HOLY SHIT, THEY DID IT. After scoring an at-large bid to the 2013 NCAA Baseball Tournament, the William and Mary Tribe defeated 23rd-ranked Ole Miss 4-2 in a first round regional game yesterday, earning the first tournament victory in school history. So, yeah, they're kind of a big deal (tho zman doesn't think so, because he's a zdick). The win also gave the team 38 victories on the year, setting a school record.
Jason Inghram (9-6) was huge on the hill for the Fightin' Tribesters, allowing just two runs and eight hits in eight innings of work, striking out three Rebels and walking one on the day. Senior lefty Matt Wainman (eventually) closed the door in the ninth, tying a Tribe record with his ninth save of the season.
The Pantsless Griffins scored all four of their runs against Ole Miss in the fifth inning, rather unconventionally I might add. To w(h)it:
That's four runs on zero hits, folks. Oh yeah - they did that all with two outs. Pretty freakin' hard to do. Anyhoo, as is the norm with Tribe sports teams, the Rebels eventually began to chip away at the 4-0 lead, and in fact had All American catcher Stuart Turner at the plate as the tying run in the bottom of the ninth with two outs before Wainman sealed the deal on the historic victory.
So, guess we need to briefly preview today's game, right? And we sure as hell aren't going to let rob write the preview, because for a guy that small he is a huge jinx. Which means you get a few more useless words from this guy.
I need to stop googling "Pantsless Griffins"
Tonight, 7pm at Doak Field, William and Mary will take on the top seed in the Raleigh Regional, N.C. State, on their home field. The Wolfpack are ranked seventh in the country entering the tournament, and probably got hosed out of being one of the top eight national seeds. (N.C. State head coach Elliott Avent certainly seems to think so)
Making matters even tougher for the Tribe, they will face N.C. State ace Carlos Rodon this evening. The All-American sophomore is 8-2 this season, and in the ACC tournament last weekend broke the single-season strikeout record (he now has 151 on the year). The Wolfpack defeated Binghamton yesterday 4-1 courtesy of home runs from Tarran Seanay and Trea Turner to set up Saturday's matchup with the Tribe. Also, if you have not seen the catch NC State's Jake Fincher made in yesterday's contest, enjoy it now.
The good news for the Pantsless Griffin faithful is the boys from the Burg will be sending their best pitcher to the hill tonight as well, in All-CAA performer John Farrell. (He is good. And stoic.) He has been discussed a fewtimes on GTB, and hopefully will keep the Wolfpack bats in check long enough for W&M to get a run or two across the plate against Rodon. Hell, the Tribe don't even need hits to score, so how hard can it be?
Earning a victory will be a tall order, Nordberg, but us FUTILE SUPERFANS have faith. In the immortal words of noted thespian Rob Schneider, YOU CAN DO IT.
I was told to write a Tribe NCAA baseball tourney game preview. Well, here you go...(warning, this post is going to be a disaster)
For only the third time in school history, and the first as an at-large bid, the William and Mary Tribe have made the NCAA baseball tournament, despite a lackluster showing in last weekend's CAASe7en tourney (went 2-2, losing to academic bastion Towson in the championship round). The Tribe take the field today at 2pm as the #3 seed in The Raleigh Regional, facing #2 seed Ole Miss. You know what they say, throw our the records when these two get together (no one in their right mind says this). Also in this regional: top-seed NC State and soon-to-be-CAA member Binghamton (I think. conference realignment scares and frightens me. much like an elliptical machine). Regional play is double-elimination, with the pod winner advancing to the Super-Regional. For the hell of it, here's who the Tribe will face after they win the pod (FUTILE SUPERFANS UNITE):
Fun fact: William and Mary has ZERO wins in the NCAA baseball tourney. ZERO. I even checked with twitter to confirm what I think I thought I already knew (I sound like FUPA Peter King now). But hey, unlike the Burg hardcourt denizens, at least these guys have made the dance...
The Pantsless Griffins have made the NCAA tourney two times prior to the 2013 at-large selection, in 2001 as CAA champions and in 1983 as ECAC South champs (now you're just making up conferences). In 2001, Clemson and South Alabama took down the Tribesters. In '83, North Carolina destroyed W&M 11-0 in the first game and then the Tribe lost 13-8 to the scholars of JMU.
Quick aside: You might have heard the (god awful) mascot for William and Mary is a Griffin, a Griffin who lacks a particular piece of clothing. Well, today I learned there is an actual f'ing website called "Dress The Griffin". Seriously. It even has an app. Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one?
Killer chain, bro
Please keep the mythological Greek creature away from the children.
Game preview: Oh, right, the actual contest at hand. W&M enters the game with a record of 37-22, one victory shy of the school record for wins (their 17 CAA victories did set a record). Ole Miss, after beginning the season 19-1, also enters the game with a 37-22 mark. At their highwater mark this season, the Rebels were ranked No. 6 in the nation.
The Tribe will send sophomore Jason Inghram (8-6, 3.46 ERA) to the mound this afternoon, opposed by Ole Miss junior Mike Mayers (5-5, 2.98 ERA). W&M star pitcher John Farrell, a 1st team all-CAA performer, is the likely regional Game 2 starter. I think rob delved a bit into Farrell's outstanding season in a previous post, but since I don't read anything on here, I'll add a few nuggets on the best pitcher the Burg has seen since before WWII. Farrell was 11-2 on the year, with a 2.80 ERA and 86 strikeouts against just 13 walks. The kid is a neuroscience major, and three grafs into this profile of Farrell we get a Marcus Aurelius name drop. Stoicism, for the win.
Moving on...at the dish, the non-pants-wearing Griffins are led by 1B Michael Katz, who is hitting .365 with 5 HRs and 47 RBI entering Friday's action. His plate work is complemented by 2B Ryan Lindemuth, who has a nearly identical offensive line (.363, 4 HR, 47 RBI). As a team, the Tribe hit .296 on the year with 17 home runs, 330 runs batted in and 367 runs scored.
Not to be ignored, Ole Miss has a hitting superstar as well, catcher Stuart Turner. The junior backstop is hitting .381 with five dingers, 44 runs scored and 50 RBI. On Thursday Turner was named to the Collegiate Baseball's All-American team.
TJ, how do I follow along with the action, you may (not) be asking? Hunker down in your cube with TribeAthletics.com (@TribeAthletics) open in your non-porn browser window for live stats and audio, provided by Wes Kempton and new FOG:TB Kris Sears (@kasear). It seems ESPN3 will also be streaming action from all 16 regionals this season, so hit that up if you get it.
Important youtube clip inclusion:
Are you pointing to the sky? Are you #1? Or do you just want everyone to watch the Lloyd Christmas clip again?
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