The last of you Cohen haters and rebears, get your shots in now......

[Goat Holder]

Yeah, we're likely not going to get out of this regional, and yeah Ole Miss will likely get to Omaha this year. But after 2014, all that ends. Cohen haters have zero ammo, and rebears lose 75% of their team for the second year in a row. Even Bianco can't come out of that unscathed, similar to LSU football this year. This out of state recrootin won't keep up forever. This is their last chance. I have it on good accord that in addition to their seniors (who are a HUGE part of the team), Ellis/Trent/Orifice/Bousfield will all go pro regardless of spot. Buchanan/Laxer...maybe. Jamison may be back, and then their freshmen obviously will. Good luck making a regional, fellas.

Back to us, our pitching rotation next year may allow us to put Real Deal Rubber Arm back in the pen, think about that. Let's assume Woodruff, Lindgren and Holder are all gone. Fitts is the Friday night guy until proven otherwise, no more speculation on this/that/the other. Laster starts out as the Saturday guy. After that, we have a wealth of guys vying for the Sunday spot - P. Brown, Young, Hudson, Tatum, Sexton. Plus the new JUCO guy Daniel Brown. And we got the sidewinders Gentry and Cox will be back. We do have to find another closer, but Shelly hopefully is back, and there have been whispers that Houston could be that guy. Hudson throws gas, so he could be the closer for a year until the rotation opens up a little bit in 2016. This doesn't count Geyer or the incoming freshmen. At any rate, now Real Deal Rubber Arm can throw some midweek and then again on a weekend, which will be where he does the most damage which will equal more wins.

Forget the football wool, I'm more fired up about the baseball future. Just need Washington or ULL to do their thing vs. the Bearsharks over the next 10 days or so. For you guys on Nafoom......I admit it.....if you get to Omaha, it will bother me. If you do some damage up there, I will be pissed off. If you.....oh nevermind, you won't. Bianco is still your coach and if he DOESN'T choke your regional/super away, you're not built for T.D Ameritrade. Orifice will wonder why all his bombs are just lazy fly balls to RF. Either way, this is your last chance to keep any type of respectability in baseball at all. During our worst decade ever, we out-performed your best decade ever, even with you guys paying off Perfect Game to make them tell everyone you have some type of baseball tradition. And now, our best is yet to come.

Rationalization over.

[Johnson85]

Back to us, our pitching rotation next year may allow us to put Real Deal Rubber Arm back in the pen, think about that...At any rate, now Real Deal Rubber Arm can throw some midweek and then again on a weekend, which will be where he does the most damage which will equal more wins.



Will the Real Deal Rubber Arm still be the Real Deal with the new balls? No clue if it really makes that much of a difference, but I'm assuming somebody that relies as much on movement as he does will be hurt by it more than the average pitcher.

[Goat Holder]

I don't know, my thinking is that guys throwing gas will huge hooks will be more affected by it, because more of their stuff is rigid. Sort of like Holder. Good question though, I don't know much about aerodynamics.

[smootness]

I'm definitely pumped about our future in baseball. And if they make it to Omaha, it will definitely stink. But they're going at some point, and their program isn't just going to go away.

They care about their baseball program, so they'll continue to be a program we have to deal with. But I'm not really worried about anything when it comes to baseball. We are Mississippi State, and we have John Cohen. We're going to be really, really good for a long time.

[justwin]

It doesn't seem that pitching & defense will ever be an issue under Cohen & Thompson. They have that down pat.

The final piece is hitting & a legit hitting coach to really start contending for the SEC crown every year. When I watch a MSU baseball game, I always see Thompson instructing/talking with the pitchers between innings which is helpful. I don't seem to see the same in game coaching with the hitters...I could be wrong. I understand Cohen is really into the metrics/odds, etc, and that's probably good from a managing standpoint. I think a good hitting coach is needed to get with the hitters to regroup after ABs, make adjustments while they're in slumps, etc. I don't think Cohen should be doing both managing & hitting ~ ala Chris Wilson as DC/DL coach. I'm still amazed that we only got about 2/3rds of a season from a 1st round draft pick in Renfroe. How that guy wasn't mashing for 3 years is crazy. Then, he went on that horrendous slump for 6 weeks last year & it was like no one was simplifying it for him to get him back in sync. Same deal with Rea...you can't tell me that he shouldn't be hitting ~mid .300s with double digit HRs this year and next. Same thing with Britton..that dude has the tools, but how does a guy on an SEC roster for 4 years not be able to hit with authority?

