Woodruff done for the year

[DCdawg]

So we are down another pitcher. Brandon Woodruff is out for the rest of the year after having surgery (not a ligament). He hasn't done well but I was really hoping he would start heating up. Now we really need someone to step up.

[Coach34]

So we are down another pitcher. Brandon Woodruff is out for the rest of the year after having surgery (not a ligament). He hasn't done well but I was really hoping he would start heating up. Now we really need someone to step up.

Not surprised and glad its finally over. What a waste this year for him. Sounds like they just have to clean it up for him- and he will be good to go in the Fall

[War Machine Dawg]

Saw this coming weeks ago. His velo being down 10ish MPH screamed injury. Hate it for him, but glad we're shutting him down. He's got a big future in front of him. We need him healthy for next season. A healthy Woody could be our Friday ace.

I'm all for giving Cox a shot. The problem we have now is he hasn't pitched in nearly a month. There's no way he'll be sharp when he goes out there. Then he'll get shelled and Butch/Cohen will be scared of trying him again. But it was their fault in the first place for having him ride pine without game action for so long. It's a damn vicious cycle at this point of the season. It's why there was no excuse for using Holder in the Saturday Auburn blowout. Should've used it to develop Cox and/or Fitts. We're in deep trouble come postseason.

[msstate7]

Saw this coming weeks ago. His velo being down 10ish MPH screamed injury. Hate it for him, but glad we're shutting him down. He's got a big future in front of him. We need him healthy for next season. A healthy Woody could be our Friday ace.

I'm all for giving Cox a shot. The problem we have now is he hasn't pitched in nearly a month. There's no way he'll be sharp when he goes out there. Then he'll get shelled and Butch/Cohen will be scared of trying him again. But it was their fault in the first place for having him ride pine without game action for so long. It's a damn vicious cycle at this point of the season. It's why there was no excuse for using Holder in the Saturday Auburn blowout. Should've used it to develop Cox and/or Fitts. We're in deep trouble come postseason.
If we lose a game in a regional, our chance of winning it goes way down. Pitching depth was suppose to be our strength. It's now a glaring weakness

[Goat Holder]

It's now a glaring weakness

No it's not.

[Goat Holder]

I'm guessing he can redshirt. Played alot less than Henderson did in 2011 and he still got a redshirt year.

[msstate7]

No it's not.

Who's are midweek starter?

[Coach34]

We have 4 legit SP's (counting Mitchell)....teams would kill for that

[msstate7]

We have 4 legit SP's (counting Mitchell)....teams would kill for that

Which Mitchell?

[Homedawg]

Saw this coming weeks ago. His velo being down 10ish MPH screamed injury. Hate it for him, but glad we're shutting him down. He's got a big future in front of him. We need him healthy for next season. A healthy Woody could be our Friday ace.

I'm all for giving Cox a shot. The problem we have now is he hasn't pitched in nearly a month. There's no way he'll be sharp when he goes out there. Then he'll get shelled and Butch/Cohen will be scared of trying him again. But it was their fault in the first place for having him ride pine without game action for so long. It's a damn vicious cycle at this point of the season. It's why there was no excuse for using Holder in the Saturday Auburn blowout. Should've used it to develop Cox and/or Fitts. We're in deep trouble come postseason.

Didn't cox pitch Sunday? I thought I remember him throwing late.

[Coach34]

Which Mitchell?

That LH'ed mf'er that always comes in in the first inning to relieve

[msstate7]

That LH'ed mf'er that always comes in in the first inning to relieve

I was pretty sure it was him. Don't you think we should leave him as reliever though? If we use him as starter, then we have chad and ct as lefties outta bullpen.

[Goat Holder]

I was pretty sure it was him. Don't you think we should leave him as reliever though? If we use him as starter, then we have chad and ct as lefties outta bullpen.

Pollo, Graveman and Lindgren on the weekends

R. Mitchell, Fitts, Bradford who can throw innings and have recently

Girodo, Gentry setup guys

Bracewell, Holder relievers

Cox and E. Mitchell in emergencies

Pitching may not be a STRENGTH anymore without Woodruff, but it's far from a glaring weakness. Norris could also pitch if necessary, but I'm still convinced that his knee is not 100%. Shelly and Brown are still there too, I think the active roster rule is lifted after SEC play.

Steer clear of the extremes and you will be better off.

[msstate7]

Pollo, Graveman and Lindgren on the weekends

R. Mitchell, Fitts, Bradford who can throw innings and have recently

Girodo, Gentry setup guys

Bracewell, Holder relievers

Cox and E. Mitchell in emergencies

Pitching may not be a STRENGTH anymore without Woodruff, but it's far from a glaring weakness. Norris could also pitch if necessary, but I'm still convinced that his knee is not 100%. Shelly and Brown are still there too, I think the active roster rule is lifted after SEC play.

Steer clear of the extremes and you will be better off.

You seem to be much more confident in our pitching staff than our coaches. Hardly any of those guys have pitched in a close game lately. You just assume we roll them out come regional time and roll through lineups. I don't see it. We've got a good team, but our pitching staff is suspect

[msstate7]

You seem to be much more confident in our pitching staff than our coaches. Hardly any of those guys have pitched in a close game lately. You just assume we roll them out come regional time and roll through lineups. I don't see it. We've got a good team, but our pitching staff is suspect

I'm not saying we can't win with what we got. I can see us winning a regional and a super regional. I can also see our pitchers laying an egg. Does anyone in the sec have more 1st inning exits by a starter? I doubt it.

[engie]

Steer clear of the extremes and you will be better off.

Best comment on this I've seen...

[Hump4Hoops]

I can't remember who coined "Gentrado," but that's a pair I don't want to have to rely on (yes I know Girodo has been good this year. He still scares me).

[Hump4Hoops]

Steer clear of the extremes and you will be better off.

This also applies to the politics board.

[msstate7]

Best comment on this I've seen...

In contested games (not Sunday when we got our head bashed in), how many pitchers have thrown? You guys don't think pitching depth is a problem? How come Cohen left holder in to close against auburn? Bc he doesn't trust our others...that's a depth problem

[engie]

You seem to be much more confident in our pitching staff than our coaches. Hardly any of those guys have pitched in a close game lately. You just assume we roll them out come regional time and roll through lineups. I don't see it. We've got a good team, but our pitching staff is suspect

This is what qualifies as "suspect"?

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/12222/m_20130502-veyn-48kb.jpg

SOS of teams ahead of us in order: 72, 38, 22, 85, 41. As of today, our SOS is #8.

