Diamonds For Women

dodgerblue6

The question remains, will there be college baseball played in 2021?

The season is slated to begin one month from tomorrow. Sadly, I can't get too excited without knowing!
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

forloveofthegame · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 6192 Location: San Diego

I cannot either. Usually around this time we would be looking at preseason rosters and planning our opening weekend! I wish they would just play with no fans anyway.
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

dodgerblue6 · Posted: Tue 1/26/21 7:33 pm Post subject:

Well, no doubt we'll be prohibited from attending, but all signs as of this writing are that the season will get underway on February 19, regardless. And if so--that's beautiful. It's 3 1/2 weeks away, and here's the Aztecs schedule for the coming season. I don't see the TG Tournament listed here, but they may have scrapped it due to uncertainty. I do know other tournaments will be played in some other states. California just may be extremely cautious, and for very good reason.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

dodgerblue6 · Posted: Tue 2/2/21 1:32 pm Post subject:

We're close to two weeks away now, but as we all know, anything can change on a moment's notice.

Still, it is encouraging to see that Baseball America has posted their preseason top 25, so that means hope is very much alive and a passionate fire is burning with me to watch some baseball, even if fans aren't allowed to attend games!

1

Florida

2

UCLA

3

Texas Tech

4

Mississippi

5

Virginia

6

Vanderbilt

7

Louisville

8

Mississippi State

9

Florida State

10

Louisiana State

11

Miami

12

Texas

13

Texas Christian

14

Arkansas

15

Arizona

16

Duke

17

North Carolina State

18

South Carolina

19

Tennessee

20

Michigan

21

UC Santa Barbara

22

Georgia Tech

23

Oklahoma

24

Central Florida

25

Alabama

Note: Down year for the Pac--only two teams ranked.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

forloveofthegame · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 6192 Location: San Diego

Also worth noting, CSUF is not ranked. I have not done much checking into this year's team.

Our Aztecs are ranked tops in MWC preseason - from the official team site

Players to watch, outfielders Jaden Fein & Matt Rudick, RHP Troy Melton.

Some other names that are familiar - infielder Fisher Pyatt and RHP Casey O'Sullivan (guess whose brother), catcher Deron Johnson (guess whose son)
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

sunnyblue · Posted: Fri 2/12/21 7:48 pm Post subject:

Thank you for the updates. I checked in on USD. Their team doesn't appear to be as strong this year in the WCC.

Preseason all stars are Shane McGuire (catcher & first base), Caleb Ricketts (same, split time) and Carter Rustad (RHP).

forloveofthegame · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 6192 Location: San Diego

We are under 1 week away now!
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

dodgerblue6 · Posted: Sat 2/13/21 8:26 pm Post subject:

CBS Sports' season preview is linked here, and their rankings vary only slightly--both Arizona and ASU are included.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

forloveofthegame · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 6192 Location: San Diego

It's Opening Day Eve and I ran across this guide to the 2021 season - linked here
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

dodgerblue6 · Posted: Thu 2/18/21 10:03 pm Post subject:

Thank you! I'm devouring everything I can read about these teams until the first pitch tomorrow. Smile

Here's the season preview from the L.A. Times.

I'll include only the lead-in here; the excerpts include too many tweets and other reposted information. Looking forward to seeing Matt and Jared in this pitching rotation!

"A National Title at UCLA Would Be the Ultimate Payoff for Matt McLain"

Shortstop Matt McLain is a preseason All-American and will try to lead UCLA to a national championship.

By ERIC SONDHEIMER, COLUMNIST
FEB. 18, 2021 6 AM PT

After turning down a $2.6-million signing bonus from the Arizona Diamondbacks coming out of Irvine Beckman High to attend UCLA in 2018, Matt McLain was subjected to skepticism, even disbelief. What kind of 18-year-old declines that kind of life-changing bonus money?

“I never second-guessed my decision,” he said. “The best bet is to bet on yourself. I know my capability. I’m going to get better when I work on things. I wanted to win a national championship at UCLA.”

