Too Many Walks (Among Other Things)
by Akula Wolf on Apr 13, 2010 3:26 PM EDT
Email
PrintOffensively, NC State has improved compared to the very low standard set last season. In conference play, State ranks 5th in runs scored, 7th in batting average, 6th in on-base percentage, and 8th in slugging percentage. Those numbers are middling across the board, but they would be good enough to allow for a reasonably successful season if...the pitching weren't so bad.
| NCSU Pitching | ERA | OppAvg | OppOBP | OppSLG | OppOPS | K/9 | BB/9 | K/BB | HR/9 | RA/9 |
| '09 Overall | 4.90 | .266 | .356 | .378 | .734 | 8.6 | 4.1 | 2.1 | .60 | 6.2 |
| '09 Conf-Only | 5.36 | .277 | .373 | .394 | .767 | 7.7 | 4.6 | 1.7 | .64 | 6.9 |
| '10 Overall | 5.34 | .273 | .376 | .392 | .768 | 7.3 | 4.9 | 1.5 | .58 | 6.4 |
| '10 Conf-Only | 5.88 | .288 | .387 | .417 | .804 | 7.3 | 5.2 | 1.4 | .67 | 7.2 |
(Note: Since I can't find the full-season '09 stats on GoPack, this is the best I could do. That omits three conference games and one non-conference game.)
The staff's persistent problem is its ballooning walk rate, which has climbed north of 5.0 in league play. The Friday/Saturday guys--Buchanan and Mazzoni--have been decent enough in terms of their walk rates, but the bullpen has been a disaster. No better evidence of this than last Friday when the bullpen walked eight guys in 2 & 1/3 innings. It also appears as though Avent doesn't have a lot of relievers he trusts. Buchanan threw 132 pitches Friday (which is dangerous and inexcusable, no matter the bullpen situation), while Mazzoni threw 118 on Saturday. A Wolfpack reliever threw 50+ pitches on both days.
Thanks largely to the staff's issues, the team is in a position where it needs to take five of six from Maryland and Boston College in order to break .500 in ACC play. Which is doable, I guess, though nobody will be mistaking those wins for quality wins.
I don't think the Pack has enough arms to win the ACC tournament, and right now, it looks like that's what they're going to have to do in order to get back to the NCAAs.
12 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
not getting to the NCAA
baseball tournament for the second year in a row will be pretty bad. i may be wrong, but i feel and have felt that it is easier for State to get into the NCAA baseball tournament than to get into the NCAA baskteball tournament. i have no no data to back up my feeling, but i feel that there are less schools with programs capable to sending teams to the NCAA baseball tournament than there are for the NCAA basketball tournament. my gut feeling is that very few big east and big ten schools have really good baseball programs.
right or wrong?
if i am correct, which i think i am, State should be in the NCAA baseball tournament everyyear.
We should be
Southern (and western) teams have a huge advantage over colder weather teams.
by PACKHOOLIGAN on Apr 13, 2010 8:49 PM EDT up reply actions
now, the women's softball team
has a really good shot at getting back into the NCAA tournament. State is currenlty fourth in the conference (out of 8 teams) and has a 7 and 5 conference record. its interesting that UNC is ranked in the top 25, but lost 2 of 3 to State and trails them in the conference standings. Lindsay Campana is the ace of the pitching staff and has a 16 and 6 record.
Thanks for the softball update
As always, you fill in the gaps on some of the sports that most of us don’t pay enough attention to.
One of the things that typically bugs me about softball is that your ace pitcher can seemingly go to the mound damn near every day. In the post-season, especially, it seems like one unhittable pitcher can be the difference between flaming out early in the tourney and winning the whole thing. A little too much emphasis on one person, not quite enough on the strength/depth of the staff as a whole.
Just my casual observation…
by wolfonthehill on Apr 14, 2010 6:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I think I can answer that one
I saw a story about a decade ago about baseball pitchers. Bottom line is that our arms aren’t “designed” to throw overhand – they’re “designed” to throw underhand. There’s no unusual stress placed on our shoulders when we throw underhanded – even hard and even 100+ times. On the flip side, every single overhanded 90mph pitch someone throws does a little damage… which is why they can only go so long, and why they have to ice down their shoulders when they come out.
Also the reason, incidentally, that sidewinders like Kent Tekulve could go all night without tiring (or at least that’s what the ladies said ;-) ). All seriousness – sidewinders avoid that stress and don’t tire/damage as much… so you’ve likely never heard of one of them going on the DL with shoulder problems.
Geeky, trivial info for the week…
by wolfonthehill on Apr 15, 2010 6:02 AM EDT up reply actions
wolfonthehill,
i absolutely agree with you on the one pitcher dominates in softball. just look at Campana’s record. she has already pitched in 24 of States first 41 games. for a comparison, Buchanan had 9 appearances in States first 34 games. fast pitch softball does not appear to be as demanding on a pitcher’s arm as baseball. it is what it is.
i haven't ever attended a women's softball game, while
i have attended quite a few baseball games. i do plan to attend more baseball games this year-especially in the Ga Tech series and the ACC tournament if State makes it. since the women play Ga Tech the same weekend as the men play Ga Tech, i hope to take in one of their games.
by the way, if one loves baseball, the ACC tournament is the “cat’s meow”.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
