Weekend 6 Reactions – The D1Baseball Podcast

On this episode of The D1Baseball Podcast, Mike Rooney and Kendall Rogers take you all over the country by looking at which rosters they are buying stock in ahead of the second half of the season. They also look back at what they each saw during Weekend 6 college baseball action.

05:31 Mississippi State’s Impressive Performance
08:19 A Closer Look at Texas A&M
18:09 The SEC’s Regional Prospects and Challenges
23:24 Pac-12’s Struggles and Potential Comebacks
27:27 Deep Dive into the Big 12’s Chaotic Season
28:11 Spotlight on Oklahoma State’s Rising Performance
31:53 Exploring the ACC’s Competitive Landscape
34:05 Predictions and Insights on the Big Ten and Sun Belt
38:50 Highlighting Memorable Moments in College Baseball
44:25 The Power of Redemption Stories in College Sports
45:34 A Closer Look at Bowling Green’s Remarkable Journey
49:11 Wrapping Up with Season Highlights and Coupons

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Hello and welcome to the 35 minutes of heaven we call the D1 baseball podcast I your host Michael Patrick Rooney tonight’s episode brought To Us by our good friends at S2 cognition S2 cognition delivers a revolutionary approach to helping athletes understand how ingame decisions impact their performance from youth levels all the

Way to the pros I want to also say thank you to pitch Logic the system used by players coaches Scouts and instructors at all levels of play from youth leagues to the big leagues the easy to use and affordable technology makes the platform accessible to every player at every

Level all the metrics and features used at the highest level of baseball see Pitch logic.com for more information uh tonight I am joined by one person the great Kendall J Rogers the theme of this episode KR is going to be toughness and Charisma because it’s week six or we’ve

Just completed week six and some of our teammates um zebi barrels fitty barrels you guys got a lot of nicknames but not a lot of endurance um and and Joseph J Healey they needed the week off KR they they’re on a pitch count um they’re they’re going up to drive line see if

They can’t get sharp uh but it’s you and me go go talk to Kyle B he’ll take care of them that’s right we gotta stretch them out they were training as relievers so those little playo balls think Aaron’s in his in his office right now throwing a play ball against the wall we

Yeah we sent Joe and Fitzy out for velocity training I like it actually I did listen to Fitzy was on the ACC Etc podcast today and was excellent it was uh they had a really good he actually excellent Oh I thought he was phenomenal okay yeah that’s aw what about Pat James

How was PJ on that one Pat was great what did and and uh Darren VA had a great nickname for Pat it was like um Pat it was it wasn’t Pat tastic although that would be good too um I don’t know have to re to you know who Pat reminds

Me of this is very strange comp so I I go back to Sunday I’m watching Dallas Baptist in Sam Houston Dallas Baptist didn’t play very well you know Dan Hefner after the gamees like yeah well you picked literally like the one of two games we play this year that were

Absolutely horrible so so thanks for coming but he had a smile on his face like no one Smiles win or lose more than Dan Hefner like I think he’s just an eternally happy person and I feel like Pat James is a Dan Hefner of of our company like no matter what Pat James

Has a smile on his face yes he loves it he you know it’s funny on in the fall when I do the Sunday night podcast you know like that’s a big ask for Pat like this is his job he’s having to work on a Sunday night I mean I guess we all have

To do that but he and he does it with a smile’s face he listens to those things um yeah he he’s an incredible human we’re we’re all in on Pat James yeah even though he’s got um he’s rubbing it in our face with the hair but Kendall do you watch yeah you know

Exactly yeah Pat Pat’s got me in the hair category I’ll give him that do you do you watch um Hayden shot of Texas A&M has implemented Fungo golf on Mondays you know Monday is the traditional day off in college baseball have you tuned into that at

All so I I saw it the the Monday night before they played Texas and I remember texting a Texas friend of mine and and going I don’t think this looks very good for Texas like if they’re playing Fungo golf on Twitter the night before they play their rival they’re feeling pretty

Good about themselves and what happens the next day I don’t I forget now what they won like what 11 to two or something yep they they A&M’s got a good vibe they uh and and of course Hayden shot is uh like best buds with uh Lord

Tumt as he likes to call him uh Jay I still I still have not actually gone back and and like found out where that even comes from I refuse to call him Lord tubbington though yeah or or you could just call him Lord tubby as they

Call him uh I think well if I understand it correctly when he was an underclassman in high school he hadn’t grown height-wise yet and he was like a a kind of a bad bodied pudgy kid and then he just grew and the athleticism exploded obviously but yeah like I guess

He was tubby as a kid is where it comes from yeah he’s definitely not tubby anymore no no he’s not so hey KR let’s so it’s just you and me tonight we might have a special guest H in but who who knows what can happen here’s what I want

To do want to hear what you saw this weekend I want to um I want you and I to pick one of the coolest things we’ve seen in college baseball this year I’ve got a menu I’m going to share with you you can go off the menu um you can

Special order your omelet but I’ve got a menu of things I think are just really cool um and then if we have time I’m gonna pick I’m GNA pick some of the leagues and like for instance I’m going to say forget record but if you could

Pick one roster in the ACC for example going forward what would you pick and the reason I say that is because there’s no super team in college baseball we just have all this chaos and so I think what that’s going to lead us to is almost an anything can happen in the

Postseason so that’s what we’re going to do we’re at the end we’re going to do um we’re going to do kind of pick some rosters that we think forget records this is a roster I’d want to ride with um but let’s start with what you saw this weekend because you saw a couple

