Wake Baseball 2021 | Cusick (1st) + Fleming, Seymour, Menendez, Muntz Drafted

[DeacDaddy]

Arkansas pitching coach blew it. He left the pitcher in too long. Who is the Arkansas pitching coach? Former Wake Forest pitching coach Matt Hobbs.

That’s crazy. I watched and agreed. Why did they feel so committed to him after 100 pitches?

Our stink spreads beyond our own borders. And I never like to see State succeed in any sport so it was all the more frustrating.

 

[deac29]

This happens all the time (unfortunately) in college baseball this time of year, but it was absolutely ridiculous that Kopps was allowed to throw 118 pitches yesterday for Arkansas. He threw 2 innings Saturday and pitched in relief all year - he wasn't stretched out to throw that many pitches.

 

[DeacsOrDie]

Arkansas pitching coach blew it. He left the pitcher in too long. Who is the Arkansas pitching coach? Former Wake Forest pitching coach Matt Hobbs.

This is a reach. Unless they stated on the broadcast, rarely is it the pitching coach's decision to pull a pitcher.

 

[DiamondDeacs]

This is a reach. Unless they stated on the broadcast, rarely is it the pitching coach's decision to pull a pitcher.

Umm, no you, are totally out of your element. at most schools it is absolutely the pitching coach handling the pitchers and all the decisions pertaining to the pitchers including pitch calling and whether to make a change on the mound or not. Of course the head coach can always overrule and will always have input and the final say but for the most part the PC runs the pitching in-game decisions. Did you watch the game? Who made the mound visits? Dave Van Horn or the pitching coach?

 

[Pilchard]

This was the most important game of the season for Arkansas. What is the point of even having a head coach if he doesn't decide when to pull a starting pitcher in an elimination game where the winner goes to Omaha? There is no situation when a pitching coach has sole decision-making authority when to lift a pitcher, particularly in that game with the season on the line.

FWIW, Arkansas was the #1 team in the nation. They had an amazing year with a disappointing finish. If someone is going to try to kill the Arkansas pitching coach for leaving the starting pitcher in too long, you also have to give the coaching staff, including the pitching coach, credit for having the best season of all 300+ college teams up to that point.

WF should have moved on from Walter after this season, but to claim that Walter or WF is anyway responsible or the WF "taint" played any role in the decision in Arkansas's loss yesterday is ridiculous. Just as it would be ridiculous to give Walter any credit for how well the Razorbacks played all season.

Finally, Arkansas held State to 3 runs yesterday, but the #1 team in the nation could only scratch across 2 runs at home on game 3 of the Arkansas/State series. So, the blame game for the Razorbacks goes to their offense, more than their pitching.

 

[DeacsOrDie]

Umm, no you, are totally out of your element. at most schools it is absolutely the pitching coach handling the pitchers and all the decisions pertaining to the pitchers including pitch calling and whether to make a change on the mound or not. Of course the head coach can always overrule and will always have input and the final say but for the most part the PC runs the pitching in-game decisions. Did you watch the game? Who made the mound visits? Dave Van Horn or the pitching coach?

I am not out of my element. I played college baseball and our head coach made all the decisions. This is why he is the head coach. Additionally, I played three seasons of Summer wood bat ball and spoke with my teammates who played at other Universities and they said the same thing.

Like I said, unless this is an Arkansas specific scenario (and was stated in the broadcast) where Hobbs makes the final decision to pull Kopps, most schools rely on the HC to make such decisions.

If you would have told me that Kopps only gave up 3 runs considering how he was used earlier in the series + how he was used all season, I would say this was a positive for Arkansas. But keep reaching to trash Hobbs/Wake.

 

[DiamondDeacs]

Wasn't trashing Hobbs. I was just stating a fact. I did not comment or add an opinion I thought it was interesting that the former wake pitching coach involved in that series vs State and that's all I said. Hobbs is one of the top pitching coaches in the country and with no slight on John Hendricks I think if Hobbs had stayed at Wake the Deacs pitching situation would be much different today.

 

[DeacDaddy]

WF should have moved on from Walter after this season, but to claim that Walter or WF is anyway responsible or the WF "taint" played any role in the decision in Arkansas's loss yesterday is ridiculous. Just as it would be ridiculous to give Walter any credit for how well the Razorbacks played all season.

I was making a silly comment about the stink of our program - which this entire thread can attest to on some level - carrying over because of the coaching connection.

You provide great info to these boards. But have you considered that you can on occasion possess a really reflexive defensiveness about WF sports sometimes, as though any negative comment about a coach or player is a personal affront. When it was just a joke.

 

[morrison2951]

Regardless who made the decision, sending Kopps back out on the mound in the 9th with a 120 pitch count was asking alot, AA pitcher or not.

 

[ChrisL68]

Arkansas pulled a WF yesterday. Is Wake an athletics program that loses at home to a 2 seed with Omaha on the line or a 2-seed that upsets the #1 team in the country to go to Omaha. Us diehard long-time Wake fans know that answer to that question. That's why we joke about the athletic department needing a team psychologist (and yes I realize we have one).

 

[Buttermaker]

Arkansas pitching coach blew it. He left the pitcher in too long. Who is the Arkansas pitching coach? Former Wake Forest pitching coach Matt Hobbs.

Does the pitching coach make that call or the head coach?

Ooops, I see this has been addressed...

 

[Pilchard]

UVA advances with a win over Dallas Baptist. First trip to the CWS for the Hoos since they won it all in 2015.

ND at Mississippi State tonight for the final spot in Omaha.

 

[ChrisL68]

The ACC was down this year, but having one non-national seed hosting spot was ridiculous.

 

[awaken]

UVA advances with a win over Dallas Baptist. First trip to the CWS for the Hoos since they won it all in 2015.

ND at Mississippi State tonight for the final spot in Omaha.

The UVa pitcher on Sunday was filthy. I think he was bleeding from a broken blister. It was reminiscent of the Curt Schilling bloody sock (blood on his pants where his hand brushed it). I was surprised he was allowed to pitch (health & safety, competitive advantage?). Good for UVa today though.

 

[80deacon]

So, UVa in CWS now, too. ND with a shot tonight.

3 ACC teams in the CWS in a down year would be quite impressive.....and no Louisville, Miami, FSU, Clemson, or GT!

 

[ChrisL68]

Hendricks resigned. volunteer coach is favorite for HPU head coaching position. Do we keep the much maligned hitting coach or is it a complete staff turnover?

 

[DeacsOrDie]

This signals to me that Walter isn’t going anywhere.

 

[Kent]

Not enough to move the needle for me. WFU baseball is so far from being OK that half-measures won't get it done. Are there (statistically significant) examples of coaching staffs being this abysmal and then somehow becoming good with some adjustments here and there? I mean is there anything WFU baseball is average or better at?

 

[ChrisL68]

I mean I think the consensus here is that Walter doesn't deserve to keep his job but just talking about the reality that is instead of the reality we want to be.

 

[uncaboref]

The ACC was down this year, but having one non-national seed hosting spot was ridiculous.

All 20 regional host sites were pre-determined this year (in roughly late April/early May) due to COVID testing protocols. Notre Dame and Pitt were the only two ACC schools a) worthy of a host site at that point in the season and b) who also submitted a bid to host. Once Pittsburgh collapsed late in the year (ended up missing the tournament altogether), then the only ACC School eligible to be a host spot was Notre Dame. Not sure anybody else really earned the right to (maybe NC State if they had won the ACC Championship?). FSU, Miami, and Georgia Tech were probably next in line.