Home Baseball Baseball: OSU @ UCLA (Game 2)

Baseball: OSU @ UCLA (Game 2)

145

Since the game 1 thread has 150 comments, this will be the placeholder for game 2 comments.

I don't have much to say. Last night's game was another great comeback. It's become the norm. The Beavs are never out of any game.

Today's game is fascinating. Josh Osich is a thrower who believes he's a (power) pitcher. To me, he is KRhod, light edition. Now he's going up against, arguably, the best true power pitcher in America. Even though UCLA pitches Cole on Fridays, Bauer is their ace. That's just bad coaching, but it's a UCLA issue so I won't expound; hopefully for their sake they have a guy blogging about that decision.

The one positive for Osich: the Bruins can't hit. That should allow him to keep the charade going for another week, so long as he throws strikes. The only way I'm super gluing orange-colored glasses to the bridge of my nose and offering an apology is if Osich gives up fewer than 2 runs, has a sub 1 WHIP, and goes the distance. Given UCLA's porous bats, that's my expectation from Saturday's starter. Yes they are high, but the goal is now a National Title, folks, so raise your expectations accordingly.

As Guns N' Roses once crooned, "Sometimes I feel like I'm beating a dead horse!"

145 COMMENTS

  1. Oh, and is anyone else nervous about how hittable Sam Gaviglio has become in conference play? In back to back starts he’s given up 5 runs to WSU and UCLA, two teams not known for their hitting.

    • I’ve had the same thoughts. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he has just had two off starts in a row, and not think that his first 8 starts were flukes.

      • I was blown away when I saw that Gabe Miller was drafted in the 5th. I thought that he would be undrafted. A little shocked that Quizz wasn’t drafted yet but I also think he will struggle in the league, he doesn’t really fit. Doesn’t have break away speed to finish runs and teams will be hesitant to let a 5’6″ guy run between the tackles.

        • That’s baloney. Emmitt Smith was slower and less elusive than Quizz with only three inches and ten pounds on him.

          And Atlanta moves up to take him before Mike Shanahan could jump on him.

          • No. But I think the whole size thing is stupid. They they do it for durability, but typically the bigger the back, the more they’re on the DL. Steven Jackson is probably the most durable big back I’ve ever seen, and look how many full seasons he’s played.

            And who knows? Quizz might have it in him to be better than the fourth best RB in the history of the NFL. All it takes is the right system. Emmitt would have bombed out if he would have gone to some scrub team without an o-line or a QB. The Cowboys were bad for a couple years, but they were committed to putting some big time players on the field with each other. Some franchises can’t say the same.

            I think Atlanta can say so. Since they lost loser boy to Sooey-ville they’ve been outstanding in their front office. And I think they will grade out as an A or A+ in this draft as well.

          • I am not advocating that size hurts him but other teams will definitely consider that. I think his biggest flaw is that teams will try to use him as a scat back when he is a “between-the-tackles” power runner. He is not a third down specialist and certainly is not a punt returner, borderline as a kick returner. He just doesn’t have the top end speed, he is shifty but not a guy who can break away.

            I also don’t see him grabbing the NFL rushing record or even being close. While you are correct about Smith, his talent is not what Emmitt had. And the same could be said about almost any player in the NFL (bombing without surrounding talent). Football is a team game, players simply don’t produce on their own no matter how talented they are. I don’t believe S Jax has more than 10 TD’s in any season in the last 3 or 4 seasons (maybe his career). He only had two rushing TD’s 2 years ago.

          • Jackson’s numbers are a product of a poor o-line and a lack of any QB play over his tenure at StL. He still produced great numbers even if his team never got him to the goal line with any frequency in the last couple years.

            Quizz has the same talents Smith had. His feet and his balance are actually better IMO. Quizz is also a better receiver, and his ball security is/will be legendary. So saying he has no chance to rack up good to great numbers is selling him short (no pun intended). He is a between the tackles runner whose break through a hole puts him in the secondary in a hurry. He’s faster than Emmitt was, and Emmitt seemed to break off some long runs easily enough with the same hole-hitting suddenness. And unlike Emmitt, Quizz can bounce it out in a hurry. If he couldn’t, he just doesn’t get the numbers he did as a Beav.

            Also, Quizz has an uncanny nose for the end zone. The one knock I can put on him is his shake on the second level. He has a tendency to try to take on the backers rather than avoid them once he’s through the line. But I think that was more a product of Pac 10 defenses knowing what was coming too often. It’s just a matter of the system and their expectations for Quizz.

