Another new JC baseball commit

[bobcat91]

Michael Smith, 5'11" 170lb 2B/OF from WaltersState Cc. Hit .331, 4HR, 36RBI and was 29/31 ins stolen bases last year.

[Todd4State]

I like his Christian music.

[MsStateBaseball]

Sweet, the two positions we could use him 2B and OF.

[MsStateBaseball]

Looks to me like a CF. He is fast. We really didn't have a true CF coming back.

[maroonmania]

Well Robson should be but I'm not convinced yet he can hit enough to hold down a starting spot.

[deltadawg99]

Well Robson should be but I'm not convinced yet he can hit enough to hold down a starting spot.

Unfortunately that wasn't a requirement to start last year

[MsStateBaseball]

He and Robson will be competing for CF. I still have hope that he and Hann will come back in shape and ready to compete.

[Todd4State]

Well Robson should be but I'm not convinced yet he can hit enough to hold down a starting spot.

He has to get healthy. Robson is very underrated by our fans. Too many people see a guy that is 5'6" or whatever he is and automatically assume that he sucks.

But health is his concern.

[Buddy]

I like his Christian music.

Wonder why he dropped his middle initial?

[Todd4State]

He and Robson will be competing for CF. I still have hope that he and Hann will come back in shape and ready to compete.

Cody Brown will compete for the CF spot as well. Had we not gotten Smith, I would say that Brown would have been the front runner if Robson wasn't healthy. Joey Swinarski might be a wild card as far as CF goes as well.

I would still say that Vickerson and Brown are front runners for two of the outfield spots. Robson will play CF if he is healthy. I think Smith and Luke Reynolds will compete for playing time out there as well. Smith sounds like he is more of a CF type and Reynolds is more of a corner OF type of guy. Swinarski, Rooker, and Ingram are wild cards. It just depends on how much progress they make in the offseason, although more than likely they will be bench players for next year. I think Humphreys will be the DH.

Smith will compete with Hann for a back-up middle infield spot and then after Heck leaves he will compete for his spot. It also gives us insurance if Holland busts out next year and leaves after his junior year.

[Todd4State]

Wonder why he dropped his middle initial?

Probably trying to re-invent himself as a baseball player.

[MsStateBaseball]

I'm not even going there with the roster numbers this year or the future. We have more than 45 now. I would think cut 3-5 and RS the rest. I don't care about that anymore. I am concentrating on the 27 that will play the most. We will always bring some in and redshirt them hoping they develop.

[Big4Dawg]

This guy can steal period.

He had 32 singles, 23 walks, and 4 HBP. So he was on first 59 times.

He stole 29 bases, got caught stealing 2 times. So he tried to steal 56% of the time as was pretty damn successful.

[Todd4State]

I'm not even going there with the roster numbers this year or the future. We have more than 45 now. I would think cut 3-5 and RS the rest. I don't care about that anymore. I am concentrating on the 27 that will play the most. We will always bring some in and redshirt them hoping they develop.

I think we will redshirt Andrew Mahoney because he is coming off of surgery, and I think there is a good chance that we redshirt Paxton Stover, Aaron Dominguez, and Taylor Stafford. Ryan Gridley might depending on how he does in the fall- but I think he makes the 35 man roster probably. I think we probably redshirt Cole Barlow simply because he's the same pitcher as Myles Gentry and it doesn't make a lot of sense to have them both on the same eligibility clock. I think the JUCO catcher Josh Lovelady will probably redshirt as long as there aren't any injuries in the fall or spring to one of our other catchers.

Then we have to wait and see how our guys that were hurt come along and if there are any other injuries as well. Young and Shelly are supposedly ahead of schedule, Will Cox is lagging behind last I head, and then there are the Canadians- Hann and Robson who both should be back. I'm not sold on Preston Brown being healthy at this point either and I'm not exactly sure what his future will hold. So, all that said- I wouldn't be surprised if we end up redshirting Will Cox although we're going to hope that he is healthy once the season starts.

[Todd4State]

This guy can steal period.

He had 32 singles, 23 walks, and 4 HBP. So he was on first 59 times.

He stole 29 bases, got caught stealing 2 times. So he tried to steal 56% of the time as was pretty damn successful.

Yes. And we need someone to steal 20 bases for us. CT and Demarcus never could really get that aspect of their game going for us to where they could get to 20 SB's. I hope he is a good bunter as well.

[MsStateBaseball]

When we get a JC, we either RS him for depth in the future or he will play his first year. Trying to get a start player this late in the 2014 recruiting season is not going to happen 99 percent of the time. We need quality depth. Lots of really good ball players in JC ball.

[smootness]

When we get a JC, we either RS him for depth in the future or he will play his first year.

That is profound.

[MsStateBaseball]

Todd, you have a DM.

[Homedawg]

We have several guys that won't be back. I'll leave it at that.

[State82]

We have several guys that won't be back. I'll leave it at that.

By choice of the coaching staff?

[maroonmania]

He has to get healthy. Robson is very underrated by our fans. Too many people see a guy that is 5'6" or whatever he is and automatically assume that he sucks.

But health is his concern.

I have no issue with his size its just that he regressed this year and had trouble just making any contact with the ball. Struck out over half of his ABs I think and was something like 1 for 16. If that was due to injury I'm certainly willing to give him another look next year but he can't play in a starting position next year based on how he swung the bat this year. Robson made Britton look like Ted Williams this year at the plate. His speed is his only asset at the moment.

[dickiedawg]

That is profound.

+1. Audibly chuckling at this.

[Homedawg]

By choice of the coaching staff?

That's accurate.

[preachermatt83]

We have several guys that won't be back. I'll leave it at that.