Different things yeah no doubt I mean I’ll start in College Station saw Mississippi State and A&M and you know honestly I thought it was a big weekend for Mississippi State more than anybody I think if you look at State and what they did against LSU a couple weeks ago you know they won

The series opener they they stormed back and almost when the second game against LSU uh and then they come back on on Sunday and just rough them up and you know I think when you look at that weekend I I was curious to see you know emotionally that was a big the LSU

Series was a big weekend for them so I was kind of curious to see how state did moving forward going on the road you know you’re not at the dude with 14,000 people of your friends there so how would they Fair on the road and and

Honestly you know they lost two to three they lost the Sunday game six to1 but I I came way thinking like man these guys you know like Aaron like these guys have staying power I think offensively uh they really work a lot of counts you

Know Hunter Hines is kind of in the zone again which is I think runes I think back I want to say like his Ops at one point was like 660 something outrageously low it’s now almost 900 again so he’s obviously red hot you know Dakota Jordan Works counts Amman Larry

Works counts uh you know you know Conor you know Conor husack uh does a really nice job in the he’s got pop and so I I like their lineup a lot I I think pitching wise you know it sounds like just from Reading Steve Robertson a few

Of the the Riders it sounds like Nate do might actually be back this weekend potentially and I tell you what if he’s back not only do I think this is a team that can make a regional I think this is a team that can host a regional because

When you look at their pitching staff you look at Evan Evan sier and the job that he did on the front of the rotation over the weekend against Adam’s lineup you know obviously Cal Steven after he got ripped up against LSU was really good against A&M uh and even dangelo uh

In the final game uh he had electric stuff it’s just he had a couple mistakes to BR a Montgomery ball game see a game over and so you know and then you look at the back in their bullpen then you Nolan Stevens gives up the Grand Slam to

Gavin grahovic then he actually you know was it on Thursday night you know the rest outing was actually pretty good so you know they get D back it takes a little bit of pressure off of you know all those guys and all of a sudden man

Like the complexion of that team is deep offensive lineup a lot of a lot of pitching options and you know two three four legitimate highlevel power arms and that pitching staff so I really like the the cut of their jib I think if you look at you know just their their overall

Approach is just a hard-nosed team it’s like Jim snle told me after the game that is a way different team they had last year just in terms of their body language and so I’m one of those people that you know when Mississippi State’s better it’s it’s better for college

Baseball and I I think they’re here to stay I think for A&M you know we’ve talked about A&M before so I’ll be quick on them um you know I I thought it was a it was a little bit of a gut check weekend for them because they go to

Florida they leave a lot of Runners on base in series finale against the Gators a series frankly they probably should have won and they go back home you know grov gets the big hit on Friday you know Stephen keeps him in check on on Saturday or on Friday excuse me and then

On uh on Saturday the series finale uh they go out there and Bren Montgomery kind of leads the way and then of course Justin lamin and Ryan Prager the big story lines for the weekend both of those guys I thought were just average the best against Florida both of them

Threw extreme will especially lampin on on Saturday against the Bulldogs uh he had great movement on his breaking ball and that’s one thing Chris lonus told me after the game is like man that was that was big- Time stuff and you know yeah he throws 993 with that breaking ball was

Was was big time it had a lot of late break to it it was moving a lot and so all of a sudden now you look at A&M you know they were able to win a series at home didn’t have to use Chris Cortez who

By the way was the be was their nastiest pitcher uh against Florida two weekends ago didn’t even have to throw him that gives you an idea of where this pitching St is and a lot of credit goes to you know Max weiner who’s done a tremendous job with the pitching staff that frankly

Was bad last year so A&M I think we both kind of thought they had staying power but that that’s a team that that looks like a championship Contender to me I don’t think states that far behind I I I hesitate to call them a national championship Contender but I tell you

What man they’re they’re a really good team but it doesn’t get easier this weekend as they go to Florida KR so on A&M like let’s think about the postseason for a second and and a lot of things can roles can change between now and then but like I’m comfortable with the

Rotation and um so here’s the question if they were in a weekend series at the end of the year and they’re like you’re going to shrink your pitching staff to the guys that are hot and confident and all that stuff who are their like who are their three go-to relievers is it

That Ashen Bach kid is he in there yeah yeah Ashen Bach would be their would be their go-to guy and it’s it’s kind of funny like I call kind of call him a poor man’s Michael Roth and reason why I say that is because he goes out there

From the left side and it’s like 8789 or 86 88 and you know the the breaking ball like from behind a plate like isn’t special but he gets like weak hit after week hit he gets strikeouts and he’s just one of those guys man like

Just spins it right I don’t know if it’s extension or what but you know he just does a really nice job for them kind of you know Jim kind of put this a really perfect way of the day he’s like with Evan he’s like you know exactly what

Going to get like he’s not going to get hit hard I don’t think I saw him get hit hard once last year and I don’t think it’s happened this year so you know that’s not to say he’s gonna go out there and get 14 strikeouts out of the

Bullpen but like he’s not gonna you know he’s not gonna give up a four or five spot so you he’s the one guy you know Shane sadeo another tal of Lefty for them uh you know until the last week or so has been really good they do need to

Get him right he has not been great in my opinion over the last week and a half he’s gotten hit a little bit hard so they need to kind of r him in but you know Cortez to me is kind of their you know their ex factor and if you remember

