[MiniBlueHawkCard]

This team simply will not go silently into the night. In 5 elimination games Stanford has had a Starter reach the 3rd inning twice and the 4th inning just once. In 4 of those 5 games Stanford was trailing at some point in the game. It is hard to imagine a scenario where this particular team could survive a combination of losses and rough starts but they have done exactly that. The starting pitching (or lack there of) put the pressure on everyone else to carry the load. 6 total outs from the starters in a 3 game regional must be a record. I have been as critical as anyone of pitchers not named Williams or Mathews. Hats off to everyone coming out of the pen and finding ways to get outs. So far Stanford has avoided the "disaster scenario" in terms of pitching, which I see as using Mathews in a close game that ends up being a loss (I might need to redefine that situation, 3 runs and no outs to start the game seems pretty disastrous). The lineup sure gives us a reason to hope, no matter how dim things may look!

Regardless of what happens in Omaha this team has been a heck of a squad to watch and follow. Getting to Omaha is such a challenge, look at the other national seeds. Just like when the bullpen was struggling, it was not for a lack of talent. The starting rotation has plenty of talent as well (and should be reasonably well rested after some short outings). Here's to hoping we see what this team can do with a few quality starts!

[MiniBlueHawkCard]

This team simply will not go silently into the night. In 5 elimination games Stanford has had a Starter reach the 3rd inning twice and the 4th inning just once. In 4 of those 5 games Stanford was trailing at some point in the game. It is hard to imagine a scenario where this particular team could survive a combination of losses and rough starts but they have done exactly that. The starting pitching (or lack there of) put the pressure on everyone else to carry the load. 6 total outs from the starters in a 3 game regional must be a record. I have been as critical as anyone of pitchers not named Williams or Mathews. Hats off to everyone coming out of the pen and finding ways to get outs. So far Stanford has avoided the "disaster scenario" in terms of pitching, which I see as using Mathews in a close game that ends up being a loss (I might need to redefine that situation, 3 runs and no outs to start the game seems pretty disastrous). The lineup sure gives us a reason to hope, no matter how dim things may look!

Regardless of what happens in Omaha this team has been a heck of a squad to watch and follow. Getting to Omaha is such a challenge, look at the other national seeds. Just like when the bullpen was struggling, it was not for a lack of talent. The starting rotation has plenty of talent as well (and should be reasonably well rested after some short outings). Here's to hoping we see what this team can do with a few quality starts!