We should pitch backwards next weekend...

[bcolston15]

Jungmann is virtually impossible to beat in Austin, or anywhere for that matter. It makes no sense to throw Rocha and lose 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, like we inevitably would.

I wouldn't waste my ace in a game I knew I had about a 1 percent chance to win... I'd save him for Saturday to pitch against a mere mortal, like Cole Green. And, by doing so, gain the advantage on the hill Sunday with Burch Smith going against Sam Stafford or Hoby Milner. That's our best shot at winning the series.

Start Overton or Shore on Friday (Whichever doesn't go against TCU Tuesday) and hope by some miracle you score three or four runs off Jungmann. Given the way Texas swings it, that might be enough to steal one Friday.

I say all of this with the realization that winning one game would be a big accomplishment given our last few trips to Austin.

[northspeter]

i dont disagree...

[bufsa]

I have never liked the idea of telling your team your not good enough to beat some one. Making this switch would be SG telling his team not to even try on Friday because their better than you. I think this would send the wrong message and set the stage for the whole weekend. Why not take it the next step and give the starters a rest and hope the second string gets lucky? I would tell them we are going for it and I expect to win 3 to 2.

[bcolston15]

I have never liked the idea of telling your team your not good enough to beat some one. Making this switch would be SG telling his team not to even try on Friday because their better than you. I think this would send the wrong message and set the stage for the whole weekend. Why not take it the next step and give the starters a rest and hope the second string gets lucky? I would tell them we are going for it and I expect to win 3 to 2.

Our goal is to win the series...Not one game. And no one is conceding the Friday game.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

I think this is an excellent idea. I don't think you are conceding a game by doing so, teams do this ALL THE TIME when against a stellar Friday pitcher.

[bufsa]

Also if you do this you would have to have our Tuesday pitcher come back on two days rest. Also wouldn't it be just as easy for Texas if they win Friday move Green to Sunday?

[bcolston15]

Also if you do this you would have to have our Tuesday pitcher come back on two days rest. Also wouldn't it be just as easy for Texas if they win Friday move Green to Sunday?

Why? Overton goes Tuesday, Shore goes Friday, and Overton is available in relief Sunday.

And if they moved Green to Sunday, Rocha pitches against UT's Sunday guy Saturday, and the two Saturday guys matchup on Sunday. (Smith vs. Green)

Short of moving Jungmann, (Which they won't do) there's nothing they can do to counter the move.

[C&CDean]

Some of y'all think too much.

[BoomerJack]

Some of y'all think too much.

This. It is possible to outsmart oneself in this game. I tend to agree with the previous post saying it may look like you would saying that the team isn't good enough to beat UT's ace. I say let Rocha and the UT ace go mano a mano.

[IndySooner]

I'm not typically a fan of "pitching backward". I think we play them straight up. You keep the rotation in order for the stretch run, etc. Texas has been dropping a game in every series, even against the lower rung teams in the conference. We have a shot at them, even though we haven't touched them in over 10 years. I think game one is the key, though, and I think we have to throw our best against them. Rocha can shut down their lineup. All we have to get to Jungmann for is a couple and we'll be in good shape.

[rysooner]

I've never really liked the idea of pitching backwards either. I tend to think it has the potential to send the wrong message, depending on your team's make-up and the guys directly involved. Run your Friday guy out there on Friday and see what happens.

[IndySooner]

I've never really liked the idea of pitching backwards either. I tend to think it has the potential to send the wrong message, depending on your team's make-up and the guys directly involved. Run your Friday guy out there on Friday and see what happens.

Plus, if you don't win Friday, you can't sweep. People might laugh at me, but we're a better team, on paper, than Texas this year. We just flat are. They don't hit the ball well at all. We SHOULD win this series, assuming we've got a few things worked out (and that's quite an assumption). By no means would I ever pick us to win this series right now, but I do think we're as close to being able to sweep this series as we are to losing the series.

