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"\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0John Manuel is going to get the ball rolling with the chat \\u2014 I\\u2019ll be joining you in 10-15 minutes after I finish up Three Strikes.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mike (Florida):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0At the Mid Season Point, after what you have observed who would be your 8 for Omaha?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Manuel:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Aaron and I didn\\u2019t exactly put it this way on the podcast today, but I\\u2019m pretty sure we agree that the top six on our current Rankings would be in there \\u2014 UNC, Vandy, LSU, Fullerton, Virginia and Oregon State. I am the least confident of UVA in that group just from a standpoint of youth and who they\\u2019ve played, but 29-3 is loud. Then I\\u2019m pretty sure Aaron would throw in Louisville and Indiana as his other 8 for Omaha teams. I would put Oklahoma and South Carolina instead. I don\\u2019t see the Sooners dropping a super regional with Gray &amp;amp; Overton, and the Gamecocks almost seem to be in cruise control and still haven\\u2019t turned it on yet, but by other teams\\u2019 standards, they are having a great year.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ted (Shreveport, LA):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Afternoon Aaron. I always enjoy your chats and articles. Now, lets get down to business. I'm trying to understand the ranking system for the top 25. In reality, I know that college baseball rankings are really irrelevant for the most part until late in the season, but I was just wondering, is it possible to move up in the poll in any way if the teams ahead of you don't lose their weekend series? Considering that UNC lost to Clemson on Monday and have only faced 1 ranked opponent at this time, wouldn't it make sense that Vandy or LSU would ultimately move ahead of them? I understand not punishing teams for losing single games over the course of a week, but it seems that the ranking model doesn't reward teams for beating stronger opponents once the season gets moving. Again, I don't mean to be insulting at all. I appreciate all of the work you guys do. I'm just a little confused as to your system of ranking teams.&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Manuel:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Ted, I appreciate the tone of the question. I don\\u2019t think there\\u2019s anything confusing about our rankings, though. North Carolina started the year No. 1 and has won 29 of 31 games. It hasn\\u2019t been a strong schedule; that\\u2019s a fair critique. But I do not see moving a team down from No. 1 for going 29-2, and I don\\u2019t know any other sport where that kind of thing would happen. I would say Vanderbilt and LSU haven\\u2019t had much stronger schedules. They have been stronger, but not by a ton, and not by enough to move them ahead of UNC. Vandy won a series at Oregon, its most impressive showing. sweeping Ole Miss looks good on paper, but you know, Ole Miss has lost three straight series. Other series wins vs. Auburn, Tennessee and Florida, which is clearly rebuilding and under .500 still. LSU\\u2019s sweep of Kentucky and beating Miss. State in a series are better than what UNC has on its resume of beating Miami and Clemson, and the Astros College Classic. But neither of those schedules are \\u201cwow\\u201d schedules. The only \\u201cwow\\u201d schedule so far to me of the top five teams is Fullerton.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Robert (SoCal):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0The Top 25 seems to be a little west coast light right now. What are the other west coast teams you see moving into the Top 25 by the end of the season that aren't there now?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Manuel:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I guess that\\u2019s because we moved Poly and USD out this week because they lost series. West Coast teams have been part of the churn at the back of the rankings as much as anyone else \\u2014 seems like we\\u2019ve ranked UC Irvine and Gonzaga as well this year, and Stanford and Arizona . . . I could see any of those six teams moving back in at any time. No one seems to want to stay in the 18-25 range. Very frustrating poll year.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hubert (South Carolina):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Do you see Campbell getting into the top 25 anytime soon after sweeping a good PC team on the road? Hard to argue with that record they have.&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Manuel:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Hubert, I just have to ask \\u2026 did you look at the rankings before you posted this? Campbell is ranked!! Wow. Anyway, yeah, Campbell has won a lot of games. It hasn\\u2019t been a great schedule and the Camels just lost a series to Radford the week before, but they have had consistent success this year against a decent schedule, and no one else will wins a freaking game. They took advantage of the general malaise among other teams taht probably are more talented. Campbell does run like crazy and has pitched better than we expected this year. It\\u2019s a tough club, but I do not believe Aaron is a big believer that Campbell will unseat Coastal Carolina in the Big South. Right now though it\\u2019s taking care of business in that league and beating solid teams in mid-week games.