So, we're the 6th best staff in the country -- against a MUCH tougher schedule than all 5 ranked in front of us. Wow. Just wow.

[msstate7]

This is what qualifies as "suspect"?

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/12222/m_20130502-veyn-48kb.jpg

SOS of teams ahead of us in order: 72, 38, 22, 85, 41. As of today, our SOS is #8.

So, we're the 6th best staff in the country -- against a MUCH tougher schedule than all 5 ranked in front of us. Wow. Just wow.

I said our depth was suspect not our staff.

[engie]

In contested games (not Sunday when we got our head bashed in), how many pitchers have thrown? You guys don't think pitching depth is a problem? How come Cohen left holder in to close against auburn? Bc he doesn't trust our others...that's a depth problem

Shit man, how many pitchers NEEDED to throw in those games? We were basically shutting them down. WTF do you want us to do? Throw the whole pen just to say we did it?

Furthermore -- what have any of these pitchers done to prove to you that they CAN'T step up in the big game? WTF did Lindgren and Woodruff do prior to the SEC tournament last year that told you they were going to step up and win it for us?

[War Machine Dawg]

Pollo, Graveman and Lindgren on the weekends

R. Mitchell, Fitts, Bradford who can throw innings and have recently

Girodo, Gentry setup guys

Bracewell, Holder relievers

Cox and E. Mitchell in emergencies

Pitching may not be a STRENGTH anymore without Woodruff, but it's far from a glaring weakness. Norris could also pitch if necessary, but I'm still convinced that his knee is not 100%. Shelly and Brown are still there too, I think the active roster rule is lifted after SEC play.

Steer clear of the extremes and you will be better off.

I see you're on the :) side today. You list Pollo like he's a legit starter. He isn't. He battles, but he's a 4th starter at best for most other SEC teams. His value is in long relief out of the 'pen. We're wasting him as a starter.

R-Mitch has been solid. Can't deny that. I have no confidence in Bradford. Fitts might have pitched 10 innings all season (exaggerated, but you get my point). Who knows if he's ready for primetime? Ditto Cox.

Bracewell hasn't pitched much recently, either. He'll be rusty as hell. Girodo is a matchup lefty-lefty only guy. Gentry has been feast or famine. You never know which one you'll get from him.

The bottom line is we don't have enough ready to go arms at this point of the season. We have 2 legit SEC starters: Graveman & Lindgren. I could give you R-Mitch, if we moved him into the rotation. But there's nothing to indicate that will happen. We seem to like him more out of the 'pen for some reason. The only other reliever with any significant amount of work recently is Holder. So tell me, how do you see that as a strength? Because to me, it screams weakness. Our mis-management of our arms & Woody's injury have been killers. There's no way around it. I'm not saying we're certain to lose a regional because of it, but if we have to play ANY extra games our chances will drop dramatically. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.

[engie]

I said our depth was suspect not our staff.

Read your own quote in my statement as to what you "said". You are losing your shit right now about "losing" a guy that we haven't really had all season to begin with.

The SEC tourney is the ONLY real pitching "grind" of the postseason now, and it means virtually nothing.

[msstate7]

Read your own quote in my statement as to what you "said". You are losing your shit right now about "losing" a guy that we haven't really had all season to begin with.

The SEC tourney is the ONLY real pitching "grind" of the postseason now, and it means virtually nothing.

No I lost my "shit" much earlier than today. I've been saying we have no depth for a while. I hope you're right. I want us to win, but I have doubts esp after the raping we got last weekend.

[Goat Holder]

So tell me, how do you see that as a strength?

Did you miss this:


Pitching may not be a STRENGTH anymore without Woodruff

Yes, no?


Because to me, it screams weakness.

We are 33-13 and in contention to host a regional. NOTHING ON OUR TEAM IS A WEAKNESS.

Can we make some improvements? Sure, any team can. Are we ready to win the CWS? Probably not.

[Todd4State]

I see you're on the :) side today. You list Pollo like he's a legit starter. He isn't. He battles, but he's a 4th starter at best for most other SEC teams. His value is in long relief out of the 'pen. We're wasting him as a starter.

R-Mitch has been solid. Can't deny that. I have no confidence in Bradford. Fitts might have pitched 10 innings all season (exaggerated, but you get my point). Who knows if he's ready for primetime? Ditto Cox.

Bracewell hasn't pitched much recently, either. He'll be rusty as hell. Girodo is a matchup lefty-lefty only guy. Gentry has been feast or famine. You never know which one you'll get from him.

The bottom line is we don't have enough ready to go arms at this point of the season. We have 2 legit SEC starters: Graveman & Lindgren. I could give you R-Mitch, if we moved him into the rotation. But there's nothing to indicate that will happen. We seem to like him more out of the 'pen for some reason. The only other reliever with any significant amount of work recently is Holder. So tell me, how do you see that as a strength? Because to me, it screams weakness. Our mis-management of our arms & Woody's injury have been killers. There's no way around it. I'm not saying we're certain to lose a regional because of it, but if we have to play ANY extra games our chances will drop dramatically. I'd love to be proven wrong, though.

I don't think we're mismanaging our staff at all. Our starters are going deep into the game. Graveman is usually averaging a little over 100 pitches and is extremely efficient. It's not like we are throwing our starters 150 every time and then going with Holder for 50 pitches every day.

It has nothing to do with the staff "not trusting" anyone. Ben Bracewell, Trevor Fitts, and Chad Girodo have all pitched very well for us not to mention Ross and Holder. It's more about not having an opportunity to get them into a game.

[msstate7]

Did you miss this:



Yes, no?



We are 33-13 and in contention to host a regional. NOTHING ON OUR TEAM IS A WEAKNESS.

Can we make some improvements? Sure, any team can. Are we ready to win the CWS? Probably not.

If regionals are your goal, you're right we have no weaknesses. Cws and nat title is my goal, so we have weaknesses. My goals are higher than yours

[Todd4State]

No I lost my "shit" much earlier than today. I've been saying we have no depth for a while. I hope you're right. I want us to win, but I have doubts esp after the raping we got last weekend.

Doubts about maybe winning a National Championship? Vanderbilt is 39-6 and is 19-2 in the SEC. They have lost ONCE at home this year in SEC play.

If Woodruff is healthy, he makes us deeper, but it's relative to going from a possible regional, National Seed team to going to maybe a top 10 team lock to host a regional.

[msstate7]

I don't think we're mismanaging our staff at all. Our starters are going deep into the game. Graveman is usually averaging a little over 100 pitches and is extremely efficient. It's not like we are throwing our starters 150 every time and then going with Holder for 50 pitches every day.