We can beat them straight up. Go after them.

[bcolston15]

Jungmann has never lost a game he started in Austin, ever.

Rocha is going to pitch a good, if not great game, why are we so willing to waste it?

I look at it much like the UVA series last year. How'd that work out again?

And we're not better than UT. Not even close. We make the same mistake every season believing that because we hit so much better we can beat them. Wroooooong. Their pitching, especially Jungmann and their closer, Knebel, is virtually unhittable.

I want to win the series, but winning one game would suit me just fine.

[jadubya]

Plus, if you don't win Friday, you can't sweep. People might laugh at me, but we're a better team, on paper, than Texas this year. We just flat are. They don't hit the ball well at all. We SHOULD win this series, assuming we've got a few things worked out (and that's quite an assumption). By no means would I ever pick us to win this series right now, but I do think we're as close to being able to sweep this series as we are to losing the series.

We can beat them straight up. Go after them.

Not laughing....but the standings don't support your hardy dose of rah rah :)

UT has played well above their skill level this year....we have played well below ours. Their pitching has performed as expected and despite their crappy batting average (which is rapidly improving).....they figure out HOW TO WIN close games. Nobody expected them to hit well....but they are specializing in executing the fundamentals and getting the timely hit.

OUr crew has moved the exact opposite direction in games against ASU, Mizzou, KState, OSU thus far.

[Breadburner]

Throw at their heads......

[IndySooner]

Jungmann has never lost a game he started in Austin, ever.

Rocha is going to pitch a good, if not great game, why are we so willing to waste it?

I look at it much like the UVA series last year. How'd that work out again?

And we're not better than UT. Not even close. We make the same mistake every season believing that because we hit so much better we can beat them. Wroooooong. Their pitching, especially Jungmann and their closer, Knebel, is virtually unhittable.

I want to win the series, but winning one game would suit me just fine.

They know how to win. No doubt about it. That has cost us in the past few years. We can't beat them because they know how to win, which makes them a better team. I certainly can't say that it has changed. We've showed no signs of that and they've shown that they can pull out games they shouldn't. That said, we can beat them. We have to figure out how to win close games against really solid teams.

Your UVA series comparison is valid. No question there. Actually, your entire post is valid. I'm not trying to argue. I just think that giving them the series, as most are doing, is wrong. We can beat them. We just have to get it figured out.

[IndySooner]

Not laughing....but the standings don't support your hardy dose of rah rah :)

UT has played well above their skill level this year....we have played well below ours. Their pitching has performed as expected and despite their crappy batting average (which is rapidly improving).....they figure out HOW TO WIN close games. Nobody expected them to hit well....but they are specializing in executing the fundamentals and getting the timely hit.

OUr crew has moved the exact opposite direction in games against ASU, Mizzou, KState, OSU thus far.

A few keys to your post, which I don't disagree at all with, by the way (and I certainly wasn't meaning to be "rah rah" in my post:

1) Their batting average is rapidly improving: It always does
2) They win close games: They always do.
3) They are fundamentally sound: They always are.

That's why we haven't beaten them in years. Not saying it will change this year, but I think our best shot is to play them straight up. We win Friday and I'll feel REALLY good about winning the series.

[TumbleweedDoom]

Indy, didn't I have this discussion with you last year before the Texas series?

[bcolston15]

Texas has owned our *** the last few years because, one: they get more timely hits, two: they get ahead early (even just 1 or 2-0), which with their arms makes it almost impossible to come back, and three: we don't think we can beat them and they don't think they can lose to us.

As a rule we like to take pitches early in the game to get the opposing starters pitch count up and to see what he's got. That works well against most teams, just not Texas.

They pound the zone. They'll throw strike one about 60% of the time if you let them. Especially, Jungmann and Green. Then you're at their mercy the rest of at bat. How many times did we strike out on just three, four or five pitches last year in Norman??? Had to be close to 20.