As for Cohen, I love the guy. I like everything about him from his aggressiveness, managing, etc.

As for OM, I don't care. I seriously doubt they make it to Omaha regardless of how MSU finishes.

[engie]

So, basically a Goat manifesto calling out "Cohen haters and rebears" while also conceding our regional on the front end?

[maroonmania]

Yeah, we're likely not going to get out of this regional, and yeah Ole Miss will likely get to Omaha this year. But after 2014, all that ends. Cohen haters have zero ammo, and rebears lose 75% of their team for the second year in a row. Even Bianco can't come out of that unscathed, similar to LSU football this year. This out of state recrootin won't keep up forever. This is their last chance. I have it on good accord that in addition to their seniors (who are a HUGE part of the team), Ellis/Trent/Orifice/Bousfield will all go pro regardless of spot. Buchanan/Laxer...maybe. Jamison may be back, and then their freshmen obviously will. Good luck making a regional, fellas.



If we don't get out of our regional then OM going to Omaha is VERY unlikely to happen. OM doesn't have a much better chance to beat ULL at ULL than we do. MSU having to play @OM in a SR is definitely their best shot but they better worry about getting through their own regional first.

[Goat Holder]

Renfroe was raw, dude. You really expected a guy to come into Starkville and start mashing right from friggin' Copiah Academy? If anything, his case is a great one SUPPORTING Cohen's offensive coaching abilities.

What about Adam Frazier? Jarrod Parks? Nick Vickerson? Brett Pirtle? You guys don't seem to get that Cohen CREATED pitching/defense team. It just so happened that THIS year we are missing that last piece, but remember that Frazier and Renfroe both left early and should theoretically still be here. And remember we had 6 guys in 2009 and 2010 hitting over .300 and we couldn't win shit. Pitching is king, you absolutely cannot win without it.

[Goat Holder]

go catch some JUCO ball engine

[maroonmania]

Will the Real Deal Rubber Arm still be the Real Deal with the new balls? No clue if it really makes that much of a difference, but I'm assuming somebody that relies as much on movement as he does will be hurt by it more than the average pitcher.

I doubt it as Ross is more of a ground ball pitcher anyway and I can't remember him giving up a lot of very deep fly ball outs when he is on. Now when he is off like he was in Hoover he will get hit hard with old ball or new ball.

[messageboardsuperhero]

I like where we're headed as well. Justwin is right- defense and pitching are never going to be an issue with this staff. Offense will be the only question mark, and I think you'll see that most of the issues we've had this year have to do with talent. Last year (with better talent), we were one of the top 3-4 offenses in the SEC. If you look at the size of our lineup, you'd think it was a JV team. That starts to change next year when we'll have more size and better talent, and then in 2016 we should really have it rolling- especially if we can get Vallot and/or Riley on campus.

As far as UM, they have a solid program and will never be as bad as they were pre-Bianco. They'll get to Omaha eventually and have some success, but I wouldn't trade our position as a program for theirs. Now if Godwin gets hired away they may have some issues...

[msstate7]

I think fastball pitchers will benefit from new balls. Pretty sure lower laces = less resistance = more speed

[smootness]

Well, you can't really say guys 'should still be here' in college baseball. If you have good players, they're going to leave after 3 years.

I do agree, though, that people are unfairly criticial of Cohen in regard to our hitting. We should be fine going forward; if we're not with the kind of talent we're bringing in, then we'll have a problem. But a team of Pirtle, Detz, Bradford, Henderson, Heck, etc. was never intended to be a team that mashes.

I also agree with Renfroe. He was a guy with a lot of really raw talent who became a 1st-round pick during his time at State; he didn't start out as one. Rea is a mystery, but sometimes guys just don't become what you think they will be.

[engie]

go catch some JUCO ball engine

-Learn to spell.
-If you are going to throw out a manifesto attempting to be a hard ass -- don't base it on a quitter premise.

[Goat Holder]

-Learn to spell.
That was intentional

[Pioneer Dawg]

Likely means greater than 50%. I put Ole Miss' chances of reaching Omaha at around 20%. Far from "likely"

[I seen it dawg]

Well hell I guess I can find something else to do this weekend besides watch us play. No chance to win and all.

