BASEBALL scrimmage vs. Arkansas State

[KOdawg1]

As a certified hater of Lemon for the last three years (and deservingly so imo), I'll be the first to admit that the lineup looks much improved and deeper this year.

Yes, it's a fall scrimmage. I understand that. But the approach looks different, and Ace Reese and some of the new guys look like beasts.

Currently beating the snot out of ASU 13-1.

Just need some arms to emerge and this team could be pretty good

[KOdawg1]

Ace Reese just belted his 2nd HR of the day to make it 15-1. Dude is legit

[BeardoMSU]

Thank you for this ray of sunshine, to brighten my dark world**

[Thick]

Need some positivity on this board. Thanks for the update!

[R2Dawg]

Good to hear - basketball and baseball to salvage our year.

Oh and don't forget the other football team that is #1 in nation - women's soccer.

[KOdawg1]

17-1 in the 7th inning of a 14 inning scrimmage.

Hines, Highfill, and Reese (x2) all with HRs

[KOdawg1]

17-1 in the 7th inning of a 14 inning scrimmage.

Hines, Highfill, and Reese (x2) all with HRs

It appears they'll split it into 2 7 inning scrimmages because they reset the scoreboard.

State wins scrimmage #1 18-1. Scrimmage #2 starts in a few minutes

[Ranchdawg]

Ace Reese just belted his 2nd HR of the day to make it 15-1. Dude is legit

That is a awesome name for a baseball player!

[Coach34]

Who pitched in Game 1?

[Tripp McNeely]

Charlie Foster started. That's all I know

[KOdawg1]

Who pitched in Game 1?

Charlie Foster, Jacob Pruitt, Robert Fortenberry, Kevin Mannell, Gavin Black, Dane Burns

[Todd4State]

Who pitched in Game 1?

Charlie Foster, Jacob Pruett (gave up run), Robert Fortenberry, Gavin Black, and Kevin Mannell.

[boonedawg]

Don't look now. Lost 1-3 in Game 2.

[KOdawg1]

Don't look now. Lost 1-3 in Game 2.

Lineup was all backups for the 2nd scrimmage.

[Coach34]

Charlie Foster

Damn. That tells me he is pushing hard for innings this Spring

[Todd4State]

Damn. That tells me he is pushing hard for innings this Spring

I think he is either midweek or bullpen this year but he was a top 250 draft prospect so if he performs well he absolutely could crack the rotation as a dark horse.

[HoopsDawg]

Fall Ball over. Projected lineup as of today.

C: Highfill
1B: Hines
2B: Reeves
SS: Cupp
3B: Reese
LF: Chance
CF: O'Brien
RF: Stevens
DH: Sullivan

Downs and Powell will factor in. Downs hit a massive bomb today. Powell minor injury.

[KOdawg1]

Damn. That tells me he is pushing hard for innings this Spring

He was popping 94-95. He'll definitely have a role

[KOdawg1]

Fall Ball over. Projected lineup as of today.

C: Highfill
1B: Hines
2B: Reeves
SS: Cupp
3B: Reese
LF: Chance
CF: O'Brien
RF: Stevens
DH: Sullivan

Downs and Powell will factor in. Downs hit a massive bomb today. Powell minor injury.

That's pretty much it, only difference that I could potentially see is Gatlin Sanders at 2B. He's a LH hitter. He, Reeves, and Frei will battle it out for that spot.


If Cupp is still injured, Reeves will play SS and Sanders/Frei will play 2B.

[Coach34]

Fall Ball over. Projected lineup as of today.

C: Highfill
1B: Hines
2B: Reeves
SS: Cupp
3B: Reese
LF: Chance
CF: O'Brien
RF: Stevens
DH: Sullivan

Downs and Powell will factor in. Downs hit a massive bomb today. Powell minor injury.

Downs hit .300 last year. Needs to stay healthy
O'Brien's bat coming around would make us better defensively
We have a little more depth this year. That helps

[HoopsDawg]

That's pretty much it, only difference that I could potentially see is Gatlin Sanders at 2B. He's a LH hitter. He, Reeves, and Frei will battle it out for that spot.


If Cupp is still injured, Reeves will play SS and Sanders/Frei will play 2B.

Cupp will be 100% in December.

[Todd4State]

Fall Ball over. Projected lineup as of today.

C: Highfill
1B: Hines
2B: Reeves
SS: Cupp
3B: Reese
LF: Chance
CF: O'Brien
RF: Stevens
DH: Sullivan

Downs and Powell will factor in. Downs hit a massive bomb today. Powell minor injury.

No argument from me on that. I really like Reed Stallman though. If O'Brien struggles at the plate I think we use him in LF and move Chance to CF.

Lemonis had some good quotes today about remaking our lineup with fewer strikeouts but doing so without losing power.

[KOdawg1]

No argument from me on that. I really like Reed Stallman though. If O'Brien struggles at the plate I think we use him in LF and move Chance to CF.

Lemonis had some good quotes today about remaking our lineup with fewer strikeouts but doing so without losing power.

