Will post any Big Ten or nationally-relevant questions here:
WestCoastBestCoast: Oregon's offense seems to be clicking again, but this bullpen is struggling to put games away. What's your outlook on the Ducks right now with huge weekends against UCLA and Oregon State coming up soon?
Aaron Fitt: Re: the bullpen struggling to put teams away -- there's a lot of that going around in college baseball. But you're right, that's something the Ducks need to get figured out. It was encouraging to see them bounce back from a three-game skid by pummeling Michigan in the first two games this weekend, and ultimately I still believe Oregon has an elite lineup. But Sunday pitching has been an issue in three of the last four weeks, so they'll need to figure that out.
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PowerMajor: What is the most amount of host sites that you think the west coast can get?
Kendall Rogers: Right now, the teams that would be in the mix, and SHOULD be in the mix include Oregon State, UC-Irvine, Cal Poly and UCLA. All four of those teams have a very conceivable path to hosting. I'd throw Arizona and potentially Arizona State into that mix, too. The Wildcats are in a very good spot RPI-wise right now.
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Tim: Seeing a lot of West Coast kids committing/playing for SEC schools, has this always been the case and I am just now noticing? Or is NIL grabbing the best of the West and bringing them out to the SEC for $, better atmospheres, better facilities, etc...?
Kendall Rogers: Tim -- it's definitely more prominent than it once was. I do think realignment will help the West Coast schools keep some of those kids at home, but the fact of the matter is outside of Oregon State, the atmospheres and facilities in conferences like the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are better. That is going to lead to more and more kids from out that direction heading East to play college baseball.
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Ryan: UCLA continues to win games, but their RPI is going to take a hit coming up with so many teams in the 100s and 200s on their schedule. Assuming they win and weak opponents cause them to drop anyway, how low in the RPI can they be and still be a top 8 seed? Top 16?
Kendall Rogers: The bad news is you're going to play crappy RPI teams. The great news is that UCLA only has a chance to lose one, maybe two series the rest of the way. If the Bruins only lose one series the entire year, it's 100% going to be a Top 16 seed, IMO. That Cal Poly series sweep looks very very good right now, too.
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Griffin: What are your thoughts on Iowa and the B1G race as a whole? Iowa's got a bad RPI but will finishing in the top 3-4 of the B1G be enough to get a bid?
Kendall Rogers: RPIs are an issue for the Big Ten right now, but I still believe the league will find a way to get 3-4 (likely four bids) by the end of the season. UCLA, Oregon and two more teams find their way in.
D1Baseball Weekly Chat: April 7 • D1Baseball
Another big weekend of college baseball action is in the books and our experts take your burning questions about the rankings and more.
d1baseball.com
WestCoastBestCoast: Oregon's offense seems to be clicking again, but this bullpen is struggling to put games away. What's your outlook on the Ducks right now with huge weekends against UCLA and Oregon State coming up soon?
Aaron Fitt: Re: the bullpen struggling to put teams away -- there's a lot of that going around in college baseball. But you're right, that's something the Ducks need to get figured out. It was encouraging to see them bounce back from a three-game skid by pummeling Michigan in the first two games this weekend, and ultimately I still believe Oregon has an elite lineup. But Sunday pitching has been an issue in three of the last four weeks, so they'll need to figure that out.
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PowerMajor: What is the most amount of host sites that you think the west coast can get?
Kendall Rogers: Right now, the teams that would be in the mix, and SHOULD be in the mix include Oregon State, UC-Irvine, Cal Poly and UCLA. All four of those teams have a very conceivable path to hosting. I'd throw Arizona and potentially Arizona State into that mix, too. The Wildcats are in a very good spot RPI-wise right now.
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Tim: Seeing a lot of West Coast kids committing/playing for SEC schools, has this always been the case and I am just now noticing? Or is NIL grabbing the best of the West and bringing them out to the SEC for $, better atmospheres, better facilities, etc...?
Kendall Rogers: Tim -- it's definitely more prominent than it once was. I do think realignment will help the West Coast schools keep some of those kids at home, but the fact of the matter is outside of Oregon State, the atmospheres and facilities in conferences like the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are better. That is going to lead to more and more kids from out that direction heading East to play college baseball.
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Ryan: UCLA continues to win games, but their RPI is going to take a hit coming up with so many teams in the 100s and 200s on their schedule. Assuming they win and weak opponents cause them to drop anyway, how low in the RPI can they be and still be a top 8 seed? Top 16?
Kendall Rogers: The bad news is you're going to play crappy RPI teams. The great news is that UCLA only has a chance to lose one, maybe two series the rest of the way. If the Bruins only lose one series the entire year, it's 100% going to be a Top 16 seed, IMO. That Cal Poly series sweep looks very very good right now, too.
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Griffin: What are your thoughts on Iowa and the B1G race as a whole? Iowa's got a bad RPI but will finishing in the top 3-4 of the B1G be enough to get a bid?
Kendall Rogers: RPIs are an issue for the Big Ten right now, but I still believe the league will find a way to get 3-4 (likely four bids) by the end of the season. UCLA, Oregon and two more teams find their way in.