It has nothing to do with the staff "not trusting" anyone. Ben Bracewell, Trevor Fitts, and Chad Girodo have all pitched very well for us not to mention Ross and Holder. It's more about not having an opportunity to get them into a game.

So when we had big lead against auburn on Sunday, it wasn't a trust issue with the rest of our pitchers? Is it normal to use your closer with big lead in 9th?

[Todd4State]

Read your own quote in my statement as to what you "said". You are losing your shit right now about "losing" a guy that we haven't really had all season to begin with.

The SEC tourney is the ONLY real pitching "grind" of the postseason now, and it means virtually nothing.


Exactly. You can win a regional with 3-4 pitchers.

A SR is no more than three games.

And the CWS games are so spread out, you can get through it with three pitchers as well.

[msstate7]

Doubts about maybe winning a National Championship? Vanderbilt is 39-6 and is 19-2 in the SEC. They have lost ONCE at home this year in SEC play.

If Woodruff is healthy, he makes us deeper, but it's relative to going from a possible regional, National Seed team to going to maybe a top 10 team lock to host a regional.

Yes my goal for this year was cws and a national title. Unrealistic? Perhaps, but if all our pitchers panned out, we'd have a decent shot

[Coach34]

I was pretty sure it was him. Don't you think we should leave him as reliever though? If we use him as starter, then we have chad and ct as lefties outta bullpen.

No

In a Regional, I want 5 IP out of Pollo- then let Bracewell go the 6th and 7th- then Holder the 8th and 9th
Graveman and Lindy can go deeper most likely- but there are arms left

Worst case you can relieve with Mitchell in Game 1- but then start him in Game 4 if necessary provided he only pitched an inning or two

[Todd4State]

So when we had big lead against auburn on Sunday, it wasn't a trust issue with the rest of our pitchers? Is it normal to use your closer with big lead in 9th?

You are talking about the game where Lindgren went 8 innings correct? So, we're talking about ONE inning here and then we had an off day the next day and we knew that we were going to be playing Memphis and we were going to start Evan Mitchell whose longest outing this year is maybe five innings and we knew that there was no guarantee that he would do that since his typical outing is three innings, and we were likely going to have to use Ross and the other guys in the bullpen?

No- I don't think there was a trust issue at all with only one inning to work with and the fact that we have used most of our pitchers minus Gentry since then.

I also don't think it's abnormal to use your closer in game three of a big series where we could not risk losing. That's their job and their role. Could we have used someone else? Sure, but since we're talking about one inning here, and that inning being the 9th which is what closers usually pitch in, I don't think it was a trust issue.

[Goat Holder]

Thank you Todd. We're simply getting beat by better teams.

Do I agree with all personnel decisions? Of course not. But I'm not coaching, and none of it is just "glaring" as some of these sky-is-falling types seem to think. It's the woe-is-us-MSU in them I suppose.

[msstate7]

This also applies to the politics board.

So you want my opinions to be more like your opinions? No thanks

[Todd4State]

No

In a Regional, I want 5 IP out of Pollo- then let Bracewell go the 6th and 7th- then Holder the 8th and 9th
Graveman and Lindy can go deeper most likely- but there are arms left

Worst case you can relieve with Mitchell in Game 1- but then start him in Game 4 if necessary provided he only pitched an inning or two

And let's not forget- if we are a 1 seed, we are probably going to have to play some crappy mid-major like Jackson State or someone that got hot and won their tournament in a crap conference. In other words- it's not going to be us and three Vandy's.

[msstate7]

And let's not forget- if we are a 1 seed, we are probably going to have to play some crappy mid-major like Jackson State or someone that got hot and won their tournament in a crap conference. In other words- it's not going to be us and three Vandy's.

And that's the reason I would love to have a midweek guy for game 1

[engie]

If regionals are your goal, you're right we have no weaknesses. Cws and nat title is my goal, so we have weaknesses. My goals are higher than yours

You need to learn how to state the difference between "goals" and "expectations". You are setting and have set the latter unrealistically -- the former is all of our GOALS.

WTF did you "expect" from this year in advance? Feel free to link it. Because if you told me we would have a top 10 pitching staff -- and our hitting had improved into the top 50, if not top 30, against the schedule we all saw coming down the tracks, I would take it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

This is just another example of an MSU fan getting a small TASTE of success -- and suddenly expecting to win it all based on NOTHING tangible -- and then losing their shit when it doesn't go down how they had ridiculously imagined in the first place.

Realistic MSU fans set the goal at hosting a regional this year. We're well on track toward doing that despite not having our projected ace or #2 pitcher for the whole season.

[engie]

And that's the reason I would love to have a midweek guy for game 1

Who the heck do you think we are going to throw against a Jackson St in the opener? Surely you don't think we're coming with a weekend guy...

[msstate7]

Who the heck do you think we are going to throw against a Jackson St in the opener? Surely you don't think we're coming with a weekend guy...

Who you think?

[msstate7]

You need to learn how to state the difference between "goals" and "expectations". You are setting and have set the latter unrealistically -- the former is all of our GOALS.

WTF did you "expect" from this year in advance? Feel free to link it. Because if you told me we would have a top 10 pitching staff -- and our hitting had improved into the top 50, if not top 30, against the schedule we all saw coming down the tracks, I would take it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

This is just another example of an MSU fan getting a small TASTE of success -- and suddenly expecting to win it all based on NOTHING tangible -- and then losing their shit when it doesn't go down how they had ridiculously imagined in the first place.

Realistic MSU fans set the goal at hosting a regional this year. We're well on track toward doing that despite not having our projected ace or #2 pitcher for the whole season.

We were preseason #5. I expected us be one of the five best teams in the country. I expected us to beat good teams in series. How many good teams have we beat in a series? By my count, we're 1-4

[msstate7]

Thank you Todd. We're simply getting beat by better teams.

Do I agree with all personnel decisions? Of course not. But I'm not coaching, and none of it is just "glaring" as some of these sky-is-falling types seem to think. It's the woe-is-us-MSU in them I suppose.

And one of the reasons those teams are better I'd bc of pitching depth. We throw a midweek (granted a good one) on Friday night against the best the sec has. On Sundays, we never know what we'll get out of our starter

[engie]

We were preseason #5. I expected us be one of the five best teams in the country. I expected us to beat good teams in series. How many good teams have we beat in a series? By my count, we're 1-4

Cherry. Picking. So, you let ONE baseball publication set your expectations in the preseason while ignoring EVERYTHING else. The other 4 had us at #13, #16, #18, and #16. Yeah, that's reasonable**

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/12222/m_20130502-pauq-48kb.jpg

[Will James]

We won't go anywhere in the postseason if our offense is playing putt putt. That's where focus should be aimed, not the arms. We've been a little unlucky in our timely hitting, that should come around. If that aspect shifts back to the mean just a little and we walk just a little less batters the improvement will be greatly seen. We just need some tweaks.

