Plaino........TexasA&M

[bullmarket]

You have mentioned the reasons Teams are highly rated in the RPI and you mentioned multiple wins over the top ranked teams

Here is A&M's 2017 schedule (see below) including A&M AVOIDING PLAYING all the top SEC teams like Florida and Auburn and several others Texas A&M did beat Florida State.
Please list other highly rated teams they have played and beaten and please explain all of the RPI love A&M has.

I noticed a high administrator associated with Texas A&M was in charge of the Softball rules committee last season.....It makes one say........Hmmmmm??????

8. Texas A&M:
----A&M 2 Lamar 1
----A&M 8 Central Michigan 5
----A&M 9 Ohio State 1
----A&M 3 Lamar 2
----A&M 2 Sam Houston State 0
----A&M 8 Stephen F Austin 0
----A&M 5 Missouri State 0
----A&M 10 New Mexico 1 (5)
----A&M 8 Missouri State 2
----A&M 8 Stephen F Austin 7
----A&M 5 Long Beach State 0
----A&M 2 Florida State 0
----A&M 2 Arizona State 1 (9)
----A&M 11 BYU 1
----A&M 3 Michigan 0
----A&M 0 Houston 1 LOSS
----A&M 12 Tex--San Antonio 0 (5)
----A&M 7 Georgetown 1
----A&M Prairie View A&M cancelled
----A&M 8 Georgetown 0 (5)
----A&M 8 Tex--San Antonio 0 (6)
----A&M Sam Houston State
----A&M 2 Mississippi State 5 LOSS
----A&M 5 Mississippi State 1
----A&M 3 Mississippi State 1
----A&M 15 Memphis State 1 (5)
----A&M 4 Mississippi 2
----A&M 8 Mississippi 0 (5)
----A&M 3 Mississippi 1
----A&M 15 Prairie View A&M 0 (5)
----A&M 8 Missouri 0 (5)
----A&M 1 Missouri 5 LOSS
----A&M 7 Missouri 3
----A&M 5 Texas State 1
----A&M 5 South Carolina 2
----A&M 16 South Carolina 0 (5)
----A&M 10 McNeese 3
----A&M 9 Oklahoma State 2
----A&M 9 Oklahoma State 1 (5)
----A&M 7 Oklahoma State 0
----A&M 3 Arkansas 0
----A&M 3 Arkansas 2
----A&M 3 Arkansas 4 LOSS
----A&M 9 Louisiana-Lafayette 11 LOSS
----A&M 10 Georgia 3
----A&M 1 Georgia 0
----A&M 2 Georgia 0
----A&M 4 Kentucky 2
----A&M 2 Kentucky 7 LOSS
----A&M 4 Kentucky 7 LOSS
----A&M 5 Tennessee 1
----A&M Tennessee
----A&M Tennessee

 

[Plainosooner]

Bull, not my job.

 

[bullmarket]

Bull, not my job.

I know its not my friend.

But all season you have stressed multiple times the major importance
of the RPI rankings over the softball polls on the seedings and you told us what the RPI committee looks for in a team and their records.

From my viewpoint Texas A&M is truly lacking in the RPI parameters which you pointed out to us for what the RPI does to determine their top 10 ranking.

I thought you might reply that you also don't understand A&M's high RPI ranking or you would explain why A&M deserves a high RPI ranking.

Thank you again my friend for your expertise.
We appreciate it.

 

[Plainosooner]

A&M is getting some credit for beating Florida State, when before this weekend, they only had like three. Oregon smoked them in game one and came from behind to beat them 3-1 in game two. They're in extra innings in game three in Eugene. FSU has 2nd and 3rd and no outs in T8 in a 1-1 game.

I think everybody is beatable. But it's a whole lot easier, in a game at home when both teams are pretty good. It's just the way it is, that the home teams in the playoffs get strike zone breaks. You have to overcome to win.

We can parse through everybody's schedule and find weaknesses. I agree that A&M doesn't deserve to be a high seed, but until a couple of weeks ago, they were an SEC team with three losses. That's changed. And you're right, they've somehow avoided the toughest SEC teams in a three game series.

