IU Baseball

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,074]

2 minutes ago, TheWatShot said:

Our pitching staff is 13th in the conference in ERA. 

 

Our lineup is second in home runs, batting average, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage and #1 in RBI's and OPS. 

I watch every game and every inning. There is a 1-run difference between 13th and 8th.... 

Talk to me about the Friday night vs ILL, Midweek vs UL, the entire series against UCLA, Friday night game against Iowa.... those are the games that decided our season. Hell, the midweek against Xavier, IN ST. 

[dwtaylor1055 1,988]

1 hour ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

huh? 

Not true, the hitting has been just as bad in key games that we have lost. 

fair BUT starting out the first part of year pitching woes far outweighed our bats.  scoring double digits and still losing 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,074]

1 minute ago, dwtaylor1055 said:

fair BUT starting out the first part of year pitching woes far outweighed our bats.  scoring double digits and still losing 

Well... the first two games of the year were pitched very well. 

I just don't think you guys watch enough college baseball.... It's an incredibly offensive game, literally, the SEC has pitchers every weekend that will get drafted and are getting rocked.... Has there been times the staff hasn't been good, yes, for sure.... losing Buhr and not having Vogel to start the year also really hurt. For sure been games the pitching got us beat.... USC game 3 comes to mind. 

I was wayyyy more upset with the pitching last year than this year. 

But, again, there have been some pretty hefty examples this year of the offense struggling in REALLY bad spots. @iowa, UL, @ILL were games we pitched VERY well and lost. 

Ultimately, when you're 48th in baseball spending, you get about 48th in the country results.... and that's what we've seen. 

[Aaron 4,547]

50 minutes ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Well... the first two games of the year were pitched very well. 

I just don't think you guys watch enough college baseball.... It's an incredibly offensive game, literally, the SEC has pitchers every weekend that will get drafted and are getting rocked.... Has there been times the staff hasn't been good, yes, for sure.... losing Buhr and not having Vogel to start the year also really hurt. For sure been games the pitching got us beat.... USC game 3 comes to mind. 

I was wayyyy more upset with the pitching last year than this year. 

But, again, there have been some pretty hefty examples this year of the offense struggling in REALLY bad spots. @iowa, UL, @ILL were games we pitched VERY well and lost. 

Ultimately, when you're 48th in baseball spending, you get about 48th in the country results.... and that's what we've seen. 

The pitching in totality is ok, not great. Its the inability to have even one reliable starter or ace that is the massive issue. If team had the same ERA but two reliable starters, you could live with this.

The issue with Glant and this pitching program is not the ERA. That could be better but the massive problem year in and year out is having to piece together every game 2-4 innings at a time and not having a go to person.

We can look at the ERA and eye test all we want (which could be better but isn't the big issue). The bottom line though is every other Big Ten team has at least two reliable weekend starters that go 5-6 innings at minimum every week. Meanwhile, IU is throwing everyone no more than 3-4 innings at most and cant get length or a steady rotation. This introduces far to many variables into winning and keeps team from having a fresh or reliable bullpen.

We can debate ERA and other numbers all we want which can be spun however one would like. However, what is inarguable is Glant and this current pitching program has completely failed at developing length which is a must to be successful in college baseball.

Every other pitching coach and program starts freshman with promise a few innings at a time and develops there length into solid starters. IU cannot get length from anyone currently for an entire season outside Luke Sinnard since Glant has been here (and not surprisingly this was best season since Glant has been here).

Offense has been hit or miss, ERA could be better, defense could be better. These are all issues every team faces and can be picked apart. The bottom line though is only IU's pitching program cannot develop pitchers to go the normal length as weekend starters. This is the bottom line difference between the Hoosiers and every other team (especially better ones), and until it is rectified we can pick apart other problems to death, but nothing will get better and win at a higher level until this fundamental issue that affects no one else is fixed.      

This has started since Glant has been here. He has other issues but it would all be fixable if he could find guys to be good for length and be starters. Since he seemingly can't someone else needs to try, especially since he is seemingly only one with this issue.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,074]

1 minute ago, Aaron said:

The pitching in totality is ok, not great. Its the inability to have even one reliable starter or ace that is the massive issue. If team had the same ERA but two reliable starters, you could live with this.