Something we can control is putting the best lineup together, not making retarded choices on the base paths, and not being cute with the offense.

[msstate7]

Cherry. Picking. So, you let ONE baseball publication set your expectations in the preseason while ignoring EVERYTHING else. The other 4 had us at #13, #16, #18, and #16. Yeah, that's reasonable**

http://my.jetscreenshot.com/12222/m_20130502-pauq-48kb.jpg

I'm not gonna apologize for high expectations. Our team had/has em. I'm not lowering my bar, so I'm never disappointed.

[engie]

And one of the reasons those teams are better I'd bc of pitching depth. We throw a midweek (granted a good one) on Friday night against the best the sec has. On Sundays, we never know what we'll get out of our starter

Pitching depth my ass. Those teams are better than us because they are throwing ELITE first and second round MLB f'n starters at us. Has nothing to do with bullpen depth.

Vanderbilt staff:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/12222/m_20130502-43z4-83kb.jpg

MSU staff:
http://my.jetscreenshot.com/12222/m_20130502-mw3h-92kb.jpg

Feel free to highlight the differences for me.

[engie]

I'm not gonna apologize for high expectations. Our team had/has em. I'm not lowering my bar, so I'm never disappointed.

Right** Set the bar higher than can reasonably be met by THIS group. Bash the coaches and team all over the internet when it doesn't happen. Got it**

If you began the year thinking we were a legit top 5 team despite Woody being on the DL and Evan Mitchell never actually getting it together on the field, with Lindgren facing multiple injuries throughout the year, you are the problem with this fanbase. Not the solution. We were never going to be "elite" without at least 2 of those 3 guys BEING ELITE. The fact that we've still met all reasonable expectations largely without ANY of them just goes to show how bright the future can be with this club.

We just lost a tightly-contested 3-game set on the road to the #2 team in the country -- on f'n wet field turf(which is a huge homefield advantage IMO -- and Boyd's stats will reflect that in time) -- to what will, in all likelihood, be the best TEAM in SEC HISTORY from an in-conference record standpoint -- and you are flipping out and losing your shit right now. Process that for a minute.

[msstate7]

Right** Set the bar higher than can reasonably be met by THIS group. Bash the coaches and team all over the internet when it doesn't happen. Got it**

If you began the year thinking we were a legit top 5 team despite Woody being on the DL and Evan Mitchell never actually getting it together on the field, with Lindgren facing multiple injuries throughout the year, you are the problem with this fanbase. Not the solution. We were never going to be "elite" without at least 2 of those 3 guys BEING ELITE. The fact that we've still met all reasonable expectations largely without ANY of them just goes to show how bright the future can be with this club.

We just lost a tightly-contested 3-game set on the road to the #2 team in the country -- on f'n wet field turf(which is a huge homefield advantage IMO -- and Boyd's stats will reflect that in time) -- to what will, in all likelihood, be the best TEAM in SEC HISTORY from an in-conference record standpoint -- and you are flipping out and losing your shit right now. Process that for a minute.

You my friend need to relax. I said we have pitching depth issues. I haven't bashed any coaches and certainly not my university that I love.

[engie]

Who you think?

I don't know -- but not a weekend guy -- and I'm not concerned about it. Why? Because there are two teams in the country that have not lost a single midweek game all season. LSU and Mississippi State. You are honestly making an argument about pitching depth on a team that hasn't lost a single midweek game all season -- or had a single "bad" defeat all season.

[msstate7]

You my friend need to relax. I said we have pitching depth issues. I haven't bashed any coaches and certainly not my university that I love.

And another thing. Please get to Starkville with your sunshine so we can get game 1 in.

[War Machine Dawg]

Turns out I wasn't exaggerating Fitts lack of work as much as I thought. Only 12 innings pitched this year. 16 IP for Bracewell. Only 20 for Cox. How does anyone look at that and not see pitching depth issues?

You can throw a bullpen every damn day, but it doesn't simulate actual live game pitching. There's a reason pitchers are wild and/or get shelled when they don't pitch regularly. We're going to have to face that issue soon enough unless we find a way to get some arms besides R-Mitch, Holder, & Gentrodo some work the next 2-3 weeks. And there's only 1 midweek game left to get them opportunities to throw if we're afraid of them in conference play. But someone other than the "big 4" has to get some work at some point.

[msstate7]

Turns out I wasn't exaggerating Fitts lack of work as much as I thought. Only 12 innings pitched this year. 16 IP for Bracewell. Only 20 for Cox. How does anyone look at that and not see pitching depth issues?

You can throw a bullpen every damn day, but it doesn't simulate actual live game pitching. There's a reason pitchers are wild and/or get shelled when they don't pitch regularly. We're going to have to face that issue soon enough unless we find a way to get some arms besides R-Mitch, Holder, & Gentrodo some work the next 2-3 weeks. And there's only 1 midweek game left to get them opportunities to throw if we're afraid of them in conference play. But someone other than the "big 4" has to get some work at some point.

I agree but we're the minority. "Pitching depth is just fine," 95% of elitedawgs

[engie]

Turns out I wasn't exaggerating Fitts lack of work as much as I thought. Only 12 innings pitched this year. 16 IP for Bracewell. Only 20 for Cox. How does anyone look at that and not see pitching depth issues?
Vanderbilt has only 3 non-starters that have thrown over 20 innings this year. Do they, then, have major pitching depth issues?

[Homedawg]

Who the heck do you think we are going to throw against a Jackson St in the opener? Surely you don't think we're coming with a weekend guy...

I think as a one seed we will throw pollo. I'll be suprised if we didn't. It's not like he's our 1. He just pitches on friday. That leaves Graveman for the all important game 2. Then the staff to win one of the next 2 games. Hopefully that's is after we've won the first 2.

[msstate7]

I think as a one seed we will throw pollo. I'll be suprised if we didn't. It's not like he's our 1. He just pitches on friday. That leaves Graveman for the all important game 2. Then the staff to win one of the next 2 games. Hopefully that's is after we've won the first 2.
I agree with pollo game 1

[msstate7]

Vanderbilt has only 3 non-starters that have thrown over 20 innings this year. Do they, then, have major pitching depth issues?

