Moved up to #5 in Baseball America

[Jacksondevildog]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/colle...kjSC82ywpGd.97

[missouridawg]

That's crazy talk. Especially considering we have no Sunday starter.

If we somehow find a way to shore up Sunday, I think we are a top10 team pretty easily. And will host. But Sunday has to be figured out in the next two weekends, or that won't happen.

[BulldogBear]

Pleased but surprised. What did we do this week to look top 5? I think we can thank Vanderbilt and maybe even FAU for this high regard.

[msstate7]

That's crazy talk. Especially considering we have no Sunday starter.

If we somehow find a way to shore up Sunday, I think we are a top10 team pretty easily. And will host. But Sunday has to be figured out in the next two weekends, or that won't happen.

I agree

[Coach34]

We have the meat of our schedule coming the month. We'll learn alot about this bunch and see if we can get any growth out of the back end of the staff. They have no choice but to grow up or we gonna take some hits. It's a good reward for right now though

[Todd4State]

I love our team but that's surprisingly high.

[Ifyouonlyknew]

I think it's surprising because we analyze our team with a fine tooth comb. Truth is everybody has flaws we just magnify ours. Vandy was unbeatable until we went to Nashville & took 2 of 3. All this week Florida was the most complete team in baseball until Kentucky took 2 of 3. Every team has issues. When we're at our peak we can play with & beat anybody we also can lose to anybody when we're not focused. Are we top 5 right now? Maybe not but we have that ability.

[GreenheadDawg]

I think it's surprising because we analyze our team with a fine tooth comb. Truth is everybody has flaws we just magnify ours. Vandy was unbeatable until we went to Nashville & took 2 of 3. All this week Florida was the most complete team in baseball until Kentucky took 2 of 3. Every team has issues. When we're at our peak we can play with & beat anybody we also can lose to anybody when we're not focused. Are we top 5 right now? Maybe not but we have that ability.

Well said. We can find a couple guys to step up out of the bullpen we are top 10 easy. Bullpen is going to make or break this season

[maroonmania]

I think it's surprising because we analyze our team with a fine tooth comb. Truth is everybody has flaws we just magnify ours. Vandy was unbeatable until we went to Nashville & took 2 of 3. All this week Florida was the most complete team in baseball until Kentucky took 2 of 3. Every team has issues. When we're at our peak we can play with & beat anybody we also can lose to anybody when we're not focused. Are we top 5 right now? Maybe not but we have that ability.

Right now its just a major issue that we only have 2 dependable starting pitchers. If we had lost the Sunday game to GA by a 7-6 score I think most of us would feel much better but its just the way our Sunday guys are getting demolished and can't seem to find the strike zone that are of such concern. We don't need a 3rd ace but we do need some guys that will at least give us a chance in the 3rd game. Right now we don't have that, so far giving up double digit runs in both SEC series in the last game.

[smootness]

Right now its just a major issue that we only have 2 dependable starting pitchers. If we had lost the Sunday game to GA by a 7-6 score I think most of us would feel much better but its just the way our Sunday guys are getting demolished and can't seem to find the strike zone that are of such concern. We don't need a 3rd ace but we do need some guys that will at least give us a chance in the 3rd game. Right now we don't have that, so far giving up double digit runs in both SEC series in the last game.

This is something we need to get fixed, but it's also being overblown by State fans. First, it's a small sample size. And second, it happens. I feel pretty confident that someone will step up to give us some consistency on Sundays. I can pretty much guarantee you that a ton of teams in the top 25 have a similar issue right now, but State fans notoriously evaluate us in a vacuum.

[maroonmania]

This is something we need to get fixed, but it's also being overblown by State fans. First, it's a small sample size. And second, it happens. I feel pretty confident that someone will step up to give us some consistency on Sundays. I can pretty much guarantee you that a ton of teams in the top 25 have a similar issue right now, but State fans notoriously evaluate us in a vacuum.

I agree its a relatively small sample size and I am not going overboard about it but we have now seen a Johnny wholestaff implosion in 4 of our 7 losses so far. Those being FAU (10-6), EKU (16-12), Vandy (12-6) and GA (11-8). With even decent pitching we win 2 or 3 of those games. Its a significant concern no doubt.