In the pre season I think we all kind of said that like for them to be a championship caliber Club even with their offense like Chris Cortez is a premium arm was going to have to step up and you know he’s a guy that the last couple times out has been outstanding

And you know that’s a security blanket for them because if you get into a regional and you know let’s say you get upset in a game and and that’s your option to stay alive and a regional that’s a pretty good option so um you know those are those are the main guys

For me Josh Stewart the you know the Texas he was good this weekend right yeah I mean he he was good he’s got a you know the thing about him that’s really interesting is a slider is has like Elite spin rates I mean it’s like

2900 to 30 I think I got one like 3189 on his slider uh the fast ball he decided to make a mistake and throw 93 m hour heater Hunter hin they w a very long way but uh yeah the sliders a real pitch for him so again I I kind of come

Away from the weekend feeling pretty good about both those teams I did go to Huntsville on Sunday to watch a series finale uh you know between Sam and Dallas Baptist and uh you know DBU didn’t have their best day they they didn’t look great to me you know chayton

Uh chayton Krauss is a one guy for them that stood out to me just a really physical presence in the Box just hit an absolute Mammoth home run the Patriots but other than that they really didn’t have a lot of offensive production Grant Jay did hit a couple of balls really

Hard you know Luke petett was was solid on the mound you know low 90s decent slider you know they still don’t have James oer they’re talented freshman who was up to 100 opening weekend it’s bad a little bit of little bit of nerve stuff and they do expect him back but it

Sounds like with L Winger it’s gonna be one of those things that like he he’s going to be pitching for three weeks and he may be down for two weeks he’s be pitched for three weeks and and so on so just a very kind of delicate situation

But they they definitely looked the part you know it’s one of those things uh you know I hate I hesitate to say oh they look like a big 12 or SEC team but they just have that look about him right like you look across the field and it’s guys

That are physical you know long you know you know long frames they step in the Box they have your attention so uh you know I like their club and then of course team Houston you Jay serani is done a really nice job with them just a couple weeks ago they sweep Texas State

On the road um and then you know they fall just short over the weekend because Ryan Johnson the job that he did on M but uh you know that’s a really good team too I think at the end of the year we we’ll have a shot to make the

Postseason is likely in at large team how was Walker yanuk in that your look how’d he play yeah he was just okay uh you know it’s a little bit different than when I saw him against Texas State he had a home run against Texas State the day I

Was there and I think that that started off like a rash of like I want to say he hit four home runs in five games after that uh but you know he was pretty quiet the other day you know the pitching really made him work back there there

Were a few wild pitches so it seemed like he’s a little bit frustrated but just an ultra talented player man like he he checks a lot of boxes for me yep it’s so interesting Dallas Baptist is you know they’ve got a star position player in Grant J they’ve got a star on

The mound and Ryan Johnson they’re off to this crazy start it’s a bummer that you didn’t see him on a good day and I think you’re right like they’re going to need to have a Sunday starter not named James aler like he that’s going to be

Tricky to manage but I just I I I I’m trying to learn more about Dallas Baptist because I think they’re this year’s this is not a good comp but let me just finish it this year’s Oral Roberts in that like they’re just not going anywhere you know like I just

Think they can trade punches with anybody um I and and again it’s like these schools like is the new market and efficiency these schools with a religious affiliation like a Dallas Baptist Oral Roberts that’s a little simplistic I know but like man like Ryan Johns and Grant J any roster in the

Country would want those two kids there’s no doubt that’s the thing that he’s created up there though you know you think about you know what’s really funny you go to their campus and it’s just like a really tiny campus in the middle of like you know between

Arlington and Dallas and you know it’s it’s like wait this place is really good at baseball you know it’s kind of odd but like you know Heath and those guys man they they sold a culture uh there there’s just a group of kids that want to go play there and it’s an attractive

Place to go play it’s it’s if if your goal is to go to a school religious or not and like you have baseball in mind like Dallas Baptist is perfect because there’s not another sport there that they care about more than college baseball so yeah I I I was a big fan of

Their club and you know they’re they’re another team too at the end of the year they’re GNA be a very tough out because they’re an older Club there’s a lot of guys in that team that’s seen a lot of it bats uh I would not want them in

Regional and I would not want to be in the regional they host one which is very likely at this point they’ve gotten through the toughest team on their schedule on conference they’re RP sitting in the top 20 so they’re you know it’s very early but like they’re in

Pretty good shape right now yeah it’s it’s uh and everything you said about DBU there KR it’s like you know they’re division 2 and all these other sports baseball is their premier sport it’s like hockey at one of those Northern schools but it’s baseball in the South

Their athletic director is really a neat guy Matt Duce who’s a former he played for Heath and so he told a funny story at the um uh at the Surefire clinic this year where he just said the president when he named me athletic director he said all these coaches you’re their boss

Except for Heath he’s your boss and uh you know and of course he played for Heath and um yeah that so here’s here’s what two stats I wanted to share with you so Regional streaks through 2023 vy’s gone to Regional 17 years in a row Florida 15 LSU 11 Oklahoma State 10

Dallas Baptist 9 Dallas Baptist has been has the fifth longest Regional streak in college baseball right now and so you know that’s to your point here here’s the question I want to ask I’m gonna make myself answer at 2kr so no league has ever gotten 11 teams in regionals and that’s probably

Going to change as we get these power these you know super conferences but as we sit here today in 2024 10 has been the limit and it’s only been done five times the SEC done did it in 2023 2019 2018 and 2014 the ACC did it in 2016 so