That's a credit to their starters logging lots of innings. Bet they haven't had starters leaving in the 1st often

[Homedawg]

That's a credit to their starters logging lots of innings. Bet they haven't had starters leaving in the 1st often

And when we have had the need, Ross Mitchell has been incredible.

[msstate7]

And when we have had the need, Ross Mitchell has been incredible.

Ross is our MVP. I just wish we had 2 more of him

[engie]

That's a credit to their starters logging lots of innings. Bet they haven't had starters leaving in the 1st often

So you are saying our bullpen has been complete and total badasses then? After all -- we've got a better staff ERA than they do against a tougher schedule. So, if their starters have been that good, our pen must have been better than their starters.

The stats simply do not fit your narrative...

[msstate7]

So you are saying our bullpen has been complete and total badasses then? After all -- we've got a better staff ERA than they do against a tougher schedule. So, if their starters have been that good, our pen must have been better than their starters.

The stats simply do not fit your narrative...

We have the best 2 bullpen guys (IMO) in the sec in Ross and holder. Unfortunately we don't have anyone of note to go with them

[Ronny]

..we've had some pitching meltdowns this year, but overall I think our pitching staff is pretty solid.

One thing our pitchers can do is field their position.

I recently watched ole miss lose a game against kentucky because the ole miss pitchers don't know how to field their position. When you have ground ball pitchers like MSU, the pitchers had better be able to be an defensive asset. For the most part, ours are.

Lastly, I'm not going to bash this pitching staff when they seldom get help from our shitty hitters who can't get a timely hit with men in scoring position.

If we could have gotten timely hits against Vandy, we would have won the series 2-1.

Our pitchers are not a bunch of Sandy Koufaxes by any stretch, but they know how to pitch to SEC hitters.

Having Rea, Henderson, Frost, Bradford, Armstrong etc. constantly hitting cans of corn with men on base is not our pitchers' fault.

[Will James]

Ross is our MVP. I just wish we had 2 more of him

Renfroe is our MVP.

Love the guy but there is no way I'd use Ross as a SP... Ever. His value comes solely in the bullpen as that change of pace. If he started I would imagine a Bracewell v Arkansas type of outing. Don't look now but his opponents BA in SEC play is right at .300.

Considering the SEC play as a whole, I think Ross has gotten a lot of luck, and Lindgren hasn't gotten any.

Lindgren is going to be NASTY next year

[msstate7]

Renfroe is our MVP.

Love the guy but there is no way I'd use Ross as a SP... Ever. His value comes solely in the bullpen as that change of pace. If he started I would imagine a Bracewell v Arkansas type of outing. Don't look now but his opponents BA in SEC play is right at .300.

Considering the SEC play as a whole, I think Ross has gotten a lot of luck, and Lindgren hasn't gotten any.

Lindgren is going to be NASTY next year

Hard to go against hunter. It is debatable though. Ross has been put in the worst possible situations and succeeded anyway. He leads the sec in era (0.93). He's also tied for 2nd in wins (8). How bout co-mvp's? I wouldn't start him either. He's way too valuable out of the bullpen.

[FFF]

We have the best 2 bullpen guys (IMO) in the sec in Ross and holder. Unfortunately we don't have anyone of note to go with them

Are you gonna be this down on them when they don't make it out of the wildcard game or fail to make it to the World Series?

Our pitching depth is the least of our problems. There are 11 teams in the conference who would trade their bullpen for ours. At least we have a Ross Mitchell, jonathan holder, or ben bracewell who can consistently bail us out of tight spots in relief. That's an exclamation point, not a depth issue.
The only guy I cringe at seeing is evan Mitchell.

[Todd4State]

That's a credit to their starters logging lots of innings. Bet they haven't had starters leaving in the 1st often

So, why isn't it a credit to OUR starters for logging lots of innings? Because Evan Mitchell had a couple of shitty outings and Woodruff struggled because he was hurt?

Heck, the game you used as an example for me was one where Lindgren when 8 innings. Graveman and Pollorena both are typically getting us into the seventh if not longer as well.

This is pretty hilarious actually- Cohen isn't trusting guys with ERA's of 2 and under for the most part?

[Todd4State]

And that's the reason I would love to have a midweek guy for game 1

I would be willing to bet that Will Cox or heck even Evan Mitchell could beat a four seed right now if we asked them to. Sure, some fans would be "nervous"- but it's really unfounded. Trevor Fitts?

[Will James]

I would be willing to bet that Will Cox or heck even Evan Mitchell could beat a four seed right now if we asked them to. Sure, some fans would be "nervous"- but it's really unfounded. Trevor Fitts?

I wouldn't go with Evan because he could very well lose to a SWAC school on wildness. Plus if he's his normal self we'd have to dig into our pen against a 4 seed.

I'd start Cox against a 4 if it's a shitty 4. Decent 4 and I'm starting Pollo

[FFF]

So, why isn't it a credit to OUR starters for logging lots of innings? Because Evan Mitchell had a couple of shitty outings and Woodruff struggled because he was hurt?

Heck, the game you used as an example for me was one where Lindgren when 8 innings. Graveman and Pollorena both are typically getting us into the seventh if not longer as well.

This is pretty hilarious actually- Cohen isn't trusting guys with ERA's of 2 and under for the most part?

Or Ben Bracewell being asked to pitch totally out of his element by having to start and having a rough outing?

[msstate7]

Are you gonna be this down on them when they don't make it out of the wildcard game or fail to make it to the World Series?

Our pitching depth is the least of our problems. There are 11 teams in the conference who would trade their bullpen for ours. At least we have a Ross Mitchell, jonathan holder, or ben bracewell who can consistently bail us out of tight spots in relief. That's an exclamation point, not a depth issue.
The only guy I cringe at seeing is evan Mitchell.

Our bullpen is Ross and holder. Bracewell pitched sat game vs vandy, but when was the last time someone besides holder/Ross came in close game?

[msstate7]

Are you gonna be this down on them when they don't make it out of the wildcard game or fail to make it to the World Series?

Our pitching depth is the least of our problems. There are 11 teams in the conference who would trade their bullpen for ours. At least we have a Ross Mitchell, jonathan holder, or ben bracewell who can consistently bail us out of tight spots in relief. That's an exclamation point, not a depth issue.
The only guy I cringe at seeing is evan Mitchell.

And the answer to the braves question is yes. I expect them to make it to World Series and anything less is disappointing. I expected state to get to cws and ill be disappointed if we don't. Low expectations breeds mediocrity

[FFF]

Our bullpen is Ross and holder. Bracewell pitched sat game vs vandy, but when was the last time someone besides holder/Ross came in close game?

