Weekend starters announced

[MsStateBaseball]

And no Dakota Hudson

Preston Brown vs Daniel Brown
Ross vs Laster
Sexton vs McCord

I am on Dakota watch. Is his back healthy? You would think if he was he would pitch first weekend. If he doesn't pitch next few days something is up.

[msstate7]

Hope it's brown, laster, and the better of the Sunday guys. I want Ross out the pen

[Todd4State]

Dakota's back being hurt has put him behind- for now. Those could very well be our piggy back groups. I'm guessing our rotation is going to be Preston, Ross, and McCord.

[BeardoMSU]

I want Ross out the pen

This^^^^

Having Ross in the pen is huge. He won us a ton of games out of there. It's just such a luxury to have a guy that can come in at a moments notice if the starter gets rattled or doesn't "have" it that night.

[Todd4State]

I want Ross to come out of the pen as well.

[msstate7]

I want Ross to come out of the pen as well.

The last 2 years it seems Ross has been wore out in postseason. If possible, I'd like to keep him as fresh for postseason.

[Homedawg]

Dakota stunk it up in the fall...have no idea about his health. Hopefully his arm slot change will help.

[engie]

Hudson is taking it slow.

Arm slot change is going to be huge for him eventually. No telling when it actually starts to click, but will hopefully be sometime this year...

[CJDAWG85]

What happened to Fitts?

[Statefan]

What happened to Fitts?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think they are talking about him coming out of the pen... Maybe even as a closer? I think i hear that on the radio the other day

[Todd4State]

Dakota stunk it up in the fall...have no idea about his health. Hopefully his arm slot change will help.

He needs reps. The bullpen is probably the best place for him right now.

[Todd4State]

What happened to Fitts?

Coming out of the bullpen. Think Caleb Reed.

[engie]

What happened to Fitts?

Bullpen...

Cohen said earlier this week that this is the deepest group of starting pitchers he's had.

41 minute podcast with Cohen today for anyone interested. I'll relay the interesting statements. http://topcoachpodcast.com/?p=1107

[CJDAWG85]

Good deal. I'm excited to see what this pitching staff can do.

[Homedawg]

He needs reps. The bullpen is probably the best place for him right now.

No question. His fastball is flat. And his command is marginal. But he has something u can't teach- velocity.

[preachermatt83]

I look for Dakota to end up in a closer role before the end of the year.

[engie]

No question. His fastball is flat. And his command is marginal. But he has something u can't teach- velocity.

Not flat anymore...

2-seamers really take off with the new baseballs and new arm angle. He's got to find command now. Still throws up in the zone too much and can't work the inner half overly effectively.

I'll make a new thread with that Cohen podcast. It hasn't said much of anything specific about our team so far -- but it goes in great depth about him personally. Alot further in depth than any interview I've ever heard him give...

[MsStateBaseball]

Audio is just his past no baseball tid bits.

[MsStateBaseball]

Eng keep me updated about Dakota.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Hope it's brown, laster, and the better of the Sunday guys. I want Ross out the pen

All of this is my hope as well. That would be a solid rotation.

[messageboardsuperhero]

I read an interview a while back with Kendall Graveman, and he says he loves the lower seam ball because everything moves. He said he couldn't throw a straight pitch if he wanted.

IMO, this ball is going to benefit power pitchers with good changeups and hard sliders a lot.

[BeardoMSU]

IMO, this ball is going to benefit power pitchers with good changeups and hard sliders a lot.

What about guys like Slim Hossy?

[engie]

I didn't realize Sexton had been named the #2 overall prospect in the Great Lakes league this summer. Need he/McCord to step up.

[messageboardsuperhero]

What about guys like Slim Hossy?

Good pitchers are good pitchers no matter what ball they use. I think Ross will still get guys out if he continues to sink the ball and get under barrels- I was saying the new ball should help power pitchers, not necessarily that they'd hurt finesse pitchers.

And all this is just speculation and theory on my part anyway. I don't mean to pretend to know exactly how each pitcher will respond to it.