I'm not defending RPI. I think the formula is flawed. But it IS what the committee uses, like it or not.

//////////////////

FSU didn't score

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Ducks win 2-1 in 9 to sweep the Seminoles.

 

[bullmarket]

A&M is getting some credit for beating Florida State, when before this weekend, they only had like three. Oregon smoked them in game one and came from behind to beat them 3-1 in game two. They're in extra innings in game three in Eugene. FSU has 2nd and 3rd and no outs in T8 in a 1-1 game.

I think everybody is beatable. But it's a whole lot easier, in a game at home when both teams are pretty good. It's just the way it is, that the home teams in the playoffs get strike zone breaks. You have to overcome to win.

We can parse through everybody's schedule and find weaknesses. I agree that A&M doesn't deserve to be a high seed, but until a couple of weeks ago, they were an SEC team with three losses. That's changed. And you're right, they've somehow avoided the toughest SEC teams in a three game series.

I'm not defending RPI. I think the formula is flawed. But it IS what the committee uses, like it or not.

//////////////////


FSU didn't score

Thanks Plaino. Its much appreciated by all of us.

 

[sybarite43]

One of the reasons that I posted the scores of the top 16 rpi teams is that they have NOT played the schedules that would build an rpi. Somehow, all of their rpi strength is coming from within the conference.

How do you get a high conference rating when your power teams lose home games to Maryland, Houston, and Penn State? OU lost to legitimate teams. A loss to Maryland, Houston, or Penn State on your own home field should count as three or four losses against a top ten team.

Then, show me who FSU, Oregon, A&M, and Florida played in preseason. Where did they play?

 

[Plainosooner]

One of the reasons that I posted the scores of the top 16 rpi teams is that they have NOT played the schedules that would build an rpi. Somehow, all of their rpi strength is coming from within the conference.

How do you get a high conference rating when your power teams lose home games to Maryland, Houston, and Penn State? OU lost to legitimate teams. A loss to Maryland, Houston, or Penn State on your own home field should count as three or four losses against a top ten team.

Then, show me who FSU, Oregon, A&M, and Florida played in preseason. Where did they play?

That's not true. Washington and Auburn beat OU. So did Arizona. OU had one top win over UCLA. But Arizona has wins over several top ten teams. And those schedules show that.

Florida State really hasn't beaten anybody. Except they killed Notre Dame three times. OU lost to ND.

OU still hasn't done anything against quality pitching backed by good defense. Not against anybody. OU has quality pitching and quality defense. But they're not as athletic as other top teams. Most of the teams have three people on the out field that can chase it with speed. OU has two at the most right now. In game three against OU, at the start, they had the slowest outfield that any top 15 team in the country would put out there. Hatfield and Aviu as corner outfields. OU's infield defense is really really good. But Romero isn't playing as good a defense as she did last season, and neither is Wodach. Makes a difference. And little differences are huge differences when they happen at the wrong time.

I will be really surprised if OU's shift doesn't get burnt in the tournament.

 

[sybarite43]

What's not true? I asked about specific teams and how they got high ratings with their schedules.

Given their pre-conference schedules----including HOME losses to some rather weak teams, can you explain how Florida, Texas A&M, and LSU were highly-rated? Given their pre-conference schedule, is there any reason to rate Oregon as high as #2 ten games into the season? What did some of these teams do to earn their high rating at the beginning of the season?

The SEC conference champion lost to the last-place team in the Big Ten, essentially at home. How can you overlook that in a pre-conference schedule? They got credit for beating a highly-overrated Michigan team at the outset of the year. Michigan has improved since the start of the year---or their conference finish would suggest.

 

[Plainosooner]

What's not true? I asked about specific teams and how they got high ratings with their schedules.

Given their pre-conference schedules----including HOME losses to some rather weak teams, can you explain how Florida, Texas A&M, and LSU were highly-rated? Given their pre-conference schedule, is there any reason to rate Oregon as high as #2 ten games into the season? What did some of these teams do to earn their high rating at the beginning of the season?