Aside from his bad START at arky, when has he had a bad outing? Just because he hasn't pitched a close game (he looked damn good against vandy in a 3 run game) doesn't mean he can't. If you are asking me to pick who I'd want pitching a close game, I'd pick Ross or holder every time.

[msstate7]

Aside from his bad START at arky, when has he had a bad outing? Just because he hasn't pitched a close game (he looked damn good against vandy in a 3 run game) doesn't mean he can't. If you are asking me to pick who I'd want pitching a close game, I'd pick Ross or holder every time.

In the Sunday game vs Florida he gave up 3 hits and 1 walk in 1.1 innings

[msstate7]

In the Sunday game vs Florida he gave up 3 hits and 1 walk in 1.1 innings
That's when Cohen went strictly Ross and holder.

[CadaverDawg]

Does anybody have a link from SPS where we all made our predictions and hopes for this baseball season? I'm pretty sure I picked around 36 wins and about .500 in SEC play, but I'd love to see those predictions to see how close or far off we all were.

[msstate7]

Does anybody have a link from SPS where we all made our predictions and hopes for this baseball season? I'm pretty sure I picked around 36 wins and about .500 in SEC play, but I'd love to see those predictions to see how close or far off we all were.

Yours is looking very good now. I didnt predict, but I would've predicted better. I assumed we'd have brandon woodruff at the top of our pitching staff and it didnt work out. Brandon woodruff not being our Friday night guy hurt us this year.

[FFF]

And the answer to the braves question is yes. I expect them to make it to World Series and anything less is disappointing. I expected state to get to cws and ill be disappointed if we don't. Low expectations breeds mediocrity

I'm a braves fan but Atlanta hasn't even won a playoff series (wildcard or otherwise) since 2001... And theyve won the division 4 times since then. I don't EXPECT them to even make it to the WS. Do I want them to win it? Of course I do... But I would not bet on them nor predict them to make it.

[msstate7]

I'm a braves fan but Atlanta hasn't even won a playoff series (wildcard or otherwise) since 2001... And theyve won the division 4 times since then. I don't EXPECT them to even make it to the WS. Do I want them to win it? Of course I do... But I would not bet on them nor predict them to make it.

So I should lower my expectations to something they can comfortably reach?

[msstate7]

And I'm not bashing our baseball team. Me not thinking we have good pitching depth isn't bashing our team. I love miss state and support Cohen & the players. If I'm coming across as bashing our team, I'm misunderstood then.

[Todd4State]

I wouldn't go with Evan because he could very well lose to a SWAC school on wildness. Plus if he's his normal self we'd have to dig into our pen against a 4 seed.

I'd start Cox against a 4 if it's a shitty 4. Decent 4 and I'm starting Pollo

I wouldn't either, but if we did Cohen isn't going keep him out there to the point where the game gets out of hand- see Memphis.

[Todd4State]

And I'm not bashing our baseball team. Me not thinking we have good pitching depth isn't bashing our team. I love miss state and support Cohen & the players. If I'm coming across as bashing our team, I'm misunderstood then.

No one is saying that. The people disagreeing with you are just saying you can't say our pitching depth is bad because our starters in general are going deep into games to the point where it seems like all we are using is Holder and Ross. Heck, we barely used Ross against Auburn for 3 innings and against Vandy for 2.1 innings the entire series.

[State82]

I wouldn't go with Evan because he could very well lose to a SWAC school on wildness. Plus if he's his normal self we'd have to dig into our pen against a 4 seed.

I'd start Cox against a 4 if it's a shitty 4. Decent 4 and I'm starting Pollo

You are absolutely right. However, I would add that it would need to be a REALLY bad 4 seed to start anyone other than Pollo in that situation. Right now I'm just hoping we are in a position to be in a #1 vs #4 match-up come regional play.

[FFF]

No one is saying that. The people disagreeing with you are just saying you can't say our pitching depth is bad because our starters in general are going deep into games to the point where it seems like all we are using is Holder and Ross. Heck, we barely used Ross against Auburn for 3 innings and against Vandy for 2.1 innings the entire series.

Where we had shaky starters and Justin Bussy in the pen. Cohen's second year was HORRIBLE in terms of a pen. Now, we have 2, arguably 3 (4 if you include Pollo... who I think is a true relief pitcher) guys in our pen right now we can go to in almost any situation and they can come in and take control of a game. That's a luxury a lot of SEC teams don't have.

[Todd4State]

Where we had shaky starters and Justin Bussy in the pen. Cohen's second year was HORRIBLE in terms of a pen. Now, we have 2, arguably 3 (4 if you include Pollo... who I think is a true relief pitcher) guys in our pen right now we can go to in almost any situation and they can come in and take control of a game. That's a luxury a lot of SEC teams don't have.

That's a luxury a lot of MLB teams don't have. (Looking at you Cardinals)

That whole staff was a trainwreck. You could see the potential with some of the freshmen on that team though- Stratton, Graveman, Girodo, Bracewell were all on that team. I think CC Watson would have been good if he could have stayed healthy. Heck, some of those guys are STILL on our team. Our defense was pitiful as well- that didn't help matters at all. That team other than Conner Powers was a trainwreck. It was just a bad situation- some guys that were hurt and others who were freshmen. Recipe for disaster in the SEC. Man, people wanted to fire Butch and I'm not sure that Dave Duncan could have done much with that group.

[engie]

So I should lower my expectations to something they can comfortably reach?

Expectations should match reality -- and the talent level present on the team. Simply throwing out expectations of greatness without actual evidence to back it = an OM football fan still expecting the return of the Vaught era.

Fact - We've recruited well, not great -- Which was to be expected. We were a losing program, with an apathetic, divided fanbase, coach(es) on the hot seat, etc when ALL but our Freshman Class signed. Despite that, we have recruited in the top 15 overall most likely. We've got top 15 talent on this team. Not top 10. Not top 8. The best prospect on our team(out of highschool) is done for the season with an injury after minimal contribution this year -- after being expected to anchor our rotation in the Friday night role.

This is the same exact problem I have with our football "fans" that are now flipping out and jumping off the bandwagon. Set the expectations in reality and stick to them. Don't get caught up in hype and start expecting to be better than you've recruited and developed. It ALMOST NEVER happens like that. That's why Dave Bartoo is, bar none, the best football projections guy out there. He takes all emotion(and hype) out of his numbers. It's strictly measureables. Coaching effect over time. Home field advantage over time. And recruiting.

