James Henderson said:

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CloudPack said:

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PossumJenkins said:

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James Henderson said:

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Packchem91 said:

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James Henderson said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Alex Gee said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Alex Gee said:

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Dudan also had just gone pop out, strike out, pop out with both pop outs traveling a grand total of about 60 feet.

I just don't think hyperanalyzing that decision is worth it.

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But is it hyper analyzing to say "use your season long closer to close G1 at WCS?"

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He's not your season long closer. For the entire year in game 1s we have gone Highfill, SVD/Coop, Dudan.

Smith has traditionally thrown game 2s and 3s if necessary

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Against Clem, UNC, and FSU three pretty big FRI night games, Smith pitched the 9th in all of them. Granted, against UNC, he got the hold and win since we got the walk off. Late in the season (VT in ACC, Bryant, and UGA, the G1s did it have save opportunities

All that said, I do agree pitching did not lose this game. Its college BB against a really good team, go score some runs

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I don't think this game was viewed as a potentially high-scoring game given the way both of these teams profile in that ballpark, but definitely, score more runs.

Agree on Smith, he did go in all 3 of those series game #1.

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I get it, but even in the 8th when we got the lead a clutch hit to get a second run would have been huge.

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Oh, I agree; it was just one of those games where that extra hit wasn't coming from the bottom of the lineup.

Glad Pennington was able to score on the WP.

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This comment literally makes no sense. "One of those games where the extra hit wasn't coming from the bottom of the lineup"? What's that even mean? Beyond the bottom of the line up winning multiple games for us this season… Heavner barreled multiple balls today just right at people. Soles i think had our best day at the plate for average til he was removed for precaution. Luke had a tough day but i think even he barreled one once but at someone. After the last 2 months i don't know how you watch one of our games and say…hits not coming out of this spot. I literally feel like every part of our lineup can contribute. Cause they all have.

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Soles in particular is hot. Ledford represent

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Soles was out of game at that point IIRC.

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Wolfer79 said:

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final from game 4
Texas A&M 3
Florida 2
Florida plays NC State Monday at 2pm (EDT) in elimination game

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James Henderson said:

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matracey said:

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James Henderson said:

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Right all that small ball worked out well for UK in 8th.

Runner on 2nd no outs and bunted!

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They failed to execute. That's very different from a strategic decision of why we could possibly want to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out.

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Why would you want to waste one of your best hitters to try and put runners on 2nd and 3rd with an out when you are already down 2 runs in the 5th inning?

Cozart had States only RbI at that point as well. Loved Coachs decision to not bunt there.

You are right though execution is always a part of it. We assume Cozart would have executed the bunt there. Who knows? (See Kentucky example).

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James Henderson said:

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matracey said:

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James Henderson said:

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matracey said:

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James Henderson said:

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Right all that small ball worked out well for UK in 8th.

Runner on 2nd no outs and bunted!

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They failed to execute. That's very different from a strategic decision of why we could possibly want to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out.

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Why would you want to waste one of your best hitters to try and put runners on 2nd and 3rd with an out when you are already down 2 runs in the 5th inning?

Cozart had States only RbI at that point as well. Loved Coachs decision to not bunt there.

You are right though execution is always a part of it. We assume Cozart would have executed the bunt there. Who knows? (See Kentucky example).

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James you asked "why bunt?" Plenty of good reasons to bunt. I'm team almost never bunt and I'm fine with letting Cozart swing there but I can see where a bunt could have been beneficial especially in a game when you have been struggling at hitting with RISP and knowing now that he hit into a double play.

You can take the argument you're making here and apply it to the Dudan/Smith decision. Dudan has been really good this year and closed out multiple games. It's not like we had Jacob Halford (no offense of course) on the mound and left him in for the 9th. We assume Smith would have gotten 3 outs no problem there. Who knows?

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Thta's why I don't care about the end result. I do what I'd do regardless of the result. It's why I don't look back on the Cozart double play and say "I can see bunting there." I still wouldn't see bunting there.

Smith has been better than Dudan. yes, Dudan has been really good, Smith has been better. If someone can find stats out there to suggest otherwise, please share them with me. So I'm going with my best guy, especially if that's already been his role, and I'll live with the result (even if Smith doesn't get the 3 outs).

I'm kind of surprised others don't view it that way, but yes, I agree, Dudan could have got 3 outs and he's done it before too.

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ThomasEvans said:

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Staff has to work hard to keep Cozart (NIL) and it wasn't for him to lay down bunts with runners on, especially with Butterworth and company behind him.

Those guys in the back half of the lineup have had their moments and some huge hits, but we all know there is a drop after Cozart.