Here’s the the here’s the question because the chaos is really Str I’m struggling with it so that means if we say the SEC is going to get 10 teams in regionals which is it’s not common it’s hard but let’s just let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and say 10

Missouri’s out right we know that they know that there you know Kenall Carrick Jackson is building a culture right now like that they they’ve punted C this year for culture but um who are the other three teams KR like who are the other three SEC teams that you’re

Eliminating I think the SEC is getting 11 in this year oo okay yeah I’m gonna say like yeah I don’t see you mean I I will say and I was talking to KP about this earlier I will say that there are some teams out there in this

League that like this weekend is huge one of those teams uh I will probably see once this weekend I do want to get my eyeballs on and also I’ve seen Tanner Jones for A&M so I’m probably going to go watch that middle game but Alburn as they stand or

As it stands one and five in the SEC they have runs A&M on the road and then Tennessee at home the next two weekends yep uh let’s just say they lose Trad of three in those two series okay you’re sitting at three and N in the

Secc not fun you still have to play Mississippi State LSU Old Miss Alabama that that is one of your teams if they lose those two series coming up the next two weeks yep and then I say that’s one of your teams that that’s one of your

Teams if they get swept this weekend at A&M because I just don’t think I I think Butch is is a hell of a coach I actually still like their roster I think they’ve got a lot of potential but I mean if if they get swept they’re one and eight man

That’s that is hard to come back from in that League or or any league for that matter I’m look at TCU in the Big 12 on this one by the way yep that’s fair and I think for Auburn the starting pitching to your point just has not come together

The way they were hoping for it to come together and that creates a do yeah the A&M go in A&M this weekend with you’re starting or you’re pitching as a whole just being erratic is not your recipe that you want no that that especially I think this weekend is supposed to be in

The 80s with the wind blowing out yeah that may not turn out very well no no that’s gonna be tricky all right so that’s two so we’ve got two yeah I I would lose Georgia just because I mean I know they just swept Alabama but yeah um

And I hate I would hate to have a national tournament without Charley Condon but I think I I am having a tough time unseeing Georgia get run off the field three times by Kentucky that because I just don’t think ky’s that type of Team um so but I mean you know

Well here’s my thing on Georgia I think we’re GNA find out a lot about the Bulldogs this weekend and here’s the thing like I I think I told somebody this on Twitter this week weekend is like is like my my litmus test on Georgia I don’t need Georgia to go up to

Knoxville and win this series but what I want to see from Georgia is in to go up there in this to be a competitive series if Georgia goes to Knoxville this weekend and that’s a competitive three- game series I may actually look at that team and go you know what like they they

Probably have staying power yeah because that’s a tough place to go play especially when you look at those guys from offensive standpoints so I I think for me it’s not the results it’s it’s more so like how do they look against Tennessee does it look like Tennessee is

Remarkably better than they are yeah very fair yeah because it’s like you know I don’t I don’t want to bet against any of those teams I don’t want to get a bet against Old Miss I don’t want to bet against Georgia Kentucky it’s but somebody’s got to lose the games that’s

The problem in that League could it be I mean this sounds outrageous right now but could it be LSU I don’t LSU is two and four they go to Arkansas they have vanity at home I think they’ll win that series and then they’re at Tennessee ain’t gonna be easy it ain’t

Gonna be easy but I tell you what I I I said something said something about this earlier today but if I was Arkansas I get it Hogs playing well hogs at home but if I was Arkansas the last team I want to see is an team that would be losing three state

Series if they lose this weekend yeah whatever whatever guys is backed up against the wall I’m with you so I mean I don’t think it’s LSU but I mean it’s got to be somebody right could it be Alabama that was that was a little jarring to see Alabama swept this

Weekend but I mean I I don’t know I think I think that’s the point it’s so hard like it’s just it’s they’re getting teams in we can’t even come up we can’t even come up with three yeah and and that would break getting 11 y yeah well

The other thing too so the other thing too and and this is I’m not saying they’re getting 11 in only because oh I think the SEC is incredible well it’s also because there’s some other leagues that aren’t very good right now uh the Big 12 they’re beating each other up

Right now there’s there’s a lot of bad rpis in that League the Pack 12 uh why why don’t we just go through the Pack 12 real quick while while we’re talking about the Pack 12 so the Pack 12 the they are the number four conference RPI I need I need the nerd Master

General Mark to actually tell me why this is the case but here are some rpi’s in the Pack 12 right now guys Stanford 186 I don’t know how it’s even possible for Stanford to be 186 in the RPI you got UCLA 164 USC 173 Arizona State 127

They’re losing as we record this to UNLV Washington 93 Washington State 97 Oregon 62 Oregon’s going to get in like Oregon’s a good team but like right now the Pack 12 the best case scenario for the Pack 12 legitimately right now is four yep because all those other teams

Are in the 90s or the hundreds like there’s like even now there’s no way they’re getting in the top 40 which is where a Pack 12 team probably needs to be top 45 yeah this is a jarring stat on the Pack 12 Kendall there’s 11 teams that play baseball there are more teams

Under 500 with their overall record than there are over 500 the Pack 12 has six teams that aren’t even 500 in their overall record and it’s a power League like it’s it’s just a it’s the craziest year ever so here’s my first conference question for you Kendall let’s stay on

The Pack 12 Oregon state is we we know they’re awesome Oregon I think has proven themselves plenty right they’re they’ve won three straight SE yeah I like I like that I like that club a lot me too yeah they got a little bit of everything and they’ve got some program