Point being, swing at the first pitch, it'll probably be the best pitch you see the entire at bat. I'd rather make a first pitch out than strike out on four pitches.

[IndySooner]

Indy, didn't I have this discussion with you last year before the Texas series?

Yes. Last year I was saying we WOULD win the series. This year, I'm saying that we probably won't, but it wouldn't surprise me if we did.

MAJOR difference.

[jadubya]

A few keys to your post, which I don't disagree at all with, by the way (and I certainly wasn't meaning to be "rah rah" in my post:

1) Their batting average is rapidly improving: It always does
2) They win close games: They always do.
3) They are fundamentally sound: They always are.

That's why we haven't beaten them in years. Not saying it will change this year, but I think our best shot is to play them straight up. We win Friday and I'll feel REALLY good about winning the series.

Just busting your chops on the "we are better than them...on paper" comment. Agree about playing them straight up....and thoughts on being aggressive at the plate.

[Gaius_Longinus]

we should pitch sideways ... with Tyler Brady ;)

[OU_Sooners75]

To me this is like saying we should start our second string in football because we will be facing a better team.

Horse crap...throw our best against their best. Rocha will shut them down...If our bats are alive on Friday, we can win that game.

[Gaius_Longinus]

To me this is like saying we should start our second string in football because we will be facing a better team.

Horse crap...throw our best against their best. Rocha will shut them down...If our bats are alive on Friday, we can win that game.

This isnt football

[bcolston15]

To me this is like saying we should start our second string in football because we will be facing a better team.

I can't imagine a weaker analogy.

[OU_Sooners75]

I can't imagine a weaker analogy.

And I cannot imagine people so scared of Texas that they would want to change our pitching rotation for the series!

Next?

[Sooner11JK]

And I cannot imagine people so scared of Texas that they would want to change our pitching rotation for the series!

Next?

I don't think anyone is scared of "Texas". It's this guy that they are scared of, and rightfully so. Filthy numbers.

Player era w-l app-gs cg sho ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr ab avg
Jungmann 1.00 9-0 10-10 2 2/4 80.2 45 10 9 13 72 4 3 3 280 .161
Big12 only 1.17 5-0 6-6 0 0/3 46.0 27 7 6 10 41 4 2 3 161 .168

[bcolston15]

And I cannot imagine people so scared of Texas that they would want to change our pitching rotation for the series!

Next?

It's called strategy. I want to win the series, and i'm afraid going down there with the status quo pitching is going to result in two, or maybe three close losses.

I'd rather have the advantage on the mound in two games as opposed to none.

Oh, and I could make a compelling argument that we should be scared of playing Texas in Austin. I think we've won one game in about 13 years down there.

***1-14 in Austin since 2001***

[TumbleweedDoom]

And I cannot imagine people so scared of Texas that they would want to change our pitching rotation for the series!

Next?

Says the guy who knows only of the Texas team that plays in the Cotton Bowl every year. Outside of there, he's probably wondering why they're throwing that funny-looking, small, spherical white football with red stitches around during the spring months.

[soonertravis]

Our Friday night guy has a 1.19 ERA. Why are we scared to match him up against anyone. He has been very good all season long. I say go get them. While this series is important it is not the Super Regional where you must win 2 of 3, and that is the only thing that matters. Moving him around in the rotation causes disruption for the other guys and for the next weekend as well. I say play it straight and try and win them all.

[bcolston15]

Again, it's not a move made out of fear, just reason. Don't you think it might be a good idea to shuffle the deck down in Austin? We're 1-13 there since 1999. I'd like to have the advantage on the mound in more games than Texas. Which we would on Saturday and Sunday if we held Rocha back.

The point is moot, it ain't happenin'. That's fine. Rocha will pitch a good game Friday, I have no doubt about that.

But since we're talking about it, moving the staff one day each wouldn't be a big deal. They're going to have to pitch on an odd rotation come postseason anyways.