[engie]

Well hell I guess I can find something else to do this weekend besides watch us play. No chance to win and all.

Same here

[DudyDawg]

I agree that our future is bright and what not. I'm just not sure why you're acting like this season is over and that we have absolutely no chance to get to Omaha, or even advance to a super. Obviously we aren't favored to win (or we would be hosting, as logic tells us), but that doesn't mean we have no shot to win it. That attitude bothers me

[Johnson85]

I doubt it as Ross is more of a ground ball pitcher anyway and I can't remember him giving up a lot of very deep fly ball outs when he is on. Now when he is off like he was in Hoover he will get hit hard with old ball or new ball.

I'm not worried about how far it flies after somebody hits Mitchell, I'm worried about how much easier it will be to get solid contact off of him when his ball isn't moving around like a wiffle ball, which is how I've heard batters going up against him have described it. Maybe it won't affect his movement much at all, but I thought that was one of the expected differences.

[Goat Holder]

Hilarious that some of you think this is some sort of loser attitude. Some just can't wait to jump out there with the "lil ole msu" shaming. Obviously it's possible that we could win the whole damn thing. But not likely. Let's be adults and understand reality. Chances are, with our talent, that we ain't winning the regional. And if we do win it, beating Ole Miss in Oxford will be next to impossible (they slaughtered us on our field during SBW, remember). Sure, we CAN do it, but damn, I thought some of you were man enough to accept realities of situations. It's not negativity or being defeatist. Bunch of damn women.

[I seen it dawg]

Hilarious that some of you think this is some sort of loser attitude. Some just can't wait to jump out there with the "lil ole msu" shaming. Obviously it's possible that we could win the whole damn thing. But not likely. Let's be adults and understand reality. Chances are, with our talent, that we ain't winning the regional. And if we do win it, beating Ole Miss in Oxford will be next to impossible (they slaughtered us on our field during SBW, remember). Sure, we CAN do it, but damn, I thought some of you were man enough to accept realities of situations. It's not negativity or being defeatist. Bunch of damn women.

You're the one talking about losing. Delusional. Wait you are goat so it makes sense.

[CadaverDawg]

Hilarious that some of you think this is some sort of loser attitude. Some just can't wait to jump out there with the "lil ole msu" shaming. Obviously it's possible that we could win the whole damn thing. But not likely. Let's be adults and understand reality. Chances are, with our talent, that we ain't winning the regional. And if we do win it, beating Ole Miss in Oxford will be next to impossible (they slaughtered us on our field during SBW, remember). Sure, we CAN do it, but damn, I thought some of you were man enough to accept realities of situations. It's not negativity or being defeatist. Bunch of damn women.

Poor timing, Goat. Not agreeing or disagreeing with your overall premise... But you had to know how terribly timed this shit is. That's why people are ripping you.

[shoeless joe]

I wouldn't count on any tommy john guys to be back early on next yr. can't be certain they'll be back or 100% at any time next yr so I would temper the expectations on those pitchers.

[engie]

Hilarious that some of you think this is some sort of loser attitude. Some just can't wait to jump out there with the "lil ole msu" shaming. Obviously it's possible that we could win the whole damn thing. But not likely. Let's be adults and understand reality. Chances are, with our talent, that we ain't winning the regional. And if we do win it, beating Ole Miss in Oxford will be next to impossible (they slaughtered us on our field during SBW, remember). Sure, we CAN do it, but damn, I thought some of you were man enough to accept realities of situations. It's not negativity or being defeatist. Bunch of damn women.

Rightttt.

Yeah -- it's damn near impossible to take out Ole Miss in an Oxford Super Regional. Signed Texas, Miami, and Virginia.

[Goat Holder]

That's sort of the point of the whole post. Be happy with where we are (even if we lose), because it's only going to get better.

[justwin]

All I know about Renfroe is that he was 'Vegas for 2-3 years and couldn't hit for anything despite raw 1st round talent, then goes up to the northeast for one summer around a legit hitting coach and comes back and he's a first rounder. And yeah, I kind of expect 1st rounders to have highly successful multi year college careers. Wes Rea needs to go to the northeast this summer to be around the same hitting coach as I think he didn't play ball last summer.

Does MSU have a designated hitting coach?