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daniel (Montana):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0What does Jonathan Gray have to do in order to place himself ahead of Mark Appel as the first choice for the Houston Astros? Is it more a matter of Appel losing ground than Gray making it up?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Manuel:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Aaron and I talked about this quite a bit in the Google+ Hangout today, which is archived here: http:\\/\\/www.baseballamerica.com\\/college\\/college-top-25-google-hangout-april-8\\/ What we think matters less than what the Astros think of course. They may already have Gray ahead of Appel.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Manuel:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0OK, guys, I\\u2019m handing it back to Aaron. Thanks for slumming with me for a few minutes . . .&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bill Fesmire (Collierville, TN):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Vanderbilt has gotten plenty of love this season for the pollsters and the pitching has been great. The last several series, our hitting has stagnant save the outburst on Sunday. Do you think we have the offensive firepower to compete with the LSU and North Carolina's?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Well, I do think Ole Miss has a very talented pitching staff, and teams generally aren\\u2019t going to score too many runs against those guys, so I don\\u2019t think this low-scoring series is anything to worry about. The previous weekend, Vandy scored 24 runs in three games against Tennessee, so I think the offense is fine. I think Vandy does have more offensive upside as Conrad Gregor heats up and some of the exciting younger players like Turner and Wiseman continue to develop. I think Vandy is right there with LSU and North Carolina when it comes to being a complete team \\u2014 I am not worried about the firepower.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zach (Louisville):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0How far do you see Louisville going this year with them relying on great pitching and a lot of 2 out hitting in big situations?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0As John guessed at the top of the chat, I think Louisville is an Omaha team \\u2014 I really like the depth of that roster, the quality of the pitching, the experience and the athleticism. That lineup is filled with older guys who have been around the block, and I think that\\u2019s one reason they have a knack for timely hitting. And that pitching staff is outstanding.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LMU Lion (Joplin, MO):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Having held their own while facing the tougher teams in the conference so far, Loyola Marymount has a good shot at winning the WCC. But their lack of power worries me \\u2013 they still haven\\u2019t hit a home run (1,018 ABs!). Triples (they have 12) might be the most exciting play in baseball, but chicks dig the long ball. I\\u2019d like to see a few balls deposited into the netting above the Mikos Blue Monster.&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0We were high on LMU in the preseason (we picked them to make a regional, in fact), so I\\u2019m not surprised to see that team playing better. I caught half of Friday\\u2019s game against USD, and Colin Welmon is the real deal \\u2014 guy really knows how to pitch, and the stuff is good. He was up to 93 with a power slider at 81-84, a good changeup and curveball. You\\u2019re right that the lineup is not very imposing, but I\\u2019m surprised Colton Plaia hasn\\u2019t hit any balls out yet, because he does have some pop. I think the WCC is pretty wide open right now, but LMU should be in the thick of it.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;William (Montana):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Aaron, you have no idea how much this chat helps get through a Monday! Any suprises with the UCLA\\/Oregon State game? I think you said you could see it going either way? Is Oregon State still seperating in the Pac-12 or is it bunching a bit more towards the top? Thanks!&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I thought that series could go either way because I was worried about OSU\\u2019s defense without Tyler Smith. With Tyler Smith, I think OSU is the best team in the Pac-12, and the Beavers played well this weekend with Smith limited to late-innings defensive subbing. I don\\u2019t think there is a huge gulf between Oregon State and the rest of that league, but I do think the Beavers are the most complete team in that conference, and I think they showed that this weekend. I still really like Oregon\\u2019s team too, but the Ducks need to start beating the good teams on their schedule \\u2014 they have lost all three of their series against ranked teams. I feel like the two Oregon teams are the two best teams in the league, then UCLA and Arizona State.