College note: 12 WSU baseball games to be televised
Dec 13, 2019
Moscow Pullman Daily News
Twelve of
Washington State’s baseball games in 2020 will be televised by the Pac-12
Network, it was announced Thursday.
Among them
will be a road series against Washington on March 27-29 and a home series
against USC on April 3-5.
The final two
series of the regular season — a road matchup against Stanford on May 15-17 and
a series against Oregon State on May 21-23 — will be on the general Pac-12
Network or Pac-12 Washington.
::::::::::::::::::::::::
College note:
12 WSU baseball games to be televised
Dec 13, 2019 Updated 2 hrs ago
Twelve of
Washington State’s baseball games in 2020 will be televised by the Pac-12
Network, it was announced Thursday.
Among them
will be a road series against Washington on March 27-29 and a home series
against USC on April 3-5.
The final two
series of the regular season — a road matchup against Stanford on May 15-17 and
a series against Oregon State on May 21-23 — will be on the general Pac-12
Network or Pac-12 Washington.
….
WSU Cougars Announce 2020 Baseball Schedule
From WSU
Sports Info
PULLMAN (Dec.
11, 2019) – Washington State Baseball is set to host eight home series during the
2020 season, first-year Head Coach Brain Green announced Wednesday. The
Cougars, who will face five 2019 NCAA Tournament teams, open the season with an
11-game road trip and will host eight series at Bailey-Brayton Field including
six in April and May.
“We are
excited about the 2020 schedule and can’t wait to compete!” Green said. “We put
together three consecutive road opportunities with great weather to begin the
season with trips to Bakersfield (Calif.), Hawaii and Phoenix. We will open at
home week four, which will be a common theme for the program moving forward.”
The Cougars
will open the Brian Green era with the first 11 games on the road beginning
with a three-game series at CSU Bakersfield Feb. 14-16. The trip continues with
a single-game contest at CSUN in Northridge, Calif. Feb. 17 before heading to
Honolulu for a four-game series at Hawaii Feb. 20-23. WSU will close out the
road stretch hosting a three-game series against Rutgers in Phoenix, Ariz.
(Feb. 28-March 1).
Washington
State opens its home schedule with an eight-game homestand in early March
beginning with a four-game series against Niagra (March 5-8), a March 10
matchup against Gonzaga and opens Pac-12 Conference play hosting California
(March 13-15).
A pair of road
series close out the month of March at UCLA (March 20-22) and Washington (March
27-29) capped by a single-game contest at Portland (March 30). The Cougars
return home for a three-game series against USC (April 3-5), travel to Spokane
for an April 7 contest against Gonzaga followed by a trip to Tucson, Ariz. for
a series at Arizona (April 9-11).
“We look
forward to the potential benefits of the early road stretch as we begin play in
one of the best college baseball conferences in the country,” Green added. “The
second half of our schedule will see many more home contests for our fans and
families and we are certainly excited for the challenges in store for us to
return Cougar baseball back to a competitive program once again.”
In mid-April,
WSU opens another eight-game homestand with a three-game nonconference series
against UC Irvine (April 17-19), followed by a two-game home set against Boise
State (April 21-22), the first meeting between the two programs since 1980 and
first in Pullman in the series’ history. BSU restarted its baseball program
last season and will play its first games in 2020. The Cougars will close out
the homestand against Utah (April 24-26).
The month of
May will see the Cougars head to Eugene, Ore. for a three-game series (May
1-3), return home to host Arizona State (May 8-10) and head to the bay area for
a nonconference meeting with Santa Clara (May 13) and series against Stanford
(May 15-17). Washington State will close out the regular season at home against
Oregon State (May 21-23).
::::::::::::
Mirror,
mirror: The Hotline grades our preseason
predictions for each team (we hit a few and whiffed on many)
Other than
predicting Oregon and Utah to win the divisions, we misread the shape of the
races
By Jon Wilner
San Jose Merc News, Pac-12 Hotline
PUBLISHED:
December 12, 2019 at 6:20 am | UPDATED: December 12, 2019 at 6:34 am
Time for the
Hotline to do what Hotline readers do all the time: Take aim at the Hotline.