[smootness]

I agree its a relatively small sample size and I am not going overboard about it but we have now seen a Johnny wholestaff implosion in 4 of our 7 losses so far. Those being FAU (10-6), EKU (16-12), Vandy (12-6) and GA (11-8). With even decent pitching we win 2 or 3 of those games. Its a significant concern no doubt.

It's college baseball, there are going to be games like that. We've held opposing teams to 5 runs or fewer in 16 of our wins, 3 of our losses, and our one tie. I'm ok with our pitching right now. We need to find another dependable starter, but our pen has been pretty good in most games and a lot of our depth is young and learning.

[Mjoelner34]

I agree its a relatively small sample size and I am not going overboard about it but we have now seen a Johnny wholestaff implosion in 4 of our 7 losses so far. Those being FAU (10-6), EKU (16-12), Vandy (12-6) and GA (11-8). With even decent pitching we win 2 or 3 of those games. Its a significant concern no doubt.

I wish we would let Pilkington go longer. Hopefully he has a good night tomorrow night and will become a Sunday guy for us. In his last 2 outings vs. EKU and Valley State, he has thrown 98 pitches in 9 innings allowing only 1 run with 11 K's, 3 BB's and 5 hits. During the remainder of those two games (10 innings), the rest of our bullpen allowed 16 runs, 5 walks, 19 hits and 11 K's.

[Todd4State]

This is something we need to get fixed, but it's also being overblown by State fans. First, it's a small sample size. And second, it happens. I feel pretty confident that someone will step up to give us some consistency on Sundays. I can pretty much guarantee you that a ton of teams in the top 25 have a similar issue right now, but State fans notoriously evaluate us in a vacuum.

You just nailed every MSU fan. Complain about EKU everyday. Ignore series wins over Vandy on the road, South Alabama, Georgia, USC on the road, and a sweep of Oregon.

The other thing is we have time to fix it at this point. We have Pilkington who has pitched well up to this point- but his big test is tomorrow. As others have said, if he does well against USM he will probably get the next look. He might have gotten the start Sunday against Georgia if he was RH because of Cohen and Wes overplaying how UGA's hitters looked against our RH pitching. We're going to pitch a lot of people tomorrow so they may limit his pitch count on Tuesday and then see how he does Sunday on another limited pitch count.

If Pilkington isn't ready Zac Houston has some starting experience and the best he has looked this year was his last start. We certainly could go back to Daniel Brown as well- we just have to not overextend him and we're going to have to piggy back someone with him. A change of scenery might do Tatum some good as well and that's another option.

[MetEdDawg]

Agreed Coach. We play OM, @UF, TAMU, and @LSU. 6-6 through that gauntlet would be my expectation and I don't think you could find a team in the country that you could say would 100% for sure do better than that through those 12 games, especially considering our Sunday pitching woes.

If we win more than 6 that would certainly impress the hell out of me and I would be very content with that. Means we won 3 series or swept at least one team which either way looks really good for us as those would all be quality wins.

[shannondawg]

Only MSU fans can argue that we are ranked too high.

[AROB44]

Only MSU fans can argue that we are ranked too high.

+1

[smootness]

Only MSU fans can argue that we are ranked too high.

Yep. The last 3 weeks, we have swept Oregon, beat Vandy 2/3 on the road, and then beat a decent UGA 2/3. That's a phenomenal stretch and should bump you way up in the rankings. Our fans care way too much about those 2 midweek losses last week.

[Political Hack]

Yep. The last 3 weeks, we have swept Oregon, beat Vandy 2/3 on the road, and then beat a decent UGA 2/3. That's a phenomenal stretch and should bump you way up in the rankings. Our fans care way too much about those 2 midweek losses last week.

I'm honestly still pissed about that and opening weekend. We'd be top 3 if it weren't for losing those crap games. Maybe #1.

[shannondawg]

I'm honestly still pissed about that and opening weekend. We'd be top 3 if it weren't for losing those crap games. Maybe #1.

More than you were at Mullen for the end of the LSU game?