            When all is said and done, I expect him to have more of a Joe Morris career. But I don’t think a greater career is out of the question.

          • I guess this is just a place where we disagree. I love Quizz, unfortunately, I don’t think he will get given the opportunities and to compare a rookie to a proven Hall of Famer is a bit of a leap. I do believe that Quizz has some great talents but unfortunately he just doesn’t get it done that often in the third level (sometimes the second). Without question, he is one of the best players to wear a Beaver uniform but the NFL is a whole new level. The question is, will he get the shot and if he does, will be truly special? I think to be a special RB in the NFL you have to be able to break off long runs and finish them. That is something that Quizz is sorely missing.

    • Surprising but Miller had a pretty good pro day numbers wise. 4.6 40-yd and 33 reps on the bench. The NFL loves them some measurables.

      Quizz to Atlanta.

  2. Quizz just went to Atlanta 145th overall or 14th pick in the 5th round!

    Good outing for OSU. Now we just Alex Linnenkohl to get drafted and all the beavers players eligible/declared for the draft will have been drafted.

  3. I like the Atlanta destination. Quizz will be a good change of pace back there. I am glad he didn’t go to a team that needed a full time starter. I don’t get what KC sees in Miller but good for him.

      • I mean maybe…. clearly the athleticism and size is there. I think he was a 4-star out of high school but he just doesn’t strike me as a great football player. Doesn’t take the best pursuit lines. Always ends up behind the play. I could see picking up Miller in free agency but 5th round seems high.

          • I believe he was first a TE. Maybe I am a little biased against Gabe Miller because I felt like he should have been a terrorizor like Butler and Norris where. He really didn’t get involved in enough plays for my liking and far to often he was pushed to the outside when he was pass rushing.

  4. Spring Game on 860AM right now through 1:30-1:45 when it switches to baseball. I don’t know why the Oregonian paper didn’t list it since there is over 2 hours of coverage of the Spring Game before baseball.

  5. I know this is a sports forum (one that I enjoy very much) but Jack Beav please don’t criticize the police on the Lathen Wallace incident unless you were there and saw what happened. Just to assume that the police “screwed the pooch” based on an article is short sighted and irresponsible. I have read many of your comments on this site and you sound much smarter and well thought of than that comment that you made, you are better than that.

    • Hearing what the family has said, I think I’m justified in saying the police didn’t do anyone any justice. But maybe screwing the pooch is a little harsh. My point is that they are ill-equipped to handle an issue involving mental incapacity. And arresting someone in that state of mind rather than committing him or her to the correct facility with the correct personnel available for treatment is not in the interest of the public at large, let alone the individual or his/her family.

      But I can’t really blame the police for showing up and trying to do their job. I’m just questioning their judgement after the fact. Many arrests are made where drugs or alcohol incapacitate the subject mentally, and those arrests probably mirror this one in their minds. But follow-up needed to be done immediately with the family. Questions about why he was in that state needed to be asked and answered, and the result should have been commitment to medical care rather than sticking him in the can.

      • Standard protocol for EMS would be to have Police enter an “unsafe” scene before they treat but the officers should expect to be bitten or hit, a felony charge is excessive. Medical staff are hit or bitten on a regular basis, its what happens when people are in an altered state of mind. Police sometimes only serve to escalate a bad situation.

        • And that was my point. But a good counter-argument would be that maybe the police are just doing what they can with the tools they’re given. The US is not really known for being a compassionate society when it comes to mental illness. If the proper personnel are not available to tend to someone who is displaying such traits, the police are the last line for protecting the public and/or the individual from him or herself.

          Maybe we are just asking the police to put screws in with a hammer. This result should have been expected if this is the case.

          • We’re just a reactive society. When it comes to mental illness, you aren’t ill unless you’re out there killing people. Instead of seeing the warning signs and doing something beforehand, we blow it off and wait until the person commits a crime, kills themselves, etc. Then people reluctantly admit, “oh, I guess there was a problem…BUT HE SEEMED SO NICE!”

            You can’t fault people for missing these things, though. We live in a fast-paced society and a “me first” society, so to observe others is low on most lists.

            Disclosure: I read nothing about Lathan Wallace’s arrest or the argument you guys are having, so I have no idea if this comment is even relevant. Just wanted to add input on the social factors.

          • Very true and relevant comment. Mostly about how police handle the mentally ill though. Article in the Groanian this past week about how officer shootings have increased this year, they postulate was that it was related to mentally ill individuals. I bet this kind of information makes police overly hostile towards the potentially mentally ill. Unfortunately, jail/prison won’t “teach them”, it may not even register to them as a logical outcome for their action, like you would expect it to for the “normal” individuals of society.

