Making sure you know....

[BulldogBear]

We are now a sub .500 team...

...only two years removed from playing for the national championship...

...at Mississippi... State... University. W... T... 17?

[War Machine Dawg]

Serious question and I'm not trying to start the pissing match we've been having for weeks on this board. (And I'll admit I've been part of the problem. Shitty baseball frustration makes me a bigger asshole than usual) So here it is: How much leash does one CWS run give Cohen? And how much leash would he have if he weren't "one of us" by being a former player? Again, not trying to start the pissing match. I want to hear some honest answers.

[State82]

My opinion is this. You gotta give him 2016 to square up. If he repeats this season again next year, he probably needs to go. Bad seasons come along for even the top programs in every sport every now and then. However, with a program equipped with our resources, the bad seasons should be extreme outliers and back to back tanks should be reason for genuine concern, even dismissal.

[shoeless joe]

IMO baseball is so much different than any other sport, and despite what some folks think, we are not LSU...but that said I expect a better product next year. This season could be seen from a mile away once the maroon colored glasses were removed. I think you have to see what next year brings before realistic expectations can be set.

[blacklistedbully]

2013 CWS Champ UCLA went 20-25-1 last year. Right now they are #2.

[confucius say]

Serious question and I'm not trying to start the pissing match we've been having for weeks on this board. (And I'll admit I've been part of the problem. Shitty baseball frustration makes me a bigger asshole than usual) So here it is: How much leash does one CWS run give Cohen? And how much leash would he have if he weren't "one of us" by being a former player? Again, not trying to start the pissing match. I want to hear some honest answers.

2 years.
Same amount

[coastratdog]

My opinion is this. You gotta give him 2016 to square up. If he repeats this season again next year, he probably needs to go. Bad seasons come along for even the top programs in every sport every now and then. However, with a program equipped with our resources, the bad seasons should be extreme outliers and back to back tanks should be reason for genuine concern, even dismissal.

This 1+

[Saltydog]

simply isn't there. It's just not. Oh, one other small detail but neither are the sticks. Still no power. NONE!

[Pinto]

I think Mingione needs to be gone this year and possibly others. To me the only assistant safe is Butch. If we tank next year, for sure all but Butch need to be gone. The need for a good dedicated hitting coach is beyond obvious.
I give Cohen next year without changes but not the next for sure. I just don't see us doing better next year. MSU should never miss Hoover, NEVER!

[Coach34]

We're back in the NCAA's next year or we need a new coach

[War Machine Dawg]

My opinion is this. You gotta give him 2016 to square up. If he repeats this season again next year, he probably needs to go. Bad seasons come along for even the top programs in every sport every now and then. However, with a program equipped with our resources, the bad seasons should be extreme outliers and back to back tanks should be reason for genuine concern, even dismissal.

I agree he should get next season. But changes should absolutely be mandated this offseason, starting with a dedicated, mechanics based hitting coach. If what's been said on here about our baseball S&C coach is accurate, he needs to be replaced too. If we don't get it turned around next season, I'd have to think "it's time."


simply isn't there. It's just not. Oh, one other small detail but neither are the sticks. Still no power. NONE!

Unfortunately, I see the same thing. We don't have the power arms or power bats. And even if Cohen guts the team, there's no one worth a damn to bring in this late that would be a significant improvement over what we already have. Plus all the guys who would be significant improvements are likely going to be taken by MLB, according to our own baseball crootin experts. So this big time signing class that coming in will be gutted, too, leaving us scrambling for more JUCO fillers. I'd love to think we'll improve, but I don't see where the improvement will come from right now.

[Saltydog]

Unfortunately, I see the same thing. We don't have the power arms or power bats. And even if Cohen guts the team, there's no one worth a damn to bring in this late that would be a significant improvement over what we already have. Plus all the guys who would be significant improvements are likely going to be taken by MLB, according to our own baseball crootin experts. So this big time signing class that coming in will be gutted, too, leaving us scrambling for more JUCO fillers. I'd love to think we'll improve, but I don't see where the improvement will come from right now.

Bam Head SHOT! Bottom line is, we won't be significantly improved next year. We just won't. Better, yes. Significantly better, no.

[confucius say]

Bam Head SHOT! Bottom line is, we won't be significantly improved next year. We just won't. Better, yes. Significantly better, no.

We will be in postseason barring significant injuries

[HSVDawg]

2 years.
Same amount

I agree with this. We don't make the tourney next year then Cohen has to go. That sounds harsh, but if you look at history at MSU and other programs it is isn't unprecedented. A few examples:

1) Richard Williams in 1998. Two years after he makes the Final Four (farthest we had ever been in basketball), he gets fired. I think everyone knows the product on the court wasn't the only thing that did him in. But lets face it, he doesn't go anywhere if we go dancing in 97 and/or 98. It certainly wasn't a Petrino situation where the university was practically forced to get rid of him.

2) Pat McMahon at Florida in 2007. In 2005, Pat McMahon took Florida to the National Championship series and a runner-up finish in the CWS which was and still is the farthest UF had ever been in the postseason in baseball. Sound familiar? