S1E10 - 11 Miles to the Beach
The guys recap games at UVA and Coastal then look at the full Sun Belt standings. Plus a preview of ECU and the upcoming home series with JMU.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Pride of ODU Collective
he Pride of ODU leverages the power of Old Dominion University alumni and fans to equip student-athletes with the tools and resources necessary for them to excel both during and beyond their time in Norfolk. More importantly, we seek to help student-athletes maximize their NIL opportunities the right way, without ever compromising the values of Old Dominion University and the legacy of all those who have donned the Blue and Silver in the past. To learn more, visit https://theprideofodu.com/
Transcript
Hi, I'm Luke Waters and you're listening to the Hudson Homers Podcast.
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:*.
Gary: Hello, Monarch fans, and welcome to the Hudson Homer's podcast.
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:I am Gary, and I'm joined, as always,
by By cb cb rough week one and
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:three against some good competition.
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:But how are you feeling here?
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:CB: You know, I'm great.
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:I have a very healthy relationship
to baseball games that I'm
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:not directly a part of.
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:I would never let, you know, losing
baseball games that I didn't actively
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:play in make me sad and depressed.
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:That's not a thing I would do
because I'm a very healthy person.
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:Gary: Well, that's good I I try to be
that way as well But I gotta say it
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:was a little bit of a roller coaster
this weekend at coastal We went very
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:little offense to a whole lot of
offense to then no offense again in the
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:final game Kind of a roller coaster.
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:And I'm going back to a statement.
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:I had a couple of podcasts episodes ago.
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:I hope this isn't a bad offense that
occasionally scores a lot of runs.
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:I hope it's a good offense.
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:It's just not hitting well, right?
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:CB: It's hard to tell.
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:I mean, I've gotten after today,
The game like a Saturday where you
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:know, break out, score all the runs,
hit all the home runs, have just a
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:lot of good heart, active at bats.
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:It, it's gotten to where it's not like,
oh man, this is what this team can really
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:do, it's so exciting, it's like, boy,
it really is, it just makes you even
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:more frustrated for the games they did.
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:It's like, I can't enjoy it because in
the back of my head, I'm sitting there
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:like, why aren't we doing this most games?
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:Gary: Yeah.
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:With the Louisiana series,
it was pretty clear.
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:We were not going to hit
the ball that weekend.
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:We had no glimpses of an offense this
weekend throws you off a little bit.
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:Cause you put up that, you know, huge
number on Saturday, you hit six home runs.
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:You said all your season highs,
and then you come out Sunday and.
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:Really just lay an egg in
the rubber match that series.
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:CB: Yeah, I mean, when you've got
a chance to take a series against
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:number 20, I mean, that's huge.
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:And the offense just did not show up.
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:And, you know, the pitching wasn't
that great in the Sunday game, but
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:at a certain point it's like, well,
you know, does it even matter if you
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:give up 10 runs, if you, you only got
three hits, you couldn't come close.
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:We didn't come close to scoring a run.
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:I don't know if we've, I don't think we've
had a runner on third base in the game.
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:Gary: It was not pretty there were not
many opportunities there But want to
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:update everyone on dollars for dingers
because we did hit some dingers there
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:on saturday six of them In fact bringing
our season total to 28 on the dollars
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:for dinger side and then on bucks
for bags I think cbu said we have one
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:CB: We had one, Stephen Meyer had a
stolen base on Tuesday against UVA
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:and that was the only stolen base.
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:Uh, partly because the only game
we actually scored some runs, the
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:guys didn't need to steal bases.
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:They were hitting the
ball out of the park.
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:So, but Bucks for bags up to 58, still a
very respectable total, but you can see, I
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:think we, I kind of believed as conference
play went on and we get a little harder
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:to steal bases against some better teams
and that's kind of playing out that way.
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:Gary: it certainly has and steven meyer
who you talked about 18 for 18 on the
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:season luke water still at 15 For 16,
so those are the two guys carrying a
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:good bit You Of that, Bucks for Bags
load for us, but man started the week
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:off with a trip up to Charlottesville.
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:We weren't sure if that game was
going to get played because there
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:had been weather throughout the day.
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:We had a rain delay during it.
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:Uh, but just once again
another trip to Charlottesville
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:coming up empty only two hits.
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:CB: Only two hits both by steven meyer
who had the stolen base Um, but I mean you
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:really you got to give it to the pitching
like I said that there was uh, if you
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:remember there actually they started the
game a half hour early started what at
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:5 30 instead of six Uh, and then there
was a delay in the middle of the game.
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:So it was it was an odd game
with the weather Uh, but nick
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:salpizio started the game.
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:I think it was his first college start two
scoreless innings two strikeouts No walks.
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:I mean he looked very good that
day You Hudson Trobaugh came on
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:after him, ending in the third.
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:Got a strikeout.
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:He looked good.
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:Kellen Davis finished
off the inning for him.
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:You know, doing his,
bringing in the Raptor.
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:Uh, Brandon Pond, two and two thirds.
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:He looked really good.
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:He, I mean, he gave up a run.
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:Uh, but he, he did look good.
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:Uh, and Marco Lovari got another
good opportunity, came in and,
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:uh, kind of shut the door.
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:So, through, seven innings,
things were looking great.
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:It was one to nothing against one of the
top offenses in all of college baseball.
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:I mean, you really can't fault the guys.
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:You know, anytime you're playing
number 15 in the country and you
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:lose, it's like, okay, that happens.
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:Uh, but they really are pitching staff
really came in as well and Beshara had
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:probably his worst outing of the season.
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:He gave up three runs at the end.
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:But again, if the offense didn't
score, that kind of becomes irrelevant.
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:Gary: It was a very similar
game to what we saw earlier
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:this season in Charlottesville.
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:The pitching held their own for quite a
long time and then the dam kind of broke
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:there at the end, but You Talk about
one of the best offenses in the country.
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:UVA played North Carolina, who's
ranked 10th right now on Thursday
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:and put up a 14 spot on them.