    • I’m gonna ask you, would having a BA in anything and then getting into Law Enforcement help in getting promotions faster? I was a search and rescue explorer for my county i live in when i was in high school and I feel I’d make a great police officer. Any advice for a 23(24 on May 26) year old guy looking at finishing his degree?

  6. Just get a degree. Business, criminology whatever you enjoy or are good at. There are a lot of police officers that have degree’s in fields other than law enforcement. In terms promotions through the ranks of law enforcement, a degree helps but there are a lot of other factors that go into getting promoted.

    • you just confirmed what I had thought and had been told by a sgt, at the sheriff’s office i volunteered for.

      Steve Preece and the gang on the radio are doing an ok job, but this is also to help the announcers get used to football again as well as learn the new names and such.

      who’s going to watch the ^ucks on ESPN in a little bit?

  7. Atlanta is the perfect destination for Quizz. When I was going through places I could see him landing, there were maybe 3 teams and Atlanta was #1.

    1. Turf will make Quizz faster and also allow him to maximize his cutting ability (see Barry Sanders on/off turf).
    2. Pass first offense (won’t have to rely on him)
    3. Running back by committee (won’t have to rely on him)
    4. Great WRs who actually block/pretty good offensive line
    5. Run a lot of screens and short passes. Michael Turner isn’t good at this…Quizz would be a huge upgrade changing up and taking some short passes.

    The only other decent fits were Seattle and Indianapolis…maybe Denver.

    Emitt Smith was a slightly above average back (had great agility and vision, but not much else) who had a HOF offensive line to run behind. Put him on the Jets teams of those years and he’s out of the league in 3 years.

    Linnenkohl should get drafted. He is a good center, and will make a solid pro.

    • I thought Quizz would be a good fit at GB as well. I’m mystified with some of the RB’s picked this year. Some of these guys will see special teams for a couple years, but that’s about it.

      Charlie Casserly picks Quizz as the outstanding value pick of the day.

  8. The Jets have had a horrible draft. Their first pick was a no-name from Temple (who was the last good player from Temple, Joe Kleko??), they had no 2nd round pick, and their 3rd round pick faces 20 years prison time.Great stuff. They picked up Kerley from TCU, which was pretty good in the 5th round.

  9. I don’t understand the Gabe Miller pick, but I won’t complain about it. I actually think he’d be a decent TE in the NFL, but defense..?? I don’t see it. Maybe KC plans to convert him back into a TE…

    Miller went through hell with those injuries, so it’s great to see the work pay off. Good for him.

    • Great measurables and playing him at his natural position rather than as a 4-3 DE. Victor Butler was the same, but Butler had several years of training at the DE position. So his late college years were productive. I think Miller could have been good had he stuck with defense to start his college career. I also think he would have been much better playing downhill as a MLB in our system.

  10. ESPN has Linnenkohl as the best C left on the board. I bet a team takes O’Dowd over him b/c of the USC pedigree… he should get drafted either way.

    I could see Alex fitting in great at Indy, and they’re only a few picks away…

  11. The new nbcsports.com which takes over for versus.com and will likely be heavily involved with the PAC-12 if NBC/Comcast wins the PAC-12 TV deal has Quizz on the front page as a “Steal of the Draft.”

    http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/

    Just like CBS and the SEC, the PAC-12 has a true partner in the making! On my DISH, Channel 151 (old Versus) will be NBC Sports Net and 152 is CBS Sports Net.

  12. Beavers don’t score in the second. Man, Trevor Bauer is a beast. Definitely living up to the hype. He’s overpowered most of the Beavers hitters

  13. Bauer 42 pitches by my count through 2 complete innings. He may be very hard to wear out as he, apparently, throws between many innings such that 200 pitches in a game is not uncommon.

  14. Osich is dominating. He’s been actually better than Bauer. That’s hard to do. Both have 6 strikeouts through three innings. Good thing about Osich is he’s not walking guys. Has had only about two three ball counts. That limits his pitch count and will get him deep in this game. Hopefully he keeps it up.

  15. This is the potential of Osich I’m referring to. He is now beginning to pitch to his potential and is dominating. When Osich is on he is extremely tough to deal with it. Only one walk through 4 innings. That’s been his issue all season. If he dramatically reduces the walks he gives up, he will dominate games consistently.