The issue with Glant and this pitching program is not the ERA. That could be better but the massive problem year in and year out is having to piece together every game 2-4 innings at a time and not having a go to person.

We can look at the ERA and eye test all we want (which could be better but isn't the big issue). The bottom line though is every other Big Ten team has at least two reliable weekend starters that go 5-6 innings at minimum every week. Meanwhile, IU is throwing everyone no more than 3-4 innings at most and cant get length. This introduces far to many variables into winning and keeps team from having a fresh or reliable bullpen.

We can debate ERA and other numbers all we want which can be spun however, one would like. However, what is inarguable is Glant and this current pitching program has completely failed at developing length which is a must to be successful in college baseball.

Every other pitching coach and program starts freshman with promise a few innings at a time and develops there length into solid starters. IU cannot get length from anyone currently for an entire season outside Luke Sinnard since Glant has been here (and not surprisingly this was best season since Glant has been here).

Offense has been hit or miss, ERA could be better, defense could be better. These are all issues every team faces and can be picked apart. The bottom line though is only IU's pitching program cannot develop pitchers to go the normal length as weekend starters. This is the bottom line difference between the Hoosiers and every other team (especially better ones), and until it is rectified we can pick apart other problems to death, but nothing will get better and win at a higher level until this fundamental issue that affects no one else is fixed.      

This has started since Glant has been here. He has other issues but it would all be fixable if he could find guys to be good for length and be starters. Since he seemingly can't someone else needs to try, especially since he is seemingly only one with this issue.

First sentence is for sure a good way to put it.... unfortunately we had that each of the last two years, other than injury. Friday night guy (Sinnard) to legit relievers in Vogel, Buhr this year. 

[Aaron 4,547]

17 minutes ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

First sentence is for sure a good way to put it.... unfortunately we had that each of the last two years, other than injury. Friday night guy (Sinnard) to legit relievers in Vogel, Buhr this year. 

Outside of Sinnard, no one has developed into a constant starter for an entire season and team spends half a year mixing and matching and maybe finding a guy or two down stretch.

This is why Dustin Glant's tenure has been an abject failure so far. Every other issue discussed is hit or miss on every team. The inability to find at least two decent starters to go 5-6 innings within a week or two of season starting is unique to IU since Glant has been here and affects no one else.

We can pick apart all aspects of program which are hit or miss. Bottom line though is there is one standout issue (length) since Glant has been here that affects no other team in conference or even nationally. Can't say if it is recruiting or incompetence on Glant's part.

What I can say is after four years of this same glaring issue outside Sinnard, its time for someone else to come in and run the pitching program. It is time see if someone else can fix something that is a very basic issue with length that affects no one else and has killed program. Clearly Glant doesn't have the answer or we would have seen it after four springs. 

Whether Mercer is the long term coach here rests on this. A program that cannot develop length with starters is a non-starter for maximum success and until this is addressed mediocrity will remain. Everything else will come and go as happens everywhere regardless of who is in charge and can be tweaked as needed.

Ability to develop length and starters though is non-negotiable and a basic of the game and it has been Glant's downfall since he came on board in 2022.          

Think of it as baseball's version of three point shooting with men's basketball. Other problems have existed. However, bottom line is programs inability to compete is due to not being able to shoot 3's which is a fundamental aspect of the game. Same with starting pitchers.

Both are seemingly only issues IU has. The three-point shooting or lack thereof has led to mediocrity and addressed with a new coach. Same thing with pitching needs to happen now.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,074]

11 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Outside of Sinnard, no one has developed into a constant starter for an entire season and team spends half a year mixing and matching and maybe finding a guy or two down stretch.

This is why Dustin Glant's tenure has been an abject failure so far. Every other issue discussed is hit or miss on every team. The inability to find at least two decent starters to go 5-6 innings within a week or two of season starting is unique to IU since Glant has been here and affects no one else.

We can pick apart all aspects of program which are hit or miss. Bottom line though is there is one standout issue (length) since Glant has been here that affects no other team in conference or even nationally. Can't say if it is recruiting or incompetence on Glant's part.

