This was floating around yesterday, and I do recall watching this game on pins and needles when I was fifteen. Sad to say, it was the first National Championship at the age of 15 that I fully watched and understood along the way. I was too young to appreciate a full season of college football when Georgia won the National Championship in College Football in 1980, so this was one that I was fully immersed in at the time.
One thing I can recall, and didn’t understand as just a watcher of the Braves at the time, is that we had a pitcher who had a mean off-speed/curve that constantly was putting the ball in the dirt and the catcher was top flight in that they never let a bounced ball pass.
So how are you feeling about the Diamond Dawgs this year? Are you bullish and feel they can take it all? Or are you worried (answer: yes, yes you are. We are all children of Larry Munson, so worry is our middle name).
My thoughts, FWIW:
- Offense isn’t the concern for this team, though my one concern can be that the bottom of the lineup – outside of Branch – can be very hit or miss. Ichikawa has been a great addition into the batting lineup, as he is an OBP magnet and just finds a way to get on base. I wonder if he shouldn’t stay batting first and let Phelps bat second and Jackson third, but I’m not going to question Wes’s lineups, because they’ve worked. Situational hitting has been my greatest worry all season for a team that’s approaching LSU Gorilla Ball numbers in the post-BBCOR era of college baseball. Note: Georgia is 19-1 over their last 20 games. Let me excuse myself while I go have a cigarette.
- Starting pitching has been a concern throughout the season, but a good concern. Volchko is solid, but, as evidenced in Game 1 of the Super Regionals, he also can get mega-amped and Johnson spoke about how he has to be a psy-op with him to ensure he’s not TOO ramped up. Vigue has unfortunately faded over the end of the season since his injury, and he got banged up in Game 2, too. I guess Wes will go with “Doc” Aoki for Game 2 or 3, depending on the outcome of Game 1 against Texas. Aoki showed he’s capable of throwing college softball number pitch counts. If Vigue isn’t ready to go by this weekend, things can get very interesting very quick, and in a negative way.
- Our bullpen is solid, and it seems like we can roll out an unending number of extra arms, when necessary, but we don’t want to get in bullpen games, especially with the teams we’re about to face. We need to jump out on top and get big leads early, and utilize starting pitching as long and deep as we can. It’s a long-ass tournament, folks.
- Underrated worry: fielding. For a team that had one of the best fielding percentages in the country, the Super Regionals were flooded with fielding issues. I can’t tell you the last time I’ve seen a double play, and our 5-6 fielders overthrowing Brennan Hudson was concerning to see. Brennan is not tall and long, at only 6-1, and fields with his left hand. The fielding hand isn’t as big an issue as his ability to field from a 360 range, which seems to be how we throw, and when it goes high, forget about it, it’s an extra base, guaranteed. Hopefully this doesn’t remain an issue.
- Additional concern: running out of Sour Power, or Mojo. We’re heading into unfamiliar territory, and we’ve been successful in most arenas this season…but this is Omaha. It has a mystique that can outweigh the team mojo, and those types of situations can really derail a team that “vibes” on mojo. The team will be amped, they’re no doubt excited to be there…but will their butts be puckered or will they still have the signature Georgia swagger? We will soon find out.
How about you? How’re you feeling about the Diamond Dawgs’ chances?