Low K numbers are definitely something we prioritized in this past portal cycle.

Really, the only high K% guys we have in the lineup are Hines and Highfill

[Todd4State]

Downs hit .300 last year. Needs to stay healthy
O'Brien's bat coming around would make us better defensively
We have a little more depth this year. That helps

We have to figure out the pitching rotation roles. If we had an ace I would go ahead and predict Omaha. But not having an ace may keep that from happening.

I'm afraid we're going to find out the hard way that Karson Ligon can't throw strikes consistently enough to be the Friday guy. I'm hoping that Makhai Grant takes the Friday night spot but that's 100% going to be based on how healthy he is. If I were in their shoes I would start Stone on Friday and start Grant midweek at least to open the season and see where things go. Pico and Pruett are solid and I think we have enough bullpen to mask not having an ace somewhat. Foster is another wild card for Friday too as are Nolan Stevens and Cade O'Leary. We'll see if anyone steps up.

Also Highfill may play some CF as well.

[HoopsDawg]

Downs hit .300 last year. Needs to stay healthy
O'Brien's bat coming around would make us better defensively
We have a little more depth this year. That helps

Definitely more depth. Downs hits the ball really hard, just doesn't elevate it enough. Hopefully that's something he's working on. I like our bullpen too. Just have to find 3 quality starters.

[Todd4State]

Low K numbers are definitely something we prioritized in this past portal cycle.

Really, the only high K% guys we have in the lineup are Hines and Highfill

That's right. And Highfill could very well take a step forward with his hitting this spring. Even if he doesn't it's marked shift from last year.

Good to see fundamental baseball offense returning and baseball starting to go away from all or nothing ball.

[Todd4State]

Definitely more depth. Downs hits the ball really hard, just doesn't elevate it enough. Hopefully that's something he's working on. I like our bullpen too. Just have to find 3 quality starters.

Downs has been constantly hurt too. Which may have affected his swing some.

[HoopsDawg]

Downs has been constantly hurt too. Which may have affected his swing some.

On another note, I don't know how Lemonis is going to cut 12 guys. Some years it's easier/obvious but he's about to cut some good players.

[bigbub50]

Does Pulliman factor in the battle at 2b?

[Coach34]

Definitely more depth. Downs hits the ball really hard, just doesn't elevate it enough. Hopefully that's something he's working on. I like our bullpen too. Just have to find 3 quality starters.

agree completely

[Coach34]

Does Pulliman factor in the battle at 2b?

I would be shocked if he gets much time. Lots of talent ahead of him

D-1 baseball ranked the guy ahead of him one of college baseball's Top 50 SS in 2024. We got a dude at 2B

[BeardoMSU]

How will the hitting coach/philosophy go this year, lol?

[Todd4State]

How will the hitting coach/philosophy go this year, lol?

Much different than last year. I'm expecting a lot more contact and fewer strikeouts. Which in theory should lead to better situational hitting.

I'm hoping baserunning will be better and I am expecting us to take midweek games a lot more seriously.

If that happens we should be in for a good season.

[Todd4State]

On another note, I don't know how Lemonis is going to cut 12 guys. Some years it's easier/obvious but he's about to cut some good players.

I'm sure some will "redshirt". But you are absolutely right and I won't go into who should and shouldn't.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Looks like Mikhai Grant is throwing. A top recruit from last season.

https://x.com/MikhaiGrant/status/1815477124012057010

[Todd4State]

Looks like Mikhai Grant is throwing. A top recruit from last season.

https://x.com/MikhaiGrant/status/1815477124012057010

He is. And he should be ready to go in the spring.

Only question at this point is whether he is a 12 month Tommy John guy or a 15 month Tommy John guy?

From what I have heard it's more like the 12 month variety.

[StateDawg44]

Really, the only high K% guys we have in the lineup are Hines and Highfill

Just don't put them back-to-back in the lineup and kill innings like we did with Hines and Jordan last year.

[KB21]

Overall, the depth of the lineup makes better swing decisions and does damage on pitches in the zone.

[Cooterpoot]

I trust fall ball like a Taco Bell fart. We won't know a thing until they face real competition in the spring.

[basedog]

I trust fall ball like a Taco Bell fart. We won't know a thing until they face real competition in the spring.

I agree.

[StarkVegasSteve]

I trust fall ball like a Taco Bell fart. We won't know a thing until they face real competition in the spring.

