottom. It isn't ever as accurate in February and March as it is in April/May, but the best way of judging numbers we have right now.

 

[HuskerHacker]

havoc... thanks for the lesson... always willing to learn a little.

 

[flatwaterfan]

Loving the fight this team is showing. This is one of those mental traits that had been lacking the last few years. The fact that we got punched in the mouth on Friday only to rebound and return the favor the last two days is proof that Erstad has these boys playing in the moment and not dwelling on the past.

Then there is this:

#Huskers baseball attendance Sunday: 5,266..All six other #B1G games announced attendance on Sunday COMBINED: 5,616
LINK

I think as other B1G teams see the support we give our team that in turn they will start showing more interest. This is a case where Nebraska helps the b1g vs the b1g helping Nebraska

 

[T_O_Bull]

The sker's made me eat crow... Thankfully!!!

Props to our boys/men out there on the field. 34 runs in 3 games... That's taking them to the woodshed. "double "

I think the KSU game and the coming weekend is huge for several reasons but mostly confidence. Maybe northwestern will take advantage of the 30K husker fans in Chicago and find a ball park that can hold 5-8K fans or at least add some bleacher seats. Not likely though.

As for my flames and disappointment I won't begin to consider apologizing. We all know the truth is we don't have a single "broadcastable" mens sport that is above average and for me, having lived through the Devaney/Osborn years in football, the Nee years in basketball and the Van Horn era of baseball, being middle of the road the well... freaking mediocre at best isn't in any way acceptable nor appreciated.

Additionally, for those jumping on the baseball bandwagon... remember this..

We don't have a friday starter

We can't throw out any player with reasonable speed stealing

and

We don't have a proven closer.

For Pete's sake, we scored 34 runs in 3 games and "LOST" one and to top it off... we LOST our "opening" BIG game in front of a national television audience. WTF!!!

Now let me think, 5 National Championships, a shot a No. 1 every year, winning a least 9 games every year, what a disappointment that was.

You are such a sad, sad troll, MM

T_O_B

G>B>R

 

[huskereddie]

I also wonder why the BTN doesn't carry more baseball games. If they want to 'improve' their baseball perception then they need to 'advertise' it. Even a few softball games wouldn't hurt. Its not like they don't have enough room on their network?

 

[HuskerHacker]

Now let me think, 5 National Championships, a shot a No. 1 every year, winning a least 9 games every year, what a disappointment that was.

YOou are such a sad, sad troll, MM

T_O_B

G>B>R

lol, and how long ago were we in a national championship game?

lmao... a shot at No 1 every year? That is laughable We haven't been considered for that for years.. at least since EC's senior season.

seriously, when was the last time the huskers (in football, basketball or baseball) even a serious contender for national championships? 2005 in baseball, 2000 in football, basketball once (the Nee era with King, 89 or 90, too lazy to look it up and we freaking lose in the first round.)

winning 9 games (barely) and thanks only to scheduling 6 sure wins. Our asses were handed to us this past year and had we been in the Big 12, it would have been equally as bad or maybe even worse.)

 

[T_O_Bull]

Now let me think, 5 National Championships, a shot a No. 1 every year, winning a least 9 games every year, what a disappointment that was.

YOou are such a sad, sad troll, MM

T_O_B

G>B>R

lol, and how long ago were we in a national championship game?

lmao... a shot at No 1 every year? That is laughable We haven't been considered for that for years.. at least since EC's senior season.

seriously, when was the last time the huskers (in football, basketball or baseball) even a serious contender for national championships? 2005 in baseball, 2000 in football, basketball once (the Nee era with King, 89 or 90, too lazy to look it up and we freaking lose in the first round.)

winning 9 games (barely) and thanks only to scheduling 6 sure wins. Our asses were handed to us this past year and had we been in the Big 12, it would have been equally as bad or maybe even worse.)

I was talking about football which you obviously don't know much about. If you reread my post or better yet find someone to slowly read it to you, and then slowly re-read it to you maybe you can finally get your head out of that place where you have it lodged.

T_O_B

G>B>R

 

[HuskerHacker]

I was talking about football which you obviously don't know much about. If you reread my post or better yet find someone to slowly read it to you, and then slowly re-read it to you maybe you can finally get your head out of that place where you have it lodged.

T_O_B

G>B>R

lol, really??

Please reread my comments. Look up whose initials are EC or when the last time the skers were seriously consider National Championship potential. For that matter, one would also have to go back to 2000 in order to find the last time the skers football program was even considered a realistic chance of winning a "conference" championship.

Some friendly advice for you Mr T_O_Bull, before posting quotes it is common courtesy to read the quote and comment. If one is uncertain of what was said it is also considered cordial to start by asking. (Ex: Are you saying? or Really, if I understood correctly?) I am relatively certain that everyone except you was able to gather that I too am speaking about football but broadened the content to Basketball and Baseball as well.

 

[flatwaterfan]

Erstad was on for an hour on Sports Nightly. I enjoy hearing his insight. He and his staff are doing a great job so far. Kids are working their butts off and doing a great job.

 

[HuskerHacker]

flatwater, when you hear Erstad speak, do you get that "I want to play for him" feeling too?

I'll admit that I've let my overly high expectations for the program influence my comments but I can't help to be overly excited with high expectations. I mean every time I hear him speak I get pumped up. Erstad has a way of lighting my fire, thereby amping my expectations.

 

[bball_backer]

a loss is a loss.. there aren't any "good" or "bad" losses.

Friday's loss was as pathetic as it could possibly be. It was a "historic" day at hay market and the skers were punched in the mouth. In fact, the husker fan base has been boasting for a year about how we would dominate the BIG in baseball and then Illinois comes in and takes us to the wood shed. Call me crazy but I'm sure the majority of the BIG fans watching was laughing their asses off. The only solace I can see in the loss was hopefully the players carry a chip in their shoulders for the remaining conference games and play like they did saturday and sunday. Friday's loss was an "epic" embarrassment that shouldn't be easily forgotten. I know its a loss that I'll be embarrassed about for years. I mean seriously we can't even win our first conference game in a conference that doesn't play competitive baseball and this is acceptable to everyone here? Wow!!! Guess my standards are "way" to high.

as of 3/18/2012, national stats in Div 1:

Link: http://web1.ncaa.org...atsSrv/rankings

2 quick things:

1 - the only people watching that game were Nebraskans, maybe a couple thousand people in illinois, and MAYBE a couple thousand other B1G fans. that was not a national audience.

2 - if NU wins the conference, no one is gonna say 'yeah but remember you lost that first game! haha, take that!' because 1-they don't care, and 2-being champs is all that matters

 

[95huskers]

flatwater, when you hear Erstad speak, do you get that "I want to play for him" feeling too?

I'll admit that I've let my overly high expectations for the program influence my comments but I can't help to be overly excited with high expectations. I mean every time I hear him speak I get pumped up. Erstad has a way of lighting my fire, thereby amping my expectations.

I'm with you there Hacker. Ever since watching his luncheon video... I've been fired up. The guy has a natural motivation about him that is contagious. The way I feel about it is, if he can fire me up and I'm not in the dugout, I'm confident he gets those guys' motors going!