Momentum um I’m a Believer if you had to now don’t worry about record don’t worry about where they are today if you had to bet on a roster from here everybody else besides Oregon Oregon State are zero and zero bet on a roster going forward who’s

Your third team in the pack who do you like everybody’s o and O who do you like from here from today forward I still like Cal I mean I like their star power I I think I think a lineup with Rodney green J and you got

You know Caleb L Mita yeah like I I would not want to play those guys on a regional that that’s the way I look at at teams is like if I was a coach who would I not want to play in a regional and Cal would be one of those teams I

Think I made this comment a while back on our pod or maybe was even in chat but Cal reminds me of that California team that went to college station that Regional you remember the A&M just had to like scratch and I they went to like two Extra Inning games it was that year

That Cal had like Lucas IG and those guys and what they did very similar to this team they had like two or three really good players and they were they just they gave an SEC team absolute fits that weekend so I think Cal’s very similar I think they could go to SEC

Venue I think they could go to a big 12 or ACC venue and cause a world of hurt to a team yep I’m with you Cal’s the right answer I wish I felt more confident in their pitching I wish Ian May was back I don’t know what the

Status of that is if he comes back boy Cal gets real shot in the arm they’re Ace left-hander but um you know ironically the other two above 500 teams are Utah and Washington State just don’t know if they’re staying power but they’re certainly having excellent years

By the way gon be oh go ahead go ahead Ken no I was gonna say yeah Nathan Show’s done a really nice job there you know that’s a program that you know it would be easy when you lose Han line to Oregon State you lose your head coach to

Wital State uh you know which all state I mean they’ve got history right but like when you’re Pack 12 school at the time and you l your coach to you know wit State it’s you know it’s a gut punch a little bit and you know I feel like

You know sher’s done a really nice job up there to have those guys sitting at 15 and8 yep yeah and I I we’ve said this many times on the Pod but Utah I think they’re old and they’re gonna you know they’re are they a regional team it’s

Hard to say but I think they’re gonna at least they’ll be in it till the end 22 the RPI yeah and Gary Henderson just the perfect coach for that place I mean just that um was an excellent promotion Kendall let’s go to the big 12 you you

You started us down this path so here same game right so this this league is in total chaos like even worse than like the Pack 12 is less chaotic because it’s just so discouraging the Big 12 is chaotic because it’s like you look at their standings and you can’t even

Believe like how is TCU in last dead last place five games yeah it’s crazy so here’s my question same game everybody’s everybody in the Big 12 is zero and zero today March 25th what roster do you want to ride with because none of them are eliminated right like TCU is in last

Place they’d be a regional team today I think but what roster do you want going forward well if I if it was going forward from today I don’t really like the way TS is playing offensively they’re hitting 193 in conference that’s no bueno um I I really like or Oregon

State I really like what Oklahoma State’s doing right now you know Nolan Schubert’s finally back in the lineup and and granted he didn’t have like a crazy loud weekend against TCU but I I’m a Believer in their offense when he’s in that lineup um I think Rob Walton’s done

A really nice job with their pitching stuff I feel like you know I feel like Oklahoma State’s one of those teams that the last couple years we’ve like gone after their pitching like oh their pitching is not good enough right well I think this is a year where I think their

Pitching has done a really nice job especially the last couple weeks and uh you know they can pitch again I like that lineup with with guys shuber and whatnot yep I like that yeah that’s that’s a good call I watched some of Oklahoma State TCU and you’re right

Oklahoma State’s right they move Carson binge from starter to closer I actually love that like I think that’s perfect for him they’re getting healthier um I still would pick TCU I saw them when they were really good and I just I love Payton toly I just I think there’s a

Good yeah I just think I I I I like that roster but you’re right like they’re two and seven in the league it’s just by the way Big 12 not to just pick on the Pack 12 but the big 12 has 13 teams and only

One is under 500 so you know like I I think that helps everybody in that 67% winning percentage yep and I think Kansas State’s legitimately a regional team I just I don’t think they’re going to win the regular season I don’t know it’ll be interesting yeah I kind of

Wonder if they have enough pitching but I will I’ll say this you know they got Tyson neighbors back over the week against Houston that was big I want to say he win a couple innings for them but you know uh there there’s some other programs you know there to keep an eye

On I mean Texas Tech I mean they haven’t been very good as of late but we also know they have talent offensively Texas uh who knows what in the world to expect from them but I I’ll give Texas this you know they moved ace high wide head of

The rotation he’s done a really nice job last couple weeks and of course Max scrubs who they moved the rotation done a nice job too that’s a big series coming up this weekend against Kan State I still like Oklahoma’s team if they can get healthy right now they have John

Spikerman out with an injury they’re going to need to get him back it sounds like Kason Witherspoon’s gon end up moving to the starting rotation uh so I do like Oklahoma team and then you know keep an eye on Rich Wallace’s UCF Club kind of a strange strange Club in the

Sense that you know their resume is not incredible but they do have a series one over Oklahoma State they do have a singular wi over Florida and their rpr runes is at six so I mean as of right now they’d be a slam dunk postseason team yeah you know what funny like to

Put a bow on this like the pack 12’s chaos is discouraging to me I had very high hopes and I’m just bummed to see all these teams spinning their wheels the big 12’s chaos I think is going to be a blast like I think this