Our biggest things will be can we keep the home field advantage we had last year(25-9 and 9-0 in weekend series), eliminate the stupid losses(Air Force, Austin Peay x2, USA, Florida Game 1 and 3, UCA, OM Game 2, Arky Game 3), and take care of business when we need to(Bama Game 3, Mizzou Game 3). That was the difference last year in being a 2 seed in Charlottesville and a comfortable host fighting for a national seed. It seems like a lot, but most of it is just mental mistakes and dumbass coaching decisions. Eliminate those and you're hosting. This team has just as much talent as last years and is not so HR happy.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Our biggest things will be can we keep the home field advantage we had last year(25-9 and 9-0 in weekend series), eliminate the stupid losses(Air Force, Austin Peay x2, USA, Florida Game 1 and 3, UCA, OM Game 2, Arky Game 3), and take care of business when we need to(Bama Game 3, Mizzou Game 3). That was the difference last year in being a 2 seed in Charlottesville and a comfortable host fighting for a national seed. It seems like a lot, but most of it is just mental mistakes and dumbass coaching decisions. Eliminate those and you're hosting. This team has just as much talent as last years and is not so HR happy.

You are going to have dumbass losses every year. Problem is that you don't know the roles for every player in February.

- Versus AP and AF last year in two loses, MSU had Colby Holcombe as the 1st from the Pen. Basically suicide in hind-site, we did not know then that CH had become SWAC-Only.
- Also last year, Mershon did not play the first 19 games, that was the All-SEC SS last year
- Nolan Stevens was Clayton Kershaw until he was not (1 or 2 key loses there)
- Bad Fielding, (1 key loss)
- Johnny Long brain quirks (2 key loses)

Unless you are super deep and experienced, you may not have the folks ready to play as expected. You win the very winnable UF, UGA, and OM conference games, you host with 20 SEC wins, 100%. Even with the AF, AP, and Arkansas Game 3.

[Todd4State]

You are going to have dumbass losses every year. Problem is that you don't know the roles for every player in February.

- Versus AP and AF last year in two loses, MSU had Colby Holcombe as the 1st from the Pen. Basically suicide in hind-site, we did not know then that CH had become SWAC-Only.
- Also last year, Mershon did not play the first 19 games, that was the All-SEC SS last year
- Nolan Stevens was Clayton Kershaw until he was not (1 or 2 key loses there)
- Bad Fielding, (1 key loss)
- Johnny Long brain quirks (2 key loses)

Unless you are super deep and experienced, you may not have the folks ready to play as expected. You win the very winnable UF, UGA, and OM conference games, you host with 20 SEC wins, 100%. Even with the AF, AP, and Arkansas Game 3.

Not to mention we got screwed by ECU's AD.

If there was a loss that hurt us to me it was Central Arkansas because that was a game we never should've played especially at 10 AM or whatever weird time we insisted on playing that game.

[schddog72]

Much different than last year. I'm expecting a lot more contact and fewer strikeouts. Which in theory should lead to better situational hitting.

I'm hoping baserunning will be better and I am expecting us to take midweek games a lot more seriously.

If that happens we should be in for a good season.

Welp, I hate to pee on your roses, but you can change out players names, new players, new faces, etc., etc., etc., BUT the one constant in it all is Lemonhead. As long as he's sitting on the bucket in the bucket in the dugout, we'll never be better than #22 (preseason D-1 Baseball) as opposed to Tenn. who sits at #1 right now. Hate to be negative nellie, but this is reality and it's been repeated for 3 straight years. Why should this year be different?

[State82]

Hate to be negative nellie, but this is reality and it's been repeated for 3 straight years. Why should this year be different?

We were 40-23 last year. 17-13 in conference play.

[Todd4State]

Welp, I hate to pee on your roses, but you can change out players names, new players, new faces, etc., etc., etc., BUT the one constant in it all is Lemonhead. As long as he's sitting on the bucket in the bucket in the dugout, we'll never be better than #22 (preseason D-1 Baseball) as opposed to Tenn. who sits at #1 right now. Hate to be negative nellie, but this is reality and it's been repeated for 3 straight years. Why should this year be different?

Who cares about Tennessee? We have a team and a program that is absolutely going to be competitive with them and we will win our share against them. And now that they have won a NC we'll see just how intense Vitello really is and how he ultimately handles eventually losing his assistants. If anything recent history has shown that the SEC is anyone's game as far as winning a NC. And it would not shock me at all if someone other than Tennessee wins it all again this year like Arkansas.

If we have the season we should have- which is at least a SR we will absolutely get love from D1 baseball. As we have in the past.

[Todd4State]

Also- regarding the last three years- I think our fans really have no idea how bad Foxhall really was after 2021. You can say "well Lemonis should have fired him after 2022" but firing the National Assistant of the year one year removed from a NC is very awkward at best. Parker has been a great addition and I expect our pitching staff to only get better and better as long as he is around.

Then you have our recruiting which suffered with three coaching changes very close together and we have righted that ship.

With Lemonis you essentially have a guy that took over what really amounted to Cohen's program for the first couple of years and was essentially a ready made team that was Omaha caliber with several MSU legends and first round draft picks on it. After those players moved on he had to remake the team into "his team" which I think was complicated by our success and the failure of Foxhall going on at the same time and multiple coaching changes recruiting fallout happening as well. I feel like the ship is finally becoming stable now with a legit pitching coach and "his" players coming into the fold.

[Pancho]

Todd, I feel that is a good and reasonable assessment of the current situation. I'll sit back and see how Lemo does.