Yes! Huge baseball commit!

[MsStateBaseball]

LHP Konnor Pilkington has committed. He is from Lucedale. Per Gene on twitter. Same build as Moonlight Tatum. Prob the best 2015 LHP in the state.

[MsStateBaseball]

The LHP's in the 2015 class is dynamic. Padgett, Breaux and Pilkington are three strikeout machines. We may have to dodge MLB especially on Padgett but that is the nature of college baseball. We need to get more hitters for 2015 but this class is excellent.

[bulldogcountry1]

I hate the timeline with college baseball recruiting. Our best recruits don't see the field until 2-3 years after a commitment.

[MsStateBaseball]

Like Todd said on another thread, July is college baseball recruiting time. November is signing time. These kids visit on football weekends.

[Dawg61]

Excellent news!!

[smootness]

Awesome news. We definitely need to start getting a couple of these potentially really high picks to come to school. LSU just got Mac Marshall to turn down MLB, and he was a potential 1st or 2nd round pick. Absolutely huge for them.

[CadaverDawg]

That's awesome! Welcome Konnor

[HancockCountyDog]

That's awesome! Welcome Konnor

Here is his perfect game profile - looks like he will pick up where Ross Mitchell left off.

https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=358684

[messageboardsuperhero]

Here is his perfect game profile - looks like he will pick up where Ross Mitchell left off.

https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=358684

He already throws harder than Ross Mitchell. That 84 MPH fastball was clocked over a year ago when Pilkington was probably 15 or 16 years old- and he's supposedly added some weight/velocity and improved a lot since then.

[Todd4State]

He throws 85-87 and tops out at 90 per Gene. Pilkington emerged in the playoffs this year- sort of like Tatum did as a junior- when he no-hit a pretty good Pascagoula team and had 18 K's.

He will increase his velocity a little bit in all likelihood, although even if it stays where it is, I wouldn't be too worried.

Our pitching class is sick- Austin Riley, Jared Padgett, Breaux, Keegan James, Noah Hughes, and now Pilkington. That's 3 LH pitchers and 3 RH pitchers. Down the road, Butch will probably add in a couple of sidewinders as well.

Pilkington is another legit pick-up.

[Dawg61]

Pilkington sounds like a stud. Love me some LH pitching that can paint the outside corner all day long and then come back with a nasty slider/change. What is the breakdown of hitters/pitchers for MSU during the season? Not exact position numbers but how many pitchers to hitters do they try to keep on partial scholarship and what's the maximum amount you're allowed to have? Does it include RS? Football is 85 on scholarship and basketball is 13 but both will have a few more usually (except Ray) when you include walk-ons.

[smootness]

Depending on how many of those guys show up, and obviously whether or not he comes to campus, we may end up letting Riley hit a good bit.

[Todd4State]

Pilkington sounds like a stud. Love me some LH pitching that can paint the outside corner all day long and then come back with a nasty slider/change. What is the breakdown of hitters/pitchers for MSU during the season? Not exact position numbers but how many pitchers to hitters do they try to keep on partial scholarship and what's the maximum amount you're allowed to have? Does it include RS? Football is 85 on scholarship and basketball is 13 but both will have a few more usually (except Ray) when you include walk-ons.

I don't know the specifics and the only people that probably do are the coaching staff and the baseball AD. I think it's 27 that have to be on some form of athletic aid and then the other 8 are walk-ons.

What we do to try to level the playing field with the LSU's, Vandy's, and Georgia's is try to find guys that can get academic scholarships. It has worked pretty well so far- plus it has put us near the top in acacdemic performance as well. Win/win.

[DudyDawg]

So, down the road, do we see pilkington as a starter or reliever for us?

[Todd4State]

Depending on how many of those guys show up, and obviously whether or not he comes to campus, we may end up letting Riley hit a good bit.

Riley is a legit dual position guy possibly. He could be like Stephen Head. Riley plays third for DeSoto Central, but I could also see him at first or RF or DH and I think he can start or close.

Padgett is a draft risk but very much worth it for us, Breaux might be- he has a chance to make Team USA, but he also throws in the high 80's and is only 6'0" tall.

A lot of people think Noah Hughes is the best pitcher in the state. I think Keegan will be a closer/relief pitcher and will be a really good one. I haven't seen Pilkington pitch yet, but it sounds like he could potentially be another Vance Tatum.

The only thing I would like to add is maybe another Padgett type RHP that may be a draft risk, but would be a high reward guy for us if he chooses to come to school.

[Todd4State]

So, down the road, do we see pilkington as a starter or reliever for us?

Both. Probably start out as a relief guy that moves into the rotation down the road. See Vance Tatum.

[I seen it dawg]

Thread hijack...

We just got on a SS from Monroe OCS. Big time gonna be a jr. Jake Slaughter. Just went 6-12 in south La this weekend and went deep on Ross Massie a big time LH. Low 90s and did it with wood. Dodgers regional guy said he had some of the fastest hand he had seen in La this yr and that includes Vallot. He just decommitted from Tulane and Godwin and Sanchez from LSU are already on him. Cohen is now involved as well. We need to get this kid. Helluva athlete.

[MsStateBaseball]

Thanks, I seen it dawg. That's what I am talking about, putting baseball recruiting news on here. Very hard to come by. I will look him up.

[I seen it dawg]

Jake Slaughter on visit at LSU today. Was sent pics of his tour and him with Manieri and their last title trophy. We need to get in this game.

[woozman]

LHP Konnor Pilkington has committed. He is from Lucedale. Per Gene on twitter. Same build as Moonlight Tatum. Prob the best 2015 LHP in the state.

Sweet! Cool that he's from my hometown too...

[Schultzy]

Stephen Head or Mitch Moreland?

[Todd4State]

With respect to their college career- Head. The reason I say that is because Riley can come in as a freshman and be an immediate impact guy and can also start or close like Head did in college.

Moreland spent most of his freshman year on the bench- Polk tried to redshirt him and basically ended up wasting him- and on top of that Moreland was a closer only type of pitcher.