[Coach34]

Expectations should match reality -- and the talent level present on the team. Simply throwing out expectations of greatness without actual evidence to back it = an OM football fan still expecting the return of the Vaught era.

Fact - We've recruited well, not great -- Which was to be expected. We were a losing program, with an apathetic, divided fanbase, coach(es) on the hot seat, etc when ALL but our Freshman Class signed. Despite that, we have recruited in the top 15 overall most likely. We've got top 15 talent on this team. Not top 10. Not top 8. The best prospect on our team(out of highschool) is done for the season with an injury after minimal contribution this year -- after being expected to anchor our rotation in the Friday night role.

This is the same exact problem I have with our football "fans" that are now flipping out and jumping off the bandwagon. Set the expectations in reality and stick to them. Don't get caught up in hype and start expecting to be better than you've recruited and developed. It ALMOST NEVER happens like that. That's why Dave Bartoo is, bar none, the best football projections guy out there. He takes all emotion out of his numbers.

great post

[msstate7]

Expectations should match reality -- and the talent level present on the team. Simply throwing out expectations of greatness without actual evidence to back it = an OM football fan still expecting the return of the Vaught era.

Fact - We've recruited well, not great -- Which was to be expected. We were a losing program, with an apathetic, divided fanbase, coach(es) on the hot seat, etc when ALL but our Freshman Class signed. Despite that, we have recruited in the top 15 overall most likely. We've got top 15 talent on this team. Not top 10. Not top 8. The best prospect on our team(out of highschool) is done for the season with an injury after minimal contribution this year -- after being expected to anchor our rotation in the Friday night role.

This is the same exact problem I have with our football "fans" that are now flipping out and jumping off the bandwagon. Set the expectations in reality and stick to them. Don't get caught up in hype and start expecting to be better than you've recruited and developed. It ALMOST NEVER happens like that. That's why Dave Bartoo is, bar none, the best football projections guy out there. He takes all emotion(and hype) out of his numbers. It's strictly measureables. Coaching effect over time. Home field advantage over time. And recruiting.

So we should just be happy to get to a regional? Well you'll be happy bc we'll get into one.

[engie]

So we should just be happy to get to a regional? Well you'll be happy bc we'll get into one.

How did you ascertain "happy to make a regional" from my post?

No. We should not be "happy to get into a regional." We should be happy as hell to HOST one for the first time in a DAMN DECADE -- and we should be happy being a top 15 team. Why? Because that's WHAT WE ARE. We are on the cusp of hosting without our two most talented damn starters. Let that sink in.

Fact - With Woodruff at 100% and Evan Mitchell making reasonable progress(which he didn't), we were a top 10ish team -- exactly like I projected in the preseason. Without them, we are a top 15 team -- exactly like we currently are.

Look, you can set your expectations for whatever the hell your heart desires. Just don't expect me or anyone else to take your thoughts seriously when you are disappointed we aren't competing for a national title with borderline top 15 talent that was all recruited on the heels of terrible seasons with empty grandstands and vindictive, pissed off fans and boosters. Hell, if you think Dudy Noble was recruiting for us then, you must also think TD Ameritrade recruits for Creighton? Exactly.

[FFF]

Expectations should match reality -- and the talent level present on the team. Simply throwing out expectations of greatness without actual evidence to back it = an OM football fan still expecting the return of the Vaught era.

Fact - We've recruited well, not great -- Which was to be expected. We were a losing program, with an apathetic, divided fanbase, coach(es) on the hot seat, etc when ALL but our Freshman Class signed. Despite that, we have recruited in the top 15 overall most likely. We've got top 15 talent on this team. Not top 10. Not top 8. The best prospect on our team(out of highschool) is done for the season with an injury after minimal contribution this year -- after being expected to anchor our rotation in the Friday night role.

This is the same exact problem I have with our football "fans" that are now flipping out and jumping off the bandwagon. Set the expectations in reality and stick to them. Don't get caught up in hype and start expecting to be better than you've recruited and developed. It ALMOST NEVER happens like that. That's why Dave Bartoo is, bar none, the best football projections guy out there. He takes all emotion(and hype) out of his numbers. It's strictly measureables. Coaching effect over time. Home field advantage over time. And recruiting.

Exactly. I expect out teams to take the field and play their damn best every night. They usually dont play to the level they are capable of, but we havent sucked.

I don't remember anyone on here or 6pack say they expect us to win the cws... But don't think for a min I don't WANT us to. However, reality says there is a very slim chance of that actually happening. We also have made it to Omaha only once in the last 15 years and went 2 and done then.

I expected us to be in a position to host a regional and we are with 3 weeks to go.

[msstate7]

How did you ascertain "happy to make a regional" from my post?

No. We should not be "happy to get into a regional." We should be happy as hell to HOST one for the first time in a DAMN DECADE -- and we should be happy being a top 15 team. Why? Because that's WHAT WE ARE. We are on the cusp of hosting without our two most talented damn starters. Let that sink in.

Fact - With Woodruff at 100% and Evan Mitchell making reasonable progress(which he didn't), we were a top 10ish team -- exactly like I projected in the preseason. Without them, we are a top 15 team -- exactly like we currently are.

Look, you can set your expectations for whatever the hell your heart desires. Just don't expect me or anyone else to take your thoughts seriously when you are disappointed we aren't competing for a national title with borderline top 15 talent that was all recruited on the heels of terrible seasons with empty grandstands and vindictive, pissed off fans and boosters. Hell, if you think Dudy Noble was recruiting for us then, you must also think TD Ameritrade recruits for Creighton? Exactly.

I've watched/listened to every game this year. If we situationally hit a little better or pitched it slightly better, we couldve won EVERY series (even lsu and vandy). If vandy and lsu are elite, tell me why we shouldn't expect to be in the cws. If recruiting rankings determine how a team sets its expectations, how do you explain Arkansas (under petrino) making bcs game, vcu making deep runs in the NCAA, and even us winning the sec tourney last year? After all if your recruiting rankings aren't top 8, you shouldn't set your expectations to be in the cws.

[msstate7]

We could argue about this forever. I based my expectations on how we played down the stretch last year, players returning, and what our team told us to expect (they started the Omaha dawgs before the season). We passed the eye test against elite teams. We've beat ourselves as much as other teams have beaten us. We have enough talent even though we have some weaknesses (pitching depth, 3b defense, and guys like ct [wasnt he highly ranked recruit?] underperforming). I don't think my goal of the cws is unreasonable. Cohens and our teams expectation is cws. Maybe you should tell them to be more reasonable since that's an unreasonable expectation. "Stick to hosting a regional guys. You're recruiting rankings aren't good enough for Omaha" - engie

[engie]

I've watched/listened to every game this year. If we situationally hit a little better or pitched it slightly better, we couldve won EVERY series (even lsu and vandy). If vandy and lsu are elite, tell me why we shouldn't expect to be in the cws.

