I’m not going to sugarcoat it: our backs are up against the wall. Here’s the thing, though... we were in this exact same spot after our Game Two loss to The Jorts in Hooverville.

We’ve been here before.

Last week, following our kick down to the Loser’s Bracket, we them steamrolled Ramajama, The Jorts, and aTm. Those teams are much harder competition than having to beat Xavier this afternoon, Oregon tonight, and Oregon again on Monday.

We can do this. We’ve been here before.

As for last night’s game, there were more than a couple shitty calls that preserved Ducks’ at bats, innings, and led directly to runs; some missed opportunities; meh pitching by Mr. Manager; poor pitching by The Ginth (and a much poorer decision by Corbs and Brownie to keep him in there when he clearly didn’t have it); and an unreal bare-handed, based loaded, 2 out gun down by the Ducks third baseman of Alan Espinal that, well, pretty much no college baseball player makes. If any of these things go in our favor, we win this game and are in a very different position today. They didn’t, so we must claw our way out of the basement death pit.

But we will not put the lotion on our skin; we will not get the hose again; and we’ve got your little dog, you monster.

Oh, and we play The Xavier Convertin’ Jesuits today. I’m not going to preview their best hitters or pitchers, as 1) Dr. Zaius threw around 110 pitches Friday, and 2) This game will be about how we respond to last night’s loss. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing.

On the Mound

Sunday @ 2:00pm CT on ESPNU/ESPN+

#40 Vanderbilt Sr. RHP Sam “The Perfect Stranger” Hliboki (3-3; 5.27 ERA)

vs. #34 Xavier So. RHP Luke “The Ralston Valley Righty“ Hoskins (6-2; 4.79 ERA), as he pitched 3rd in the Big East Tournament, following Dr. Zaius and Bosacker, the two pitchers Xavier went with in their first two games of this Regional, as well.

The Lineup

See you in the comments.