Hard to watch that loss that you could just feel coming. Nice game for Tully to end his career.
ND ended up #5 in hitting in the ACC.
It ended up #4 in fielding.
With even mediocre pitching, ND might be looking at a 35 win, regional bid type season.
But, alas no. ND pitching ranks #13 (next to last) in the ACC.
Many of ND's losses are late inning, bullpen blowing leads type losses.
Mik Aoki has to go.
The Irish were #10 in runs scored, #8 in HR, #11 in BB, #8 in SLG, #8 in OBP, and #8 in OPS. In other words, bottom half of the league in every important offensive measure.
On the plus side, the team didn't strike out much (#2 in the league in terms of fewest strikeouts). What that tells me is that Aoki hasn't adapted his style to account for what analytics has taught us and is coaching an outdated version of the game.
By contrast, Florida State's offense is much more "modern". The team strikes out a lot (nearly 8 times per game), and its batting average may not be that impressive (.268 for the season), but it also hits a lot of home runs (#4 in the league with 66, vs. just 44 for ND), takes a ton of walks (#1 in the league), and, as a result, generates a ton of runs (#1 in the league). NC State and Clemson take similar approaches and are winning a lot of games as a result.
As for pitching, yep, we flat out stink. We walk too many guys (most walks issued in the league), don't strike anybody out (worst in the league in this metric), and give up way too many runs (5.51 ERA is a complete joke...#225 out of 297 Division 1 programs).
We need a new coach and a new approach.
lose it. I was just praying that Tully could perplex them with his slow ball for 9 innings but it was too much to ask.
Aoki has to be gone after today. A rotting corpse could coach this team better than this bc retread.
If we'd beaten Clemson, and Clemson were to beat Miami, then all three teams would be 1-1, and Clemson would advance to the semifinals as the higher seed. ND was eliminated from postseason contention by losing to Miami.
As for it being Aoki's final game as head coach, we can only hope, but with Swarbrick in charge, the bet remains decidedly unsafe.
He shall return.