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Chad (Texas):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Aaron, what's your assessment of the Big 12 so far? Oklahoma seems to be the favorite but Baylor seems to have stepped it up after a slow start and OSU and the Kansas schools are playing a good brand of baseball. Overall, the conference seems pretty tightly bunched from top to bottom.&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I think there\\u2019s Oklahoma, then a sizable gap, then everybody else. All the other teams seem pretty bunched together in my eyes \\u2014 none of them has separated from the pack yet. To me, it feels like a pretty mediocre group, after Oklahoma. Baylor has won two straight series, but they\\u2019re still just a .500 team overall, and I\\u2019m really not sold on their talent level this year.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Robert (Jacksonville, Oregon):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0What are your sources telling you when Jace Fry will return to the Beavers and how will that affect them in the playoffs?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Soon! Pat Casey indicated to me yesterday that Fry could probably be available now if they Beavers needed him, but they are easing him back cautiously. Apparently he has looked really good in side sessions. You can never have too many quality arms \\u2014 he\\u2019ll give them a nice boost in the second half, because he\\u2019s probably got the best arm on the whole staff.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Robert (Work):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Have you ever heard of a situation where a scout\\/organization worries about a potential draft pick is \\\"too nice?\\\" I overheard a couple of scouts this weekend discussing Mark Appel, and they mentioned that they felt like he incapable of being a cold-blooded competitor like... (then they rattled off several names of HoFers and Potential HoFers) One of the scouts suggested that the numbers not matching the ability (before this year) could be explained by Appel's being \\\"too nice.\\\"&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I\\u2019ll tell you, Mark Appel is really nice \\u2014 that is the truth. But too nice? I\\u2019m not buying that. He\\u2019s a very good competitor, and it\\u2019s hard to quibble too much with his results last year \\u2014 he won 10 games and had a 2.56 ERA, there\\u2019s nothing wrong with that. I liked how he battled Friday without his \\u201cA\\u201d stuff. I think he\\u2019s got great makeup. He doesn\\u2019t strike me as one of those guys who\\u2019s filled with hate on the mound, but I don\\u2019t think you need that kind of mentality to be successful. I think he\\u2019s plenty competitive.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daniel (Arkansas):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Hey Aaron, you excited to come to Fayetteville this weekend? Baum should be insane. Thoughts on the series?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I haven\\u2019t been this fired up about a series in a long time \\u2014 really looking forward to that atmosphere, and to seeing all the talent on both sides. That series is going to be a blast. The way LSU is playing right now, it\\u2019s hard to bet against them, even on the road. But Arkansas has played much better over the last couple of weeks, so this should be a great test for both teams.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Whenitstrikesme (NYC):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Aaron: We saw some incredible defensive catching in Oxford last weekend with Navin and Turner squaring off (and each chipped in with 4 hits on Sunday). Navin won the throwing battle, but man can Turner really frame up pitchers. If you had to rank the top 5 offensive catchers and top 5 defensive catchers, who would they be?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0From a defensive point of view, I think those two and Ty Ross are the cream of the crop. Offensively, I\\u2019ll go with Indiana\\u2019s Kyle Schwarber and New Mexico\\u2019s Mitch Garver along with Turner. Turner is the best all-around catcher, the way I see it.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;JH (CA):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Too early for a 2015 draft question? If not (and acknowledging that everything will look different in 2 years) who's the better draft prospect, Alex Bregman or Skye Bolt?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I would lean toward the shortstop over the outfielder (even though Bregman\\u2019s probably not a shortstop in the big leagues), but Bolt is pretty special too. Like you said, a long way to go on that question. Both guys have serious offensive ability, athleticism and makeup.