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:They scored seven against them on Friday.
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:Then the final game on Saturday,
uh, they lost that game, but they
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:put up seven runs, so we were able
to contain a really potent offense.
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:But I don't know who those midweek
guys were that they were trotting
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:out there I know it's a staff day for
them, but they looked uh, pretty good
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:shutting us down We we made them look
great, uh up there in charlottesville.
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:CB: Well, I know the one guy just
because he was the quarterback on
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:the uh, the football, Jay Wolfork.
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:He was a quarterback for the UVA football.
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:I saw him pitching high school.
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:I remember him thinking,
uh, it's pretty neat.
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:He was gonna go do both for UVA.
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:Gary: It was definitely a tough one
I I don't know necessarily if it was
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:unexpected just based on our previous
performance there and kind of being a
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:midweek I did think that we'd be able
to score a few more runs off of those
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:guys But just really couldn't put any
string of it bats together And a trend
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:that you will hear throughout the rest
of this episode, we struck out 14 times,
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:only drew four walks, uh, for a team
that wants to play the small ball and
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:a lot of contact, putting the ball in
play 14 strikeouts in a nine inning game
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:is not going to going to help you very
much in accomplishing those goals of
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:getting guys on and getting guys over
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:CB: Yeah, we are, uh, we're
striking out way too much as a team.
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:Uh, I'm looking here actually, As a team,
we've struck out 297 times in 256 innings.
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:So that's a ton.
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:I mean, that would be, I don't know
what, I don't have a calculator
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:to do any math on the, that K per
nine, but that's, that's pretty
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:phenomenal, uh, from a pitching
perspective for the opposing team.
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:So like I said, for a team that needs
to put the ball in play, needs to get
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:guys on base and I don't know about the
rest of the week, but certainly today
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:there were a lot of strikeouts looking.
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:So right there, that's showing that just
as you're not protecting with two strikes,
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:you're not coming up with a good approach.
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:And again, that's just not how
you're going to be successful.
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:Gary: that strikeout rate is more
indicative of a team that's going
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:to hit a hundred home runs this year
where they're taking in those big cuts.
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:Uh, not really what you would expect.
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:And I know that this is a transition
still for this team and it takes
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:some time to break those old habits
and truly buy into the small ball.
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:I think at this point, this many
games in the season, you're kind
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:of on board with that plan to
play small ball or you're not.
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:And like you said, just some really
non competitive at bats throughout
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:the four games over this week.
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:CB: Yeah.
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:Like you said, the, the, the
theme of too many strikeouts, not
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:enough hits, not enough walks.
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:It's becoming a repetitive theme
for the season, unfortunately.
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:Gary: We'll jump ahead and
look at the game on Friday
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:down in Conway, South Carolina.
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:I think, uh, I remember FAU.
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:on their football sideline, had like 1.
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:2 miles to the beach and
an arrow pointing to it.
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:Coastal has something similar
to that, except without talking
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:about the miles, like play at
the beach, that kind of thing.
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:Like we have play at the bay.
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:They're about 11 miles from the beach.
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:So if you're wondering why the
episode is titled, as 11 miles to the
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:beach, that is why, but Friday was
really just not a great performance.
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:I mean, it was eight to nothing with
that big, big fifth inning that opened
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:up, held everything strong until then,
but the wheels really came off there.
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:CB: Yeah.
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:You know, Jay Cassidy came out, um, he
had another good opening performance,
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:uh, didn't quite make it through
the third, but I think that's okay.
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:I mean, they're kind of expecting,
you know, if you, if you can get
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:through three, cool, if not, we'll
bring a reliever and make it happen.
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:Um, John Halibut's got him out
of the third, you know, Pitched a
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:good fourth and then it just fell
apart for him in that fifth inning.
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:Um, Honestly, I think they
left him out there too long.
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:He kind of had to wear it.
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:That was, I think his fourth
appearance now out of the bullpen.
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:The first three were, I think he
went 12 and a third scoreless.
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:So, you see how, how easy it
is to erase all that good work.
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:It's, it's unfortunate.
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:Uh, he's a, he's a very talented pitcher.
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:He just had a really bad day.
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:Gary: And the strategy there is
a little bit different from what
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:we've seen the three previous
times he's come out of the pen.
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:He's usually come out of the pen
and started an inning where you
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:have Kellen Davis come in to kind
of close the door on an inning.
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:Uh, he's done that for Jay
a couple times on Friday.
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:Didn't see that on Friday.
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:Brought him in straight out of
the pen onto the mound to get
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:the last out of the inning.
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:And I'm wondering if maybe mentally
that put him in a different spot
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:than what they had seen before.
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:But that was the only real change to
that setup that had really worked so well
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:on a Friday for us the past few weeks.
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:CB: Yeah, I, I thought of that too,
because I was definitely looking
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:for Kellen Davis to come out of
the bullpen there, but you know,
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:There might be something to that.
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:But also he pitched a third
scoreless before that fifth inning.
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:So who knows what, yeah, who knows?
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:Maybe they saw him too many times.
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:I, I, I'm not really sure it was just
a, the reality is coastal Carolina is
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:extremely good hitting team and they
just kept getting hits on, uh, and
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:he walked some guys on top of that.
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:So it just, Um, also you gotta mention,
Vincent Becerra, he had probably his
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:worst appearance on Tuesday of the
season, probably his best appearance
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:of the season here Friday night, two
and a third scoreless, two strikeouts.
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:He looked great at a time when
they needed somebody to look
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:great at the end of the game.
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:Gary: If you could just erase that fifth
inning, we'd actually be in pretty good
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:shape, uh, because we were able to put a
couple runs on the board late with Luke
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:Waters getting, uh, an RBI double, in the
sixth, and then Maverick Sollings with an
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:RBI single in the seventh, but that was
really it, and we, we dropped that one.
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:Nine to two, not the way you want
to start a series, but again,
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:Coastal's a really good baseball team.