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James Henderson said:

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CloudPack said:

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James Henderson said:

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CloudPack said:

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PossumJenkins said:

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James Henderson said:

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Packchem91 said:

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James Henderson said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Alex Gee said:

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Packchem91 said:

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Alex Gee said:

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Dudan also had just gone pop out, strike out, pop out with both pop outs traveling a grand total of about 60 feet.

I just don't think hyperanalyzing that decision is worth it.

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But is it hyper analyzing to say "use your season long closer to close G1 at WCS?"

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He's not your season long closer. For the entire year in game 1s we have gone Highfill, SVD/Coop, Dudan.

Smith has traditionally thrown game 2s and 3s if necessary

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Against Clem, UNC, and FSU three pretty big FRI night games, Smith pitched the 9th in all of them. Granted, against UNC, he got the hold and win since we got the walk off. Late in the season (VT in ACC, Bryant, and UGA, the G1s did it have save opportunities

All that said, I do agree pitching did not lose this game. Its college BB against a really good team, go score some runs

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I don't think this game was viewed as a potentially high-scoring game given the way both of these teams profile in that ballpark, but definitely, score more runs.

Agree on Smith, he did go in all 3 of those series game #1.

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I get it, but even in the 8th when we got the lead a clutch hit to get a second run would have been huge.

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Oh, I agree; it was just one of those games where that extra hit wasn't coming from the bottom of the lineup.

Glad Pennington was able to score on the WP.

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This comment literally makes no sense. "One of those games where the extra hit wasn't coming from the bottom of the lineup"? What's that even mean? Beyond the bottom of the line up winning multiple games for us this season… Heavner barreled multiple balls today just right at people. Soles i think had our best day at the plate for average til he was removed for precaution. Luke had a tough day but i think even he barreled one once but at someone. After the last 2 months i don't know how you watch one of our games and say…hits not coming out of this spot. I literally feel like every part of our lineup can contribute. Cause they all have.

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Soles in particular is hot. Ledford represent

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Soles was out of game at that point IIRC.

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I took the comment as more of a generalization. For yesterday specifically it did work out that way with some missed opportunities

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Yes, definitely throughout the year the bottom came up with some timely hits, but yesterday it was top-heavy. I think bottom was 1-15 without Soles (Butterworth down).

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metcalfmafia said:

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I think Thomas meant "had". Giglio said in his podcast that UVA (IIRC) came hard after him in the offseason and Avent had to call in the big gun to help keep him.

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Werewolf said:

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We can agree on that. Chow.

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James Henderson said:

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FLWolf said:

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For those that say we don't use Smith on Fridays, this is not a three day weekend. It is managed totally different. We are off today win or lose vs KY. How things were managed during the season really doesn't matter.

Personally, I think you bring Smith in to close in the 9th. Maybe EA preferred Duden vs that part of the line-up?? Who knows but how he managed a 3 game weekend should have no bearing on Friday's strategy.

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Imo it's a simple question. You need 3 outs in ninth inning and you have your full bullpen available. Who is your best guy? The answer to that question should have been on the mound. Monday was irrelevant at that point bc anybody you threw would have still been good on Monday.

So you can answer that ? With whoever you want.

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James Henderson said:

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StateFan2001 said:

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James Henderson said:

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FLWolf said:

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For those that say we don't use Smith on Fridays, this is not a three day weekend. It is managed totally different. We are off today win or lose vs KY. How things were managed during the season really doesn't matter.

Personally, I think you bring Smith in to close in the 9th. Maybe EA preferred Duden vs that part of the line-up?? Who knows but how he managed a 3 game weekend should have no bearing on Friday's strategy.

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Imo it's a simple question. You need 3 outs in ninth inning and you have your full bullpen available. Who is your best guy? The answer to that question should have been on the mound. Monday was irrelevant at that point bc anybody you threw would have still been good on Monday.

So you can answer that ? With whoever you want.

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I don't think State necessarily thinks Smith is a better bullpen option than Dudan. I think that showed in staying with him there to start the 9th.
Dudan best pitch is his slider. Why are we going fb away in that situation to a LH. If anything bust 97 on his hands. Then with Smith in the 10th, can we at least show a fb up and then come back with the slider. The guy was sitting on slider get him off of it a little bit by showing a 93 fb and then come back to it.

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No I think at times this year they've stayed with guys probably longer than needed and for no real reason. Sometimes it works out, sometimes you eventually pull the guy and go with someone else.

I'm not a fan of bringing a bullpen arm in, in trouble, when you really don't need to.

When you factor in the #s (opp. BA, Ks, Walks, runs allowed, etc...) and view Dudan a better option than Smith, we'll just have to disagree.

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Glasswolf said:

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CLTWolf said:

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StateFan2001 said:

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James Henderson said:

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FLWolf said:

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For those that say we don't use Smith on Fridays, this is not a three day weekend. It is managed totally different. We are off today win or lose vs KY. How things were managed during the season really doesn't matter.

