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Year 5 Of Erstad And

I think we all understand what you are saying about Northern schools, but ALL of the schools in the B1G are northern. I'm talking about at the least ​being in the top echelon of the Big 10 year in and year out

Curious about your bolded... first year he took over we were third in the conference after being awful. The next two years we finished runner-up in the conference to a team that was a top 10 program, and actually made it to the CWS one of those years. Last year, there were talks in April of us hosting a regional we were playing so well, then the wheels fell off and we all know what happened. He has 3.5 good years out of 4.

So is him having 3.5 good years not good enough? One bad half a year is enough to start the fire train? Or is it that the preseason perception needs to be different, and Nebraska should always be highly rated there? I just don't get forming an opinion on the baseball team from a preseason rating. I will give you if we don't finish in the top half of the B1G this year there's a serious issue. But I promise you that I didn't just get this statement from myself, but what has been told to a person very much in the know of where DE stands with his employer.

The Los Angeles Dodgers came after him, and he was a finalist there. I just kind of tilt my head on these things because for 3.5 years Erstad was walking on water around Lincoln, and last years collapse has put people in a pretty sour mood. We are going on the road and being extremely competitive against top 25 teams. Our couple terrible performances so far are balanced out with our couple of great performances. Obviously, the hope is that these type of games early in the season get us ready to roll for B1G play. We start a long home stand and we will see if these early games pay off. We should have some wins coming our way from that.
 
1. This is season five of Erstad. Prior four seasons, we've had one NCAA berth ... a 2-seed that underachieved by losing to the 3-seed twice (and beating the 4th seed). That's our post-season history. A premature exit in the regionals.

2. Darin has the worst overall record through four seasons of any NU baseball coach since Tony Sharpe in the late-1940s.

3. Darin also has the worst conference record through four seasons since Tony Shape in the late-40s.

4. Only two coaches have inherited the fine facilities NU baseball now has. Anderson and Erstad. There is not a team in the Big Ten with better facilities. Most have much worse. It should be easier to out-recruit your conference peers in baseball than it is in football. This is Big Ten baseball, which is typically about the sixth or seventh best conference in baseball. Not much excuse to have our facilities and our fan following and not be consistently top 2 or 3 -- and probably win the conference at least one out of every three years on average.

5. If projections from this year -- season five -- are correct. And the Huskers finish lower than the top 3, then I don't know why you wouldn't have a negative sense. I'll let this year play out -- but there is reason for concern, no doubt about it.
 
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Curious about your bolded... first year he took over we were third in the conference after being awful. The next two years we finished runner-up in the conference to a team that was a top 10 program, and actually made it to the CWS one of those years. Last year, there were talks in April of us hosting a regional we were playing so well, then the wheels fell off and we all know what happened. He has 3.5 good years out of 4.

We were 4th (not third) in Erstad's first season, which happened to be NU's first in the Big Ten. #1 was Purdue, who went to the NCAA tournament and lost in the Regionals. Early exit. #2 and #3 were Indiana and Penn State. Both finished barely over .500 and had no post-season. 6 of the 8 teams ahead of NU in the Big 12 (2011, Anderson's last season) received bids to the NCAA Tournament. Two of those Big 12 schools were in the CWS. At the very least, major apples to oranges.

Next season, we finished tied for #2 in the Big Ten -- with a losing overall record at 29-30! Goes to show, once again, how weak the Big Ten is. Only one Big Ten team (Indiana) played in the post-season.

2014 was also #2 in the Big Ten. Made the NCAA Tournament this time. #2 seed for the Huskers but did not play in the regional final and therefore underachieved.

2015, finished 8th in the Big Ten. It was an overall improved conference, but #8 is always unacceptable. No postseason.

No one expects Erstad to be Van Horn. We'll never see that again. But thus far, he's the worst since Tony Sharpe from the middle of last century. And NU is much better positioned to win conference titles than it probably ever has been.
 