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:They hit, they hit, they hit.
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:We talked about it last week and they
just managed to get most of their
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:hits right there in that one inning.
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:CB: Yeah, again, only four hits on
the day for him, like I said, a couple
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:of RBI hits, but, and only two walks,
you know, you're just not getting
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:enough base runners in that game.
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:So yeah, the pitching wasn't
great, but also, you know, if you
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:only score two runs, you weren't
gonna be in the game anyway.
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:Gary: First four hitters in the lineup
for us only had a combined one hit there.
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:Luke had one, Alex Boucher had one,
Carter Sunderman went one for two
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:and then Maverick who came in for
him later in the game had a hit.
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:Um, but really just not
a whole lot going on.
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:And there were definitely some
opportunities where we threw
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:in some pinch hitters and a
row of Massey got him at bat.
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:Jack Spites got in a bat.
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:Not your day on that Friday down there
in Conway, but we bounced back in a
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:big, big way on Saturday, putting up a
season high in runs, hits, and home runs,
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:uh, had to watch that one on a replay
cause I was busy on Saturday, but it
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:was very happy to see all those crooked
numbers going up on the scoreboard.
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:CB: That was an extremely
fun game to watch.
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:Uh, I'd say we technically run ruled them
because we got the fifth up to the 11
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:run lead there in the ninth, you know,
it just, uh, it happened to me, the game
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:was ended by the run rule, but whatever.
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:Uh, but you know, just a really
outstanding, I think Finney
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:said, it's probably their best
all around game this season.
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:The pitching was great.
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:The hitting was great.
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:I mean, it was just everything you want.
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:Out of your baseball team to do in a day.
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:I mean that's just you
couldn't have done much better
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:Gary: Absolutely.
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:And had a lot of guys that had
some great, stats at the plate.
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:You know, Alex Boucher,
three for six, four RBIs.
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:He also struck out three times in that
game, which is, uh, really interesting
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:that you go three for six driving
four and have, have those strikeouts.
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:But of course he hit,
uh, one of the home runs.
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:Stephen Meyer had a three hit game.
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:I mean, really just up
and down that lineup.
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:I think everyone who had more than
one at bat had a hit in that game
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:for us, which was just great to see.
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:CB: Yeah, nick miller coming in as
the dh that day, which is you know
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:Kind of surprise insert in the lineup
had a couple of hits had a homer.
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:Had a nice hit early in the game.
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:And so he's he's one of those guys,
you know, he's um When he takes his
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:swings, he really looks like he has
an all or nothing swing But he's he's
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:surprisingly with two strikes been
very good at kind of You Shortening
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:up and putting the ball in play.
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:So I, Nick's an interesting hitter who
hasn't had a lot of chances So far yet,
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:but it was so it's good to see him.
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:Have a nice day at the plate
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:Gary: I'm always a fan of a guy who
hasn't gotten a ton of opportunities.
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:And then when he does in a big spot, he
comes up in a big way, kind of rewards
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:the team for taking a chance on him.
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:He certainly fit that bill.
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:This game is, is really
interesting though.
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:If you go back and rewatch it, or
even just go through the play by
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:play, We kind of started out with
the small ball approach, right?
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:RBI single RBI single.
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:And then we've got like an RBI double.
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:Uh, and then later in the game, it is
home run, home run, home run, home run.
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:That's all you see in the stat
sheet of how we scored those runs.
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:So we kind of combined the, the bud
bombers with the small ball approach and
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:it paid off big time with those 15 runs.
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:We're able to rack up there.
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:CB: Yeah, and both the eighth and ninth
we had back to back home runs, which is
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:pretty cool uh, and and from guys you
wouldn't expect, you know stallings and
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:and kyle edwards and um, Uh, and again
lavarie and muller, you know Miller.
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:They haven't had a lot of chances.
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:Miller hadn't had a lot of chances and
Kenny's just not really a home run hitter.
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:So right there was, you know, guys
who aren't, you know, the big boppers
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:doing at the end too, which is neat.
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:Gary: And then pitching, I
thought pitching was fantastic.
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:I mean, limiting, uh,
coastal, just four runs.
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:Only two of those were earned.
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:Blake Morgan gets to start, goes
two and two thirds, uh, gives up
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:just one earned run on four hits.
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:Has a walk in a strikeout.
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:Kellen Davis coming in, doing what
he does there in that, clean up
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:kind of role to get out of an inning.
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:Face one batter, got that batter out.
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:Trip Buchanan only went an ending in
the third, uh, but was very effective.
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:Only giving up one run on three hits.
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:And then Jacob Gomez with his longest
save of the season, four and two
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:thirds inning with nine strikeouts.
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:CB: Yeah.
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:When they brought him in the sixth
though, I was kind of like, well, are
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:they going to let him finish it off?
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:And, uh, the way he was pitching,
I don't see any reason why
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:he'd let anybody else do it.
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:that big lead.
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:So, well, he's going to
be burned for the weekend.
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:Anyway, you might as well save that
another arm and if he can go out and do it
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:and he, he only got better as it went on.
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:Um, and of course, you know, I would, I
told you, I talked to him last week about,
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:um, they were, uh, telling him he couldn't
have so much fun and do as much chirping.
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:They were, you see the umpires,
they were giving him a hard time
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:about, I don't know what he was
doing, Again, umpires hate fun.
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:They hate any kind of
enjoyment in the game.
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:How dare you?
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:Uh, play well and be excited about it
So, I don't know why they they hate
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:having a good time It's gonna be the
kind of stuff you you put on Social
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:media and and pictures and videos the
guys celebrate and having a good time
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:and they really just hate it So I I
guess that you know, how dare you want
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:to grow the game and enjoy yourselves?
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:Gary: Well, they may have not liked
him celebrating, but I know that he
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:is smiling after that performance.
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:I mean, 71 pitches in four and
two thirds, the nine strikeouts.
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:I mean, I think the
only thing he did wrong.
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:Three hits that he scattered
in one hit by a pitch.
