Alex Gee said:

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I don't mind being a "sunshine guy" (because things are, in fact, actually fine!) and will always be the poster child for choosing to just enjoy things 99% of the time…

That said it would be pretty fun to do an "old takes exposed" from some of these threads this year leading to this point lol. Quick thoughts after driving home:

2021 team will always be special. 2020 is often forgotten and should be talked about significantly more, that was probably EA's best team. 2013 featured arguably the 2 best and maybe most important players in NC State history, certainly post 2000.

This team is unique to those and I think it's why, now that more folks are tuning in (a good thing), there's a different buzz at the ballpark and around the guys. If you look at stats and make judgements you're just going to be wrong. Straight up. I'm not anti analytics by any stretch, but put the calculators down here. State is 13-2 in San Highfill starts. We have 2 guys hitting over .300, Hogue would make 3. No weekend starter has a sub 5 ERA. DRock is over 5, Consiglio right at 5, Dudan at 4.15.

But none of that matters. I watch a ton of college baseball and there's not a pitching staff of teams left that I'd rather have than State's. These guys freaking battle every night and do not get rattled. They've seen the best of the best and beat it consistently and without doubt. The entire season.

Would it be cool to have a Condon, or Honeycutt, or Cannarella etc. Sure. But, man, 1-9 I'm not sure you find a group that is as well rounded as we can run out. Have won games with the long ball. Have won games with small ball. Have won games where we couldn't hit but were all over the base paths because of plate discipline. It's truly remarkable. Oh, and this crew plays some insane defense. Serrano is phenomenal in center. The middle of the infield with Heavner and Butterworth is something special. And Cozart.. what else can be said about him?

Why not us? Run it back here with this team. I encourage folks to look around college baseball tomorrow and pose that question. Nobody left that we can't beat in a BO3 or double elimination. Special group. Thankful to play a small roll in talking about it.

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Nice.

At what point will people start to finally trust Logan Whitaker in a big game? I mean he's just done it year after year when we've needed it. He's a damn dude.

For real. Dudes like gee, cltwolf, and wilm wolf deserve some credit for believing and seeing what this team was capable of from the start. I'm sure there are others, too

Alex Gee said:

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I don't mind being a "sunshine guy" (because things are, in fact, actually fine!) and will always be the poster child for choosing to just enjoy things 99% of the time…

That said it would be pretty fun to do an "old takes exposed" from some of these threads this year leading to this point lol. Quick thoughts after driving home:

2021 team will always be special. 2020 is often forgotten and should be talked about significantly more, that was probably EA's best team. 2013 featured arguably the 2 best and maybe most important players in NC State history, certainly post 2000.

This team is unique to those and I think it's why, now that more folks are tuning in (a good thing), there's a different buzz at the ballpark and around the guys. If you look at stats and make judgements you're just going to be wrong. Straight up. I'm not anti analytics by any stretch, but put the calculators down here. State is 13-2 in San Highfill starts. We have 2 guys hitting over .300, Hogue would make 3. No weekend starter has a sub 5 ERA. DRock is over 5, Consiglio right at 5, Dudan at 4.15.

But none of that matters. I watch a ton of college baseball and there's not a pitching staff of teams left that I'd rather have than State's. These guys freaking battle every night and do not get rattled. They've seen the best of the best and beat it consistently and without doubt. The entire season.

Would it be cool to have a Condon, or Honeycutt, or Cannarella etc. Sure. But, man, 1-9 I'm not sure you find a group that is as well rounded as we can run out. Have won games with the long ball. Have won games with small ball. Have won games where we couldn't hit but were all over the base paths because of plate discipline. It's truly remarkable. Oh, and this crew plays some insane defense. Serrano is phenomenal in center. The middle of the infield with Heavner and Butterworth is something special. And Cozart.. what else can be said about him?

Why not us? Run it back here with this team. I encourage folks to look around college baseball tomorrow and pose that question. Nobody left that we can't beat in a BO3 or double elimination. Special group. Thankful to play a small roll in talking about it.

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Great post.

