I'm only a casual observer of the baseball College World Series so forgive me if these questions sound dumb. Does the new ballpark give the pitchers too much of an advantage? Are the pitchers much better this year or have the changes they made to the bats made that much of a difference? I don't want them to go back to the 17-15 games, but this year's series has been almost too much of a pitcher's duel to suit me.
The bats make a huge difference, relative to the old ones. UCLA is good. Really good. That ballpark sits funny and has a pitcher's prevailing wind, it seems.
The NCAA overdid it when deadening the bats in 2011. And that new park in Omaha was really made for the old bats. Combine those things together, and that's how you end up with the annual Omaha Bunting Invitational we've had the last three seasons.
RE: "Omaha Bunting Invitational" That's what happens when pitching catches up with the hitting. But in this case, when technology catches up with pitching, if that makes any sense. The only way this going to be resolved is when the NCAA mandates that only wooden bats be used. And that isn't gonna happen any time soon.
I'm sorta casually watching this second game of the finals today, UCLA up 3-0 right now doesn't enthrall me much. And, I don't enjoy all the vocal MSU Bulldog fans whooping it up, either. Guess I'll do sumpin else.
During one of the super regional games, not sure what teams, the announcers were discussing the lack of offense. Since programs just spent so much money on new bats, they recommended NCAA switch to the MLB minor league baseball. It has much tighter seams and would make a big difference in offensive output without costing much money since everyone already buys new balls every year. I'm not a baseball junkie and am curious what is changed by tighter seams.
Exactly. Everyone keeps saying that they need bats that are similar to wooden bats. Well, these bats have a smaller sweet spot than wooden bats. It is ridiculous and it is killing the sport. This is not NL baseball. UCLA has hit 19 HR's this year. That's right, 19 HR's and they are playing in the NC game. The pitching is not as good as they are made to look in bigger parks. I have quoted this a number of times, but when they mandated the new bats the year after OU went to the CWS, OU's HR totals went down by 80 from one year to the next. When there is no chance for anyone to hit a HR, it takes away the exitement of the game. College baseball is a lot different than MLB. Momentum plays a much bigger role in college baseball than it does in the pro game. If you get down 3 runs by the sixth inning, you are not coming back. That is why you see all of these stats like the one UCLA has about not losing a game one time this season when they are leading after the 7th. Hopefully, ESPN will get with the powers that be at the NCAA and have them make another correction with the bats.
