https://d1baseball.com/rankings/2018...season-top-25/
Only 8 SEC teams in the top 16
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https://d1baseball.com/rankings/2018...season-top-25/
Only 8 SEC teams in the top 16
I know UM played a lot of freshmen last year but why are they getting so much respect? On the flip side, I am glad we are ranked but if Canny is able to develop some hitters then we might be pretty damn good if we can keep away injuries. If Mangum doesn't punch a wall last year, we might have went to Omaha. We will miss Rooker and Downtown Brown but we will probably be better top to bottom this year.
Their starting pitching should be very good. If they hit, they will be hell. (Rebels)
Rooker and Cody are huge losses from an on-field and off-field perspective. Some young guys need to grow up quick. I think we’re more talented and the pitching should be better, but we’re going to lose a lot of pop, versatility defensively, and grit with those two leaving.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tbonewannabe
If Ethan small is the guy the coaches think he can be and gives us on Saturdays what pilk gives us on Fridays, we will live up to the ranking.
With 6 SEC-west teams ranked in the top-16 with LSU being last at #16... gonna be awesome!Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
12th in the country, and 4th in our division. Geez.
Basically the year we lost to UCLA, they rode 2 badass starters and 1 closer. If Ethan Small is close to what Pilk gave us last year then we might make Omaha.Quote:
Originally Posted by confucius say
The new balls have changed that. Use the new balls in 2013 and UCLA is put out of Omaha in 2 games.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tbonewannabe
And by the way, they actually had 3 badass starters and a closer.
He's 94-96 right now and locating fastball and slider, per our coaches. Coach also said he has better "stuff" than Pilk, but cautioned concern based on pilk has done it before against sec competition and small never has. We'll see.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tbonewannabe
Pilk is also very consistent. Reminds me of Maholm on the mound. You just know he is going to pound the strike zone and give you at least 7 innings every time out. If Small lives up to billing and then have Billingsley and France fighting over the Sunday spot then that is a great lineup. It will help not to have to throw Riley and Price 2 times a weekend. By the end of the year, those guys were wore out.Quote:
Originally Posted by confucius say
Ole Miss is ranked ahead of us because the baseball recruiting media loved their class a couple of years ago. Their pitching should be good and I think they will be very solid defensively- especially at catcher and SS. I'm not sold on their hitting though. The bad thing for them is they probably will lose most of their pitching to the draft before their hitters fully mature.
We will probably be a little bit better than the baseball recruiting media thinks because Ethan Small is in an unknown to them right now. I think we will start him on Sundays initially because he is just now coming back from Tommy John but if he is dominant as Cann indicates he is- he could potentially move up to Saturday. I think we'll go with Pilkington, France, and Small on the weekends at least initially. I think we'll use Billingsley as our primary midweek guy- but he could be in the rotation if someone doesn't pan out. I think Self will be the closer but we won't work him as much as last year. Cole Gordon will probably pitch a lot out of the bullpen- I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a star next year and I could see him also ending up being the closer too. Zach Neff is a grad transfer that will help the pen out a lot and maybe Blake Smith too if he's healthy. Spencer Price is another solid arm that can close too. Jared Leibelt reminds me a lot of Justin Pigott and I could see us using him a lot in a long relief role. Trysten Barlow can be a good LOOGY for us. McQuary has good stuff but needs to learn how to command it. I think Ashcraft is hurt again- but I could be wrong. I thought I heard someone say that though.
I kind of like the rumor of Stovall being the catcher. That would help us get another potentially good bat in the lineup at another position. It depends on Marshall Gilbert and Dustin Skelton and how much they adjust to the SEC and improve as players.
I hope MacNamee hits 10 home runs but it will probably be closer to 5-8 at first base. Hopefully LA stays healthy- he has some power and actually could be an upgrade over Gridley if he is healthy. Stovall could certainly be at second but if he isn't I could see Tanner Allen starting there. He's the guy that we flipped from Manieri and will probably start somewhere for us next year. Not sure what we'll do at third base but I like Jordan Westburg's potential there. Could be Allen if Stovall is at second.
Mangum is an All-SEC player. He can hit for average and play plus defense. Needs to play within himself and not try to do too much at times. Vansau is a veteran player that could hit 5-10 home runs. I think Cann will start Tanner Poole because he has spoken highly of him in the offseason. Hopefully Cann works his magic with him- but we'll see what happens. I think Jordan Anderson will start if not play a lot. He's a former UA AA that had some injuries his senior year. Like the other freshmen it just depends on how quickly he adjust to the SEC as to what we get out of him.
I think we're probably a SR team again. Cann has said that this year is better than last years- I think I agree with him. Even though we lost Rooker who carried us at times like the Governor's Cup and the Kentucky game where he hit 3 home runs, our pitching is a lot healthier and should be a LOT better. Last year kind of reminded me of 2011 where we were kind of a patch work team but we made it to the SR at a SEC opponent and played our asses off but ultimately couldn't finish them off because we ran out of arms. Defensively we should be very good with whatever lineup we go with. The hitting is going to come down to how quickly a few freshmen can adjust and also how much our veterans improve. That could be a good bit because Cann didn't make too many major adjustments last year because of the timing of his hire. We may have a little more power than some people think too- depending on how guys progress. We'll see how our offense looks after a full year of Cann.
Buy or Sell that Manieri whines about not getting any respect? BUYQuote:
Originally Posted by WSOPdawg
I'd love to play them in about 2-3 years in Starkville in a SR once Cann has completely built his team. We would probably completely kick their ass in and we would probably see Manieri actually cry and try to blame the umpires while taking credit for developing Cann.
I think Foscue is going to be a factor at 3B. He has some pop.
Very true.Quote:
Originally Posted by HoopsDawg
I?ll buy too. He whines about everythingQuote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
didn?t have any known answers going into 2017 and still made a Super. We are going to win it all this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Commercecomet24
I wouldn?t put anything past Cann. We are fortunate to have him!Quote:
Originally Posted by pilldawg
Todd, you may be right on small on sundays, but Cann said if the season started today he would be Saturday guy. Also said Stovall would be at second and Gilbert at catcher. And tanner Allen would be playing somewhere, prob corner outfield opposite Vansau, bc of his offense.
And Ashcraft is hurt again. It's his hip again, but not the same one he injured last year.
Small starting on Saturday surprises me because he is coming off of the injury plus France having a lot of experience. I just worry about him going deep into games to start the year against the other teams number two and how that could potentially affect our bullpen.Quote:
Originally Posted by confucius say
I'm good with Stovall at second because with him and LA there it would give us one of the best MIF combinations in the league and country defensively. With Allen and Vansau in the outfield it would make Poole the DH or odd man out.
I think we will once he gets his recruits in. We're looking at three top 10 recruiting classes in a row potentially starting with next year's group of freshmen. That's what we have to have to be elite in this league and in the cuontry as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by pilldawg
I could see Allen at DH too just to get poole's defense on the field. Or Poole as a late inning defensive replacement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
My hope is that Jordan Anderson cracks the lineup and adds some power as a freshman. But yes, Poole could be a late inning defensive replacement guy/pinch runner.Quote:
Originally Posted by confucius say