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:I'll take that from Jacob Gomez,
whether it's at the front end of the
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:game, back into the game, whenever,
I mean, that is a great performance.
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:He continues to just be a rock for us
out of the bullpen and getting out.
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:CB: Yeah, I mean jacob is a weapon.
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:He is i'm looking at his
stats for the season.
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:He's got a 1.
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:32 era Uh, he's a guy he's one in one
with five saves 33 strikeouts and 27
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:third innings So he's actually what
third of the team in innings and second
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:on the team in strikeouts as a reliever
I mean, that's that's pretty healthy.
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:Gary: Yeah, that is absolutely healthy.
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:And hopefully we're seeing him close
out wins on Fridays, but you know what?
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:I will, I will take wherever you
can come in and secure a win for us.
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:We'll gladly take it in this.
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:Increasingly difficult sunbelt
and also with just kind of
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:what we're doing offensively.
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:It's a little helter skelter and
there's no better example of that
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:if you put up 15 runs on Saturday.
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:You come back and you can only get
three hits and no runs on Sunday.
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:And we're recording this on Sunday,
a couple hours after the game.
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:So pretty fresh in our minds, but that
was just a tough game to watch overall.
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:I
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:CB: I'm not gonna lie.
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:I I changed it to watching the women's,
national, champ the basketball final,
338
:uh, About when that came on because I
was tired of Me and y'all know i'm as
339
:big a odu baseball fan as anybody I
flipped back a few times But you know,
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:I was like i am i'm sick of watching
us watch pitches right down the middle
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:for strike three they had the kid who
started for Uh coastal carolina had
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:eight strikeouts and I bet seven of
them were looking Uh, it just, it was
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:not a, it was not a good performance.
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:Um, the pitching was not great, but
again, that kind of becomes irrelevant.
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:If you can't score a
run, it really doesn't.
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:You can't say, Oh, the pitching was bad.
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:Well, all right.
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:You didn't score any runs.
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:You didn't get any hits.
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:So who really cares what
the pitching did today?
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:Gary: Cameron Flukie for Coastal
Carolina was their starter,
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:probably one of the best.
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:Pitching performances they've
had, uh, in a weekend.
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:Some belt series this season, uh,
you have five innings pitch, no runs,
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:three hits, one walk, eight strikeouts.
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:He hit one batter, looks really good.
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:And then everyone, they
brought it out of the bullpen.
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:Uh, look great as well with
Henry, Wiker and Trevor Hinkle.
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:Got three hit list innings, had
a three combined strikeouts.
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:Uh, so I don't know if that's the best
pitching that Coastal has to offer,
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:but they definitely look like it today.
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:So you have to tip your cap to them.
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:Uh, but offensively for us, it
looked like Kossil's approach
364
:from the abats I watched.
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:Was they were throwing fast balls up in
the zone and we were chasing them and
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:swinging, but not able to make contact.
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:And if they were able to get ahead
in the count, it would come back with
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:breaking balls that dove down out of
the zone and, or stayed right in the
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:bottom of the zone in a lot of cases.
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:And that's what we were
kind of caught looking at.
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:So changing that eye level,
changing that approach.
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:And they seem perfectly fine to
throw as many strikes as possible
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:because they knew that their
offense was going to put up runs.
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:They just wanted to limit the
number of pitches they were
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:going to throw and get guys out.
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:They did a good job.
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:I mean, 115 pitches total thrown for
coastal, only one walk, one hit by
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:a pitch, 11 total strikeouts, uh,
that's just, that's mowing dudes down
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:CB: Yeah, the kid Flukie, he's a freshman.
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:So, I mean, he was out there throwing
95, 96, that's going to be a problem
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:for the Sunbelt for several years.
382
:And, uh, you know, Coastal, they, it's
their, I guess their second year with
383
:their pitching coach, Jason Beverland,
who, um, had a very, very short major
384
:league career, but had a nice pro
career has been coaching for a while.
385
:Um, I think he was, uh, like a
pitching coordinator for somebody
386
:might have been for the guardians
the last four, like four years.
387
:So he's very experienced, very good.
388
:Yeah.
389
:He was a good pitcher in his own right.
390
:He's been a good coach for a while And
you can see like you said you see the
391
:results here Um on on a good day for him
when they're pitching looks really good
392
:and they're really following the scouting
plan I'm sure he he grew up for him.
393
:You're right He was I mean, that's
that's what you want to do as a
394
:pitcher Do you want to change that
eye level and make guys not be
395
:sure about where it's going to be?
396
:Gary: and then throw in mid nineties.
397
:That also helps, especially as a freshman.
398
:That is.
399
:He's going to be a problem.
400
:He's going to be selling.
401
:We're going to see a lot of, uh,
unless he jumps in the transfer
402
:for,
403
:CB: I'm looking forward to when
they visit next spring, honestly
404
:Gary: Yeah.
405
:Coach Gilmore who's there, you know,
he's run a really great program.
406
:He's been there, I think at coastal
for 28 years, something like that.
407
:Um, when I lived in Myrtle beach.
408
:I played baseball with his son, Chance,
who actually went to UVA and played
409
:for a little bit, had an injury,
ended up transferring to Coastal, so
410
:the Gilmore name definitely still
rings in my ears quite a bit, and,
411
:uh, they, they gave it to us on
412
:Sunday.
413
:CB: Oh, and speaking of Myrtle Beach,
since you brought it up, the, uh,
414
:the minor leagues have started going
last week, and this past Friday,
415
:all the A ball AA teams started.
416
:Uh, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, we,
they have some, some ODU alumni.
417
:We have, uh, Andy Gariola
is playing for them.
418
:They actually had, uh, the 3, 4,
and 5 in their lineup the other day.
419
:It was Gariola, Jacob Wetzel, who we
may or may not remember, he was at
420
:ODU actually for a fall before moving
on, uh, back to a junior college.
421
:And then Carter Trice, who
was with us for a couple years
422
:before transferring to NC State.