The SEC conference champion lost to the last-place team in the Big Ten, essentially at home. How can you overlook that in a pre-conference schedule? They got credit for beating a highly-overrated Michigan team at the outset of the year. Michigan has improved since the start of the year---or their conference finish would suggest.

And OU lost twice to a team that is very likely to not make the tournament. Cal Poly is 27-23 for the year, and 10-11 in the Big West Conference. They're pretty good when their stud pitcher is in the circle, but not when she isn't.

Oregon won their first 35 games, which included wins over a couple of SEC teams with RPI around 30. three over Arizona State, three over Cal and two over Utah. One was rained out. There are four teams including Oregon, at the top of the Pac 12 who are pretty good. The others are UCLA, Washington and Arizona. They are 3-6 against those teams, but in RPI, you get more credit for those three wins, than OU does for going 3-0 against Kansas or Iowa State. And of course Oregon just swept Florida State, with a little home cookin' involved. All that did was help the RPI of the other three.

A&M swept OSU but a huge combined score in three games. Everybody has some warts. We have fewer credits.

 

[sybarite43]

I'm not talking about OU's rpi. I'm not talking about Oregon's first thirty -five games or who they beat in conference. I am making a point about how teams like Florida, Oregon, and A&M were somehow rated in the top five in the rpi after playing about ten to twelve games at home against nobody. If you play nobody at home, how do you get rated that highly in the first place?

 

[Plainosooner]

You're asking me to defend a formula that I don't agree with. I don't have access to seeing the RPI after ten games. Didn't even know that they included one. They have to have some starting point. I don't know what it is.

I'm not defending RPI. I'm just saying that it IS what is most valued by the committee making the brackets.. It's a fact. I do think that the notion of RPI is solid. I just don't like the particulars. But I can absolutely, if I play neutral, rather than Sooner fan, make a very good case for eight teams being seeded higher than OU.

I knew from seeing our schedule, that when we lost seven games early, to whom and how we lost them, that it wouldn't serve us well at this point in the season. And that has been the case. And Oregon certainly seems to be worthy of a top eight seed after this weekend.

 

[sybarite43]

I don't know about OU is a top eight or not. I think OU is one of the top five right now at this moment. Didn't start out that way.

Frankly, I don't see any team as #1, and I can make a case to exclude a lot from the top eight based simply on where they played and who they lost to. I take losing to Maryland a lot more seriously than I do losing to a Cal Poly or Arizona, especially since they lost to Maryland in Florida. Houston beat A&M in College Station. At least, our losses were on the road, except for to #10 Baylor.

Something about the rpi is not cricket. It's like the SEC has figured out a way to game it.

 

[bullmarket]

Plainosooner, post: 1742350, member: 1732"].

Plaino says:" OU still hasn't done anything against quality pitching backed by good defense. Not against anybody."

I reply... What about OU stomping a top rated UCLA 10-1. OU RUN RULED THEM!! THEY HAVE QUALITY PITCHING BACKED BY GOOD DEFENSE. UCLA SHUT OUT ARIZONA TWICE THIS WEEKEND


Plaino says:" But OU they're not as athletic as other top teams. Most of the teams have three people on the out field that can chase it with speed. OU has two at the most right now. In game three against OU, at the start, they had the slowest outfield that any top 15 team in the country would put out there."

I reply to you saying OU is " not as athletic as other top teams" is subjective AND I DIFFER 100%
WE HAVE VERY ATHLETIC TEAM. What about that spectacular play Shay Knighten made
vs.Baylor. One of the quick Baylor players laid down a bunt right in front of the plate Knight from 1st base raced to field the ball with her bare hand turned 180 degrees and fired the ball to Clifton for a bang bang out. It was perhaps the most athletic play I have ever seen in college softball
ALso OU has 98 stolen bases this season which is pretty damn athletic.

Plaino says OU had the slowest outfield that any top 15 team in the country would put out there"

I reply This is also subjective not proven and I DIFFER 1000%

Why the negativity my friend on something SO SUBJECTIVE THAT IT CANNOT BE PROVEN TO BE A FACT OR NOT A FACT..

