2024 Wake Baseball Thread: What Did We Do To Deserve This?

[Colonel Angus]

Wake wasn't even a regional host in the last D1 Baseball tourney projection so the Clemson sweep moved the Deacs up at least 7 spots.

Impressive work over the weekend.

Taking 2 out of 3 in Rawlee should put Wake in solid shape for a national (Top 8) seed barring a bed crapping in the ACC Tourney.

Who woulda thought that was even possible after the UNC series???

 

[Colonel Angus]

Least harmless implies they are the most harmful....

Thanks, teach. Edited as my initial post was typed too fast.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Have we announced our pitching plan for the weekend? We will be there Friday.

 

[deacon14]

From someone born in NC but who grew up in SC, the So. Carolina fans are the least harmful of the large public school fanbases in the Carolinas.

Usually this is just because they are a fanbase that hasn't won much recently. UNC and Clemson have both actually been good at football and/or basketball in recent memory, which brings out the annoying fair-weather fans.

If South Carolina started winning a lot at football their fans would be absolutely insufferable.

 

[Pilchard]

Have we announced our pitching plan for the weekend? We will be there Friday.

One thing to keep in mind about the pitching plan for the NC State series is the ACC Tournament follows next Tuesday April 21 and WF will play its first ACCT game either that day or the next day. Does WF want to open the ACCT with Chase or save him for game 2? If Chase does not pitch this Thursday, that essentially clinches that he won't pitch the opening game for WF in the ACCT.

 

[For Deac's Sake]

Can someone remind me of the ACC tournament format? Isn't it something convoluted, at least in the initial group stage?

 

[Biff Tannen]

Usually this is just because they are a fanbase that hasn't won much recently. UNC and Clemson have both actually been good at football and/or basketball in recent memory, which brings out the annoying fair-weather fans.

If South Carolina started winning a lot at football their fans would be absolutely insufferable.

I can remember when Carolina was winning the SEC East and running off a streak against Clemson and they weren't that bad.

 

[Pilchard]

Can someone remind me of the ACC tournament format? Isn't it something convoluted, at least in the initial group stage?

The 12 ACC teams with the best conference records play.

There are 4 pools of three teams.

Round robin play (two games) decides which team advances out of pool play to the ACCT semis. IIRC, if all three teams in a pool tie at 1-1, the lowest seed (the team with the best conference record) advances.

Semis are set for Saturday May 25; finals are Sunday May 26.

 

[thatguy2016]

Can someone remind me of the ACC tournament format? Isn't it something convoluted, at least in the initial group stage?

It's a single-elimination tournament, but if you are one of the top 4 seeds you also play an exhibition game either before or after your first-round game.

So if WF is one of the top 4 seeds, WF's first game will be either Wednesday or Thursday, with the second game Thursday or Friday, and one of those games will count.

If WF is not one of the top 4 seeds, WF's first game will be Tuesday or Wednesday. If WF wins that game, it will play an elimination game against a seeded team. If WF loses that game, it will play an exhibition game against a seeded team.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Wake wasn't even a regional host in the last D1 Baseball tourney projection so the Clemson sweep moved the Deacs up at least 7 spots.

Impressive work over the weekend.

Taking 2 out of 3 in Rawlee should put Wake in solid shape for a national (

I can remember when Carolina was winning the SEC East and running off a streak against Clemson and they weren't that bad.

All those people are dead now.

 

[Liquid Karma]

I can remember when Carolina was winning the SEC East and running off a streak against Clemson and they weren't that bad.

Carolina is in the ACC.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

One thing to keep in mind about the pitching plan for the NC State series is the ACC Tournament follows next Tuesday April 21 and WF will play its first ACCT game either that day or the next day. Does WF want to open the ACCT with Chase or save him for game 2? If Chase does not pitch this Thursday, that essentially clinches that he won't pitch the opening game for WF in the ACCT.

Well if it were me I would not even think about the ACCT. Just focus on the best chance to win the state series. ACCT format is dumb and not as important as this weekend. We were top seed last year and couldn't win it. It's a crapshoot.