No arguments on pitching. Sorry to highjack your thread, but I doubt you get many people to argue MSU pitching & defense


Renfroe was raw, dude. You really expected a guy to come into Starkville and start mashing right from friggin' Copiah Academy? If anything, his case is a great one SUPPORTING Cohen's offensive coaching abilities.

What about Adam Frazier? Jarrod Parks? Nick Vickerson? Brett Pirtle? You guys don't seem to get that Cohen CREATED pitching/defense team. It just so happened that THIS year we are missing that last piece, but remember that Frazier and Renfroe both left early and should theoretically still be here. And remember we had 6 guys in 2009 and 2010 hitting over .300 and we couldn't win shit. Pitching is king, you absolutely cannot win without it.

[Goat Holder]

You are right that those summer leagues help. I can't argue that. Hey, a good hitting coach would no doubt be a good idea. I'm just careful when downplaying Cohen's hitting coaching ability.

Renfroe did have a highly successful multi-year career. He gunned down a many runners from CF in 2012. Remember, 5 tooler, he didn't get drafted strictly due to hitting. He could do it all. He hit OK in 2012 too, something like .260 with 5 bombs.

[msstate7]

I wouldn't count on any tommy john guys to be back early on next yr. can't be certain they'll be back or 100% at any time next yr so I would temper the expectations on those pitchers.

Isn't rehab time 18 months?

[smootness]

All I know about Renfroe is that he was 'Vegas for 2-3 years and couldn't hit for anything despite raw 1st round talent, then goes up to the northeast for one summer around a legit hitting coach and comes back and he's a first rounder.

This is false. He played for the same summer league team two straight years, and just like with State, he got better each time.

Terrible freshman year, hardly played
Good summer
Ok sophomore year, improved but not to his potential
Great summer
Very, very good junior year

[DownwardDawg]

Hilarious that some of you think this is some sort of loser attitude. Some just can't wait to jump out there with the "lil ole msu" shaming. Obviously it's possible that we could win the whole damn thing. But not likely. Let's be adults and understand reality. Chances are, with our talent, that we ain't winning the regional. And if we do win it, beating Ole Miss in Oxford will be next to impossible (they slaughtered us on our field during SBW, remember). Sure, we CAN do it, but damn, I thought some of you were man enough to accept realities of situations. It's not negativity or being defeatist. Bunch of damn women.

I like our chances against ole miss IF we make it out of this regional. We pitched Ross against them on a Friday night. That messed his head up and they hit him well. This go around we would probably pitch Laster in game 1 who has beaten them twice and Ross on Saturday. I don't think they can beat Ross twice. It would make for an interesting Super Regional. I would rather they not make it out of the regional though.

[RougeDawg]

Renfroe was raw, dude. You really expected a guy to come into Starkville and start mashing right from friggin' Copiah Academy? If anything, his case is a great one SUPPORTING Cohen's offensive coaching abilities.

What about Adam Frazier? Jarrod Parks? Nick Vickerson? Brett Pirtle? You guys don't seem to get that Cohen CREATED pitching/defense team. It just so happened that THIS year we are missing that last piece, but remember that Frazier and Renfroe both left early and should theoretically still be here. And remember we had 6 guys in 2009 and 2010 hitting over .300 and we couldn't win shit. Pitching is king, you absolutely cannot win without it.

Dude..... Yes Renfroe was raw and didn't pull it together hitting wise until he went to the Capr where they have some great hitting coaches. Some of the best in baseball. There's no coincidence his power numbers jumped dramatically and he became a "gap to gap" hitter.

I'm not bashing our hitting. It's enough to get by, but when you think of the potential we could be hitting with some changes in mechanics and approach at the plate, it is very frustrating for those of us who know the game and proper mechanics. Another thing we need help on, is situational hitting. Look at UCLA hitters last year. They hit ground balls where they wanted with their eyes basically shut. They were taught properly and practiced. They got bunts down, not just fair, but where they wanted them and in the proper spot based on situation. We struggle to get any bunts down and most times bunt it in wrong spots (i.e. To side of mound pitcher is falling off, making the play easier). Look at Vandys hitters. They can put the ball basically anywhere they want. They choke up, spread out and move runners. Their RH hitters can shorten their swing and hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield, which allows hittin and running and moving runners from 2nd to 3rd. How many times in the same situations, do our hitters keep their same swing and approach, and fail to move the runners. Shit if a RH hitter can hit the ball where you want on a hit and run, most times it's a hit because the 2nd baseman has to cover the bag and leaves the entire right side wide open. These are the things a hitting coach could teach and implement. These seethe things that make ULL a top ranked team with guys who weren't ranked that high out of high school. Some of you need to take off the maroon glasses and realize we need a mechanically sound hitting coach for our offense to become potent. We wouldn't have to rely on our pitchers keeping opponents under 4-5 runs to win. We'd be banging out double digit hits almost every game and not all singles like we have been doing this year. I could go on all day about hitting and how to correct it but you get the point. We'd win the SEC with a strictly hitting coach that knows mechanics.