McLain, a 5-foot-11 shortstop, is on his way to proving his decision was right all long. In 13 games last season before it was halted because of the Coronavirus shutdown, he was hitting .397. He’s put himself in position to be a first-round draft choice again this coming summer after going No. 25 in 2018 and most important to him, he’s part of a 2021 UCLA team that will start its season Friday ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Florida, according to Baseball America.

“I’m ready to go and I know our team is ready to go,” McLain said. “We’ve been itching to get this opportunity. We’re hungry.”

Said UCLA coach John Savage: “Matt is one of the most complete players in the country.”

Under NCAA rules because of the coronavirus, all players were given another year of eligibility if they wanted to return in 2021. UCLA has depth, experience and talent at all positions. About the only uncertainty is who will replace closer Holden Powell. The first opportunity goes to highly touted freshman Max Rajcic, one of the best pitchers in California during his days at Orange Lutheran.

Savage, who once had Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole in his starting rotation, has an impressive group of returning pitchers in starters Zach Pettway, Jared Karros, Jesse Bergin and Nick Nastrini, plus dependable reliever Kyle Mora.

McLain spent months during California stay-at-home orders last spring hanging out with his brothers, Sean, a baseball player at Arizona State, and Nick, a UCLA signee who plays for Beckman. His quarantine partners engaged in daily activities besides throwing and hitting.

“During quarantine time, there was more competition than any time else in our lives,” he said. “We would play Wiffle Ball with those crazy curveballs and try to strike out each other.”

There was football, basketball, video games and lots of golf. By summer, McLain returned to action on a summer team in Santa Barbara, the Foresters, that won a national championship in Kansas.

“Our aspirations are high,” McLain said of the Bruins, who open the season with three home games against San Francisco. “We want to win a national championship. We’ve been building since end of last year.”
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

sunnyblue · Posted: Fri 2/19/21 1:18 pm Post subject:

I'm ready! Aztecs vs. Toreros getting it going today.

dodgerblue6 · Posted: Sat 2/20/21 4:29 pm Post subject:

Aztecs won by a football score, 14-7. Game 2 being played now.

Of course, like everything else, it's not the same not having our opening weekend party. Sad

_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

sunnyblue · Posted: Sun 2/21/21 1:24 pm Post subject:

Somewhere along the line these days will be over! For now watching it on line will have to do. I would really rather see some good pitching after the game yesterday, though. A 19-18 win in 10 innings and winning on a walk off wild pitch has to take a lot out of you! You don't want to get your pitching staff worn down that much in your first weekend! This is not Coors Field, lol. On the other hand USD is really giving them a lot to handle. It's another pretty day today where I would rather be out at Fowler Park instead of in my room on my computer!

The Tony Gwynn Legacy tournament is coming up next weekend.

forloveofthegame · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 6192 Location: San Diego

I checked in on UCLA, and they lost their opening series. They seem to do that a lot - get out to a slow start at home.

Mason Pelio had a super start for BC in their season opener. He pitched 5 scoreless innings and they beat Charleston Southern.
_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg

dodgerblue6 · Posted: Mon 2/22/21 10:33 pm Post subject:

Yes, and they should be "rewarded" in the standings.
_________________
"The Dodgers have always occupied an enormous place in the history of the game. If the Yankees are the most successful team in baseball history, the Dodgers are the most essential. Their legacy is unique."

-Baseball Hall of Fame

sunnyblue · Posted: Tue 2/23/21 1:36 pm Post subject:

One thing we can say is different about this year, is it's the first year UCSD is competing in Div. 1 play. So it's going to be more fun having 3 D1 teams here to follow.

sunnyblue · Posted: Fri 2/26/21 1:08 pm Post subject:

As to my last post in this thread, here's an article about UCSD's transition

forloveofthegame · Joined: 23 Oct 2009 Posts: 6192 Location: San Diego

Thank you. What a shame, just another perfect San Diego weekend being wasted since we have to stay home. Sad

_________________
"Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem." - Saul Steinberg