I'd prefer to pitch Chase first game but only if he can be 100% I'm assuming Josh is off until Saturday regardless. I just hate starting a series as huge as this with a bullpen game. Is state in a similar spot? Just curious. I imagine we will keep our cards close on this one?

 

[DeacInVermont]

It's a single-elimination tournament, but if you are one of the top 4 seeds you also play an exhibition game either before or after your first-round game.

So if WF is one of the top 4 seeds, WF's first game will be either Wednesday or Thursday, with the second game Thursday or Friday, and one of those games will count.

If WF is not one of the top 4 seeds, WF's first game will be Tuesday or Wednesday. If WF wins that game, it will play an elimination game against a seeded team. If WF loses that game, it will play an exhibition game against a seeded team.

Is there anyone anywhere that thinks "Yep! This is the best tournament format we can have!"? I guess the ACC is gonna ACC.

 

[LilburnDeac]

Well if it were me I would not even think about the ACCT. Just focus on the best chance to win the state series. ACCT format is dumb and not as important as this weekend. We were top seed last year and couldn't win it. It's a crapshoot.

I'd prefer to pitch Chase first game but only if he can be 100% I'm assuming Josh is off until Saturday regardless. I just hate starting a series as huge as this with a bullpen game. Is state in a similar spot? Just curious. I imagine we will keep our cards close on this one?

It would be nice to win the ACCT but like Turd says it isn't really that important in the overall scheme of things.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Well if it were me I would not even think about the ACCT. Just focus on the best chance to win the state series. ACCT format is dumb and not as important as this weekend. We were top seed last year and couldn't win it. It's a crapshoot.

I'd prefer to pitch Chase first game but only if he can be 100% I'm assuming Josh is off until Saturday regardless. I just hate starting a series as huge as this with a bullpen game. Is state in a similar spot? Just curious. I imagine we will keep our cards close on this one?

State’s pitching is not a strength.

 

[CONeill]

Quick feature on Antonio Morales.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Is there anyone anywhere that thinks "Yep! This is the best tournament format we can have!"? I guess the ACC is gonna ACC.

Literally nobody except the programs who thought they were perpetual top four types when the ACC decided on this. Basically if you think you're a top 4 and probably hoping for an Omaha run this is how you want it.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Literally nobody except the programs who thought they were perpetual top four types when the ACC decided on this. Basically if you think you're a top 4 and probably hoping for an Omaha run this is how you want it.

Wonder if it’s better for the league to protect your best chances than increase your number of chances?

 

[Pilchard]

Well if it were me I would not even think about the ACCT. Just focus on the best chance to win the state series. ACCT format is dumb and not as important as this weekend. We were top seed last year and couldn't win it. It's a crapshoot.

I'd prefer to pitch Chase first game but only if he can be 100% I'm assuming Josh is off until Saturday regardless. I just hate starting a series as huge as this with a bullpen game. Is state in a similar spot? Just curious. I imagine we will keep our cards close on this one?

NC State's Friday starter is RHP Sam Highfill. He's pitched at NC State forever (this is 5th year). He beat Vandy in the 2021 CWS. Highfill has been pretty solid all year, but his ERA is 5. NC State is 11-1 in games started by Highfill.
Their Saturday starter is LHP Dominic Fritton. He's been super-erratic for the Pack. He shut down Clemson, but has been bombed his last two outings. ERA over 7. About 1K per inning; lots of walks.
Recently, their Sunday starter has been frosh LHP Cooper Consiglio. Has only pitched past the 5th inning once. 5 ERA fewer Ks than IP.

Like Clemson, NC State will probably start two lefties against WF.

 

[deacon14]

Is there anyone anywhere that thinks "Yep! This is the best tournament format we can have!"? I guess the ACC is gonna ACC.

It's an absurdly stupid format, but it's also pretty difficult to come up with a format for conference tournaments that is good for both teams and fans.

I think the best option would be to limit the tournament to 8 teams, and just play single elimination. That way the max amount of games any team plays will be 3. But of course, the ACC typically has >8 teams vying for an NCAAT bid, and excluding NCAAT bubble teams from the conference tournament would be bad for the conference.