[Saltydog]

nt

[DudyDawg]

Isn't rehab time 18 months?

Yes but I think he's saying you never really know what they'll be after that time and not to rely on them necessarily to be impactful

[messageboardsuperhero]

Dude..... Yes Renfroe was raw and didn't pull it together hitting wise until he went to the Capr where they have some great hitting coaches. Some of the best in baseball. There's no coincidence his power numbers jumped dramatically and he became a "gap to gap" hitter.

I'm not bashing our hitting. It's enough to get by, but when you think of the potential we could be hitting with some changes in mechanics and approach at the plate, it is very frustrating for those of us who know the game and proper mechanics. Another thing we need help on, is situational hitting. Look at UCLA hitters last year. They hit ground balls where they wanted with their eyes basically shut. They were taught properly and practiced. They got bunts down, not just fair, but where they wanted them and in the proper spot based on situation. We struggle to get any bunts down and most times bunt it in wrong spots (i.e. To side of mound pitcher is falling off, making the play easier). Look at Vandys hitters. They can put the ball basically anywhere they want. They choke up, spread out and move runners. Their RH hitters can shorten their swing and hit a ground ball to the right side of the infield, which allows hittin and running and moving runners from 2nd to 3rd. How many times in the same situations, do our hitters keep their same swing and approach, and fail to move the runners. Shit if a RH hitter can hit the ball where you want on a hit and run, most times it's a hit because the 2nd baseman has to cover the bag and leaves the entire right side wide open. These are the things a hitting coach could teach and implement. These seethe things that make ULL a top ranked team with guys who weren't ranked that high out of high school. Some of you need to take off the maroon glasses and realize we need a mechanically sound hitting coach for our offense to become potent. We wouldn't have to rely on our pitchers keeping opponents under 4-5 runs to win. We'd be banging out double digit hits almost every game and not all singles like we have been doing this year. I could go on all day about hitting and how to correct it but you get the point. We'd win the SEC with a strictly hitting coach that knows mechanics.

Renfroe never went to the Cape... I have no idea why people keep saying he did, but he didn't.

[Goat Holder]

Renfroe never went to the Cape... I have no idea why people keep saying he did, but he didn't.

Yep, he played for Bethesda in the Cal Ripken League. Typically we send our pitchers to the Cape.

Rougedawg is a f*cking moron, pay him no mind. He doesn't realize that UCLA was hot as hell last year, plus had two lights-out starting pitchers and a closer. You can't "coach" the type of clutch hitting they were doing last June.

[shoeless joe]

Yes but I think he's saying you never really know what they'll be after that time and not to rely on them necessarily to be impactful

Exactly...and the ones that do come back even better than they were probably won't get to that level til '16

[State82]

Renfroe never went to the Cape... I have no idea why people keep saying he did, but he didn't.

I've wondered about this too. I have seen it a number of times on posts. If you are attempting to impress someone with any type of knowledge, you must first get your facts accurate and then express those facts and your opinions in a coherent manner.

[Todd4State]

I agree that we will get better offensively.

It's not about mechanics and approach so much as it is about talent. Adam Frazier was also very successful under Cohen, Jarrod Parks almost hit .400 and came close or did win a batting title, Nick Vickerson improved his senior year and now Brett Pirtle went from hitting something like .215 (yes, not exaggerating) to having like a 60 game on base streak or whatever.

We were in the top half of the SEC in offense last year, and were near the top, and this year we are hitting .275 as a team which is one point below the league average of .276. Our average as a team has gone up 15 points since the mid point of SEC play.