How did we
fare in the preseason predictions for each team?
Plenty of
variables form the season’s stew, from bad breaks to bad calls, from injuries
to unusual circumstances.
The barrage of
quarterback injuries across the conference helped shape the 2019 season and
obviously impacted the accuracy of our predictions.
No matter,
injuries are part of the prognosticating game.
My general
approach: Any projection that comes within one game of the actual record
constitutes a reasonable success.
A two-game
disparity is bubble range.
Outside two
games, it’s a whiff.
Notes:
* I picked
Utah to beat Oregon in the championship game in the order-of-finish projections
(here).
However, that
outcome was not part of the original game-by-game predictions/record for each
team and thus not included in the actual record below.
We’re focused
on the accuracy of my projections for the non-conference and round-robin play.
* Our annual
assessment of each head coach — a report card, without mercy — is scheduled for
later this morning.
* The link
accompanying each projection below directs you to the original article if
anyone cares to examine the game-by-game picks.
Teams are
listed in order of final standings (actual, not projected).
*** NORTH
Oregon
Actual record:
10-2/8-1 (first place)
My projection:
10-2/7-2 (first)
Comment: Had
the Ducks beating Auburn (so close) but losing to Stanford (not close) and
losing to Arizona State. Yep, as far back as August, we saw the tumble in Tempe
coming. What we didn’t forecast was Oregon wrapping up the division in October.
My grade: A
Oregon State
Actual record:
5-7/4-5 (second/tie)
My projection:
4-8/2-7 (sixth)
Comment:
Expected an uptick but not to the degree witnessed and certainly not with the
improvement on defense that unfolded from first game to last. Had OSU beating
Oklahoma State in the opener. Yikes.
My grade: C-
Cal
Actual record:
7-5/4-5 (second/tie)
My projection:
7-5/4-5 (fifth)
Comment: We
nailed the start (wins over Washington and Mississippi) and were dead-on with
the end result, but October and November didn’t go according to our script,
largely because of the injury to Chase Garbers. Had he stayed healthy, the
Bears would have exceeded our projection by a win or two. So we’ll hold off on
the A+.
My grade: A
Washington
Actual record:
7-5/4-5 (second/tie)
My projection:
9-3/6-3 (second/tie)
Comment:
Pegged the home losses to Cal and Oregon and the road defeat to Stanford, but
that’s where we stopped the expectations of gloom and the Huskies kept skidding
into irrelevance. (They also lost to Utah and, in gruesome fashion, Colorado.)
My grade: B
Washington
State
Actual record:
6-6/3-6 (fifth/tie)
My projection:
8-4/5-4 (fourth)
Comment: We
were far too low with WSU’s projected win total last year and a bit too
optimistic this season. The deterioration on defense was worse than we
envisioned.
My grade: C
Stanford
Actual record:
4-8/3-6 (fifth/tie)
My projection:
8-4/6-3 (second/tie)
Comment: Even
accounting for the injuries, we missed on Stanford … and missed badly. (In
fact, we misread the North on a broad scale to a greater extent than we missed
on some individual teams. Who figured that 4-5 would be good enough for second
place.)
My grade: D-
*** SOUTH
Utah
Actual record:
11-1/8-1 (first place)
My projection:
10-2/7-2 (first)
Comment:
Picked the Utes to win the South way back in January and honed the forecast
over the summer to losses to Cal and Washington. So that portion was a whiff.
Offense made the improvement we expected; defense was better than imagined.
My grade: B+
USC
Actual record:
8-4/7-2 (second)
My projection:
7-5/5-4 (second/tie)
Comment: We
were low in expectations for conference success and would have been even lower
had we known JT Daniels would be lost for the season. But USC’s version of the
Air Raid meshed well with the personnel and produced a better-than-expected
result.