You've made it clear that you set expectations on emotion and not logic -- and we will never agree in that regard.

Were we in position to take the Vandy and LSU series with a timely hit? Yes. But you can't just look at that on the positive end and say "well, we're THIS close to being elite". You've got to look at the negative end to get an accurate picture of "what we are".

Do you know what else we were? In position to lose to Portland once, Purdue twice, St Josephs twice, getting swept by Central Arky, Alcorn, South Alabama, 2 to Florida, 1 to aTm if THOSE TEAMS get a timely hit against us. That would have essentially turned us into a mediocre, steaming pile of borderline tournament team.

So, the truth lies in the middle. Which is what we are -- in the middle. The best we've been in a decade -- Still not elite to the level I believe that Cohen can and will get us to.


If recruiting rankings determine how a team sets its expectations, how do you explain Arkansas (under petrino) making bcs game, vcu making deep runs in the NCAA, and even us winning the sec tourney last year? After all if your recruiting rankings aren't top 8, you shouldn't set your expectations to be in the cws.
So, basically, you expect 2007 every year for us. Got it** After all, we made a deep run that year without the talent for it to be logical.

If we aren't ranked in the top 8 and a national seed, we should not expect to get to Omaha. If you want to apply expectations logically, then expect Cohen to get us into that top 8 and leave Omaha out of the equation. Your approach is just as stupid to me as OM fans wanting to fire Bianco -- when they've only been "supposed" to make Omaha once(2005) and got shafted on the draw with the national champs in the Super Regional(and RPI #2 team at the time the national seeds were named and Texas got left out).

And you use two single season "lightning in a bottle" scenarios to back your case that "recruiting rankings do not matter"? You do realize that VCU was one of the last 4 into the tournament the year they made their run, right? Nevermind the fact that you've got transcendent coaches at both locations. You use those two examples -- want to see the(literally) hundreds of examples that I can show you that go the total opposite direction? Nevermind the random "madness" that is baseball and basketball postseasons...

Fact is, NO reasonable "college baseball fan" sets their team expectations in postseason accomplishments. There is simply too much randomness and parity every single postseason. Logical fans set their expectations on "full bodies of work" -- aka entire seasons. That's why those of us with reasonable expectations all along have expected us to host a regional -- which is a reward from a full season body of work. No one that has followed the sport closely for any length of time actually sets their expectations in what happens after that.

[engie]

We could argue about this forever. I based my expectations on how we played down the stretch last year, players returning, and what our team told us to expect (they started the Omaha dawgs before the season). We passed the eye test against elite teams. We've beat ourselves as much as other teams have beaten us. We have enough talent even though we have some weaknesses (pitching depth, 3b defense, and guys like ct [wasnt he highly ranked recruit?] underperforming). I don't think my goal of the cws is unreasonable. Cohens and our teams expectation is cws. Maybe you should tell them to be more reasonable since that's an unreasonable expectation. "Stick to hosting a regional guys. You're recruiting rankings aren't good enough for Omaha" - engie

By all means -- carry on with unreasonable expectations expecting Omaha every year. You'll be lunatic fringe ready to fire coaches as soon as your unreasonable expectations aren't met. It's lost on no one the extent to which you have melted down in this very thread about a pitching staff that I statistically proved to be among the elite in the country.

Our football team told us to believe they could beat Alabama too. Did you? I sure didn't. You know what else? I'm just as excited about football this year as I've ever been -- while a very large portion of our ridiculous fanbase has reverted to "poor ole MSU" mindset and jumped off the bandwagon. How is this possible? I rooted my expectations in reality and have stayed the course. Exactly like I will continue to do in baseball and basketball.

[msstate7]

By all means -- carry on with unreasonable expectations expecting Omaha every year. You'll be lunatic fringe ready to fire coaches as soon as your unreasonable expectations aren't met. It's lost on no one the extent to which you have melted down in this very thread about a pitching staff that I statistically proved to be among the elite in the country.

Our football team told us to believe they could beat Alabama too. Did you? I sure didn't. You know what else? I'm just as excited about football this year as I've ever been -- while a very large portion of our ridiculous fanbase has reverted to "poor ole MSU" mindset and jumped off the bandwagon. How is this possible? I rooted my expectations in reality and have stayed the course. Exactly like I will continue to do in baseball and basketball.

The expectation wasn't Omaha every year. It was this year. I'm very happy with Cohen and he would really have to drop the ball for me to turn on him. As for melting down, whatever dude. I said we had a weakness with pitching depth, not pitching. I didnt expect us to beat Alabama, but I sure expected us to compete much better than we did.

***sorry for that poor excuse for a paragraph

[dickiedawg]

No I lost my "shit" much earlier than today. I've been saying we have no depth for a while. I hope you're right. I want us to win, but I have doubts esp after the raping we got last weekend.

Last week's "raping" had nothing to do with pitching depth. Sunday was the only day we didn't compete, and that was because one of the guys we know we can count on got lit up early and often.

[Coach34]

We're a good baseball team- not great

We are probably the 12th-16th best in the country- and folks, that aint bad...weneed to play like it these last 3 series, get a regional, win it, and see what we can do in the Super

[msstate7]

We're a good baseball team- not great

We are probably the 12th-16th best in the country- and folks, that aint bad...weneed to play like it these last 3 series, get a regional, win it, and see what we can do in the Super
Speaking of playing like it...any chance we play tonight?

[FFF]

By all means -- carry on with unreasonable expectations expecting Omaha every year. You'll be lunatic fringe ready to fire coaches as soon as your unreasonable expectations aren't met. It's lost on no one the extent to which you have melted down in this very thread about a pitching staff that I statistically proved to be among the elite in the country.

Our football team told us to believe they could beat Alabama too. Did you? I sure didn't. You know what else? I'm just as excited about football this year as I've ever been -- while a very large portion of our ridiculous fanbase has reverted to "poor ole MSU" mindset and jumped off the bandwagon. How is this possible? I rooted my expectations in reality and have stayed the course. Exactly like I will continue to do in baseball and basketball.

John wooden never expected to win games or championships. He expected his teams to play with the very best they had in them every time they set foot on the court (and off the court, for that matter). That's what I expect from our teams. Winning is a result of playing with everything you have because while the other team is focused only on winning one game, you are focused on getting beat by yourselves. That's how he won so much.