Do we have the talent to get to Omaha?

[rebelliousb]

If the answer is yes and we don't get there.....

[Titles 'R Us]

I think the better questions to consider are: do we have the right to expect an Omaha appearance at least once in fifteen years under Bianco? Because that is the reality of our situation. Do we have the right to set the bar high? If not, what are we doing with our baseball program?

[lewindha]

I think the better questions to consider are: do we have the right to expect an Omaha appearance at least once in fifteen years under Bianco? Because that is the reality of our situation. Do we have the right to set the bar high? If not, what are we doing with our baseball program?

Ole Miss hadn't made Omaha in 29/30 years before Bianco was hired. Now it's owed to us?

5 NCAA appearances in the 9 years before Kennedy is hired, but asking for more than 1 fluke appearance in 8 years is too much?

I get frustration with Bianco, believe me, it's starting to seep into my opinion of him. But, I will never get how people think Omaha is owed to us.

[Titles 'R Us]

Nothing is owed to any team that plays sports. That's a ridiculous statement. But what is even more ridiculous--even absurd--is the reality that we have had the same head baseball coach for 14 years and have not once gone to Omaha. While EVERY TEAM in the old 12-team SEC has been to Omaha at least ONCE in that same period except Kentucky and Ole Miss. Several have gone twice or more. Under different coaches.

Eric, the gold standard in college baseball is to go to Omaha. Why play baseball if that is not your goal? Why tolerate any coach that can't get you there? Fourteen years and counting, and we haven't been yet. We are paying both Kennedy and Bianco a ton of money to accomplish gold standard results. Kennedy to go to the tournament regularly and win games there--and at least go to the Sweet Sixteen from time to time. Bianco to host, win those and host Supers to go to Omaha. Both of these men have fallen way short of the expectations of everyone except the cultists that drag out the same kind of arguments you always post on here.

Bianco needs to be fired if we don't host this year. Period. And I wouldn't mind us firing Kennedy and going after Michael White. No, Eric, nothing is owed to us. We have to earn it. And we're d*** sure not getting it done under Bianco and Kennedy. I'm waiting for Bianco to field a team that will host again. If this is it, fine. And we didn't even make the NIT this year under Kennedy.

I don't understand fans like you that don't expect us to compete at the highest level and then have the gall to say that those of us who expect more are unrealistic. You're the apologist in the room.

[lewindha]

Nothing is owed to any team that plays sports. That's a ridiculous statement. But what is even more ridiculous--even absurd--is the reality that we have had the same head baseball coach for 14 years and have not once gone to Omaha. While EVERY TEAM in the old 12-team SEC has been to Omaha at least ONCE in that same period except Kentucky and Ole Miss. Several have gone twice or more. Under different coaches.

Eric, the gold standard in college baseball is to go to Omaha. Why play baseball if that is not your goal? Why tolerate any coach that can't get you there? Fourteen years and counting, and we haven't been yet. We are paying both Kennedy and Bianco a ton of money to accomplish gold standard results. Kennedy to go to the tournament regularly and win games there--and at least go to the Sweet Sixteen from time to time. Bianco to host, win those and host Supers to go to Omaha. Both of these men have fallen way short of the expectations of everyone except the cultists that drag out the same kind of arguments you always post on here.

Bianco needs to be fired if we don't host this year. Period. And I wouldn't mind us firing Kennedy and going after Michael White. No, Eric, nothing is owed to us. We have to earn it. And we're d*** sure not getting it done under Bianco and Kennedy. I'm waiting for Bianco to field a team that will host again. If this is it, fine. And we didn't even make the NIT this year under Kennedy.

I don't understand fans like you that don't expect us to compete at the highest level and then have the gall to say that those of us who expect more are unrealistic. You're the apologist in the room.

No, I get it. I just find it unbearable to hear folks defend Kennedy and in the same breathe condemn Bianco. I know you're not one of them, but that was my point.

You want Bianco fired. Fine.

[mascott]

Why stop with Bianco and Kennedy. Lets get rid of everybody.

[Titles 'R Us]

Kennedy definitely didn't get the job done this year, and we should have won almost all of those games we lost at the buzzer. As you know, Eric, I don't give Kennedy a pass. One NCAA appearance in eight years should definitely not be acceptable. Michael White is a hot commodity right now. I'd hate to see him go to Auburn or somewhere else in the SEC.

I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude toward this year's baseball team. It really hurt that we couldn't close out that game in Columbia. Mizzou is coming to town this weekend. We need to sweep them to make up for giving away the Carolina series. I get worn out by being sucked into what looks like a promising season in basketball or baseball, only to have it wimp out on us.

[Titles 'R Us]

Why stop with Bianco and Kennedy. Lets get rid of everybody.

What a useless comment this is! We were having an intelligent exchange here!

[lewindha]

Kennedy definitely didn't get the job done this year, and we should have won almost all of those games we lost at the buzzer. As you know, Eric, I don't give Kennedy a pass. One NCAA appearance in eight years should definitely not be acceptable. Michael White is a hot commodity right now. I'd hate to see him go to Auburn or somewhere else in the SEC.

I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude toward this year's baseball team. It really hurt that we couldn't close out that game in Columbia. Mizzou is coming to town this weekend. We need to sweep them to make up for giving away the Carolina series. I get worn out by being sucked into what looks like a promising season in basketball or baseball, only to have it wimp out on us.

No, I agree. I'm not getting excited about baseball yet. It 'looks' like we're better than originally thought, but that still doesn't put us in a regional in Oxford.

[olemissreb10]

From strictly a talent standpoint this is our best team in quite a few years. But talent alone doesnt win in the summer

[oxpatchreb]

If the answer is yes and we don't get there.....

IMHO, no, we don't. What we're seeing are some talented YOUNG kids playing over their heads, against *beep* OOC competition and with a massive dose of emotion, energy and enthusiasm against the #1 team in the country.

Once the grind of the SEC schedule sets in, reality will come crashing down and we'll see this team perform about as well as we expected pre-season. I think we finish at or a couple games over .500 in the SEC, BARELY host a regional because some other team backs out of their chance to host or we just miss hosting. FWIW, I think we actually make it out of a regional this year (our pitching sets up well to win 3 or 4 games out of 5) but get crushed in a SR on the road by a good team.

Next year, if they all stay and we pick up another 3 or 4 immediate impact guys? Who knows...