.Plaino says...But Romero isn't playing as good a defense as she did last season, and neither is Wodach. Makes a difference. And little differences are huge differences when they happen at the wrong time.

I say I again differ 100% Romero is playing great D and maybe you forgot Plaino in the OU-Baylor series Wodach threw out TWICE catcher to second base. two of the quickest players in the nation,

Plaino says I will be really surprised if OU's shift doesn't get burnt in the tournament.

I say it has not happened ALL SEASON when Paige Lowery is pitching

Oklabama in another thread mentioned your negativity about OU's softball team. I say you of course can say your opinion as can Oklabama myself and Syberite also.

 

[Plainosooner]

UCLA's pitching ain't so great. They do outscore you pretty well. OU shut them down. But we're going to face teams that have faced 70 mph this season. And when they get it to left, a big price will be paid.

We took the shift off against Baylor's clean up hitter. I suspect we'll see more of that in the tournament.

 

[bullmarket]

UCLA's pitching ain't so great. They do outscore you pretty well. OU shut them down. But we're going to face teams that have faced 70 mph this season. And when they get it to left, a big price will be paid.

We took the shift off against Baylor's clean up hitter. I suspect we'll see more of that in the tournament.

They shut out a powerful hitting Arizona team in two straight games this weekend including their stud who has hit 90 HRs
UCLA had very impressive pitching

Also Plaino would you say a team who has stolen 98 bases this season is damn athletic?.

 

[Plainosooner]

They shut out a powerful hitting Arizona team in two straight games this weekend including their stud who has hit 90 HRs
UCLA had very impressive pitching

Also Plaino would you say a team who has stolen 98 bases this season is damn athletic?.

Depends on whom they are stealing them against. Against Kansas and Directional Illinois, not really. I think we have one base runner who might be a base stealer against the ten best defenses in the country, which if we aspire to be a repeat national champion, are the only ones that really matter.

Arizona is in the tournament as a top three seed. They needed one win to clinch the Pac 12 with a week left. They did. UCLA's pitching has been erratic. Their defense even more. At home, they gave Zona a hard time, who won the necessary of one of three.

 

[bullmarket]

["Plainosooner, post: 1742956, member: 1732"]Depends on whom they are stealing them against. Against Kansas and Directional Illinois, not really. I think we have one base runner who might be a base stealer against the ten best defenses in the country, which if we aspire to be a repeat national champion, are the only ones that really matter.


Lets see we never played Illinois& KU only 3 times yet we have 98 bases stolen and WE HAVE SEVERAL WHO ARE GREAT BASE STEALERS and you say one. What about Mendes, Arnold, Clifton Knighten & Rogers pinch running. Thats FIVE Plaino not one.
Even Pendley has shown great speed..on the base path Thats SIX.

Whats going on with you roday?

 

[sybarite43]

I'll side with Plaino a bit on this one. We have one real speed-burner---Mendes. Clifton is our next best in speed and base-running ability. Arnold and Pendley are not really base-stealing threats against a decent catcher. Knighten has to be pinch-run for. I don't remember from last year how good her speed was. It is good, but not pinch-runner quality.

Mendes is the only one who makes her ability a real threat. She can beat out the slow ground ball or bunt. Others---sometimes.

 

[bullmarket]

sybarite43, post: 1742976, member: 29684"]I'll side with Plaino a bit on this one. We have one real speed-burner---Mendes. Clifton is our next best in speed and base-running ability. Arnold and Pendley are not really base-stealing threats against a decent catcher. Knighten has to be pinch-run for. I don't remember from last year how good her speed was. It is good, but not pinch-runner quality.

Mendes is the only one who makes her ability a real threat. She can beat out the slow ground ball or bunt. Others---sometimes.

Clifton is almost 100% successful after getting on 1st many times. Our Pinch runner Rogers is very successful stealing. Mendes is great stealing

Pendey has her share as does Arnold

98 stolen bases by the entire team is not chopped liver!

 

[Plainosooner]

Bull, I'm not going to go back and count who OUr SB's are against. But they've quit stealing Clifton much, because she was getting thrown out too much.