My grade: C
Arizona State
Actual record:
7-5/4-5 (third/tie)
My projection:
6-6/4-5 (fourth)
Comment:
Difference in actual and projected overall record was the Michigan State win.
Jayden Daniels was a bit better than expected, but the defense wasn’t quite at
the expected level. Basically, the Sun Devils were solid, for the second year
in a row.
My grade: A-
Related
Articles
Oregon had
four all-Pac-12 honorees: Yes, we’re suspicious
Maestas:
Eight-team CFP worth $400+ million per year
Pac-12
football: Ranking the top-15 players of 2019
Go live during
a dead week: Major PR chance for the Pac-12
UCLA
Actual record:
4-8/4-5 (third/tie)
My projection:
7-5/5-4 (second/tie)
Comment: Our
working premise in August was the Bruins would perform better in conference
than the overall record suggested because the non-conference schedule was
arduous. And they did perform better in conference, for a few weeks.
My grade: C+
Colorado
Actual record:
5-7/3-6 (fifth)
My projection:
3-9/1-8 (sixth)
Comment: The
Buffs were headed for 3-9 before they recorded the late home wins over Stanford
and Washington, which we had pegged as losses. Overall, far better than we
expected.
My grade: C-
Arizona
Actual record:
4-8/2-7 (sixth)
My projection:
5-7/2-7 (fifth)
Comment:
Expected little, got little. The difference in projected and actual overall
record was the Hawaii loss. And if we were forecasting right now for 2020, I’d
probably lean 2-7 again.
My grade: A-
::::
Under the
Hotline heat lamp: We graded the
Pac-12 head coaches (and did not use the mercy rule)
Shaw, Kelly
and Petersen have had better years, much better years
By Jon Wilner
, San Jose Merc News, Pac-12-Hotline
PUBLISHED:
December 12, 2019 at 10:44 am | UPDATED: December 13, 2019 at 4:07 am
Before we get
to the letter grades, here’s the total number: $37.8 million
That was the
combined salary for the Pac-12 head coaches in 2019.
Not including
bonuses.
Chris
Petersen: $4.6 million
David Shaw:
$4.6 million
Kyle
Whittingham: $4 million
Mike Leach:
$3.8 million
Chip Kelly:
$3.5 million
Clay Helton
$3.2 million
Justin Wilcox:
$2.9 million
Mario
Cristobal $2.5 million
Mel Tucker:
$2.4 million
Herm Edwards:
$2.4 million
Kevin Sumlin:
$2 million
Jonathan
Smith: $1.9 million
We don’t
begrudge the coaches from making what the market allows.
But for $37.8
million — the salaries were taken from the awesome USA Today database — you
should expect the best product possible for each individual program.
You should
expect the best teaching and the best tactics.
You should
expect the best gameplans and the best game management.
That’s a high
bar, unattainably high. No conference ever experiences a season in which each
program maximizes its potential.
And yet, the
coaches must be held accountable.
That happens
each week during the regular season, during peak recruiting season and the
postseason, courtesy of the fans and the local, regional and national national
media.
And it’s
happening right here.
Earlier this
morning, the Hotline graded itself: We compared our preseason projections for
each team to the finished result and put a letter grade to match.
Now, it’s time
to evaluate the coaches.
Grades are for
this season only — we’re not judging careers — and are based on performance vs.
Hotline expectations, which take into account personnel, schedule, injuries and
whatever team-specific developments apply.
In other
words: How did the team perform against a reasonable expectation of
performance?
Head coaches
are held responsible for the work of their coordinators and assistants.
Arizona
Record:
4-8/2-7
Coach: Kevin
Sumlin
Grade: D
Comment: The
only reason Sumlin didn’t receive an F — that would undoubtedly be the
preference for many Arizona fans — is the Hotline had limited expectations for
the Wildcats this season, and the reason we had limited expectations was the
lack of talent, especially on the lines of scrimmage. And that’s not entirely
on Sumlin. However, the mess that was the quarterback position — and Khalil
Tate in general — is entirely on Sumlin. He’s also responsible for uneven game
management and for retaining/hiring a defensive staff that was clearly
overmatched. We conclude this season in the same place as a year ago, unable to
locate the Wildcats’ identity or tangible signs of progress.