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We were 4th (not third) in Erstad's first season, which happened to be NU's first in the Big Ten. #1 was Purdue, who went to the NCAA tournament and lost in the Regionals. Early exit. #2 and #3 were Indiana and Penn State. Both finished barely over .500 and had no post-season. 6 of the 8 teams ahead of NU in the Big 12 (2011, Anderson's last season) received bids to the NCAA Tournament. Two of those Big 12 schools were in the CWS. At the very least, major apples to oranges.

Next season, we finished tied for #2 in the Big Ten -- with a losing overall record at 29-30! Goes to show, once again, how weak the Big Ten is. Only one Big Ten team (Indiana) played in the post-season.

2014 was also #2 in the Big Ten. Made the NCAA Tournament this time. #2 seed for the Huskers but did not play in the regional final and therefore underachieved.

2015, finished 8th in the Big Ten. It was an overall improved conference, but #8 is always unacceptable. No postseason.

No one expects Erstad to be Van Horn. We'll never see that again. But thus far, he's the worst since Tony Sharpe from the middle of last century. And NU is much better positioned to win conference titles than it probably ever has been.

I think my point is, we improved every year until the last half of last year. I believe in trends so the trend was absolutely up for 3.5 years, then fell off a cliff for 1/2 a year.

Now, if you would have told me only one NCAA birth going in to year 5 and no conference titles, that would have been disappointing. I agree that we now are in a much better position as well to win conference titles. But i'm going to see how this year ends up, and we need to be top 3 in the conference, then there will be concern if not.
 



I think my point is, we improved every year until the last half of last year. I believe in trends so the trend was absolutely up for 3.5 years, then fell off a cliff for 1/2 a year.

Now, if you would have told me only one NCAA birth going in to year 5 and no conference titles, that would have been disappointing. I agree that we now are in a much better position as well to win conference titles. But i'm going to see how this year ends up, and we need to be top 3 in the conference, then there will be concern if not.

And I certainly won't completely disagree with you on this post or your previous.

Part of my argument rests of the relative weakness of the Big Ten, which, as I stated, Nebraska has no reason for ever finishing lower than #3.

And noting the transition of Anderson to Erstad .... MA's final two seasons (2010, 2011), NU's RPI was 60 and 65.
Erstad's first season (2012), NU's RPI was 80.

Most certainly, Anderson needed to go. Probably a year or two sooner. But it does point out that although NU had a better record in 2012 than either of Anderson's last two squads ... simply playing in the Big Ten exaggerated NU's success under Erstad in year one. I tend to believe all of our results these past few seasons under Erstad would be worse if we were still in the Big 12. But since we are not, there's less excuse for not winning the occasional title and not advancing past the loser bracket in the regionals in only one of four seasons.

FWIW, NU's current RPI is 80. A lot is due to playing all on the road thus far against mostly quality competition. But it is fair to say, it's a concern for season #5. If the Huskers fall short of a regional bid in 2016, Darin's seat should be quite hot.
 
HWM, if he does not do well this season, I don't think he is gone next year. In fact, I believe he will be around 3 or 4 years before letting him go.

Actually, I feel he will do well next year, if not this year. Hope springs eternal, my friend. :)

He is a smart baseball player; he just needs the talent.
 
HWM, if he does not do well this season, I don't think he is gone next year. In fact, I believe he will be around 3 or 4 years before letting him go.

Actually, I feel he will do well next year, if not this year. Hope springs eternal, my friend. :)

He is a smart baseball player; he just needs the talent.

I don't think he's gone next year either. I doubt anyone would predict that.

Difficult to say if he goes another couple seasons minus any Big Ten titles or advancing past a Regional and he'd be retained. Eichorst didn't hire him. But at the same time, I think he understands baseball isn't a money-maker for the University regardless.

There's always hope, no doubt. Though hope can diminish for the fan base as a whole if there isn't the occasional carrot. But truth be told, thus far both Tim Miles and Darin Erstad have had one season of overachieving. The rest have been generally disappointments. Let's hope that trend changes soon.

I hate to say it, but if Nebraska didn't have women's sports, we would have a rather pathetic sports program for most of the past 10 years or so.
 
