Some worthy B1G games this weekend.

[k9_r]

This B1G weekend is very interesting to me. The marquee match up is Illinois at OSU. According to D1baseball, OSU will not have any of the top four pitchers in that series. Maybe, but I can’t be so sure of that. Both teams are top 10 ERA and OSU can pitch. Gonna be a good series and could be a revealing one. I like OSU’s chances and I hope fans show up. This OSU team deserves support.

Iowa at Michigan. Iowa hasn’t lost a series all year but Michigan is back from their early injuries and have won their last five series. And they can hit. Hit good. Iowa brings the pitchers and this series will be strength on strength, These are going to be hard fought games. Iowa will be a strong favorite but they will have to earn the win.

Nebraska has reached crunch time. We've finally got two of the B1G’s weakest teams up on schedule these next two weeks but if the Huskers can’t get back to winning, bad news will be heading our way. It’s mathematically possible we could miss the cut for the B1G tournament. We're at Northwestern and we just dare not lose this series.

Been watching MSU’s progress lately. They are on a four game win streak with ten very winnable games left. They are 27-17, RPI 30 right now. Would not surprise me one bit to see them win 8 or more going out. I watched their sweep at Oregon in the rain and thought they could end up with a lot of wins. This weekend begins their run to 35+ wins.

Indiana @ Maryland
Rutgers @ Penn State
UC Irvine @ Minnesota (Go Gophers)

 

[icu81222]

Good write up. Wish BTN would show more baseball. Maybe it will take 5 or 6 bids and presssure from fans to get more tv time

 

[RobsterMobster]

I watch so much SEC Network just so I can watch college baseball, they know how to sell a brand, BTN is a joke outside of football and basketball.

 

[icu81222]

So how do we get that changed? Winning should help but title 9 BS and the nnorthern baseball phobia will tske some time to turn around. I really think people need to vocalize their concerns with the B1G

 

[k9_r]

I watch so much SEC Network just so I can watch college baseball, they know how to sell a brand, BTN is a joke outside of football and basketball.

Me too. Is LSU a load or what? And I no longer believe in Vandy. Hope they circle the drain.

 

[k9_r]

So how do we get that changed? Winning should help but title 9 BS and the northern baseball phobia will take some time to turn around. I really think people need to vocalize their concerns with the B1G

The Big 10 is lacking sufficient baseball program structural changes in order to get BTN coming around and matching SEC Network's commitment to baseball. And I'm not talking about bricks and mortar.

Administrative commitment to baseball, generally speaking, is too inadequate. Too few high level coaches is the major missing element and that falls right back on administrations.

The loss of Tracy Smith is a bigger blow to the Big 10 than many think. Indiana did well in hiring Lemonis but, had Smith stayed, Lemonis would be available for, say, Purdue. See how that works?

Lemonis could have been an addition to the coaching pool here instead of a substitution.

There are several good coaches here but not enough. Erstad is a super highly qualified baseball guy but he is a rookie head coach. I'm not at all worried about that because he is a very smart man with total commitment and will pass through the rookie stage just fine. And, right now, he's pretty much all done with that rookie business. Gonna be a good one.

The Bakich hire at Michigan was a huge shocker. How Michigan got him, I have no idea. Stole him from Maryland three years ago. The Big 10 is lucky to have him.

Iowa's hire of Rick Heller has all the appearance of a great fit and there is no denying he can coach. He goes on the list. Even if Heller wasn't a great hire, the departure of Dahm is what we call addition by subtraction.

Illinois, OSU and MSU have long standing coaches who can do work. They need more admin support. Maryland is good. And, of course, John Anderson has a brilliant past but a short future. Should have been short five years ago.

I count one high level coach (Tracy Smith type) and this guy is at Michigan. There are three young coaches who all could become the man in short order. Szefc and three others have experience and wisdom on their side. Outside of Nebraska, none of these guys have the sustained administrative support you see everywhere in the SEC.

Four other schools are AWOL and I have no idea what Minnesota will do. Wisconsin doesn't even play baseball. This does not sound like SEC level of commitment. It's hard to point fingers at BTN from my POV.

 

[SPGroth]

Iowa fan here, the series in Ann Arbor will be a tough one for the Hawks. Michigan has been a thorn in the side of the Hawks over the last few years. The Wolverines knocked Iowa out of the BTN Tourney last season. As said above, they can hit. It will be interesting to see how Peyton's foot is feeling after one week of treatment.

As for the Heller hire, a great hire. One that should have been made instead of going with the flavor of the month, Dahm hire. Dahm is coaching D-2 baseball.....probably where he belongs.

 

[RobsterMobster]

Me too. Is LSU a load or what? And I no longer believe in Vandy. Hope they circle the drain.

LSU looks good, did you see that MSU-LSU game last night? Was pretty good. Like I said, I wish BTN had a decent baseball schedule for viewing but oh well.

Agree with you on Vandy by the way, haven't bought them for most of the year, living off of last years natty

 

[gunNrun]

For what it's worth...
I watch a ton of B1G baseball on BTN Plus for the price of just one game ticket.
The thing I like about BTN Plus is they got a 'cancel subscription' right on the front page, making it real easy when you're ready to give it up.

I'm thinking (hoping) if the viewing numbers for baseball continue to rise on Plus, then maybe the Network will be willing to give baseball more air time.

 

[gunNrun]

SEC Network
Pac 12 Network
ESPNU
Are all networks that seem to embrace college baseball.
BTN is trying, but they are not making a big enough effort to put marquee series (match ups) on the main Network. With the conference RPI becoming meaningful, again I'm hopeful for future changes in Network scheduling.

 

[k9_r]

BTN broadcast what the B1G wants broadcast.

 

[k9_r]

Two ranked teams playing in Columbus, OH. B1G leadership on the line. BTN showing women’s lacrosse.

ON BOTH CHANNELS!…. SAME GAME!!!

Anyone think BTN does this without conference high mucky mucks’ approval? Or orders?

 

[k9_r]

LSU looks good, did you see that MSU-LSU game last night? Was pretty good. Like I said, I wish BTN had a decent baseball schedule for viewing but oh well.

Agree with you on Vandy by the way, haven't bought them for most of the year, living off of last years natty

I did watch that game. It dragged into extra innings and LSU pitching/defense just kept breaking MSU's heart. Could tell that MSU wouldn't keep up and LSU would win.