  16. The Beavers have to change their usual approach with Bauer. They shouldn’t worry about working the count any more. They need to step up to the plate and be super aggressive. He isn’t going to walk them. Can’t let yourself be struck out. Need to put the ball in play.

  17. Single by Jared Norris and the Beavers have runners on first and third with two outs. Need a clutch hit from Keyes here.

  18. 2-0 Beavers through 6 innings and Josh Osich has a no-hitter working. May not be able to complete it if he had a chance in the ninth. He’s at about 84 or 85 pitches.

  19. I sat 2nd row behind home plate for the Osich start vs Hartford and there were at least 3 scouts sitting near me, all of whom constantly asked Nygren for radar readings. Josh touched 96 twice during that outing, set the scouts off each time.

  20. Haha read that last paragraph that Angry wrote in the write up for this game and try to not crack a smile. What are they odds?

  21. I purposely got all over Osich this morning b/c every time I do I’m proven wrong. :D

    No, honestly, that was awesome. Osich put up the numbers and performance I asked for in a Saturday starter, so from this point onward, I’ll get off this case.

  22. Wow. I wish I could have watched the game but that was impressive what Osich did. Bauer will probably be the best pitcher we face all year and our hitters gutted it out against him.

    • I’m not thrilled with that. I wonder if that means Scott Schultz will start against Oregon on Tuesday. Nygren will probably relieve Wetzler.

  23. Well Angry, I bet that is one time you are happy to eat crow.

    Anyone think that UCLA is gunna be pissed off yesterday? Their star pitcher loses to our 2nd guy throwing a no-no. Look for UCLA to play hard tomorrow.

    • This just in. OSU and Coach Cav’s failure at the Offensive Line position (recruiting and playing the right personnel) and losing season headlining the worst playcaller in the history of the game officially fucks Linnenkohl right in the ass.

      Glad to see Baseball won.

  24. Stumbled across this home of “Beaver fans”. Wow. Did the guy above just say “the worst playcaller in the game fucks Linkinhol right in the ass”? And then say Glad to see baseball won?

    FUCKING OSICH THREW A NOHITTER YOU STUPID FUCKING DICK HEADS!!!!!! YOU’RE SO WRAPPED UP IN DISSING THE BEAVS Y0U CAN’T SEE THE FOREST THREW THE TREES!!! AND BY THE WAY, OSU IS INSIGNIFICANT. PERIOD. ANGRY, YOU’RE A POOR EXCUSE FOR AN IDIOT.

    • Yeah Angry beaver guy, I’d give your baseball genius a little more time… How long have you been saying Osich isn’t a Pac10 picther? How long? You’ll be worse than a tea party member screaming for the government to help them after the tornadoes in Alabama. But I suppose you’ve got some reason you saw that he still isn’t a legitimate Pac 10 guy. Let’s hear it. You’re funny. Can you give us your background one more time? Are you really a Beaver? I say fuck you and close this site down if you’re going to spout shit out your asshole and not qualify. I’m serious. How old? I saw the Beavs kick the Ducks ass in Autzen in the 60’s. Did you?

  25. We just beat two first round draft picks to start off the series, I don’t give a pleep what their lineup looks like, Angry. Spin this series to make yourself look like the genius you are to the 6 or 7 people who post on here. I would write a retort to some of you folks, but arguing with you people is pointless, it’s like arguing politics and you can’t use reason to change peoples perceptions and beliefs. You guys think what you want and I just won’t come on here anymore, cause it makes me angry. But I digress. Unbelievable game Osich, glad I was able to listen to it. Hope you impressed the scouts down there.

    Go Beavs!!!

  26. Hey angry…

    We need a write-up with Wetzler as the bad guy. He did well last outing, so he’s due for a quick yank tomorrow… and he’ll be outstanding in relief next week against Cal.

  27. I know that the bunch of us crazed Beaver Haters that read this site probably don’t care but just in case, here is the bottom of the ninth from the game today (no I didn’t shoot this footage, just found it on YT).

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07F6cz8PiAg

    Looks like Osich had a Tom Glavineish strike zone but you’ll hear one of the guys in the video mention that it was consistent all day for both teams. And big credit to Osich for being able to consistently pitch to the edges where the ump was calling ’em. That’s what the good ones do.

    • You’re sooooo right. I just hated that.

      I feel good tonight. If anyone wants to know what I’m like when I’m really disappointed with a Beav team, then last year’s UCLA series probably brought that out. I think it was after the Saturday game that I just went off on this team. I came into this weekend with trepidation, but I’m soooo happy to wonder why I was even worried.

      And we begin the whole cycle again against Cal.

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