Zac Houston had an Ok day in the Cape

[Todd4State]

6 IP, 0 hits and 9K's.

Maybe Kyle Peterson was right about him pitching in our rotation next year after all.

[DistrictDawg92]

He's going to be a force next year. Any stats on Dakota from this summer yet?

[Todd4State]

He's going to be a force next year. Any stats on Dakota from this summer yet?

He has been equally filthy and has had scouts buzzing right now. What the stats don't say is he has been consistently at 92-94 with his fastball and his breaking ball has been unhittable.

http://www.pointstreak.com/baseball/...seasonid=29031

[Jacksondevildog]

Todd, I agree with your tweet to MSUBaseball to the effect that we shouldn't have to wait until their junior year to have these type of results. I concur. Other schools do and our pitching coach isn't a retard. We should have guys competing for weekend spots or midweek spots as a freshman.

[Todd4State]

Todd, I agree with your tweet to MSUBaseball to the effect that we shouldn't have to wait until their junior year to have these type of results. I concur. Other schools do and our pitching coach isn't a retard. We should have guys competing for weekend spots or midweek spots as a freshman.

What I want to start seeing is guys like Ethan Small, Jared Padgett, etc. be used out of the bullpen in short one inning stints as freshmen and build their confidence up. Rather than be used sparingly as freshmen, get shelled as sophomores and then have the switch come on.

I hate to give the devil his due, but I like how Ole Miss used Drew Pomeranz. He pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman- and actually built up enough confidence to transition into a longer and more prominent relief role by the end of the year. And then he was ready as a sophomore. The Cardinals have done with that with pitchers before as well- like Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez- and have had a lot of success with it.

[messageboardsuperhero]

What I want to start seeing is guys like Ethan Small, Jared Padgett, etc. be used out of the bullpen in short one inning stints as freshmen and build their confidence up. Rather than be used sparingly as freshmen, get shelled as sophomores and then have the switch come on.

I hate to give the devil his due, but I like how Ole Miss used Drew Pomeranz. He pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman- and actually built up enough confidence to transition into a longer and more prominent relief role by the end of the year. And then he was ready as a sophomore. The Cardinals have done with that with pitchers before as well- like Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez- and have had a lot of success with it.

Amen. Put them in advantageous situations as freshmen to build their confidence- then have them step in and start games as sophomores. Jesse McCord and Dakota Hudson are good examples of what you're talking about- starting weekends as freshmen and getting shelled, then not being used the rest of the year.

Hopefully these rising juniors stepping up will allow our freshmen to come along slowly.

[I seen it dawg]

What I want to start seeing is guys like Ethan Small, Jared Padgett, etc. be used out of the bullpen in short one inning stints as freshmen and build their confidence up. Rather than be used sparingly as freshmen, get shelled as sophomores and then have the switch come on.

I hate to give the devil his due, but I like how Ole Miss used Drew Pomeranz. He pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman- and actually built up enough confidence to transition into a longer and more prominent relief role by the end of the year. And then he was ready as a sophomore. The Cardinals have done with that with pitchers before as well- like Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez- and have had a lot of success with it.

It's not hard to figure out....why can't our genius pitching coach

[smootness]

I think there are a lot more guys throughout the country that only have 'one good year' before leaving than we think. And I think we too often expect big-time results too quickly.

Graveman gave us 3 very good years. Hudson wasn't terrible this year but didn't get a chance to start this year.

Beede only gave Vandy one great year; it just came as a sophomore. Pomeranz gave Ole Miss one great year and one good one.

We don't really bring in as many elite guys as Vandy and LSU do. And beyond that, we're probably pretty normal in terms of how many good years we're getting. I mean, while we're rightly excited about our pitching class, Vandy is bringing in the #12 overall player in the pre-draft rankings to pitch.

[maroonmania]

Todd, I agree with your tweet to MSUBaseball to the effect that we shouldn't have to wait until their junior year to have these type of results. I concur. Other schools do and our pitching coach isn't a retard. We should have guys competing for weekend spots or midweek spots as a freshman.

That was exactly going to be my response, apparently we have guys getting ready to have their one good year as a JR.