423
:So that was their 3 4 5, the lineup
was three guys that were, at one
424
:point, all on the same team at ODU.
425
:Thought that was pretty interesting.
426
:Gary: That is pretty wild to think about.
427
:I know we've got a lot of guys in the
minor league system that are working their
428
:way up,
429
:CB: We've got, uh,
430
:we've got like 15 guys
playing pro ball right now.
431
:It's pretty crazy.
432
:Gary: Yeah, I mean, that's it's a good
reputation to have and I'm hopeful
433
:that we're able to keep that going.
434
:I definitely think there's some guys on
our team now that have a lot of good pro
435
:potential, but, got to focus on this
season and try to eke out some wins
436
:here because, we go go one in three this
week, you know, at least we got the one
437
:against coastal and didn't get swept.
438
:I think I talked about it last week.
439
:I look at any of these road series.
440
:You have to get one.
441
:It's great if you can get two,
even better if you can sweep, but
442
:you got to get one on the road.
443
:And we did, if you go and look at the
Sunbelt standings, you're starting
444
:to get a little bit of separation
at the top because, uh, breaking
445
:news, Louisiana has still not lost.
446
:They have won 15 straight.
447
:They're 11 and one now in the
Sunbelt, 24 and eight overall.
448
:If they're not ranked this week,
Something is criminally wrong.
449
:Like they should a hundred
percent be ranked at this point.
450
:Going through a conference is this tough
being 11 and one as hot as they are.
451
:You got to at least throw a 25 in
front of their name or something.
452
:So, uh, hopefully, uh, hopefully that
pops in there, uh, because that would.
453
:Make that sweep from earlier this
season feel a little bit better knowing
454
:they're doing it to everybody else, but
you got eight and four and eight and
455
:four, you got Southern Miss and Georgia
Southern seven and five got coastal Troy
456
:and Georgia state JMU is six and six.
457
:And we'll talk about them in a little bit.
458
:Then you got a four way tie
at five and seven with us app
459
:state, Texas state and Marshall.
460
:So there's a whole lot of
room to move around there.
461
:Everyone else is still bunched up.
462
:I mean, I don't even think Arkansas
state and ULM at three and nine are
463
:necessarily, Out of the equation
because you just have a couple of
464
:good weekends and boom, you're right
465
:back at it.
466
:CB: To further your point even just being
three and nine doesn't mean you're like,
467
:oh, they're a non contender Like no they
could you you see how I mean We're od is
468
:five and seven a couple games here and
there that we probably gave away Um, you
469
:know We could easily be right there at six
and six, right there at seven and five.
470
:I guarantee the same thing is
probably true for Arkansas State
471
:and ULM there at three and nine.
472
:And, and by the end of the year, they
say when it's time for tournament time,
473
:I wouldn't say if I'm starting out the,
the tournament and they got ULM at three
474
:and nine facing Louisiana at 11 and one,
I'm not saying, Oh, ULM has no shot.
475
:Like, no, that's not the way
the Sunbelt tournament or
476
:the Sunbelt, baseball works.
477
:Everybody's got a shot.
478
:Gary: I mean, it's a
battle every weekend.
479
:We've talked about it on every episode.
480
:I mean, you're not going
to sweep teams very easily.
481
:You're going to have to work for it.
482
:You have to catch them when they're down.
483
:Uh, you're going to
play your best baseball.
484
:And, but I think my point of that is.
485
:Even though we have not
had the best start, right?
486
:We're five and seven in conference play.
487
:That's probably not where we want to be.
488
:We definitely want to
have a winning record.
489
:We still have everything
to play for moving forward.
490
:We are not out of this mix.
491
:We still have time to get more
consistent on the offensive side of
492
:the ball and put ourselves in a great
position for the conference tournament.
493
:Because what I don't want to
happen is us to end up in a
494
:seating where we have to play a.
495
:Three and nine Arkansas state with
nothing to lose and they go balls
496
:out and just destroy us in the first
round and give us that first loss.
497
:CB: I mean, you're right.
498
:And, it is upsetting when you go one
in three on a week, but you also have
499
:to tell yourself, well, we play two top
25 teams and realistically, honestly,
500
:you know, we've watched this game
now, ODU has played 29 games a season.
501
:They are not a top 25 team.
502
:They realistically should not be having
winning record against top 25 teams.
503
:So going one in three is
probably what it should be.
504
:At the same time, they were very much in.
505
:Some of those games and
they could have competed.
506
:Um So you're right.
507
:I think this is kind of like I said,
so we're 29 games in the season I'm,
508
:sorry, we're 31 games in the season.
509
:I can't do math 31 games of
the season Uh 16 and 15, right?
510
:So you are one game above 500.
511
:You're five and seven in conference
So you're a couple games under 500
512
:Uh, and like you said there you're
you're over halfway through the year.
513
:You got to ask yourself.
514
:Well, are we who we are?
515
:Are we just a middling team that, it's
a coin flip one day of another, what we
516
:could do, or are we better than we played?
517
:And we can really make a run the last,
you know, 40 percent of the season.
518
:I think the team that we have is
the team that we saw on Saturday.
519
:I really do.
520
:I think that that's, uh, we're showing
too many other days like Tuesday and
521
:Friday and Sunday, uh, where we're not
competing and we're not going out and.
522
:Being as aggressive and being the
team we can be so that's something
523
:I think these guys really got to dig
down deep They're really going to
524
:ask themselves, you know, who are we?
525
:Are we the guys that go out and fight?
526
:Are we the guys sit there and watch?
527
:Uh strikes
528
:Gary: And I think we get the answer to
that over the next two weekend series.
529
:Cause we've got JMU that's going to
come to town, uh, this next weekend.
530
:And then we go on the road to Marshall
and JMU appears to be neck and neck
531
:with us should be similar to the
Charlotte series earlier this year of.
532
:They're a pretty good team, we're a pretty
good team, we're gonna find out who's the
533
:better team when we play head to head.