What we lack is power. When you have power, you have the ability to get extra base hits and that leads to guys getting into scoring position and multiple guys scoring on one swing. We had that last year because of Renfroe and because Frazier was a threat to hit a double or a triple even though he wasn't a power hitter. Those two also presented opportunities for Detz, Rea, and Pirtle last year to do their thing and aside from Pirtle the other two haven't been able to handle the load. The other power guys that we have right now are just freshmen- Collins, Humphreys, and Garner.

We will be better offensively next year because we return a lot of guys with experience. That makes a HUGE difference. The seams will help a guy like Wes Rea out. Collins should be in the lineup more if for no other reason than Lindgren will be gone, and we will see Humphreys playing regularly every day.

[preachermatt83]

Ross has not earned the right to start? A guy that gives you 7 solid every time out with several complete games needs to be a bullpen guy? Wow!

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Tom-Hanks-orly.gif.pagespeed.ce.SlMCwNI-Vk.gif

[messageboardsuperhero]

I agree that we will get better offensively.

It's not about mechanics and approach so much as it is about talent. Adam Frazier was also very successful under Cohen, Jarrod Parks almost hit .400 and came close or did win a batting title, Nick Vickerson improved his senior year and now Brett Pirtle went from hitting something like .215 (yes, not exaggerating) to having like a 60 game on base streak or whatever.

We were in the top half of the SEC in offense last year, and were near the top, and this year we are hitting .275 as a team which is one point below the league average of .276. Our average as a team has gone up 15 points since the mid point of SEC play.

What we lack is power. When you have power, you have the ability to get extra base hits and that leads to guys getting into scoring position and multiple guys scoring on one swing. We had that last year because of Renfroe and because Frazier was a threat to hit a double or a triple even though he wasn't a power hitter. Those two also presented opportunities for Detz, Rea, and Pirtle last year to do their thing and aside from Pirtle the other two haven't been able to handle the load. The other power guys that we have right now are just freshmen- Collins, Humphreys, and Garner.

We will be better offensively next year because we return a lot of guys with experience. That makes a HUGE difference. The seams will help a guy like Wes Rea out. Collins should be in the lineup more if for no other reason than Lindgren will be gone, and we will see Humphreys playing regularly every day.

The lack of power is BY FAR the biggest culprit of our offensive struggles. And power is 90% a combination of talent, size, and experience- coaching is certainly a part of that too, but it's not AS IMPORTANT as the other three.

We've got the talent and size on campus and in future recruiting classes- now it's just about getting experience/maturation and learning how to use that power.

ETA: And I do not think our hitting coaching is nearly as bad as some people on here try and make it out to be. Do we have a perfect hit record with offensive players living up to potential? No, but nobody else does either. The vast majority of our perceived hitting problems stems from the fact that we only have a couple of starters that are bigger than 5'10" 175 pounds. I'm sorry, but Frank Robinson couldn't teach Demarcus Henderson or CT Bradford how to be power hitters. They're both good players, but power will NEVER be part of their game.

Now, a lot of this is on Cohen for recruiting so many of those type of players, but you also have to consider the climate of modern day college baseball- particularly when you play the vast majority of your games in big parks. Cohen was trying to adapt and play to our park's strength- and for the most part, you can't argue with the results. But that balance between small ball players and run producers is definitely the think we're missing most right now.

All that said, I think we're going to see our team get bigger in the future. We'll always have some CT Bradford and Jake Mangum types in our lineup, but you'll also some more Reid Humphreys and Cole Gordon types to balance that out.

[Todd4State]

The lack of power is BY FAR the biggest culprit of our offensive struggles. And power is 90% a combination of talent, size, and experience- coaching is certainly a part of that too, but it's not AS IMPORTANT as the other three.

We've got the talent and size on campus and in future recruiting classes- now it's just about getting experience/maturation and learning how to use that power.

ETA: And I do not think our hitting coaching is nearly as bad as some people on here try and make it out to be. Do we have a perfect hit record with offensive players living up to potential? No, but nobody else does either. The vast majority of our perceived hitting problems stems from the fact that we only have a couple of starters that are bigger than 5'10" 175 pounds. I'm sorry, but Frank Robinson couldn't teach Demarcus Henderson or CT Bradford how to be power hitters. They're both good players, but power will NEVER be part of their game.

Now, a lot of this is on Cohen for recruiting so many of those type of players, but you also have to consider the climate of modern day college baseball- particularly when you play the vast majority of your games in big parks. Cohen was trying to adapt and play to our park's strength- and for the most part, you can't argue with the results. But that balance between small ball players and run producers is definitely the think we're missing most right now.

