Tough games to watch, but going in the Tigers were clear underdogs and I think they acquitted themselves pretty well on the diamond. I thought we played brilliantly in game 1; strange as it sounds scoring 4 runs off Mike Leake is something to be proud of. And we had a chance to come back right up to the end. I had higher hopes for Game 2, but I don't think anyone anticipated Josh Spence's start after being slowed by a hand injury for so long. If anything, I was a little surprised ASU went with Spence, and thought we stood a reasonable chance of putting some crooked numbers on the board before the game started.
In the end though, it was just what I feared--ASU's starting arms were just too good. But, hey, let's remember the concerns surrounding the Clemson program going season. I'll try to take a closer look at why the team did better in the next week or so, but for now tip of the hat to Jack Leggett, I for one saw this team as nothing more than a .500 squad. The job he and his staff did getting just about every hitter in the lineup to take a step forward over last year's campaign was remarkable, I think the swing in offensive production from below league average to well above average was the difference this year. Also, giving the young, promising hitters time at the expense of some of the upperclassmen not only led to an increase in production at the plate, it will also form an experienced core for next year's team. That's not the easiest path to take as a coach, but it was definitely the right choice for the program. Looking forward to next year, let's get back to Omaha!
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