Personally, I think you bring Smith in to close in the 9th. Maybe EA preferred Duden vs that part of the line-up?? Who knows but how he managed a 3 game weekend should have no bearing on Friday's strategy.

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Imo it's a simple question. You need 3 outs in ninth inning and you have your full bullpen available. Who is your best guy? The answer to that question should have been on the mound. Monday was irrelevant at that point bc anybody you threw would have still been good on Monday.

So you can answer that ? With whoever you want.

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I don't think State necessarily thinks Smith is a better bullpen option than Dudan. I think that showed in staying with him there to start the 9th.
Dudan best pitch is his slider. Why are we going fb away in that situation to a LH. If anything bust 97 on his hands. Then with Smith in the 10th, can we at least show a fb up and then come back with the slider. The guy was sitting on slider get him off of it a little bit by showing a 93 fb and then come back to it.

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Because that guy was hitting almost .500 on anything middle/in. Barely .100 on anything on the outer half. You pitch Nicholson away. That's been how you get him out all season. You probably knew that tho.

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We pitched him correctly. He just hit a pitch away over one of the shorter fences in the park.

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James Henderson said:

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StateFan2001 said:

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James Henderson said:

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FLWolf said:

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For those that say we don't use Smith on Fridays, this is not a three day weekend. It is managed totally different. We are off today win or lose vs KY. How things were managed during the season really doesn't matter.

Personally, I think you bring Smith in to close in the 9th. Maybe EA preferred Duden vs that part of the line-up?? Who knows but how he managed a 3 game weekend should have no bearing on Friday's strategy.

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Imo it's a simple question. You need 3 outs in ninth inning and you have your full bullpen available. Who is your best guy? The answer to that question should have been on the mound. Monday was irrelevant at that point bc anybody you threw would have still been good on Monday.

So you can answer that ? With whoever you want.

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I don't think State necessarily thinks Smith is a better bullpen option than Dudan. I think that showed in staying with him there to start the 9th.
Dudan best pitch is his slider. Why are we going fb away in that situation to a LH. If anything bust 97 on his hands. Then with Smith in the 10th, can we at least show a fb up and then come back with the slider. The guy was sitting on slider get him off of it a little bit by showing a 93 fb and then come back to it.

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No I think at times this year they've stayed with guys probably longer than needed and for no real reason. Sometimes it works out, sometimes you eventually pull the guy and go with someone else.

I'm not a fan of bringing a bullpen arm in, in trouble, when you really don't need to.

When you factor in the #s (opp. BA, Ks, Walks, runs allowed, etc...) and view Dudan a better option than Smith, we'll just have to disagree.

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CLTWolf said:

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Glasswolf said:

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CLTWolf said:

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StateFan2001 said:

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James Henderson said:

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FLWolf said:

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For those that say we don't use Smith on Fridays, this is not a three day weekend. It is managed totally different. We are off today win or lose vs KY. How things were managed during the season really doesn't matter.

Personally, I think you bring Smith in to close in the 9th. Maybe EA preferred Duden vs that part of the line-up?? Who knows but how he managed a 3 game weekend should have no bearing on Friday's strategy.

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Imo it's a simple question. You need 3 outs in ninth inning and you have your full bullpen available. Who is your best guy? The answer to that question should have been on the mound. Monday was irrelevant at that point bc anybody you threw would have still been good on Monday.

So you can answer that ? With whoever you want.

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I don't think State necessarily thinks Smith is a better bullpen option than Dudan. I think that showed in staying with him there to start the 9th.
Dudan best pitch is his slider. Why are we going fb away in that situation to a LH. If anything bust 97 on his hands. Then with Smith in the 10th, can we at least show a fb up and then come back with the slider. The guy was sitting on slider get him off of it a little bit by showing a 93 fb and then come back to it.

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Because that guy was hitting almost .500 on anything middle/in. Barely .100 on anything on the outer half. You pitch Nicholson away. That's been how you get him out all season. You probably knew that tho.

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We pitched him correctly. He just hit a pitch away over one of the shorter fences in the park.

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No sht we did. Dude just made a great cut and put good wood on it to (as you said) the right part of the park at the right part of the day. Just tip your cap and move on, all we can do. Kid stepped up. It happens.

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.@FSUBaseball's Link Jarrett and @NCStateBaseball's JT Jarrett are both celebrating Father's Day in Omaha with the goal of winning the #MCWS. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/t11XQ91UQC

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 16, 2024

Elliott Avent today said that either Dominic Fritton or Logan Whitaker would start on the mound for NC State on Monday against Florida. No decision has been made yet.

— Rob McLamb (@RobMcLamb) June 16, 2024