What I can say is after four years of this same glaring issue outside Sinnard, its time for someone else to come in and run the pitching program. It is time see if someone else can fix something that is a very basic issue with length that affects no one else and has killed program. Clearly Glant doesn't have the answer or we would have seen it after four springs. 

Whether Mercer is the long term coach here rests on this. A program that cannot develop length with starters is a non-starter for maximum success and until this is addressed mediocrity will remain. Everything else will come and go as happens everywhere regardless of who is in charge and can be tweaked as needed.

Ability to develop length and starters though is non-negotiable and a basic of the game and it has been Glant's downfall since he came on board in 2022.          

Think of it as baseball's version of three point shooting with men's basketball. Other problems have existed. However, bottom line is programs inability to compete is due to not being able to shoot 3's which is a fundamental aspect of the game. Same with starting pitchers.

Both are seemingly only issues IU has. The three-point shooting or lack thereof has led to mediocrity and addressed with a new coach. Same thing with pitching needs to happen now.

Foley absolutely developed. 

[Aaron 4,547]

3 hours ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Foley absolutely developed. 

Fair, but it took half a season to figure out who to start that season along with Bothwell. Bottom line is in four years you have had 1.5 starters you have had in a weekend rotation (Sinnard, Foley) from get go you were confident is. Bottom line is that is not going to get it done and seemingly Glant is only one with this problem. Everyone else in 4 years would have 8 starters at minimum ready to go at beginning of a given season in that same time time period.  

Its the bottom line why program has somewhat struggled and is not sustainable to maintain winning. This is why Glant's tenure for most part has been failure. Its not ERA or eye test which is better than some and worse than others and OK which would cut it if he had eight starters ready to go in four years rather than 1.5. Bottom line. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 91,019]

Hoosiers (27-21) (12-12) host the Toiletmakers (29-19) (9-15) with a full point on the line for the Governor's Cup competition.  If we can win the series, we clinch another win in this annual competition.

• Friday @ 6:00 on B1G+
• Saturday @ 2:00 on B1G+
• Sunday @ 4:00 on BTN

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[Aaron 4,547]

Even Purdue has two decent starters as a bad team that they throw each week for two of the games and will go 5-6 innings as long as they are decent.

Again this shows as I talked about above why Glant's tenure has been such a problem and by most accounts a failure. Its not the depth or ERA per se. Those could be better. However, the inability to find or develop at least two starting pitchers each season is something only he faces. As I said, in four seasons he has had 1.5 legit starting pitchers from the get go each spring. Every other team in college baseball almost has had eight at minimum in same time.

ERA and depth need to be better but that is a challenge every single team is facing in this era of college baseball. Only Glant has not been able to identify and develop length with constant starters. Even bad teams can do that as Boilermakers have.

This fundamental thing is difference between a middling tenure Glant could get away with, and one he has had that has single handedly blown up two of his four seasons and nearly did a third last yr. No one else including bad teams have this problem. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 91,019]

Hoosiers win the weekend opener 8-0.

We got tonight what we've been lacking most of the season.  A starting pitcher who can make it through more than a few innings.  Kraft on the mound and pitched a 7-inning 5-hit shutout walking just a single batter and left the mound with the Hoosiers holding a 5-0 lead.  We added 3 more runs in our 8th.  Gilley pitched the 8th and Haas finished the night up in the 9th.  

Hoosiers finished with 10 hits with 4 batters getting 2 each.  Malamazian led the way with 3 RBI.

[Aaron 4,547]

Purdue is awful and IU ran over them as one would hope.

Tonight highlights my frustration with Glant. Kraft was great in summer league, then was terrible at start of season and has come on down stretch. Kraft along with Grable should absolutely had been the two weekend starters all season but took them most of the year to come on.

Glant always finds a few guys down stretch, but the fact it takes them half a season to figure it out speaks to a massive problem. You should have two starters and 2-3 reliable relievers in set roles from get go.

As bad as Purdue is, they have that. Yes their Friday guy tonight gets pounded at times, but he has a set role as a long starter for entire year. Glant's total inability to figure out defined roles for half a season and especially identify starters is inexcusable and its holding program back.

Glad IU took care of their primary rivals who won't make Omaha for Big Ten Tourney. For IU, their sole focus is winning whole thing there with at-large bid out of the question.