OU spends a lot of time, offensively and defensively on first and third situations. We get a lot of stolen bases on first and third, steals when the defense won't throw down.

To me, we seem to lead the country in singles hit, and in stranding runners and third, especially in bases loaded situations.

I'm glad to see Knighten's bat coming around. I'll feel better when it comes once or twice against the kind of pitching that means the most, as happened so wonderfully a year ago. We'll need
her back to be as clutch against great teams in the post season.

I don't think it's insulting to call our team a little less talented. What I see from OU is a team that on most nights, is excellent at the small details of the game. That, and Paige 1's greatness last post season is why Patty Gasso now has three NC rings. It will serve OU well in the post season, if they get that back to all cylinders. I've seen great plays defensively from Mendes and especially Pendley in the outfield. And the fundamentals of OU's infield defensively is as good as there is in the country. The whole pitching staff is better because of that. And OU will be hard to beat in the post season because of pitching and defense.

But we need to be able to generate some offense against against the best teams we face in the post season.

I've used the old Bill Mazeroski quote several times here. When Steve Blass was a rookie, and facing Sandy Koufax, Maz told him, "go shut em out kid, and we'll play for a tie." OUr offense needs to be better than this against good teams. We can't survive a post season of requiring OUr staff to shut out everybody.

 

[bullmarket]

Bull, I'm not going to go back and count who OUr SB's are against. But they've quit stealing Clifton much, because she was getting thrown out too much.

OU spends a lot of time, offensively and defensively on first and third situations. We get a lot of stolen bases on first and third, steals when the defense won't throw down.

To me, we seem to lead the country in singles hit, and in stranding runners and third, especially in bases loaded situations.

I'm glad to see Knighten's bat coming around. I'll feel better when it comes once or twice against the kind of pitching that means the most, as happened so wonderfully a year ago. We'll need
her back to be as clutch against great teams in the post season.

I don't think it's insulting to call our team a little less talented. What I see from OU is a team that on most nights, is excellent at the small details of the game. That, and Paige 1's greatness last post season is why Patty Gasso now has three NC rings. It will serve OU well in the post season, if they get that back to all cylinders. I've seen great plays defensively from Mendes and especially Pendley in the outfield. And the fundamentals of OU's infield defensively is as good as there is in the country. The whole pitching staff is better because of that. And OU will be hard to beat in the post season because of pitching and defense.

But we need to be able to generate some offense against against the best teams we face in the post season.

I've used the old Bill Mazeroski quote several times here. When Steve Blass was a rookie, and facing Sandy Koufax, Maz told him, "go shut em out kid, and we'll play for a tie." OUr offense needs to be better than this against good teams. We can't survive a post season of requiring OUr staff to shut out everybody.

Clifton has an ability to get on base many ways She has a great eye and walks a lot.

The coaches cut back on her stealing bases for only ONE REASON.

GASSO WANTS HER TO STAY ON BASE AS THE BATTER FOLLOWING HER IS SHEA KNIGHTEN WHO IS RED HOT WITH HRS AND RBIS

THOSE KNIGHTEN HRS WITH RUNNERS ON LEAD TO OU WINS AS DO HER SINGLES AND DOUBLES.

 

[RightFieldHomie]

And OU lost twice to a team that is very likely to not make the tournament. Cal Poly is 27-23 for the year, and 10-11 in the Big West Conference. They're pretty good when their stud pitcher is in the circle, but not when she isn't.

Oregon won their first 35 games, which included wins over a couple of SEC teams with RPI around 30. three over Arizona State, three over Cal and two over Utah. One was rained out. There are four teams including Oregon, at the top of the Pac 12 who are pretty good. The others are UCLA, Washington and Arizona. They are 3-6 against those teams, but in RPI, you get more credit for those three wins, than OU does for going 3-0 against Kansas or Iowa State. And of course Oregon just swept Florida State, with a little home cookin' involved. All that did was help the RPI of the other three.

A&M swept OSU but a huge combined score in three games. Everybody has some warts. We have fewer credits.

Cal poly and nd losses hurt us more than anything and we are also playing in a weak big 12 conference.