After last season it would be amazing for Duke to make it this year. Let's get that win Friday and see what happens
Duke baseball -- 2023 season
- Thread starter ConorONeill
- Start date
I'm a Pollard fan, App St. was one of my favorite places to go umpire because he was so good to us (and the cooler weather in the summer). I'm just relaying what my friends say about dealing with him. The irony is that they are both huge Duke fans but have called Pollard names I don't feel comfortable saying on a message board, & I'm a UNC fan and I pull for Pollard and Duke baseball. I'm glad to hear he's cordial with you also, that has been my experience since I met him. Maybe he just dislikes the interactions he has to have with scouts, or has a disdain for them in general, idk.
I was Rhett Lowder's 6th grade science teacher. He was such a great kid and I'm very happy for what he's accomplished. I'm definitely pulling for him and Wake to win it. I remember taking his phone from him in class one day and he almost started crying. Most kids would talk back or not even give you their phone without a bunch of lip, and now, barring something unexpected, he's getting ready to make more money than I've made in my lifetime.
Why would you post on this cite such meaningless negative hearsay about what your alleged Duke friends allegedly told you about Duke's excellent and greatly respected baseball coach? Seriously doubt that you, as a UNCheat fan, pull for anything Duke. Throw your shade where it belongs, on someone like Mac Brown. OFC
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I'm not throwing shade, just passing on info. That's cool, overlook the positive stuff I say about Pollard and focus on the negative. Carry on. FYI, they are also hearing that he is going to be the frontrunner for the Alabama job.
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I think I can help on the Pollard discussion, or at least add my insight ...
Based on covering him for 2 seasons, which has basically been this season because I didn't do much last year, he's both smart and thorough. That leads to most interviews and discussions with him being very nuanced. One of the things @jimlsumner means -- I think -- when he says Pollard doesn't give coach-speak answers is that he's not always agreeable. I love that, I think Jim loves it, but it can rub some people the wrong way -- especially scouts who might already be convinced of another opinion.
I'll use this as an example: At his preseason press conference with us, he talked a lot about how athletic this team was and how many players could slot into multiple positions. He also talked up the team speed element. So I asked if, given those were strengths, this would be a team geared around small ball, moving runners over, pressuring defenses with bunting and steals. He shot that down pretty quickly and in a matter-of-fact tone.
Clearly, with a team that's set Duke's program record for single-season homers, he was right to shoot down my notion.
Also, @2DDIMOND, that's a hell of a story on Lowder in 6th grade! Thanks for sharing. I've loved covering him for 3 years -- just took me a few times interviewing him to know that he really didn't want to talk about how long his hair is, haha.
Based on covering him for 2 seasons, which has basically been this season because I didn't do much last year, he's both smart and thorough. That leads to most interviews and discussions with him being very nuanced. One of the things @jimlsumner means -- I think -- when he says Pollard doesn't give coach-speak answers is that he's not always agreeable. I love that, I think Jim loves it, but it can rub some people the wrong way -- especially scouts who might already be convinced of another opinion.
I'll use this as an example: At his preseason press conference with us, he talked a lot about how athletic this team was and how many players could slot into multiple positions. He also talked up the team speed element. So I asked if, given those were strengths, this would be a team geared around small ball, moving runners over, pressuring defenses with bunting and steals. He shot that down pretty quickly and in a matter-of-fact tone.
Clearly, with a team that's set Duke's program record for single-season homers, he was right to shoot down my notion.
Also, @2DDIMOND, that's a hell of a story on Lowder in 6th grade! Thanks for sharing. I've loved covering him for 3 years -- just took me a few times interviewing him to know that he really didn't want to talk about how long his hair is, haha.
Thanks for clarifying, I wasn't trying to ruffle any feathers. Rhett started getting some locks in the 8th grade but his hair really didn't starting taking on a life of it's own until probably his sophomore year of HS. It's a trademark for sure. North Stanly has another pitcher who is a rising senior, following in Rhett's footsteps (hair wise) and has some pretty nasty breaking stuff like Lowder too. Unlikely he'll turn out as good as Rhett but you never know. Btw, we're using Jack Coombs this weekend and early next week as part of our showcase event. I'll have umpires there Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday. It was hard to pull for Virginia to beat ECU but I needed that so it wouldn't mess up our schedule. Still hope Duke beats the Cavs.
It's the time of year when I start thinking it's easier to win a super regional than it is a regional.
I think the full-bullpen approach actually sets up better this weekend than last weekend. Pollard said today that he doesn't know what the pitching plan will be -- the two guys I'm most interested in are Alex Gow and Charlie Beilenson, and Pollard said both will pitch this weekend. Whether Gow starts Friday or Saturday, just *how much* Beilenson can pitch ... we'll see. We were also told James Tallon (didn't pitch last weekend) is available but I've got some doubt about that. Kinda seems like he's got a dead arm.
Still, Duke has so many arms that missing one isn't going to break them. Missing another 2 or 3 would be damaging, but they're worried about one game at a time -- a terrible cliché but one that actually applies with this team.
Here's what scares me from Duke's perspective: UVA was at the end of a 2-week slump when Duke got them up there and the Cavaliers have been great since then. They're a complete team and it's like the series loss to Duke jolted them back into being a top-10 team.
Kinda think this weekend is a toss-up.
Interesting that you say I focused on the negative. So you admit you were putting negative stuff on this site. Why do that? What was your goal with the negative stuff? Without the negative, your post would have been relevant and unobjectionable. But I am an old curmudgeon (sp?) and it don't take much to make me angry. OFC
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Good read. I honestly think losing out so early in the ACC tourney gave this team the rest they needed to do what they did last week.
I've got a working theory that conference tournaments are exhibition games for the real postseason. Duke basketball and Clemson baseball are prime examples. I think the last three ACC teams to win a basketball title ('15 Duke, '17 UNC, '19 UVA) lost in the semis of the ACCT.
I love the ACC tournaments, it's one of the few times all year that the league's media all congregates together. And I love the history of them. But it's starting to feel like success in conference tournaments doesn't have a correlation to NCAAT success.
I love the ACC tournaments, it's one of the few times all year that the league's media all congregates together. And I love the history of them. But it's starting to feel like success in conference tournaments doesn't have a correlation to NCAAT success.
Ha, I almost quoted your earlier post and said he stung the flyout to CF in his previous at-bat.
Beilinson already starting off horrible. I get it he was good all season but he’s looked gassed in the post season please take him out. Literally gonna lose us the game
Lol and there goes the lead. Great job beilinson. What’s that? 5/6 hits? Smh
Lol and there goes the lead. Great job beilinson. What’s that? 5/6 hits? Smh
I'd took him out after second hit. Lost all momentum with this
"just *how much* Beilenson can pitch ... we'll see." @ConorONeill he obviously looked like he couldn't pitch at all. Hate to single out a kid, but Charlie looked like he was throwing BP.
OFC
OFC
Yep. Almost lost the game against rider
Made the error to lose the first game against coastal
And now this. Not sure why pollard trusted him today but damn he gave up a hit to everyone he pitched against
Oschell gets us out quickly surrendering 1 run. We’re lucky, Virginia could’ve fired off more
He was awful, can't sugarcoat it at all, I agree! OFC
Biggest glaring error I've seen Pollard make was leaving Beilenson in too long. Probably cost us game. OFC
2 on base come on guys just score at least 1… I’m confident in oshcell
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