[smootness]

I think our clear options for the rotation are Hudson, Sexton, Tatum, and Houston. It's possible one of the freshmen plays their way in there, but I doubt it. I like what we'll have in those 4. The tough thing will be replacing them all when all 4 are likely drafted next year.

[I seen it dawg]

Won't make any difference if the toxicity and stupidity didn't exit at the final out of the last game. Although I do like seeing the progress out of Houston and Hudson.

[Todd4State]

Won't make any difference if the toxicity and stupidity didn't exit at the final out of the last game. Although I do like seeing the progress out of Houston and Hudson.

If they pitch like this, they can be as stupid as they want. But don't allow 8-9 runs and then dance around in the dugout trying to figure out what rally hat to wear.

[DistrictDawg92]

dance around in the dugout trying to figure out what rally hat to wear.

This has gotten out of hand in College Baseball.

[I seen it dawg]

If they pitch like this, they can be as stupid as they want. But don't allow 8-9 runs and then dance around in the dugout trying to figure out what rally hat to wear.

I'm speaking in general not just the pitchers. The team needs to get focused and quit dicking off.

[Tbonewannabe]

Of course he will bring it. Butch always gets great things out of someone their last year. How crazy is it that Holder and Ross Mitchell are the only pitchers that have been worth anything for more than one year.

[Todd4State]

Of course he will bring it. Butch always gets great things out of someone their last year. How crazy is it that Holder and Ross Mitchell are the only pitchers that have been worth anything for more than one year.

I'm honestly not sure what to think of it. Is it a coincidence? I'm not really sure. It's not like we've been sending guys to the same summer league pitching coach and he has "fixed" our guys. All of our pitchers are pitching for different coaches and having similar results minus Austin Sexton so far- and against the top prospects in college baseball. It's like our season ended- and then the switch came on almost immediately. Why?

It's bizarre.

I would include Caleb Reed in your list of guys that have had more than one good season too though.

[DistrictDawg92]

I'm honestly not sure what to think of it. Is it a coincidence? I'm not really sure. It's not like we've been sending guys to the same summer league pitching coach and he has "fixed" our guys. All of our pitchers are pitching for different coaches and having similar results minus Austin Sexton so far- and against the top prospects in college baseball. It's like our season ended- and then the switch came on almost immediately. Why?

It's bizarre.

I would include Caleb Reed in your list of guys that have had more than one good season too though.

Nick Routt had some good years. If he had been on the 2013 team we would've won it all.

[Todd4State]

Nick Routt had some good years. If he had been on the 2013 team we would've won it all.

He was OK. He had some injuries if I recall that limited him some. We definitely needed another quality starter to win the CWS in 2013.

[RDawg90]

If Hudson and Houston take that next step and pitch to their + stuff (Hudson maybe ++), we're going back to Omaha with minimal improvement at the plate… Book that.

[KB21]

In 2012, Vanderbilt's recruiting class rated #1 in the country according to Collegiate Baseball News. They had 7 players drafted from that class that showed up to campus. This is the class that produced Walker Beuhler, Carson Fulmer, Dansby Swanson....etc.

In 2014, Vanderbilt's class rated 24th. Why? Because they lose Touki Toussiant, Cody Reed, Justus Sheffield, and Dylan Cease to the draft. So, Vandy has been hit hard by the draft as well. I think their class did not take a big hit this year, mostly because Cody Everett had some outrageous demands as far as his bonus and is represented by Scott Boras. They will also get the Jones kid from Columbus GA whose name escapes me right now.

In 2013, Mississippi State had the #2 recruiting class in the country, and this is the class that produced Hudson, Houston, Humphreys, Rooker....etc. IMO, the mistake made this year was not relying enough on this class to produce early. I said it before the season, for MSU to be its best, they needed Hudson, Sexton, and Tatum to step up and become the rotation. You can now throw Houston into that mix, but also now they need production from Humphreys, Rooker, and Gavin Collins.

The 2014 class was #6 in the country, so this team has talent on campus. The 2015 class will probably be top 5. Personally, I think we will start to see the results of stacking top class after top class this coming year.