[BeardoMSU]

Good pitchers are good pitchers no matter what ball they use. I think Ross will still get guys out if he continues to sink the ball and get under barrels- I was saying the new ball should help power pitchers, not necessarily that they'd hurt finesse pitchers.

And all this is just speculation and theory on my part anyway. I don't mean to pretend to know exactly how each pitcher will respond to it.

Ah, ok.

Another reason I like Ross coming out of the pen is the shear change of pace he provides. If you start a burner, get him to the 5th or 6th inning, then you bring in Ross, he is such a different style thrower, it's difficult to adjust; that's what made him so effective 2 years ago. He was 13-0 out of the pen for a reason, lol.

[SouthMsDawg]

Will Paul Young ever be a contributor to our baseball team?

[engie]

Will Paul Young ever be a contributor to our baseball team?

He's still recovering from TJ surgery. He's going to be the piece that puts us over the top late in the season IMO.

[bulldogcountry1]

I think, if either Ross or Fitts end up starting once SEC begins, then it's not a good sign for us. Fitts has a lot of starts under his belts, but hardly ever makes it past the 5th. He has to be pretty vanilla to start to have any chance of going deep in the game, and typically struggles a bit in the first inning. His best stuff is good for two times through the lineup, and that's about it. His best stuff is good, though, and having him come out of them pen will make it better.

Obviously, Ross can make the biggest impact out of the pen as well. Shirley there are enough other arms to get us a weekend rotation, but I'm not going to put much stock into who starts until at least the Arizona weekend.

[MsStateBaseball]

Roster is at 37 on hailstate.com. I expect one more cut and one redshirt.

[SouthMsDawg]

He's still recovering from TJ surgery. He's going to be the piece that puts us over the top late in the season IMO.

Didn't he have the surgery in fall of 2013? How long is recovery time? It would seem as if he would be ready to throw some this spring at least by mid March.

Im also concerned with Joey Swinarski, I hope hes not a bust, but he didn't hit good in the fall and hes not the athletic type of OF that Cohen likes.

[SouthMsDawg]

Roster is at 37 on hailstate.com. I expect one more cut and one redshirt.

Cut Mintz and RS Mahoney?

[SouthMsDawg]

Also, what the word on Jacob Billingsly? A friend of mine told me this fall that he was supposed to be our closer. I guess Fitts has better stuff even though hes never wowed me with his arm (does have a nice breaking ball but lacks heat closers have)

[maroonmania]

Didn't he have the surgery in fall of 2013? How long is recovery time? It would seem as if he would be ready to throw some this spring at least by mid March.

Im also concerned with Joey Swinarski, I hope hes not a bust, but he didn't hit good in the fall and hes not the athletic type of OF that Cohen likes.

Pretty sure he didn't end up having the surgery until early in the 2014 season last year when it became obvious he couldn't go.

[DudyDawg]

I want Laster starting. I think he can be a really good one. I think our pen will be solid too, with (hopefully) ross in it, as well as guys like Tatum who I think will be a stud and gentry with his style. We have pretty much options to go to any kind of pitcher we want. Maybe Dakota could lock it in and close. 98 after ross throwing 80 is one hell of a change in the ninth. That's the only spot I'm really concerned w

[MsStateBaseball]

Paul Young had surgery last January or February. I hope they give him an inning here and there, then in late May, let her rip. I expect him to be a force in 2016.

Don't worry about Swinarski, he is going to be a great player. He will push for playing time in RF and DH this year.

Billingsley is still in the hunt for reliever role. Fitts is a seasoned veteran, so he is great as a closer. Tatum has swing and miss pitches and we need that from a lefty.

The last spot may be between the JC guy from Ga, Logan and Mintz. Remember Mintz dropped down in the fall and did fairly well. I suppose they can redshirt Logan and not have him on the 35 if it came down to it. Mahoney in my mind is a sure redshirt. He is not full speed after surgery. Really, new guys compete for playing time in the fall and he didn't pitch much.