How do we see the bullpen hierchy shaking out?

[Irondawg]

Ross is the primary long-relief guy and Fitts the closer.

From what we've seen who are the other 1-2 guys we think we'll use during the SEC season? Guessing Young, Brown, Hudson,.

And is Billingsley hurt as well or is there another reason we haven't seen him yet.

[smootness]

It will be dependent on how the rotation shakes out.

There's a chance Hudson elevates himself into the rotation, which would obviously change things and would probably send Laster to the pen.

As you said, the closer role is set, and we know what Mitchell will bring. He will pretty much be the primary guy in any tight situation so long as he's able to go.

Daniel Brown should be key, and I think Houston will pitch a good bit this year, too. I don't really know what will happen with McCord and Young; it will depend on how they perform and how Young looks once he sees game time.

[AlSwearengen]

Going into the season, it appeared that Brown would act as the lefty setup guy and Houston would be the righty setup man. I say setup, but they would be the short relievers and be brought in depending on match ups. If Hudson can keep building on this past weekends performance and Tatum continues like he has been doing, I see pitchers pitching more often but in shorter stints, which is a good thing long term.

If McCord can do what the coaches obviously think he can do, we should be pretty good at tournament time with a deep staff. We will have more opportunities at match ups late in the game as well.

[smootness]

I'm sorry to take this in a new direction, but it's really interesting to me to look at the 2015 guys and the current roster and try to figure out how next year will shake out. We have 8 seniors on the current roster, only 3 of whom are pitchers. Then I could see us losing a couple of non-seniors to the draft (a few possibilities - Robson, Michael Smith, Paul Young).

But that still only ends up being about 10 guys leaving, and only 4 pitchers. We have 18 committed guys right now, including 10 pitchers, and that doesn't include Riley and Mangum, who can both obviously pitch.

We either expect several of these guys not to make it to campus, or we expect to have a lot of additional attrition off the current roster.

[Todd4State]

Fitts is the closer. Ross and Daniel Brown will pitch a lot, and I think Laster will join them soon if he isn't the midweek guy. Right now, I would have to say that Hudson and Houston are the primary RH guys besides Fitts, and I think McCord will be a long relief type guy along with Laster. Levi Mintz will pitch some.

Myles Gentry and Paul Young are wild cards at this point until they actually get better and show that they are healthy. I would like to see Logan Elliott step up and be the sidearm guy that can eat innings like Caleb Reed and Saunders Ramsey could.

The only problem with Hudson stepping up is the only other reliable RH guy is Fitts and Houston. Now, that might change if Gentry and Young are indeed healthy and can perform at a high level.

[Todd4State]

I'm sorry to take this in a new direction, but it's really interesting to me to look at the 2015 guys and the current roster and try to figure out how next year will shake out. We have 8 seniors on the current roster, only 3 of whom are pitchers. Then I could see us losing a couple of non-seniors to the draft (a few possibilities - Robson, Michael Smith, Paul Young).

But that still only ends up being about 10 guys leaving, and only 4 pitchers. We have 18 committed guys right now, including 10 pitchers, and that doesn't include Riley and Mangum, who can both obviously pitch.

We either expect several of these guys not to make it to campus, or we expect to have a lot of additional attrition off the current roster.

It will work itself out. I'm not privy to how it will- but it will.

We will probably lose a couple to the draft. Hopefully we won't have a Burdick situation like last year- those are the ones that really hurt to me.

Several of our guys that are considered pitchers right now in our class are actually considered dual position guys- like Riley, Keegan James, Trysten Barlow, maybe Konnor Pilkington. The coaches just have to figure out where they fit when they get to school. Like Holder was actually recruited as an OF.

[RAYn_Man]

Like Holder was actually recruited as an OF.
Holder was a first baseman.

[smootness]

Yeah, I know it'll work itself out. Just interesting.

We either just took several of these draft risks on the off chance we got one or two, or we're about to complete a talent overhaul on an already talented roster.

I just hope we're not thinking we lose too many to the draft.

[Todd4State]

I don't think we expected Fenter and Barlow to de-commit from Ole Miss. As Gene Swindoll says and for all the grief he gets he is correct about this- baseball recruiting is not like football recruiting where they keep going after players who commit to someone else. That was something that played out over the summer- and those two guys that if they say that they want to go to your school, you take their commitment. The same thing with Ethan Small to a smaller degree- he was committed to Austin Peay and blew up and wanted to play with his other Dulin's Dodgers teammates at a SEC school.

I still would like to get at least one more corner infield/OF guy or two. And I wouldn't be surprised if we add another player or two- there is always someone that emerges their senior year that no one talks about like Renfroe a few years ago. I never thought I would ever type this- but if we do take someone else, they probably won't be pitchers.

[Irondawg]

So what's the deal with Billingsley? He had a really good summer and thought he would challenge for a role

[Bo Darville]

So what's the deal with Billingsley? He had a really good summer and thought he would challenge for a role

Billingsley out for season with injury.