The like it’s a bunch of teams who like they’re beating up on each other but I don’t think there’s like a awful team in this leag I mean Baylor’s at eight and5 but I would actually argue that Baylor on the weekend they they just don’t have

Debt like if you look at their midweek scores it’s a disaster they just don’t have a lot of pitching Debs but on the weekend they’re actually like playing pretty competitive the BYU wins the series against Houston and then they go on the road and give Texas Tech all they

Can handle last week so I mean even BYU with a first year head coach you know has been pretty competitive yep hey let’s do a couple more leagues and then we’ll do some some fun stuff too um so I’ll go first on this one in the AC if

We made everybody zero and zero and I could have any roster going forward and I love Clemson’s team I actually wouldn’t take them I would take Duke I Duke Duke being four and five blows my mind they’ve had some weird losses I’m actually really sold on them I don’t

Think franos Shell’s going to struggle all year um I don’t think Charlie beon is done even though they’ve he needs a break um James Talon was really good this weekend I just like I I don’t I think Duke is they usually overachieve I think they’ve underachieved so far and

I’m I like that roster now again I think the ACC is going to be fun too because it’s really hard to see who the best team is yeah I would agree with you on I mean the biggest thing for me is like you know beon over the weekend I want to say

Give up six or seven runs in an inning of two thirds against C State uh I I’ll be very curious to see if that continues the biggest thing for him is you know fit pointed this out last night but like they’ve had to use him a lot early this

Season in some big situations and I I’ll just be curious to see if you know if he starts to struggle a little bit if I wouldn’t say he’s worn out or anything but like you know is he being used a lot and you know is he just having trouble B

Ing back so I don’t I don’t think that’s going to be the case but uh yeah that’s the only question mark I have but but I’m with you on Duke I mean the other team for me you know I was talking to a couple of coaches that have faced them

And I get it like their Bullpen was just awful over the weekend but I mean Florida state is really intriguing you though their lineups very scary I mean we could talk all day about their bull pin against Clemson but they also were put in a position where they were like

Blowing Clemson out in a couple of those games early on so it’s like a double-edged sword right like they were unable to seal the deal with the bullpen but the starting pitching and then the offensive lineup at least gave them a huge lead so I’m very curious to see

What Florida state does moving forward because it sounds like the their offense is outstanding James tibs has been terrific you know Marco dingis has been you know really good as well uh and then Jamie Arnold uh I think fit’s GNA have a little bit more on him later in the week

But uh he would you know he’s been electric on the mound this year for them so Florida State’s really intriguing to me as well yep yeah really good uh the ACC like the big 12 is going to be fascinating all right Kendall Big 10 Iowa sits here at 13-1 they lost

Their Brody bre start to Purdue but they came back and won the series so if if I made you bet on one big 10 team would you bet on for the postseason you know make the postseason and do well would you bet on Iowa or now are you

Like more thinking about Maryland rugers Nebraska somebody just completely different I think I’m going Nebraska you know I I like their Club opening weekend um I thought they had enough of in the starting rotation I like the middle lineup with with carrye and overbeek and guys like that I thought they had some

Nice weapons out of the bullpen uh that’s that’s a team with some dep and you know if you if you’re deep you got a shot to not only make a regional but also win one so I would go in Nebraska I think you might have pointed it out but

Like Marcus Morgan uh is an issue for Iowa did you say his ra is like over seven or something yeah it was way up there now he they didn’t they skipped him on Saturday but they did start him on Sunday and they won the game but he

You know it was like four Innings but yes he is he’s he’s still walking guys but he’s not missing bats either that used to bail him out it’s like he’d walk a bunch of people but he’d punch a lot of people out and now it’s he’s given up

A lot of hits and a lot of walks yeah it just feels like and again like Rick Hiller’s an awesome coach it wouldn’t really shock me if they turn it around but it just seems like every single weekend for Iowa right now is a struggle

And when that’s the case it worries me a little bit yeah I I I the fact that they came back and won the series against Purdue gave me uh new like I was out to be honest like I was kind of done with Iowa and that is has piqued my interest

But um but cuz I still do like the town on the roster like you said last one Kendall uh Sun Belt by the way Georgia state is 5- 11 in the Sun Belt Louisiana has has been sneaking around they’re now five- one in the Sun Belt the Sun Belt

Series get re like there’s a lot of really good action in the sunb belt this weekend um and we’ll we’ll save that for the preview but what do you have a gutfield team in the sun Bel KR or still trying to sift through the chaos my gutv team uh and I’m not just

Saying this because I’m married to a bobcat but I actually really really like Texas State’s team um you know the weekend I saw Sam Houston they the the day I was there they were just not very offensive they’ve played much better the last couple of weeks um I like the

Middle of that lineup with Chase MOA you know uh you know you look at you know dalen Pena and guys like that um that that’s a really solid nucleus in theid lineup and you know when you look at Eaton and whatnot they they I think they have enough arms um it’s just their

Offense at times has kind of you know gone out the window but yeah I like their offense I think Texas State’s kind of a team for me then it then Southern Miss I mean I know they had a weird weekend at Georgia Southern I kind of feel like Georgia Southern was a little

Bit due over the weekend they haven’t been very good uh but you know Southern Miss when you look at their front in the rotation with Nico Maza you know and Billy oldum I mean when you have that kind of onew punch in the rotation you can win a regional and so they’re

Obviously pretty dangerous yeah the the the sun Bel West is wild to me like Louisiana Southern Mist Texas State Troy South Alabama like those are all brand names that are having good very big 12 esque yeah it’s a it’s a you know what I mean like it’s very big 12

