Impressions after opening weekend?

[bcolston15]

Speaking in general, this team has the potential to be a National Champion. We have no holes in the lineup, a deep pen and some solid starting pitching.

Obviously plenty of variables come into play when you're talking about winning it all, but we have the pieces.

More specifically, I loved what I saw out of Dillon Overton, Jordan John and Burch Smith on the mound. And, if we didn't already have plenty of big bats, Evan Mistich looks like he'll provide another.

[Sooner74]

Ok I agree and am an optimist with this team. What I want to see is how our hitting does against elite pitching such as Texas or UCLA. Can our guys rally behind good pitching and knock in a few runs against stellar pitching?

That is going to be the big question or I would 100% agree with you.

[setem]

Shore and Smith didn't look like championship caliber pitchers this weekend but hopefully they sure up and we kick some ***!

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Shore and Smith didn't look like championship caliber pitchers this weekend but hopefully they sure up and we kick some ***!

Smith looked go at first and then fizzled a little. Regardless of his billing he still has to make an adjustment to D1. I'll give him a pass, Shore on the other hand doesn't have an excuse. But I'm sure they'll get it straightened out. Overton looked really good today though.

[Sooner74]

I think Overton and Smith won't be an issue. Smith is highly regarded and he threw well despite some errors. Every pitcher has his up and down days. We killed Hultzen last year from Virginia and he was as elite as they come.

Shore has some major swings in how he pitches. I think it is confidence because when he is rolling, he is rolling.

[TumbleweedDoom]

I've been on record as saying that Shore had a tendency to wear me slick last season -- he could be rolling along and then just forget how to throw strikes and get people out. I piped down after his performances at the Norman Regional and Charlottesville Super Regional, but then that same version of Shore that wears me out popped out with a MAJOR vengeance against Clemson at the CWS.

The guy has the talent, I just think it's a mental thing. I hope he can figure it out, but I feel a lot better knowing that Overton and John, and even Ryan Gibson, are available to push him.

As for Burch Smith, I'm not too worried. He was hit hard on Saturday, but, at the same time, dominated guys at times with all those strikeouts. I think it's just a case of him getting comfortable at what he can and can't get away with at the D1 level.

[northspeter]

i think we'll score runs... i'd feel a lot better if we had bushyhead or if we get him in the lineup by conference time... i like having some speed throughout the lineup... also, i think we have a lot of arms to work with, im sure they'll get plenty of opportunities to show what they can do in the preconference schedule...

[bcolston15]

Shore was back into his nibbling routine that he practiced for the better part of last season. Nibble the corner, nibble the corner, nibble the corner, ball four. Then a walk, a blooper and a blast and he's down 4-0.

I think he'll be fine, but not until he gets aggresive.

[bufsa]

"Shore has some major swings in how he pitches. I think it is confidence because when he is rolling, he is rolling." -- Pitch selection possibly? He rolled through the Cape Code league last year with out a problem. Maybe SG has a pitch he likes to call that Shore has no cofidence in himself throwing?

[TumbleweedDoom]

Shore was back into his nibbling routine that he practiced for the better part of last season. Nibble the corner, nibble the corner, nibble the corner, ball four. Then a walk, a blooper and a blast and he's down 4-0.

I think he'll be fine, but not until he gets aggresive.

I hope it's just a nibbling, unaggresive thing. My initial thought was his control was just terrible. I thought he wasn't locating any of his pitches very well. He didn't look comfortable at all out there, to me.

[bcolston15]

Maybe SG has a pitch he likes to call that Shore has no cofidence in himself throwing?

Early in the season we should only work on things we're good at so that we improve as little as earthly possible. Gotcha.

[Sooner74]

"Shore has some major swings in how he pitches. I think it is confidence because when he is rolling, he is rolling." -- Pitch selection possibly? He rolled through the Cape Code league last year with out a problem. Maybe SG has a pitch he likes to call that Shore has no cofidence in himself throwing?

No clue. I am sure Sonny knows what pitches he can throw and what he is most comfortable with though. I just don't know what to think of the kid. He has the stuff, but he isn't nearly consistent enough. The next series he pitches in I will be out of town, but I would love to know what pitches he throws for balls more often than strikes and what he could locate better.

It very well could be the pitches, but I don't think that is what it is in my opinion. The kid if he gets it together is a very good pitcher.

[hvhurricane]

I hope it's just a nibbling, unaggresive thing. My initial thought was his control was just terrible. I thought he wasn't locating any of his pitches very well. He didn't look comfortable at all out there, to me.


When he is off, he reminds me of Austin Mix. He throws his arsenal of slurves up to the plate, and if he doesn't get the calls, he looks baffled. He then gives in and throws an off speed pitch right into the heart of the plate that gets hammered. I think he does get squeezed an awful lot, but that it is probably a product of him not establishing a fastball early in the count. His FB is good enough to throw early in the count for a strike.