Today's baseball fan day

[MsStateBaseball]

The subject of offense came up several times and everyone believes we will score more.

Concern for Gavin Collins shoulder, he can bat but throw not so good right now.

We need to play, tired of playing against ourselves. Only way to gauge what we got.

[smootness]

Somebody on TD claims Collins broke his hand and is out 6 weeks. Know anything about that?

[VandelayIndustries]

Looks like it could be true. sucks for the kid.

Michael Bonner ‏@MikeBBonner 5m5 minutes ago
Gavin Collins is the only positional player not participating today. He is in the dugout with his left hand/wrist wrapped.

[MsStateBaseball]

Well if that's the case, we have to deal w it. Love lady is a good player. Collins should be back by SEC play.

[Todd4State]

Gavin Collins being out is a HUGE blow. Seems like this happens every year. Even worse, it will affect Rea and Humphreys negatively as well. Love lady is a catch and throw guy. This would be like the Cardinals losing Yadier Molina for half of the year.

[Todd4State]

Well if that's the case, we have to deal w it. Love lady is a good player. Collins should be back by SEC play.

And he won't be in game shape until week eight. If he's hurt, it's pretty much a lost season.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Man, I really really hope that isn't true.... We'd be losing our best hitter and most important defender- without a doubt our most important overall position player, and it isn't even close. When did this happen? Wasn't he just in the scrimmage yesterday?

What makes it worse is that is the ONE position in the field that our depth is a question mark. Ugh. Lovelady and Walker better be ready to play.

[messageboardsuperhero]

And he won't be in game shape until week eight. If he's hurt, it's pretty much a lost season.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a lost season, but we'd definitely need to reevaluate our expectations for the front end of the schedule. We very likely would drop a few of those early games like last year because of the catching situation.

[Saltydog]

nt

[bulldogcountry1]

And he won't be in game shape until week eight. If he's hurt, it's pretty much a lost season.

Let's pull back on the reigns a bit. Maybe he's just a little banged up. He's a catcher, after all.

[MsStateBaseball]

Cohen said in interview Collins "down the line" will ....

Love lady is our best bet. His offense stats aren't bad. We just have to deal w it.

[Todd4State]

To clarify, I meant a lost season for Gavin, and that's mainly because the college season is so short.

[maroonmania]

Well, trying to look on the half full side, if he has to be injured I would rather get him back midseason and have him the rest of the way than him get hurt midseason and be out the rest of the way. At least he has time at this point to get back to full strength for the stretch run. We just need to hold things together until he is back.

[Schultzy]

Whoever it was catching today has a quick release and a cannon for an arm. I'm sure he can't hit like Collins but defensively, he is plus.

[MsStateBaseball]

Anyone see Collins signing autographs at fan day?

[thedawg]

Yes I saw him signing autographs.. It looked like a soft cast. It wasn't a hard normal cast..

[MsStateBaseball]

Thanks.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Whoever it was catching today has a quick release and a cannon for an arm. I'm sure he can't hit like Collins but defensively, he is plus.

Good to know. I'd heard Lovelady was exceptional defensively in JUCO, and that's why we took him more so than for his bat. How was he blocking pitches?

Offensively we'll need someone like Rooker, Gordon, or Swinarski to step up for the time being. We also need Rea and Humphreys to really hit. Hopefully Collins gets better soon... I was expecting him to have a massive year.

[MsStateBaseball]

I have confidence in love lady, his eye at the plate is pretty good. More walks than strikeouts. We just need to pitch and play defense.

If it's just a fracture he should be back before SEC.

[msstate7]

If Gavin is out, I think we have to play Reynolds at 3b to get more offense

[Todd4State]

What I would do personally is find a way to get Rooker into the lineup as well.

[Homedawg]

Collins is out about a month or so....

[MsStateBaseball]

Hand or wrist? Homedawg.

[Homedawg]

Small bone in hand

[MsStateBaseball]

Drink a lot of milk.

[ScottH]

Drink a lot of milk.

A bit of Growth Hormone to speed things along would also help.

[msstate7]

Drink a lot of milk.

Deer antler spray

[preachermatt83]

Nobody in the country has a quicker release than Gavin Collins

[Smitty]

Collins injury means we don't host a regional.... If he's out 6 weeks.

Why would this mean Reynolds has to play 3rd and not DH? That's nonsense. Im not as convinced at Loveladys offense as the blogger, I think Walker is the superior bat. But he has had issues defensively. I think Walkers bat should be good for non con until Collins returns.

[I seen it dawg]

While I agree losing Collins for 4-6 weeks is potentially crushing let's see how the guys around him pick up the slack before we give up on hosting a regional. Who knows maybe we drop a couple we shouldn't bc of losing his bat early then he comes back and we really pick it up in SEC play. That gets us a host. It is still 5 days until season which is a week of him being out at that point.

Shit if we just had Garner still he could catch and we would be better off.

[MsStateBaseball]

I think Cohen is upset BC it was a freak accident apparently. Gavin made last out on video Tuesday night called third strike a foot off the plate by the way. He didn't play Friday. So must have happened at practice, etc. And Cohen is super excited about this club and he has a set back before the season.

But its done. Love lady will do a great job.

[Smitty]

Shit if we just had Garner still he could catch and we would be better off.

Yep

[engie]

It might have already been stated -- Right hand or left and which finger?

He might be able to swing it through the injury, depending... But receiving or throwing back to pitcher 120 times a game is probably out of the question...

[SouthMsDawg]

Why do yall continue to hype Lovelady? He batted .190 in Juco last year.

[MsStateBaseball]

Its his left hand. Pirtle batted .222 in JC ball. So.

Love lady on base % is really good. He walks a lot. He will be a positive batter not a negative.

[messageboardsuperhero]

Why do yall continue to hype Lovelady? He batted .190 in Juco last year.

I never had any illusions of Lovelady being a plus offensive player for us- I have however heard that he was one of the best defenders in JC last year. If he can play good defense back there, then he should be serviceable in the non-conference- anything he gives us offensively is a plus, IMO.

But nobody is claiming that he is a game changer like Collins is.