Esque in the sense that like if you look at all of those teams all the way down to ODU there’s not a bad team there no like even JMU is a really good Club Troy RP is 133 but we all know Troy has a talent yeah yeah it’s a it’s a pardon my

French but it’s a badass League I mean just is it’s just awesome it’s an awesome League yeah and Troy too um you know Troy to the other thing for me you know the second half of the season and I’d had to pull it up real quick but you

Know Shane Lewis you know getting him back for another year was huge for them but you know Shane Lewis is a guy that the you know the second half of the season is really gonna have to step up because I mean if you look at his

Numbers and I’m trying to pull it up right now on our side it’s taking a little bit of time but I want to say oh he’s hitting 167 with four home runs and RB I I just don’t think that’s gonna that’s going to stay stay like I think

He’s going to get it you know put things together the second half of the Season yep by the way I will I will preview it like so some of the big Series in the sun Bel this weekend South Al at Old Dominion Troy at Southern Miss is huge

And then Louisiana at Texas state is another huge one so that will be that will be really fun all right K let’s let’s wrap with this so I wrote down today some of the really fun things that I’ve seen in college baseball this year and here are some of them and I’m I’m

Going to this is the menu and I want you to tell me what’s one of the most fun things you’ve you’ve seen and you can go off menu if you want like I said Travis bazana as we sit here tonight has he has let off the game with four straight he’s

Let off four straight games with a home run he hits lead off for Oregon State some of our home games his first at bat has been a home run in four straight games Travis bana is awesome Charlie Conan is just going crazy this year had a home run on Saturday where he was

Totally hacked off at the Umpire during the atat he was still bickering with the Umpire and then got a breaking ball up and hit it over the batter’s eye and then just like threw his Bat at his own Dugout and the coolest it was the best

Dismount of the year so that to me was an all-time great um moment you know you know I’m a sucker for Long Beach State and Fullerton F that rivalry is one of my favorites Fullerton was at Long Beach this weekend and you know even though both teams are a little bit Dam

The um the crowds were awesome so that was a really cool thing I saw the the the atmosphere and the crowds at blairfield pump me up another concept is All The Comebacks we saw this weekend NC State against Duke Clemson against Florida state twice another one that’s really cool Wyatt Langford played in

Omaha last year and made yeah made an opening day roster for the Rangers Hagen burn Hagen uh hegen Burns hegen Hagen Burns that’s that’s the answer Hagen Smith and Chase Burns like just being appointment television every time out um we we talked about Hayden shot and A&M’s

Funo golf you know I I just was talk about the ivy league kids who are doing so well Ben Miller at Duke so of that menu KR and you can go off Off Script if you want is there one of those things that’s particularly warm and fuzzy to

You of those those feel-good things going on yeah dude I go I I go with the the chase Burns and hegen Smith because I think after last year you know the way Paul SK captivated you know not only college baseball captivated baseball in general was special right like I mean

That was incredible and what’s kind of insane is like Chase and and Hagen are really really good but they’re still not Paul skin and you know the fact is if you look at Chase right now 68 strikeouts and 37 in the third Innings a 62 strikeouts of 29 innings for Higgin

Smith both of those guys have been absolutely unhitable and absolutely unbeatable and so just to see how they how they progress this season and if that that Trend continues uh will be really cool because I thought after last year we wouldn’t get us you know we not

We would not get a SK like kind of year and both of those are ateas in the area code of Paul skes which is hey you know what I’ll take it yeah yeah and it’s just like their their stuff is so like you can’t take your eyes off it it’s

Just so so good and by the way neither of them lead the country in strikeouts that’s Riley huge of winthrip I think is a lefty who’s got 71 strikeouts in 37 Innings which is amazing you know how hard it is to have a 1.24 RA in today’s college

Baseball yeah you basically have to never yeah like you have to stay off the bat like you you have to have swing and Miss to give you an idea of how hard it is to have a 1.24 ra let let me just tell you what Blake Wright for Clemson

Did over the last week oh yeah amazing 13 hits six home runs two walks 21 RBIs in one week it’s crazy and yet these two guys have an RA well under two yep yeah it’s a 15-week season my man Blake R had 21 RBIs that’s that would be 300 RBIs which

We know is is the only person who lives life like Blake R is Charlie Condon yeah yeah that’s all said and and let’s wrap there Kendall like the Charlie Condon thing is just awesome the dude two summers ago was grinding out in the Northwoods League just trying to catch

Up on abs if you have not watched go on to if you’re listening to me and you haven’t done this George’s Twitter handle has his home run from Saturday it’s just it’s it’s a great moment and then the Wyatt Langford thing I put this on Twitter a retweet of him being called

Into Bruce Boi’s office and being told he made the big league club I mean again a kid that had four at bats uh as a freshman in 2021 and it’s easy to forget last year Kendall whyatt lford had a really serious injury in an area of the

Male apparat that you don’t want an injury and had to get back you know like it wasn’t like his junior year was just like all Blaze of Glory from the get-go like he had to fight through some stuff yeah I’ll be very curious to see and you

Know he’s gonna get the Charlie Conan’s gonna get this when you know in the draft is is compared to Wyatt just because he was red shirted but I’ll be very curious to follow his progression at the next level versus Wyatt Lanford I mean lanford’s a freak you know the

