KSU Booze Cats

[Kid In the Hall]

Something is wrong with Dean - he was solid last year, but has been a trainwreck this year. Slack wasn't as reliable last year, but he's been pretty bad this year too. If we're going to make the postseason, those two guys have to figure things out.

We're tied for 3rd at the Big 12 halfway point with 5 series left (@KU, vs. Houston, @BYU, vs. WVU, @Cincy). WVU is currently in first, KU's tied for 5th, Cincy is 7th and Houston & BYU are one game out of last place. We're lucky in that we avoid three of the top six teams in the league (TCU, Arizona, ASU) this season (did beat TCU earlier in the year in a tourney).

KU was swept at TCU this weekend, so it'll be interesting to see how they play next weekend (KU's pitching had been pretty solid and TCU mailed them all weekend). They've lost 4 straight and play WSU at home on Tuesday before our series.

Like last year, we decided again to let Pete go home for a mid-week series, so we play at Northeastern Tuesday and Wednesday before going to KU Friday. They won't be a pushover - first in their league and 60 in the RPI (we're currently 36th).

[sonofdaxjones]

It doesn't seem ideal to be traveling to the East Coast right now for games.

But I do see they start at 1, so they can get out of there and get back. 

I don't know 

[cfbandyman]

Yeah this seems like a crux of the schedule. if they can somehow work some magic vs Northeastern and then at least take the series vs KU, then they probably have a real good shot of getting back into the championship drive. I like they have WVU at home and Houston and BYU are poo poo

[Kid In the Hall]

It doesn't seem ideal to be traveling to the East Coast right now for games.

But I do see they start at 1, so they can get out of there and get back. 

I don't know 

I think it's pretty stupid... I imagine you can count the number of teams on one hand that are scheduling cross-country mid-week non-conference series this time of the year.

But, in slight defense of Hughes - there just aren't that many day trip options that we don't already face (Creighton, Omaha, Nebraska, WSU, etc.). In the old days, Clark would play NAIA teams because he couldn't get anyone else (Doane, William Woods, etc.) and those would be absolute RPI killers these days.

Still, would be nice to get Mizzou on the schedule (and Oklahoma now too - though I can see why Hughes wouldn't be keen on that). And, they would be longer trips, but Arkansas, Iowa, SLU and Oral Roberts are in the 5-6 hour drive range.

[sonofdaxjones]

Yeah, there's lots of options for a mid weeker closer than Boston, obviously.

[Dugout DickStone]

Despite the near collapse my extended warranty aura prevailed


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Good work.  I’ll try this in Lawrence Saturday.  If anyone wants to rub elbows hit me up

[BIG APPLE CAT]

Oof.

[Kid In the Hall]

Dean has now given up runs (or failed to record an out) in six consecutive relief appearances and in eight of his last nine appearances dating back more than a month. His ERA is 12.60 during that stretch with 25 hits (11 for extra bases), 6 BBs, 3 HBPs in 10 total innings pitched. 

Has to get better...

[KST8FAN]

Lost 5-3 today.  Swept by Northeastern.  Huskies retired the last 12 in a row vs Cat batters.


Tom

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[Kid In the Hall]

Two games in Boston: 6 errors and 6 unearned runs.

We were 214th in the country in fielding % entering the series and we're going to take another plunge.

We're now 4-11 in true road games this year and very realistically could be 4-14 after this weekend against the best KU team in 10+ years (not saying a lot, but still).

[cfbandyman]

Yeah, they gotta step it up or it's going to get a lil ugly. 3 weeks ago this team was a virtual lock for the tourny

[KST8FAN]

D1Baseball had us a 2 seed in Austin before today's game.  Northeastern a 3 seed in Athens.


Tom

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[sonofdaxjones]

A fielding crap show


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[cfbandyman]

D1Baseball had us a 2 seed in Austin before today's game.  Northeastern a 3 seed in Athens.


Tom

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Oh, well ok

[Kid In the Hall]

Now tied for 236th (of 299) D1 teams in fielding percentage at .960. Of power conference teams, only Michigan State (below average team) and Ohio State (awful team) are worse.

[KST8FAN]

D1Baseball had us a 2 seed in Austin before today's game.  Northeastern a 3 seed in Athens.


Tom

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Oh, well ok

Not disagreeing with you.  They are playing themselves out of the tournament at their current pace.


Tom

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[Dugout DickStone]

I may have over-purchased for tomorrow

[BIG APPLE CAT]

Jfc guyette

[Kid In the Hall]

🤡

[steve dave]

Dogshit


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[BIG APPLE CAT]

I’ve given it some thought and maybe this team just isn’t really post season material.

[Kid In the Hall]

The problem is that this team goes from really good at home to dogshit on the road, which is a hallmark of Pete Hughes coached teams in his 25+ year head coaching career.

In college baseball, as a baseline, the road team wins about 40% of the time on average. A good team is going to be at .500 (or better).

At K-State, Hughes' road winning percentage is .338. In 3 of his 6 seasons (not counting the covid year), Hughes has finished with below a 30% win percentage on the road. Only once (2023) has Hughes finished with a 40+% win percentage on the road (actually 55% that year). If you remove that year, his road winning percentage is .289.

So, in essence, Hughes has had a single year where his team played at an average/above average level on the road - every other year, we've been below average (and, far below it in 3 of 6 years). If Hughes managed to be even average (40% on the road), he'd have won about 5 more games every year. Considering K-State's been on the bubble in several of those years (and only made it on the right side once), that truly is the difference between an NCAA bid and staying at home.

When you have trends like this for 25+ years, it definitively says that whatever you're doing to prepare your teams when they play on the road simply does not work. Whatever it is that he does sucks (certainly in comparison to other coaches) and his record proves it. There's really no other way of looking at it. 

[sonofdaxjones]

Pete may have changed some things to help continue to find NCAA tourney capable talent.

But as far as the rest, Pete just seems like a guy who isn't listening to anybody and ain't changing.  Just the vibe I get.

[sonofdaxjones]

But overall - just a disastrous weekend for K-State baseball.

Completely wasting a great starting performance on Friday night - giving up leads in all 4 games.  Yet another runner picked off at 1st.

This is a textbook on playing your way out of the post season right now.

[fun muffin]

Just need to play teams worse than us and we'll be fine.