534
:And then Marshall, who, it's
hard to get a read on them, cause
535
:they're kind of up and down as well.
536
:But I mean, if we come out of those
six games in conference there, and we
537
:go one and five, I'm I think the alarm
bell needs to be sounded at that point
538
:because we're in a lot of trouble.
539
:But if we're, four and two, five
and one, heck, maybe even six and Oh,
540
:coming out of there, I'll feel a lot
better, but we just have to have some
541
:consistent at bats because that has
just been, that has been frustrating.
542
:It's almost like watching
every other sport at ODU.
543
:Some nights they look like they
could take on the world and the
544
:other nights it wouldn't be directly
545
:team.
546
:CB: man, that's that's uh upsetting
how true that is that's not a that's
547
:not a great thing to have going for all
your sports where you you're just like
548
:Tantalized by potential or disappointed
by potential at all times that is
549
:fair
550
:Gary: Yeah.
551
:We're almost to the top of the mountain.
552
:And sometimes we just decided to
fall backwards off of it and have
553
:to make the long climb back up.
554
:Oh, well let's put this one in three week.
555
:Right in the trash can.
556
:We'll, we'll think about that 15 run
game and set that as kind of a new goal
557
:of that's how you can go out and easily
win a game on Saturday against the top 25
558
:team, but we've got to make a trip down
to Greenville and play East Carolina.
559
:Who's probably itching for the opportunity
for a little payback from their walk
560
:off loss to us at the bud a couple
561
:of weeks ago.
562
:CB: Another top 25 team and uh, you
know an ecu is always an interesting
563
:atmosphere to play and you know They have
their whole all their their crazies down
564
:there that go and yell and they think
they're really Making a deal a big deal
565
:impacting the game and and frankly, I
don't think the players really care that
566
:much They kind of laugh at anything.
567
:So but they they like it.
568
:They think it's cute.
569
:So, all right I I i'm a fan of just
rooting for your team, but that's
570
:you know, that's not how people
want to be coastal is an extremely
571
:good team where they 22 and seven,
they're, they're a top 25 team.
572
:They're 13 and one at home.
573
:They got some dudes.
574
:We saw them earlier this year.
575
:We did a really great job
of pitching that night.
576
:And then, uh, Stephen Meyer
had a phenomenal, uh, hit that,
577
:that walked it off for us.
578
:So hopefully we can
have some of that magic
579
:again.
580
:Gary: And East Carolina just wrapped
up their final game of Florida
581
:Atlantic in one eight to six.
582
:So they are now sitting at 23 and seven.
583
:Six and three in the American.
584
:Uh, you know, early in the season, the
kind of quote unquote knock on them,
585
:if you want, is that they were not
able to win those midweeks on the road.
586
:They lost to Campbell, who we
now know is actually pretty good.
587
:They lost to ODU.
588
:Uh, they dropped a head scratcher to
Southeastern Louisiana as part of like
589
:a weekend classic kind of thing, but Let
me tell you, since then, they have been
590
:just beating the brakes off everybody.
591
:Swept Liberty, uh, took a couple
games from UNC Wilmington, who's good.
592
:Uh, swept Columbia.
593
:They had a little bit of a
hiccup when they went to UTSA.
594
:They dropped, uh, two out of three
there, but their loss is lost by
595
:one run, lost by, by two runs.
596
:Uh, swept UAB, who's good.
597
:And then more recently this past week,
they rolled into number 19, NC state
598
:beating 12, four, uh, and then take
two out of three for Ford Atlantic.
599
:So they are a very, very good ball club.
600
:It's interesting that before they
come to us, they're going to play
601
:Elon at home on Tuesday, and then
we roll down there Wednesday.
602
:So they've got a full
slate of games this week.
603
:Then Charlotte is going to be
coming into town for the weekend.
604
:But.
605
:And they're, they're good.
606
:They can hit, they can pitch,
they can do everything.
607
:And I imagine they're going to be
a little pissed off that I think
608
:we beat him down there last year.
609
:And then they lost us at home this
610
:year.
611
:CB: I'd also imagine with that Tuesday
game and then a big, conference, series
612
:coming up in state that, uh, come that
Wednesday game, they're going to be
613
:checking that weather report and looking
for any, uh, any ounce of rain they could
614
:find.
615
:Gary: Yes.
616
:And I can't say I would
blame him for that.
617
:And honestly, wouldn't totally
hate it for our guys either.
618
:Other than I think the East
Carolina games are pretty fun.
619
:Uh, they're also probably trying
to get on a plane coming back,
620
:uh, from Boca to Greenville.
621
:I don't know if they drove or not.
622
:That'd be a very long drive.
623
:Uh, but with some weather coming across
the middle of the country, That could, uh,
624
:make things interesting for them from a
625
:travel perspective.
626
:CB: It's funny ECU's conference as we're
looking through their schedule here.
627
:It's it's a bunch of the old cast
offs from the Our old cusa foes.
628
:We got uab and utsa and florida
atlantic charlotte I see rice later
629
:on in the season like they they really
uh, they got the remnants of the cusa
630
:over there
631
:Gary: Let's be honest.
632
:The American is Conference
USA version, like 6.
633
:0 or 7.
634
:0.
635
:That's basically what it's become.
636
:I mean, it's all people that were
within the past decade in Conference
637
:USA or in another mid major.
638
:Uh, yeah, but it is interesting.
639
:They've basically played all
their old Conference USA rivals to
640
:start the season.
641
:CB: I love that trip out to
Tulane and Wichita State.
642
:That's gotta be, God, what a conference.
643
:Oh
644
:Gary: Yeah.
645
:We think our travel is bad
having to go out to Louisiana.
646
:We've, uh, we we've been down that
Conference USA road before and
647
:making those trips out to UTSA.
648
:Yeah.
649
:for football and
basketball back in the day.
650
:Um, no, no thanks from me,
but that's going to be a
651
:really tough one on Wednesday.
