2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament

[LamarCheeks 18,948]

We are headed to Kentucky as the No. 3 seed in the Lexington Regional. 

Open Friday against West Virginia. Time TBD
 

 

[Aaron 4,293]

Start time is 7pm Friday on ESPN+ (subscription required). 

If IU loses, they will play at 12pm or 1 pm Saturday and with a win it would be at 6pm or 7 pm. If they survive Saturday, the contests on Sunday would also be 12 pm or 1 pm and 6 pm or 7 pm. To get to the first game Sunday, the Hoosiers will need to win one of their first two and to get all the way to 7 pm without the earlier slot they would need to win both late games Friday and Saturday. An, if necessary, Monday game would be at 12pm or 7 pm Monday if the team from the losers’ bracket wins the late game Sunday. All contests are ticketed for ESPN+ right now but could move to regular TV later. Also these tentative times are subject to change if an ESPN channel picks up more games.   

 Indiana got hit hard as West Virginia is a very strong two-seed. The opening game is far more difficult that most, but the chances of getting out of the Regional go up (although still a long shot) with a weak one seed in Kentucky and strong two and four seeds.    

Sinnard will start opener against Mountaineers and Kraft good to go it sounds like.

As for why IU drew into Lexington instead of Terre Haute which many will wonder, three factors that went into play I believe:

1) Trying to keep as many teams as possible close to home and Iowa had to go to Indiana St. as the only Regional within driving distance for them meaning Hoosiers could not go there. Meanwhile, Indiana could still be close to Bloomington in Lexington.

2) Hawkeye coach Rick Heller started his career at ISU and the NCAA loves these types of storylines. 

3) Logistically Terre Haute's Bob Warn Field is the smallest place to host a Regional at the bare NCAA minimum requirement of 2,500. The Sycamores have sold out every game of late this season on their own and placing IU there would have created an excess demand for tickets. By placing two squads from farther away there, ticket demand is more likely to meet supply. Meanwhile, Proud Park in Lexington is huge at 5,000 and can easily meet the demand of three close-by fan bases.       

Here is the full bracket:

https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/baseball/d1/2023

[Class of '66 Old Fart 84,774]

Be sure to read if you're planning to go to attend.  Hotels are already booked due to multiple events taking place.

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/indiana/2023/05/30/get-ready-to-drive-no-hotels-within-an-hour-of-lexington-for-iu-baseballs-regional/70269246007/

[Aaron 4,293]

The hotel situation is not great. However, its not as bad as the article makes it out to be. There are limited rooms within 30-45 minutes and plenty in the Louisville or Cincinnati suburbs just over an hour away. 

As for housing the players in the dorms, these are athlete dorms that are as nice as most hotels. My personal thought is this is not Kentucky's fault that everything is going on and they are making the best of it.

However, now that this problem has been brought to light, if Kentucky is serious about baseball and interested in hosting in future years, they need to work with the city of Lexington to make sure this first week of June is blocked off from any festivals happening in 2024 and beyond. Any festival can be planned for two weeks later and they will draw just as well and not inconvenience both UK Baseball and High School tournaments going on. Hotels will make just as much money if the rooms are spread out over several weekends as well.    

[Hovadipo 56,257]

Still GA tickets available in Terre Haute this weekend. Might go check out UNC/Iowa Friday night. 

[LIHoosier 26,205]

1 hour ago, Aaron said:

The hotel situation is not great. However, its not as bad as the article makes it out to be. There are limited rooms within 30-45 minutes and plenty in the Louisville or Cincinnati suburbs just over an hour away. 

As for housing the players in the dorms, these are athlete dorms that are as nice as most hotels. My personal thought is this is not Kentucky's fault that everything is going on and they are making the best of it.

However, now that this problem has been brought to light, if Kentucky is serious about baseball and interested in hosting in future years, they need to work with the city of Lexington to make sure this first week of June is blocked off from any festivals happening in 2024 and beyond. Any festival can be planned for two weeks later and they will draw just as well and not inconvenience both UK Baseball and High School tournaments going on. Hotels will make just as much money if the rooms are spread out over several weekends as well.    

I'm sure there's plenty of hotels available around the Robert Morris campus. ;)

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,189]

We're headed down Friday night and we will head down for either game on Sunday, assuming we're fortunate enough to make it to Sunday. Kentucky Proud Park is a solid venue, we've been there once. 

For sure going the GA ticket, bring my lawn chair route, though. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,189]

Also... that music fest is huge lol... Whiskey Myers on Saturday sounds very appealing, except for that whole 87 degrees thing. 

[Aaron 4,293]

Just an FYI: if UK's bid had been denied due to lack of hotel space, either West Virginia would be hosting as the two seed or they would have rearranged the bracket to have Campbell hosting with Kentucky as the two. 

Bottom line is while hotel situation is not great, IU would be in worse shape if Wildcats bid had been denied by NCAA and Hoosiers would be travelling a lot further. If you ask me, much better to have hotel in Louisville or Cincy suburbs and be within driving distance of Bloomington, than get a Regional far away that requires a day's car ride or flying. 

If the Wildcat's bid was denied, Hoosiers would NOT have hosted or gone to Terre Haute. Instead, they almost certainly would be headed to Morgantown or Campbell (North Carolina) if there was no Lexington Regional making it even harder for IU fans to go.

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

Indiana vs W. VA right now.  First round NCAAT.

W. Va just hit solo HR.  0 - 1 in the top of the 2nd.

ESPN+. 

IU with 2  on the bases.

Then loaded bases with no outs.

Two outs...hit to the right field.  2 runners score!

IU runner out at 3rd.  

IU 2 - 1   yeeehhaaaaw!

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

IU 3 - 1.

Changing pitchers.  # 37 for IU feeling discomfort in elbow on the mounds...gone.

Reisedorph now warming up.

Bases loaded...one out...ugh. 

 

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

Bottom of 3rd.

IU 3 - 3 W Va.

Oh well....

[maharkn 1,736]

This pitcher is absolute garbage why is he still in there

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[maharkn 1,736]

Very low IQ baseball

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[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

Top of 5th...IU 5 - 4.

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

6 - 5 IU...bottom of 6th.  IU changing pitchers in mid inning.  Ty Bothwell pitching...2 outs..man on 3rd.

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

IU 7 - 5.  Top of 8th.  

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

West VA has 2 men on in scoring positions.  One out.  Bottom of 8th.

2 out...7 to 6.

Sides retire...

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

Top of the 9th.  W. VA changing pitchers.  2 men on for IU.  One out.  IU still 7 - 6.

[Dave from Dayton 3,226]

Triple sends in 2 runners.  Right field error.

Another hit for IU.  Drives in another run.  10 - 6.