Road to hosting

[smootness]

20 SEC wins is an auto host. 19 very likely.

State: 25-13(10-5):

Alabama- Bama simply isnt very good. 2/3 is a must and a sweep would really build the excitement
Auburn- Butch doing work here. Gonna be a tough series. Sweep Bama and win this series? We will host
@aTm- road series are always tough. A&M is 26-11 and 8-7 in the SEC. Let's say we win 1.
@Georgia- another road series but vs a bad team. Georgia is 15-22 and 4-11 in the SEC. Lets say 2.
LSU- Final weekend of the season vs a good team and program. We'll likely be coming into it with anywhere from 17-19 SEC wins. 17 SEC wins and we'll need to win 2 for sure. A series win likely puts us in as a host.

We go as long as the pitching holds. Getting Billingsley back is another shot in the arm. He stepped up big yesterday- we just couldnt get it done at the plate. Getting Magnum out of a SP role and into a RP mode will be another boost to the staff. Simply amazing how Cann and Henderson are juggling these guys.

I agree on needing at least 19 conference wins. And I think it's very possible. The Bama and UGA series are the key. Win 5 of those and getting to 19 becomes likely.

I don't think Mangum will be used much as a RP, though. And once we get Rigby and Ashcraft back, we hopefully won't really need him there anyway.

[missouridawg]

I don't think Mangum will be used much as a RP, though. And once we get Rigby and Ashcraft back, we hopefully won't really need him there anyway.

I agree with this. If Mangum was a role player, he could be used as a RP. But because he is so key to the top of the offense and the D, bringing him in from CF after a few innings is very, very different than prepping to be a starting pitcher. You just don't see many college players be RP who are offensive starters/stars.

[maroonmania]

I agree with this. If Mangum was a role player, he could be used as a RP. But because he is so key to the top of the offense and the D, bringing him in from CF after a few innings is very, very different than prepping to be a starting pitcher. You just don't see many college players be RP who are offensive starters/stars.

I guess I don't get this. ALL of the guys we've had in our history that I can think of that played in the field and pitched were relief pitchers. Now yes, they were more late closers than middle relief but none were starters that I know of. And I'm talking about guys like Bobby Thigpen, Pete Young and even Reid Humphreys last year. This is really the first year I ever remember us having a guy who plays every day in the field being used as a starter.

[missouridawg]

I guess I don't get this. ALL of the guys we've had in our history that I can think of that played in the field and pitched were relief pitchers. Now yes, they were more late closers than middle relief but none were starters that I know of. And I'm talking about guys like Bobby Thigpen, Pete Young and even Reid Humphreys last year. This is really the first year I ever remember us having a guy who plays every day in the field being used as a starter.

Reid, if I recall correctly, wasn't an everyday fielder. He was platooned in LF and used as a DH often. Which allowed him to be much more rested in the 7th inning than, say, Mangum, who is doing wind sprints in CF for 2 hours before having to come in the game, if used as a RP.