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And I certainly won't completely disagree with you on this post or your previous.

Part of my argument rests of the relative weakness of the Big Ten, which, as I stated, Nebraska has no reason for ever finishing lower than #3.

And noting the transition of Anderson to Erstad .... MA's final two seasons (2010, 2011), NU's RPI was 60 and 65.
Erstad's first season (2012), NU's RPI was 80.

Most certainly, Anderson needed to go. Probably a year or two sooner. But it does point out that although NU had a better record in 2012 than either of Anderson's last two squads ... simply playing in the Big Ten exaggerated NU's success under Erstad in year one. I tend to believe all of our results these past few seasons under Erstad would be worse if we were still in the Big 12. But since we are not, there's less excuse for not winning the occasional title and not advancing past the loser bracket in the regionals in only one of four seasons.

FWIW, NU's current RPI is 80. A lot is due to playing all on the road thus far against mostly quality competition. But it is fair to say, it's a concern for season #5. If the Huskers fall short of a regional bid in 2016, Darin's seat should be quite hot.

Agree with all... but i'm not too concerned about our current RPI or record when we've been on the road playing top 25 teams the first 9 games. We are 3-6 right now which isn't awesome, but the year we made regionals we started our first 9 games 4-5. We were 1-1 against top 25 competition that year, both being Oregon State. This year we are 2-3 against the top 25 with two extra inning losses. The hope for Erstad is that the tough early schedule gets our young pitchers ready to roll against marginal B1G teams and leads us to the post season. Agree with you, top 3 or bust for a conference finish. But since we are currently tied for first in conference, i'm not too concerned.

What is concerning to me is his either lack of "want to" or inability to keep local prospects around.
 
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No one expects Erstad to be Van Horn. We'll never see that again. But thus far, he's the worst since Tony Sharpe from the middle of last century. And NU is much better positioned to win conference titles than it probably ever has been.[/QUOTE]

Remember that Tony Sharpe and John Sanders were also playing teams like Dana, Doane and Hastings on a weekly basis, so some of their records were a bit inflated.
 
No one expects Erstad to be Van Horn. We'll never see that again. But thus far, he's the worst since Tony Sharpe from the middle of last century. And NU is much better positioned to win conference titles than it probably ever has been.

Remember that Tony Sharpe and John Sanders were also playing teams like Dana, Doane and Hastings on a weekly basis, so some of their records were a bit inflated.[/QUOTE]

Definitely, I didn't say Erstad is worse than Sharpe (I suggested, possibly the worse since). But right now, I'd say he's about on the level of Sanders -- if that. But to note about Sanders -- he had to recruit kids to play on that garbage back lot, Buck Beltzer.

Granted, I love Erstad, the former Husker football player and baseball stud. And I root for him to turn it around soon, as I'd love to see him succeed more than any non-football coach ever. But the evidence that will happen is based almost completely on hope.

I certainly don't expect another Van Horn. I've stated many times, that will never happen again. But we do have the facilities and fan support 99% of northern schools can only dream of (and probably more than half of southern schools). So, I do believe we should be significantly better than we have been the past several years.
 
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Remember that Tony Sharpe and John Sanders were also playing teams like Dana, Doane and Hastings on a weekly basis, so some of their records were a bit inflated.

Definitely, I didn't say Erstad is worse than Sharpe (I suggested, possibly the worse since). But right now, I'd say he's about on the level of Sanders -- if that. But to note about Sanders -- he had to recruit kids to play on that garbage back lot, Buck Beltzer.

Granted, I love Erstad, the former Husker football player and baseball stud. And I root for him to turn it around soon, as I'd love to see him succeed more than any non-football coach ever. But the evidence that will happen is based almost completely on hope.

I certainly don't expect another Van Horn. I've stated many times, that will never happen again. But we do have the facilities and fan support 99% of northern schools can only dream of (and probably more than half of southern schools). So, I do believe we should be significantly better than we have been the past several years.[/QUOTE]

The Van Horn part wasn't my quote, messed up on the reply, only wanted the Sharpe and Sanders part.
 




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