I agree. Why do we accept mediocrity in baseball when we wouldn't accept it in football. We are LSU. We should never lose a game to any team in any sport. WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!! Now, seriously: LSU hitters have historically had problems against this type of pitcher. This is nothing new.
No kidding! A soft throwing, off speed pitcher at the college level can be very successful against hitters who have yet to master patience at the plate. Those hitters who have mastered this don't hang around the college game very long ... they play in the professional league. I always got a kick out of LSU blasting away at all those high 1st round draft pick pitchers in the CWS who could throw a 95 mph straight ball. I'll take 3 Mestepeys on my college team anyday...
When you get no-hit for 6 innings, held to two total hits by a team that hasn't had a winning season in 15 years and a team that lost to Loyola of New Orleans. Also, it's a blowout when you show up and give a half-hearted effort.
How to you know it was a half-hearted effort? Did you see the game? Were the players joking around or laughing or goofing off in the dugout during the game? When the Yankess get blasted, do you say it was a half-hearted effort? Some people will never understand baseball...
It was a huge win for Centenary, but to say the Gents will become a decent baseball program is WAY OFF base. Centenary hasn't had a good team since like 1991 and hasn't had a winning season since a 26-25 season in like 1992. This year's Gents team lost to Loyola of New Orleans this year. Ed McCann, the Centenary coach, is a good guy but not a good coach. Centenary lost 45 games two seasons ago and lost well 30+ last year. If there is one sport at Centenary that should be competing for the Mid Continent Conference title every year it's baseball simply because most of the other schools in the Mid Con, with the exception of Oral Roberts, are up north.
Saw the game and it was a very lackluster effort. Prior to the game, Smoke as well as players like Patterson were quoted about saying they were dreading the trip to Shreveport, especially after being on the road at Houston the weekend prior. Visited with Smoke prior to the game, heard him speak. He even stated that Nall and Ramirez would struggle and they did. Even the media joked that it looked like LSU brought it's B Team. And not that I have to justify myself, but I've worked in baseball both collegiate and professional most of my adult life, so I know when I've seen a half-hearted effort on the diamond.
Hell, who wouldn't be dreading a trip to Shreveport 24 hours after getting back from Houston in the early morning hours on Monday? Being physcially and mentally tired from the Houston trip is understandable. But IMO, saying it was a half-hearted effort implies they didn't give a damn about playing or winning, which is what I disagree with. I hope that's not the attitiude on this team. Hell, we all have days when we aren't at our best for a variety of reasons ... these kids are no different than anyone else.
I agree with you that I hope it's not the attitude of this team, and I don't think it is. College players feed off of their head coach and this was one area where I wish Smoke would've publicly said we're going up there to win...etc. then behind the scenes do what he was doing with Nall, Ramirez and some of the position guys. Smoke also said prior to the game that there were guys out with the flu or some virus so that just added fuel to the fire about not wanting to be in Shreveport. I totally agree with you about having those days when were not at our best and don't want to be at work (like today), but that being said, in baseball or any sport when you step across those lines it's got to be balls to the wall, 100% no matter what.