Arizona State
Record:
7-5/4-5
Coach: Herm
Edwards
Grade: B-
Comment:
Another solid season for the Sun Devils given their roster and expectations.
Edwards deployed a steady hand and produced results that span the range, from
the highs of beating Michigan State and Oregon to the lows accompanying losses
to Colorado and Oregon State. But the end result gives ASU reason to be
encouraged, especially with two more seasons (at least) of the Jayden Daniels
era. The weakest positions on each side of the ball were the lines — the Devils
were very much an outside-in operation — which only gets you so far in a
division with Utah. At the same time, there is ample opportunity in the South
with the current state-of-play at USC and UCLA.
Cal
Record:
7-5/4-5
Coach: Justin
Wilcox
Grade: B
Comment:
Competing sentiments informed the overall grade for Wilcox: We were impressed
that Cal won seven games despite not having Chase Garbers for more than a month
— the ground gained within the division relative to Stanford and Washington is
unmistakable — but we’re also mystified the Bears could be so inept during
Garbers’ absence. The defense remains one of the best-coached units in the
conference, but Cal must find ways to generate more production offensively.
Nonetheless, Cal fans should be deeply optimistic about the direction of the
program. The future success of the Wilcox era will be shaped in large part with
his decision on the new offensive coordinator.
Colorado
Record:
5-7/3-6
Coach: Mel
Tucker
Grade: A-
Comment: As
noted above, each team’s performance relative to our expectations plays a
central role in the overall grade, and we didn’t expect much from CU,
especially on defense. But nine quarters (out of 48) most influenced our grade:
The wins over Stanford and Washington and the first quarter at Utah. That
late-season stretch … coming when it did (after a five-game losing streak) …
and how it did (physical play at scrimmage) … and powered by upperclassmen who
were recruited by a different staff … that late-season stretch accounts for a
chunk of the A-. Whether Tucker is able to elevate the program consistently
remains very much unknown. But the start was impressive.
Oregon
Record:
11-2/8-1
Coach: Mario
Cristobal
Grade: A
Comment: On
one hand, this: The Ducks wrapped up the division early, won at Washington and
USC, took Auburn to the wire, won the conference, finished No. 6 in the playoff
rankings and are headed to the Rose Bowl. On the other hand, this: They gave
away the Auburn game, struggled against inferior teams, didn’t play to their potential
on offense despite an awesome line and gifted quarterback, and merely did what
they were supposed to do, nothing more (i.e., not playoff berth). The final
determinant for us in assessing Cristobal: The scoreboard. Also, he deserves
major credit for the change at defensive coordinator: Hiring Andy Avalos was
the most influential Pac-12 staff move of the offseason.
Oregon State
Record:
5-7/4-5
Coach:
Jonathan Smith
Grade: A-
Comment: Hard
to be anything other than impressed with Smith’s work, not only on the field
but also with the talent acquisition: His use of transfers to upgrade the depth
chart (in just the right spots) has been superb. The offense was often dynamic,
Jake Luton’s progress was clear, and the defense was one of the most improved
units in the conference. (It couldn’t have gotten worse, but it could have
remained awful.) Who figured the Beavers would be seconds away from
bowl-eligibility. One quibble: We get being aggressive on fourth down,
especially given OSU’s existence within the division hierarchy. But on several
occasions, Smith’s decisions undermined the Beavers’ prospects for victory.