Alex Gee said:

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I don't mind being a "sunshine guy" (because things are, in fact, actually fine!) and will always be the poster child for choosing to just enjoy things 99% of the time…

That said it would be pretty fun to do an "old takes exposed" from some of these threads this year leading to this point lol. Quick thoughts after driving home:

2021 team will always be special. 2020 is often forgotten and should be talked about significantly more, that was probably EA's best team. 2013 featured arguably the 2 best and maybe most important players in NC State history, certainly post 2000.

This team is unique to those and I think it's why, now that more folks are tuning in (a good thing), there's a different buzz at the ballpark and around the guys. If you look at stats and make judgements you're just going to be wrong. Straight up. I'm not anti analytics by any stretch, but put the calculators down here. State is 13-2 in San Highfill starts. We have 2 guys hitting over .300, Hogue would make 3. No weekend starter has a sub 5 ERA. DRock is over 5, Consiglio right at 5, Dudan at 4.15.

But none of that matters. I watch a ton of college baseball and there's not a pitching staff of teams left that I'd rather have than State's. These guys freaking battle every night and do not get rattled. They've seen the best of the best and beat it consistently and without doubt. The entire season.

Would it be cool to have a Condon, or Honeycutt, or Cannarella etc. Sure. But, man, 1-9 I'm not sure you find a group that is as well rounded as we can run out. Have won games with the long ball. Have won games with small ball. Have won games where we couldn't hit but were all over the base paths because of plate discipline. It's truly remarkable. Oh, and this crew plays some insane defense. Serrano is phenomenal in center. The middle of the infield with Heavner and Butterworth is something special. And Cozart.. what else can be said about him?

Why not us? Run it back here with this team. I encourage folks to look around college baseball tomorrow and pose that question. Nobody left that we can't beat in a BO3 or double elimination. Special group. Thankful to play a small roll in talking about it.

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Per usual a really good post here. Unlike Alex I am a Stats guy and as a graduate of our great University's Statistics department I know as well as most that the stats are great and matter until they don't. You can make statistics say about anything you want them to say. College baseball in general just isn't a large enough sample size (especially against quality opponents and games that really are competitive and matter) to really be able to take a true statistical view on players. This isn't MLB where you have 162 and are going against other pros every night. Each apperance for a pitcher or at bat for a hitter isn't the same. There has to be some statistical look at the players (at some point your numbers are what they are) but when you can compare the eye test along with numbers you get a much better view of the players you have.

For example, our man DRock Derrick Smith. Smith is sitting at a 5.04 ERA currently in 22 appearances and 25 innings. If you take out 2 appearances (2 appearances in a row a week apart) you are looking at a guy with 20 appearances and 23.1 innings pitched who has a 2.33 ERA and is sporting a As he's gotten more appearances he's found his true normal (BAA under .200, K rate pushing 40%). His ERA would normalize in time and match what what we are all seeing with our own eyes the last month and a half. I suspect if you looked at a guy like Sosa and his results independent of he massive crazy slump he had you would see the same. And that can be explained by getting mono/sickness in middle of year and having to basically reset while guys you are facing are locked in. See the same issue with guys who miss spring training in MLB etc. It's hard to come back in and be good at baseball at any level if you haven't been seeing it.

We have a damn good team and Avent has us firing at our best at the right time. Need a few more timely hits next weekend and I like our chances to go to Omaha and make some noise. Go Pack!

As much as people hate avent leaving pitchers in a little too long sometimes it has to be better than ecu giving guys the hook every 2-3 batters. Plus their games are painful to watch with all the pitching changes.

SportManagementEngineer said:

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Kmcpack said:

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As much as people hate avent leaving pitchers in a little too long sometimes it has to be better than ecu giving guys the hook every 2-3 batters. Plus their games are painful to watch with all the pitching changes.

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I think that's more to do with ECU just being out of competent pitchers. And this is exactly why you throw your ace in game one.

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Yup. Doesn't matter what arms you hold back, if you are in the losers bracket having to play five games in four days, your pitching is going to be a MASH unit.

Why dont they build a big boy fence in the outfield rather than little league.