Thing about him there so awesome like he’s a great hitter right he’s a great power hitter I like the coolest thing about that that video the Rangers put out was like how professional he was about it like you see and again I’m not saying like if you cry or you’re like oh

My God I got to the big leagues like that’s wrong it’s not but the fact that he’s just like oh that that sounds great like he he doesn’t just hope to get there like he thinks he should be there and it’s just cool to see a guy with

That kind of mindset yeah I I it’s always been my favorite thing about college sports and college baseball in particular is just kind of redemption stories like people that have kind of worn it and then um bounce back from that and you know like we say it so much

But Langford and and Charlie Condon really had to earn this like this is you know I just think about being that level of talent and your freshman year you just don’t play like you just literally can’t get on the field and then two years later you’re the best player on

The field um every single day just just incredible Yeah well yeah and and it doesn’t stop with those guys I mean you think back to you think back to Condon last summer you know with a coaching change Charlie Conan could have gone anywhere and probably could have just

Named his price tag right uh but he stuck it out you know I was just talking to somebody yesterday in Huntsville about Walker Yanick I mean Walker Yanick is a men major catcher who could have gone to A&M could have gone to Texas could have gone to Arkansas could have

Gone to LSU but he stayed put at same Houston to kind of make a kind of make a legend of himself there so it’s it’s pretty cool to see yep uh last thing for you Kendall so um speaking of this a perfect segue by you good instincts Kyle

Hallock of Bing green their head coach so coach faren and I get to speak to him today for our SiriusXM show and so Kyle how the head coach at Bowling Green what I didn’t know about him so Bowling Green is nine and0 in the Mac right now and remember they dropped baseball during

The pandemic and then had to fund raise to save the program that wasn’t that long ago they’re in first place in Mac what I didn’t know is that Kyle HCK was a pitcher on those Kent State teams 0908 uh actually I’m sorry uh 200 like nine 10 and 11 he graduated right before

The 2012 team that went to was he was schaen yeah yeah that was he was in the rotation and you know so he played for Scott Strickland and Mike Burke Beck and Scott Daly and he reveres those guys I had chills as he was telling the story

About you know we asked him like what was the difference between your three teams that lost in the regional and the team that that made it to Omaha and he’s like well you know our my freshman year or my sophomore year R9 team got sent to Arizona State and it’s Mike Lee Josh

Spence Jason kipus Cole Calhoun like sorry like yeah and then he said and then he said in um was W on the team too no Wally’s last year was 2008 with Ike Davis and yeah the year before um and then 200 um uh 10 I’m I’m losing track

Of where they got sent I it’ll come to me in a second 200 it was Austin wasn’t it uh that was 2011 and Taylor Youngman I want to say I can’t remember that was a long time ago no you’re right you’re right and young men had never lost a game in Austin he

Had never lost a home game and they’re facing him in a regional they went two and0 in that Regional and then just um but anyway he just said like we just kept getting these these terrible draws and um so anyway it was like Bowling Green is my new favorite under the radar

Story like to follow him and Kyle H is all over my radar as far as like man what a sharp coach like it became very clear very quickly why Bowling Green is doing so well yeah yeah I mean I’ll say this about Kyle HCK is if he can get

Bowling Green in the postseason Bowling Green better enjoy Kyle HCK because he will not be there very long yeah yeah it’s and you know I just think it’s I I I’m a I’m a sucker for you know like he was a student under um you know like

Mike Burke Beck and and you know Scott Strickland and and Scott Daly and all those guys and U you know like obviously what a great run that they had at um at Kent State he so so Kyle I’ll wrap with this or I I’ll R put a ball on this with

This he was saying how berky Mike Burke Beck the the famous pitching coach at at at Kent State if you don’t know Burke Beck Mike Burke Beck pitched in the big leagues I mean he’s he’s always been part of the Secret Sauce there so uh Kyle HCK um he photocopied and kept

Every practice plan from when he was at Kent State and Burke Beck said you’re not the smartest player that’s ever played for me but um but that’s one of the smartest things I’ve ever seen a player do uh which was so awesome by the way there their 2010 team so it was

Tempe their first Regional 2010 they got sent to La for Bower and Cole UCLA so you know like that was a problem they finished second in the country um so so cool oh I loved it yeah the committee did did did the no favors playing Bower Cole Arizona State at that time and

Texas at that time yeah yeah just crazy so KR what do you got you got any coupons for the peoples yeah man 24 season check out that’ll give you 24% off any package or you can do Joe Healey 24 and that’ll add $2,400 on your package package yeah we

Need to get the story from Joe about why it’s called weekend waypoints I don’t even know what a waypoint is it’s another one of those that is a good name you know what so by the way speaking of Joe when I was at se Houston this past

Weekend I did uh I did Meander into the bathroom to see if Joe has sponsored the bathroom and he has not done that yet so he has not gotone full Kurt read on us yeah come on Joe get on it so very cool all right well so so there there is

There’s your coupon again I’m just telling you you it will watching college baseball with our website will change your life fall reports like for instance tomorrow night I’ve got Illinois and missou and for me they’ve been under the radar so to be able to go back and research those teams seeing those

Advanced stats from 643 the DSR stuff is fascinating it’s going to get more fascinating power rankings this week yeah power rankings for players that’s what that’s what fit’s uh doing right now he’s he’s working on that getting that ready for us yes got to love it so

Uh that is it let’s wrap it there KR it was a pleasure um everybody have a great week we’ll catch you on the Thursday night preview show and um that’s it we’ll catch you next time on the D1 baseball podcast