All that said, I think we're going to see our team get bigger in the future. We'll always have some CT Bradford and Jake Mangum types in our lineup, but you'll also some more Reid Humphreys and Cole Gordon types to balance that out.

Even with size, you can be undersized and hit with power- BUT you have to be able to generate bat speed. And part of that goes back into the talent equation that you are talking about. I think more and more fans will realize this once MLB puts this new interactive stuff that they are working on that shows fans how fast these guys are swinging the bat. People will actually be able to see the difference between a guy like Miguel Carbrera and a guy like Ben Revere. Much like people can see the difference between a fastball from Randy Johnson and one from Jamie Moyer on the radar gun. The thing that size gives you is better mechanical leverage, so it's not something that can be totally discounted.

You also have to have the hand eye coordination to react which is God given as well- and also falls into the talent category.

You can have perfect hitting mechanics and approach and be taught those things as well- but if you don't have the God given talent to do it, you are not going to hit as well. Now, you may hit better than your potential, but you still won't be Ted Williams.

You are right that Cohen has recruited smaller guys to try to fit the current baseball climate- and the bottom line results are pretty good. The good news is he is also changing it somewhat to fit the upcoming baseball climate as well. But that said, I expect that speed and pressure will continue to be a big part of what we do- but the difference will be we will hopefully have some power to give us some teeth and make scoring runs that much easier.

[smootness]

Renfroe never went to the Cape... I have no idea why people keep saying he did, but he didn't.

It's only RougeDawg saying it. But I'm sure he'll come back and say that actually the Cal Ripken league has the greatest hitting coaches on the planet, guys who know as much as he does, and that's why Renfroe had a huge jump his junior year...despite the fact that he was also successful in the CR league after his freshman year yet came back to State and still struggled.

With him, it's all about teaching a few very basic points about hitting. Talent, experience, maturation...not part of the equation.

[engie]

The lack of power is BY FAR the biggest culprit of our offensive struggles. And power is 90% a combination of talent, size, and experience- coaching is certainly a part of that too, but it's not AS IMPORTANT as the other three.

Like Todd said, alot of that was by design.

Cohen was in favor of changing the balls in 2016 -- giving him 2 years to build the team differently. That tells a lot about the "design" of getting these smaller hitters for awhile.

Fact is, the power we recruited, outside of Renfroe, either never showed up, was terrible defensively, or hasn't really panned out. Now -- blame for that goes to everyone a bit -- but it's a fact.

I do agree that it won't be an issue going forward though...

[Goat Holder]

REALLY.

It doesn't matter who's earned what. It's about putting guys in the position to be most successful. Real Deal is an OUTSTANDING bullpen guy. He's above average in the starting role. I mean, damn, we can't lose either way. I really don't understand what you're trying to criticize here. Sounds like you just want to bitch about something.

[RougeDawg]

Renfroe never went to the Cape... I have no idea why people keep saying he did, but he didn't.

Ok, wherever the hell he went his numbers jumped dramatically over that summer. He didn't learn what made him the top draft pick from our coaching staff. That is the entire point I'm making. They never improve like that without some outside hitting instruction.

And to you other morons, who obviously know as much about hitting as I do flying the Space Shuttle, yes there are a few small changes you can make to swings to dramatically improve power, average, and situational hitting. And learning the mental aspect of the game is a huge part. If you know the mental aspect and study scouting reports you can predict what will happen in game before it happens. You can also look at specific things during the game and start predicting things, even if you dont have a scouting report.

Keep the ignorant comments coming. Maybe one day some of you will actually learn some baseball, besides balls and strikes.

[preachermatt83]

Ok, wherever the hell he went his numbers jumped dramatically over that summer. He didn't learn what made him the top draft pick from our coaching staff. That is the entire point I'm making. They never improve like that without some outside hitting instruction.

And to you other morons, who obviously know as much about hitting as I do flying the Space Shuttle, yes there are a few small changes you can make to swings to dramatically improve power, average, and situational hitting.

I have to agree here. Some of the best hitting coaches in the country coach in these summer leagues and the players can focus primarily on their weaknesses in the summer without worrying about losing a position or getting to "postseason" . summer ball is great for raw hitters. if gavin Collins goes to play in a summer league he could be a 350 guy with 10 plus hr easy.