The Chase for 40 |
The Chase for 40
College baseball has changed in recent years and the number is not as significant as it once was, but 40 regular season wins is still a standard that the nation's elite teams strive for each season. Clemson is currently 27-13 with 16 games left. The Tigers are also 13-8 in the ACC which is tied for second in the Atlantic Division with Florida State. The Tigers and Seminoles trail NCSU who is 14-7 by one game. Can Clemson go 13-3 down the stretch and get to 40 wins? Mid-Week Games, Non-Conference Games Mid-week games are usually not as important as the conference tilts but this time of year they become ultra-important. Clemson has seven non-conference games left including four mid-week games. This week Clemson hosts Western Carolina. Next week the Tigers hosts Furman on Tuesday and travel to Furman on Wednesday. Clemson will hosts Georgia Southern for three non-conference games the following weekend and will end the home schedule with a mid-week game with South Carolina-Upstate. Western Carolina is perhaps the toughest of the non-conference opponents remaining on the schedule. The Catamounts are 26-16 overall and 15-6 in the Southern Conference. WCU is currently 87th in the RPI. Furman will see Clemson twice next week. The Paladins are 21-17 overall and 9-12 in the Southern Conference. Furman is currently 99th in the latest RPI. Georgia Southern will come to Clemson for a three-game set in a break from ACC action. The Eagles are 21-19 overall and 10-11 in the Southern Conference and are 110th in the latest RPI. USC-Upstate is currently 23-18 overall and 8-10 in conference and is 215th in the RPI. Conference Games Clemson has three ACC series remaining on the schedule. Clemson will face Georgia Tech in a key three game series in Clemson this weekend. The Yellow Jackets are 27-13 overall and 11-10 in the conference. Tech is coming off a series where they got swept by NC State. Georgia Tech is currently 22nd in the latest RPI. Next weekend Maryland comes to Clemson for a three-game set and this series presents a chance for Clemson to get a sweep. The Terrapins are 21-20 overall and 6-15 in the league. Maryland is ranked 48th in the RPI. Clemson ends its regular season with a three game series at Florida State. The Seminoles are 31-9 overall and 13-8 in the league. FSU is seventh in today's RPI. The Division Race Currently Clemson and Florida State trail NC State by one game with each team having three conference series remaining. As mentioned above Clemson will host Georgia Tech and Maryland. Clemson does have to travel to Tallahassee for a series with FSU. Florida State will host Wake Forest this weekend. They have to travel to Raleigh to face NC State and wrap the season up with a home series with Clemson. NC State has the one game lead but has a difficult test in facing top-ranked North Carolina this weekend. The Wolfpack also host FSU and visit Duke. RPI If the selection committee values the RPI rating then Clemson is in good shape to host. The Tigers are currently 13th in the RPI and have played the nation's 11th most difficult schedule. Regionals Clemson looks in solid shape to host one of the 16 regionals based upon RPI but some factors may hurt the Tigers. Geography may hurt. The NCAA usually puts a heavy emphasis on the southern schools as sites but even that number can be limited. At this point Clemson is sixth among ACC schools in RPI. North Carolina is number one in RPI and took two of three from the Tigers. Therefore it is pretty obvious they would get a regional over Clemson. Virginia is third in the RPI and they took two of three from Clemson in Tigertown. It is safe to assume they are ahead of Clemson in the pecking order for hosting. Florida State is seventh in the RPI and hosts Clemson in May. At this point they have a stronger resume. NC State lost two of three to Clemson in Raleigh earlier this season but the Wolfpack now have taken over the lead in the Atlantic Division. State is eighth in the RPI and they look to have a strong case to host. Miami is one ahead of Clemson in the RPI and the Canes just beat the Tigers twice, so they will present a strong bid. Can the ACC get six of the 16 sites? In the SEC, LSU is currently second in the RPI and usually host. Vanderbilt is fourth and have a great case to host as well. Mississippi State is 10th in the RPI and South Carolina is 11th. The SEC looks to have four solid candidates to host regionals. The good news that national powers like Texas, Southern Cal, Stanford and Oklahoma State are having down seasons. In summary, Clemson has a chance to continue to ascend in the RPI and get to 40 wins. The Tigers still a lot of important games coming up. They will be in competition with Georgia Tech for a regional, so this weekend's games are big. All of the mid-week games are big because of the 40 win goal. The FSU series will be big in terms of RPI and standings in the division. The Tigers have improved in the second half of the season and have now set themselves up for a shot at bigger goals in the last 16 games of the regular season. Prayer List We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines: If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it. If you would like to add someone to the list please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com *Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list. Those who need our prayers include: Finn Brookover, Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Jim Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jake David family, Angie Crowley, Ira, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson, William Ross, Meredith Legg, Scott Johns, Frank Carroll, Brandon Thompson, Alvin Sammons, Georgine McAlhaney, Glen Davis, Mike Price, Clay Childers, Aaron Knight, Danielle Johnston and family, Nicholas Abrams, Lana Kuykendall, Gary, Gary G., William Huggins, Jim Bennett, Chantz Fowler, Ethel McElveen, Michele Gurganus, William Gentry, Lewis Usher and Tanya Sanders, Shon Cooper, Nick Collins, Travis Patterson, Amanda Peake, Danny Hammond, Chip Turner, Nick Collins, Allen Steen, The Sturkey Family, the Lance family, Marcus Lattimore, Nick Chrisley's family, Allison Williams, Lt. Kyle Walker, Summer and Joel Johnson, Nicole O'Donnell, James O. Johnson, Joy Pruett and family, Patrick Heher, Bill Schmidt, Jack Bailey, Bill Early, Gardner Family, Charles Turner, Kathy Bartholomew, Ray Sanders, David and Robin Blocker, J.R. Ray, Kenneth Kowe, Lauren Sielicki, Doug Bailey and family, Johnnie Walker, Jenna Phipps, Mark Lawrence, Harlan Sullins, Peter Laboy, Kat and Carlisle Jones, Elizabeth Galloway and family, Anita McDonald, Willard Harryman, Liz Surratt, Molly Senn, Jackie Shearer, Richard Sellers, our great country and the men and women in uniform that protect and serve it every day plus their families. The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency
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