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Aaron

IU Baseball: Big Ten Tourney

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Let's get this started.

I will keep repeating that the Big Ten Tourney has zero impact on our NCAA seeding. We are locked into a two seed and there are no 'higher' two seeds and its entirely Regional based. Whether we go 0-2 or 4-0 and win the thing we will be travelling (most likely to Louisville or Nashville) and have no chance to host despite what others are saying.

Now that we have that out of the way, it would be cool to pull the double and win the Big Ten Tourney to go with the regular season title as we did in 2013 and 2014. 

First of the level of success in this tourney we have is entirely up to us. It is nearly impossible to hit a HR in Omaha, so if we start swinging for the fences we will lose and fly out to track each time. If we compensate for that, as Mercer is good at and just taker solid swings for the gap and clean singles as we did against Rutgers we have a great chance.

Starting with Iowa, they are talented but have completely hit the skids lately. They have scored a lot recently, but they're starting pitchers who have been pretty good all year, have fallen apart the last two weeks. We will most likely face Cole McDonald their ace, who after a solid year has been a train wreck his last two starts, lasting no more than five innings and giving up three and four runs to MSU and Maryland. Before that he was decent but still giving up exactly two runs in his previous starts. Given Milto has not been exactly perfect either lately we need to face someone who has not been great either. McDonald limited us to two runs in Bloomington but Iowa evened it after Milto tired in ninth after being nearly perfect. We then won it on a walk off single in the bottom half and dominated the rest of the series. If we do get to McDonald, Iowa's bullpen has a lock down close and 4 decent relievers who don't pitch that often. The other bullpen guys who pitch regularly are not great. Also, really good for us, is McDonald while he shut us down the first time, is a righty and averages under a strikeout an inning. 

I will not preview our next opponent (either Minnesota or Nebraska which I am not thrilled about for different reasons) until after Iowa. Game is at 6pm on BTN. I will be at home for just this first game, but packing for a long trip the next day so I might chime in but certainly cannot provide play by play.   

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Aaron, do you know if there's been any talk of moving the fences in at Omaha 5-10 feet? I know the park and dimensions were set up when the juiced bats were still in effect.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

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23 minutes ago, LIHoosier said:

Aaron, do you know if there's been any talk of moving the fences in at Omaha 5-10 feet? I know the park and dimensions were set up when the juiced bats were still in effect.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

No Idea on that one but would probably be a good idea.

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So glad we didn't get Maryland. They are so dangerous in first game with Hunter Parsons. Would be surprised if they win again as they pretty much have trash pitching after him (as evidence by getting shut out by him Friday and then scoring almost 20 runs each on Saturday and Sunday against Terps) but first game against them its a problem.  

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I am trying to pack so may chime in here and there but no play by play. Michigan has zero excuse and may have just played there way out of NCAA tourney. OSU has no great ace and for Michigan to be hamstrung by that pitching staff is no one's fault but their own. When you play the soft schedule they did and have every year it catches up to you in postseason. Its a shame for them because the Wolverines have the talent and if they would schedule tougher they would be fine. 

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I'll answer the question they just talked about: IU has zero chance to host. Illinois did, but almost knocked themselves out of that losing today. 

IU and Illinois are going as 2 seeds regardless now. Nebraska going as a 3 no matter what. Michigan is right on the bubble now and tomorrow against Illinois is a play in game for them I think. Win it and in as 3 a seed regardless of what they do after that. Lose and they are out of NCAA tourney all together most likely.

Everyone else needs to win Big Ten tourney to make it including Iowa who has RPI in 90's. 

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