652
:Um, it looks like it's going to
be on ESPN so you should be able
653
:to catch that provided there's no
weather implications or anything.
654
:Uh, and then we look ahead to
another dreaded purple team coming
655
:to town to the Bud, James Madison.
656
:CB: I tell you what, I think it's
going to be an awesome weekend.
657
:I think it's looking like the
weather is going to be good for us.
658
:The bud should be packed.
659
:You know, there's always a lot of uh,
jmu fans here in the area I don't know
660
:why they hate themselves like that.
661
:They need to be jmu fans, but whatever
Uh, but you know jmu has several,
662
:uh local kids on the team So i'm
sure their families and friends are
663
:gonna come out and so and you know
Like I said, they're six and six.
664
:We're uh, five and seven pretty evenly
matched teams It's going to be a
665
:good test for both of them to kind
of separate themselves and try to
666
:like I said Kind of define the second
half of your season to who you are.
667
:So i'm i'm very excited for the weekend
668
:Gary: Yeah, and you can do
the transitive property.
669
:I, I try not to because it'll drive
you insane in the Sunbelt, but
670
:they also lost two out of three
at Coastal, uh, earlier this year.
671
:They dropped two out of three
at home against Texas State.
672
:Dropped two out of three to Georgia state.
673
:What's really pumped them back up
is this weekend app state rolled
674
:into Harrisonburg and got absolutely
steamrolled by the Dukes, uh, clean sweep,
675
:13 to nine, eight to five, 11 to five.
676
:Uh, so you want to talk about a team
that might be heating up a little bit.
677
:It could be James Madison.
678
:Uh, they've got a midweek
on Wednesday as well.
679
:They have, uh, the Richmond
spiders going out to Harrisonburg.
680
:And then of course, they'll come down
to Norfolk for the weekend, but there's
681
:one thing you want to point to for JMU.
682
:They're 14 and three at home.
683
:They have been dominant on their
home field, but they're only five
684
:and nine away from Harrisonburg.
685
:So.
686
:This is probably a, they're looking
at this probably the same way we are.
687
:This is a good test.
688
:We need to go and we need to
get some conference road wins.
689
:We need to figure out what our
team is going to look like.
690
:Uh, a lot of feeling out is
going to happen from this three
691
:game series over the weekend.
692
:CB: Yeah It's going to be a good game.
693
:I I for some reason my stats
aren't coming back up, but I know
694
:fendrick tremble Uh, from Cox is, I
think he's been their best hitter.
695
:Um, they got Mason Dunaway who
seems like he's not playing every
696
:single day, but I'm sure he'll get
some games and he's from Hickory.
697
:He's a good, good ball player.
698
:Uh, Nick Pool is a really good freshman.
699
:That's from Western Branch.
700
:He looks, he's not playing much at all.
701
:So, I mean, that's might be
a guy that maybe like him
702
:at bat or two, here at home.
703
:We have Max Kuhl, uh, who his brother
Aiden is, of course, on ODU as a pitcher.
704
:Max has been, been their Saturday guy.
705
:I'm not sure if he's still their
Saturday starter, but I'd imagine
706
:he's going to pitch over the weekend.
707
:So there's just some.
708
:A few local guys that we're going to see.
709
:And again, just as an extra dimension,
an extra flair to the weekend.
710
:So it's, uh, it's going to be exciting.
711
:You know, there's always that, the
JMU, uh, real robbery that we're
712
:getting killed in, unfortunately.
713
:Uh, so hopefully we can come out and, uh,
get ourselves some more respectability
714
:Gary: shout out to our tennis
program for kicking the absolute
715
:shit out of them, uh, this weekend.
716
:At least get us some more
points in the right direction.
717
:We'll take you in tennis.
718
:wick Trimble definitely one of their
best hitters hitting three 50, four
719
:bombs, 27 runs, driven in, uh,
started, played in all their games.
720
:Wyatt Pifer, I believe
is s you say his name.
721
:Uh, he's hitting three 40 over a thousand
OPS, three home runs, 25 Ribbies.
722
:He's pretty good.
723
:They've, they definitely
have some guys that can hit.
724
:They got four guys hitting over 300.
725
:Uh, their big home run hitter
though is Brendan O'Donnell.
726
:He has.
727
:10 bombs driven in 25 runs.
728
:So I guess a lot of those
home runs are solo shots, but.
729
:Uh, 10 bombs in 31 games is a pretty damn
good clip, uh, to be hitting the ball.
730
:So, probably want to avoid lobbing
him anything close down the middle.
731
:CB: Yeah.
732
:They've got some, they
got some good pitching too.
733
:I remember this guy, Joe Vygotsky.
734
:He's been pitching pretty well, looks
like out of the bullpen for him.
735
:He's got five saves, um,
26 strikeouts, 22 innings.
736
:They've got some skill.
737
:I mean, it's very clear that,
JMU invests in their sports.
738
:Um, and this move to the Sun
Belt has been great for them.
739
:And I hope we just, bring them.
740
:into Norfolk and, uh,
make them feel really
741
:sad about their lives when they leave.
742
:Gary: That would be ideal.
743
:Yeah, I think, uh,
744
:Donovan Burke probably is going
to be their Friday starter.
745
:They definitely mixed up, uh, who
they put on the mound for Fridays.
746
:But, he started, six games for him.
747
:He's got a 398 ERA, 32
strikeouts, 14 walks.
748
:So if he doesn't start Friday, he's
probably going to throw a good number of
749
:innings at some point over the weekend.
750
:And they've got a couple of really
strong, uh, bullpen arms, talk about Joe.
751
:Uh, there's a couple of other guys in
there that can absolutely throw it.
752
:So, I mean, I, I don't know
if we're any better than JMU.
753
:I don't necessarily think that we are.
754
:I don't have any information that
says that we are better than them.
755
:Uh, but one really easy way
to go and prove it is to go
756
:kick their ass this weekend.
757
:Got to win the series.
758
:It's at home.