Stanford
Record:
4-8/3-6
Coach: David
Shaw
Grade: D+
Comment: The
extreme number of injuries, especially at offensive line and quarterback,
combined with the ridiculous early-season schedule, were the reasons Shaw
didn’t receive an even lower grade. That said, he’s responsible for the roster
and the staff and the preparation and the playcalling — he’s responsible for
all of it. And the all of it wasn’t any good. The Cardinal lost six games by
double digits, lost badly to USC and Notre Dame and lost to Cal and UCLA for
the first time this decade. Basically, it was a trip back to 2008, the last
time Stanford wasn’t bowl eligible. Except back then, there was more young
talent. Entering his 10th season at his alma mater, Shaw is staring at a
rebuild.
UCLA
Record:
4-8/4-5
Coach: Chip
Kelly
Grade: D
Comment:
Several highly-accomplished head coaches are receiving awfully low grades, but
we call ’em like we see ’em. (And we’re
not done.) In Kelly’s case, the calculation includes an acknowledgment of
UCLA’s inexperience, the extreme roster overhaul and the modest talent at key
positions. However, the outward signs of progress were limited to 15 minutes in
Pullman, a 16-day stretch in late October (consecutive wins over Stanford, ASU
and Colorado) and … absolutely nothing else. The central issue is a defense
that was frequently overrun: Kelly hired Jerry Azzinaro and has, so far,
retained Jerry Azzinaro despite mountainous evidence that a change is
necessary.
USC
Record:
8-4/7-2
Coach: Clay
Helton
Grade: B-
Comment:
Credit where it’s due: Helton produced the finest coaching job of his tenure.
That determination takes into account not only the injuries but also the
decision to hire Graham Harrell and deploy a version of the Air Raid (it’s not
the true Air Raid). At the same time, the BYU loss and the Oregon wipeout and
the baffling game management and the endless penalties — the lack of discipline
has been a fixture of the Helton era — undercut any thought of a higher grade.
Despite all the stumbling and bumbling, the Trojans have a significant
advantage in personnel over all but a few teams on their schedule. Who else has
a tailback like Kenan Christon on the fourth string?
Utah
Record:
11-2/8-1
Coach: Kyle
Whittingham
Grade: A
Comment: Had
the Utes won the conference, an A+ would have been warranted: Whittingham did
everything right, beginning with the decision to hire Andy Ludwig and
reconfigure the secondary (Julian Blackmon’s move to safety). What’s more,
Whittingham managed to keep the Utes revving at high intensity even as they
mashed opponents week upon week. The one flaw in the depth chart, the
offensive, was exposed in the title game. We’ve written this previously but
it’s worth repeating: No program in the conference has better combination of 1)
head coach personality 2) style of play and 3) readily-accessible recruiting
pool. That alignment is essential.
Washington
Record:
7-5/4-5
Coach: Chris Petersen
Grade: D+
Comment: The
Huskies entered the season with a flawed roster — new quarterback, wobbly
wideouts and an overhauled defense — and the limitations showed repeatedly. But
we were struck by the lifeless performances (Stanford and Colorado), the
continued ineffectiveness in situational football (red zone, third down), and
the lack of development at several positions, especially receiver. So often, it
seemed like something wasn’t right with the Huskies. When Petersen announced he
was stepping down because of burnout, it all made sense. If the head coach
isn’t fresh and energized each week, the trickle down is unavoidable. Staleness
in Seattle leads to face plants in Boulder.
Washington
State
Record:
6-6/3-6
Coach: Mike
Leach
Grade: C+
Comment: It’s
not as simple as concluding the offense (39 ppg/11th FBS) deserves an A and the
defense (31 ppg/95th FBS) deserves a D and we split the difference to arrive at
Leach’s grade. But it’s pretty close to that simple. Leach again produced an
effective attack with a new quarterback, and we’re hesitant to downgrade him
substantially for the defensive failings under Tracy Claeys because Claeys ran
the 2018 defense that was 42nd nationally in scoring. Much of the trouble was
with personnel. Winning 8+ games every year is preposterously difficult in
Pullman. The Cougars’ run was going to end sooner than later. The continued
Apple Cup issues played a role, albeit small, in the overall grade.
:::
