Looking Back - Looking Forward
Back
- Stanford's main non-conference opponents are having mixed seasons.
Fullerton is mostly back where they have typically been. They are 26-13/17-4, lead the Big West, and I have seen them ranked as high as 12 (Collegiate Baseball)
Oklahoma is 24-20/9-9, tied for fifth in the Big 12.
Rice is 17-39/9-21 at ninth in Conference USA. They've really fallen on hard times.
CSU Bakersfield is 14-24/5-16, 10th in the Big West.
- Despite what sometimes feels to me like the pitching staff collapsing, Stanford's pitching has done better in conference play than overall. That's partly because one big problem is depth and the front-line guys go on the weekends, but things may be ticking upwards.
ERA, WHIP, BA against, all better in conference only games than overall.
- On the pitching front.
Good turnaround: Ryan Bruno last 6 outings: 9.2 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 2 BB, 18 Ks.
Bad turnaround: Matt Scott last 3 starts: 8.1 IP, 12 runs, 12 hits, 9 BB, 7 Ks.
- Team is 7-1 in one-run and extra-inning games.
- Stanford sits in first place in the Pac 12. ASU is 1/2 game back. Oregon is 2 games back. OSU is 2.5 games back.
Forward
- Stanford's remaining weekend series are @ASU (2nd in Pac 12), vs. UA (8th in Pac 12), @WSU (9th in Pac 12)
#2 ASU plays vs. Stanford, @USC (7th), vs. UCLA (6th)
- The best hitter for average in the Pac is Ryan Campos of ASU (0.413). He's coming back vs Stanford after about 3 weeks off due to an oblique injury.
The best hitter by slugging percentage in the Pac is Luke Keaschall of ASU (0.756).
ASU has the most runs/game and best slugging percentage (conference games only) in the Pac.
The pitching staff will be tested this weekend.
- ASU pitching has an ERA of 6.17 (conf. games only), 8th in the Pac.
- ASU easily leads the Pac in attendance - so should be a raucous, high scoring weekend. (Stanford just fell from 5th to 4th in attendance - apparently big crowds in Eugene last weekend for their series vs. ASU)
- Last year, Stanford's offense and HR production took off once May started. While this typically happens when the weather heats up, I certainly hope it happens as dramatically as last year.
It may help that Stanford's remaining conference opponents rank #8,9,10 in the conference in ERA.
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Alberto Rios' emergence was mentioned above. It's been a great story.
Rios first two years at Stanford: 7 AB, 0 hits, 1 BB.
This year: 147 AB, 0.374 AVG; 1.125 OPS (leads team), 9 HR.
Last year Berrera and Graham emerged after getting little previous playing time. This year it has been Rios and Cobb. Next year?
I think this team would be much more solid if Tommy O'Rourke hadn't gone down. The juniors Dowd, Dixon and O'Rourke had been at similar levels - having another such arm this year would really have helped.
Back
- Stanford's main non-conference opponents are having mixed seasons.
Fullerton is mostly back where they have typically been. They are 26-13/17-4, lead the Big West, and I have seen them ranked as high as 12 (Collegiate Baseball)
Oklahoma is 24-20/9-9, tied for fifth in the Big 12.
Rice is 17-39/9-21 at ninth in Conference USA. They've really fallen on hard times.
CSU Bakersfield is 14-24/5-16, 10th in the Big West.
- Despite what sometimes feels to me like the pitching staff collapsing, Stanford's pitching has done better in conference play than overall. That's partly because one big problem is depth and the front-line guys go on the weekends, but things may be ticking upwards.
ERA, WHIP, BA against, all better in conference only games than overall.
- On the pitching front.
Good turnaround: Ryan Bruno last 6 outings: 9.2 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 2 BB, 18 Ks.
Bad turnaround: Matt Scott last 3 starts: 8.1 IP, 12 runs, 12 hits, 9 BB, 7 Ks.
- Team is 7-1 in one-run and extra-inning games.
- Stanford sits in first place in the Pac 12. ASU is 1/2 game back. Oregon is 2 games back. OSU is 2.5 games back.
Forward
- Stanford's remaining weekend series are @ASU (2nd in Pac 12), vs. UA (8th in Pac 12), @WSU (9th in Pac 12)
#2 ASU plays vs. Stanford, @USC (7th), vs. UCLA (6th)
- The best hitter for average in the Pac is Ryan Campos of ASU (0.413). He's coming back vs Stanford after about 3 weeks off due to an oblique injury.
The best hitter by slugging percentage in the Pac is Luke Keaschall of ASU (0.756).
ASU has the most runs/game and best slugging percentage (conference games only) in the Pac.
The pitching staff will be tested this weekend.
- ASU pitching has an ERA of 6.17 (conf. games only), 8th in the Pac.
- ASU easily leads the Pac in attendance - so should be a raucous, high scoring weekend. (Stanford just fell from 5th to 4th in attendance - apparently big crowds in Eugene last weekend for their series vs. ASU)
- Last year, Stanford's offense and HR production took off once May started. While this typically happens when the weather heats up, I certainly hope it happens as dramatically as last year.
It may help that Stanford's remaining conference opponents rank #8,9,10 in the conference in ERA.
--------------------------
Alberto Rios' emergence was mentioned above. It's been a great story.
Rios first two years at Stanford: 7 AB, 0 hits, 1 BB.
This year: 147 AB, 0.374 AVG; 1.125 OPS (leads team), 9 HR.
Last year Berrera and Graham emerged after getting little previous playing time. This year it has been Rios and Cobb. Next year?
I think this team would be much more solid if Tommy O'Rourke hadn't gone down. The juniors Dowd, Dixon and O'Rourke had been at similar levels - having another such arm this year would really have helped.