759
:Got to take at least two.
760
:Uh, be nice if we were able to
take the first two and finish that
761
:series off and take the third one as
762
:CB: And it'd be great to do that because
then coming up, uh, again, we don't
763
:get too far ahead of ourselves, but,
you know, it's always good to throw the
764
:ad out here on, uh, Tuesday the 16th,
so the Tuesday right after this coming
765
:weekend, we got, uh, UVA at Harbor Park.
766
:Which is going to be the first time
we've gotten to play at Harbor Park since
767
:2019, uh, due to various circumstances.
768
:So I'm extremely excited about that game.
769
:I hope we pack the place out.
770
:I'd love
771
:to see more
772
:people there than for any, uh,
Norfolk Ties game that I have this
773
:whole season.
774
:Gary: I believe, don't we still
775
:hold the state record for
776
:highest attended college baseball game
at Harbor park when we played them,
777
:CB: It was, it was against UVA.
778
:We beat them that game,
which makes them sad.
779
:I think that that might've been
the one nothing game or it might've
780
:been, it was, might've been a four
to two game, but we, we beat them.
781
:There was about
782
:7, something at that game.
783
:It was, it was great.
784
:I'd
785
:love it if we could top that.
786
:Gary: Yeah, I mean, obviously there's
a good number of baseball fans
787
:in the 757.
788
:I think that's pretty clear.
789
:I know many years ago, the
Nationals almost landed here.
790
:They ended up going to D.
791
:C.
792
:Uh, there's a lot of interest.
793
:So, having games like that where
they have a little more visibility
794
:to the community is important
because, We roll out this new bud.
795
:Uh, we're going to need the community
to come out and support and help fill
796
:those seats and supplement the diehard
ODU fans that are out there all the time.
797
:Despite the weather, no
matter what they're there.
798
:I know that you're
definitely one of them CB.
799
:I do my best to get down
there from Richmond, but.
800
:Uh, really hoping we just get
a super nice weather day and
801
:no excuses to cancel that one.
802
:CB: Yeah.
803
:That's the last thing we want
to give us any, any opportunity
804
:did not play the game.
805
:Hopefully we were there.
806
:I'm looking forward to it.
807
:Um, it's exciting.
808
:So, and, and hopefully at that
point, we, we won a few games this
809
:week and Getting things on the
right path and, we can meet UVA.
810
:You saw me, we, we, that, you know, for
nothing loss, that was not a bad loss.
811
:Like, frankly, we, we played very well.
812
:We just got, I got a hit.
813
:We need our guys.
814
:I've got to go up and, and show
that same approach and that same
815
:drive that they had on Saturday.
816
:If they could do that, just part of
that, every game, we're going to be,
817
:have a lot better season going.
818
:Gary: We know it's there.
819
:We know they can they can bring it out.
820
:Um, but definitely if you're
around, uh campuses weekend
821
:it's going to be a good one.
822
:ODU football is having their
spring game on saturday as
823
:well
824
:And
825
:CB: Uh, Ross has a
826
:game.
827
:I think it, well, I want to say, I think,
828
:uh, tennis, uh,
829
:might be playing also.
830
:Gary: it should be a great
time on campus on Saturday.
831
:Uh, for baseball, you're playing 6:00
PM on Friday, uh, 4:00 PM on Saturday.
832
:So that's gonna be probably about
30 to 45 minutes after the spring
833
:game festivities have completed.
834
:And then we close out the final
game at 1:00 PM on Sunday.
835
:If you can't make it to campus for
some reason, they will be on ESPN Plus.
836
:But, um, highly recommend if you're
looking for a weekend to go pick out
837
:and go catch some ODU games, this
would be a great weekend to do it
838
:because I'll remind everyone again.
839
:Doesn't look like we're going to have
any games at the bud next season.
840
:It will be under construction.
841
:So enjoy all these home games that we
have now, because you might be relegated
842
:to either driving to the peninsula pilot
stadium, or maybe over to Harbor park
843
:for a couple, who knows where, uh, no,
we'll have a lot of road games too.
844
:So come and enjoy it this weekend.
845
:Uh, hopefully get some good weather,
that good spring weather, catch a little
846
:bit of football, some lacrosse, some
tennis, whatever else is going on.
847
:I know the soccer teams are in
their, their spring seasons as well.
848
:Uh, getting some work in,
so good time to be on campus
849
:and
850
:enjoy it a little bit.
851
:CB: Yeah, it's a great point
because I was actually looking at
852
:there's only 10 home games left.
853
:There's only three home weekends
There's only one, uh home game on a
854
:tuesday, I think against uh, vcu and
then also the game against harvard
855
:park the game of hard park against uva.
856
:So Uh, not not to start pointing out
how little there is left to enjoy But
857
:like I said get out there and enjoy it.
858
:There's only um a little bit
left here at the old bud So
859
:this weekend should be a fantastic one
860
:Gary: I was going through my personal
861
:calendar, working on
862
:some work travel things.
863
:And I realized that May 21st
is the official start of the
864
:Sunbelt baseball tournament.
865
:So we are six weeks from that basically.
866
:It's slipping by very quickly.
867
:I mean, I never thought we'd get
to 10 episodes of this thing.
868
:And here we are
869
:recording episode 10.
870
:CB: there we go.
871
:Well, hopefully episode 11.
872
:We have a
873
:lot
874
:more fun things to talk about
875
:Gary: And it definitely
would be, would be great.
876
:Well, I think that's going
to do it for us this week.
877
:Uh, we appreciate all of you who
do tune in and listen, everyone who
878
:is subscribed on Spotify, iTunes,
wherever you listen to your podcast.
879
:Uh, spread the word with our ODU fan
base, because we definitely want to
880
:keep this thing going and just share the
good work and the good people that are
881
:there within this ODU baseball program.
882
:Hope to see you out at
the Bud over the weekend.
883
:I'm
884
:Gary,
885
:Go Monarchs!
886
:CB: and i'm cb go monarchs