Hopefully its Robson and Hann. Neither are anywhere close to SEC caliber ball players.

[Percho]

Has anyone looked at the summer league stats?

[CadaverDawg]

Hopefully its Robson and Hann. Neither are anywhere close to SEC caliber ball players.

That's what we thought about Pirtle 35 at bats into his Junior season. Just sayin

[DudyDawg]

What I hope, not necessarily what I think will happen, is that brown wins center and that Swinarski wins RF

[messageboardsuperhero]

Some of y'all are underestimating Robson. He's got a ton of ability- just needs to get fully healthy. He actually had some really big moments for us his freshman year too. Hopefully his struggles this year were just due to injury.

And I still believe Vickerson will have a nice year next season. He came up huge in the ULL regional and wasn't nearly as bad as some of our fans made him out to be. Let's see what Vick does with a full year and summer to adjust.

Hopefully our coaches cut Smith loose next year when he gets on base. I feel like Armstrong and Henderson could have had more SBs this season than they did.

[messageboardsuperhero]

What I hope, not necessarily what I think will happen, is that brown wins center and that Swinarski wins RF

I'd love for Swinarski to win the RF job and give us some pop. We really will have a fair amount of talent in the OF next season- we just need people to step up.

[MsStateBaseball]

Vickerson and Brown rotate in Left and Right. Swinarski gets time if he can hit LH pitching. Michael Smith is CF, Robson if healthy plays too. That is your 5 man rotation.

[maroonmania]

Some of y'all are underestimating Robson. He's got a ton of ability- just needs to get fully healthy. He actually had some really big moments for us his freshman year too. Hopefully his struggles this year were just due to injury.

And I still believe Vickerson will have a nice year next season. He came up huge in the ULL regional and wasn't nearly as bad as some of our fans made him out to be. Let's see what Vick does with a full year and summer to adjust.

Hopefully our coaches cut Smith loose next year when he gets on base. I feel like Armstrong and Henderson could have had more SBs this season than they did.

Cohen is not very fond of the straight steal. He is too wrapped up in the bunt and the hit and run. If he is not going to let Armstrong straight steal much then he is not going let anyone else do it either.

[Homedawg]

Cohen is not very fond of the straight steal. He is too wrapped up in the bunt and the hit and run. If he is not going to let Armstrong straight steal much then he is not going let anyone else do it either.

Agree as a rule. But he did let nick vickerson straight steal a bunch.

[msstate7]

Cohen is not very fond of the straight steal. He is too wrapped up in the bunt and the hit and run. If he is not going to let Armstrong straight steal much then he is not going let anyone else do it either.

Could be that runners were precious to us. Maybe if we hit better and get more runners, we'll run more

[shoeless joe]

I would be shocked if the stafford kid ever sees the field.

I would also be surprised if both Canadians are back as well as a few others. We are bringing in a lot of good talent and somebody will draw the short straw.

[bulldogcountry1]

Maybe Smith can be our "pest". I'm always jealous and nervous in crunch time when our opponent has a pest - a guy that always manages to get on base and is a complete distraction when he does. Demarcus never could take that next step and be that guy for us. I don't know that he was fast enough, anyway.

[Todd4State]

Cohen is not very fond of the straight steal. He is too wrapped up in the bunt and the hit and run. If he is not going to let Armstrong straight steal much then he is not going let anyone else do it either.

There's more to stealing than just being fast. You have to read the pitcher and know the situation and then pick your spots. That's what CT and Demarcus weren't all that great at.

[Todd4State]

I would be shocked if the stafford kid ever sees the field.

I would also be surprised if both Canadians are back as well as a few others. We are bringing in a lot of good talent and somebody will draw the short straw.

Stafford is a good player. I like him better as a pitcher than I do as an outfielder though. He has a very good breaking ball and his fastball is in the upper 80's, low 90's. If I had to guess that's where he will likely end up.

The Canadians will more than likely be back. Robson is probably the front runner to start in CF. Dale Burdick signing with the Mets probably means that Hann will be the favorite to start at second as a senior- provided he is healthy.

[Todd4State]

I'd love for Swinarski to win the RF job and give us some pop. We really will have a fair amount of talent in the OF next season- we just need people to step up.

I would love for Swinarski to step up too. That would give us even more power without sacrificing speed or defense. It's just a matter of if he's ready or not. He's a five tool type player.

[KB21]

Walters State is a power house program as well. That's where Craig Kimbrel pitched, and the Braves have scouted that program for a long time.

Michael Smith had a 0.429 OBP and walked 23 times in 176 total plate appearances. He struck out only 21 times. Anytime you get a player who has more stolen bases than strike outs, it is a good thing.

[shoeless joe]

Stafford is a good player. I like him better as a pitcher than I do as an outfielder though. He has a very good breaking ball and his fastball is in the upper 80's, low 90's. If I had to guess that's where he will likely end up.

The Canadians will more than likely be back. Robson is probably the front runner to start in CF. Dale Burdick signing with the Mets probably means that Hann will be the favorite to start at second as a senior- provided he is healthy.

I really don't wanna get on here and bash the kid but he is nowhere near 90 mph. He is mid 80s on his best day but does have good off speed command. However you are correct that he is better as a pitcher than hitter although he is not SEC caliber in either aspect. I hope he comes in and develops and does well but I just don't see it. Rite now he is a smaller CT without the offense...

[Todd4State]

I really don't wanna get on here and bash the kid but he is nowhere near 90 mph. He is mid 80s on his best day but does have good off speed command. However you are correct that he is better as a pitcher than hitter although he is not SEC caliber in either aspect. I hope he comes in and develops and does well but I just don't see it. Rite now he is a smaller CT without the offense...

He was hitting 90 according to the Trustmark Park gun.