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brett (Jax, Fl):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Aaron- any thoughts on the season Scott Sitz is having for the Noles? After giving up 1 unearned run yesterday in 8 innings, he's 6-0 with a 0.57 ERA in 47 innings pitched. He's not as good a prospect as Luke Weaver (having an outstanding season as well), but Sitz has come out of nowhere to be probably the best Sunday starter in the country.&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Sitz has been a major key to Florida State\\u2019s success, certainly. I wouldn\\u2019t say he came out of nowhere \\u2014 he was very good in Omaha last year, if you recall. But he\\u2019s definitely gotten a lot better in the last 12 months. He\\u2019s just a competitive bulldog who knows how to use his slider, almost the prototypical Florida State pitcher.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;bill (hamilton,nj):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Hey, Aaron...a little NE talk here....Delaware has now won 12 in a row, MAAC leading Rider swept a good Canisius team, Maine has been playing pretty good ball last month or so. The Ivy looks like the strength is in the Gehrig Division. Rutgers has done well vs. a very difficult schedule. Granted, there probably isn't a team the quality of Stony Brook 2012 out there, but what NE team stands the best chance of causing havoc in the NCAA's? Thanks...&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0That was a nice statement weekend for Rider, because I admittedly thought Canisius was the team to beat in the MAAC. I don\\u2019t see any of these teams being really dangerous in the postseason like Stony Brook was last year, but I am intrigued by that Delaware team. Very good offensive club with a real stud in Jimmy Yezzo. If those guys get hot at the right time, they could be dangerous.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Scott (Minnesota):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0The B1G. Indiana is very good, however, something tells me the B1G regular season title isn't theirs quite yet. Now that my Gophers have their top 3 starters back from injury, am I onto something, or am I on something, when I say that Minnesota could win the conference? Windle is just plain nasty and Snelton looked very impressive during his one hitter on Sunday. Your thoughts...&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Well, I believe that Indiana is clearly the best team in the league and will win the conference title. But you are right that Minnesota should be a real factor now that those arms are healthy. And Nebraska has played well in conference now that its meat-grinder preconference schedule is over. But I just don\\u2019t think any team is as well-rounded as Indiana.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ScottAZ (Phx, AZ):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0any word on the status of ASU's talented freshman hurler Brett Lilek? He hasn't pitched in a while&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0My understanding is he was dealing with some \\u201carm tenderness,\\u201d but frankly I thought he\\u2019d be back by now\\u2026 He\\u2019s a key piece for them, because pitching depth is not exactly their strength.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;David (Laguna Niguel):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Eshelman at Fullerton might go the whole season without walking a batter. Hopefully an IBB doesn't ruin it! Have you ever seen a college pitcher at any level approach 80-100 IP with nary a walk?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I have not \\u2014 it\\u2019s just about the most insane thing I\\u2019ve ever heard. 58 innings without a walk? I mean, come on! That\\u2019s just unreal.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tim (Arlington, VA):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0With sweeps the last two weeks and two important pitching performances on Sunday (the return from injury of Jordan Montgomery and a return to form of Colby Holmes), is this starting to seem like another South Carolina team that could end up finding it's stride right in time for the post-season?&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0It sure feels like it, doesn\\u2019t it? The Montgomery and Holmes developments were huge this weekend.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;tt&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Marty (Wilmington, DE):&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0Hi Aaron. Love the chats. Any chance the CAA is more than a one-bid league this year? Delaware &amp;amp; W&amp;amp;M are off to strong starts. Thanks&lt;\\/tt&gt;&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0I do think it has a chance, yes. We even projected William &amp;amp; Mary as an at-large team in last week\\u2019s field of 64 projection. Those teams are in solid RPI shape early, and both seem like pretty good clubs. I think the CAA does have a shot at two bids.&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaron Fitt:&lt;\\/strong&gt;\\u00a0OK everybody, that\\u2019s all for today. Thanks for stopping by. See you next week from Fayetteville!&lt;\\/p&gt;\\n\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/college-top-25-chat-april-8/>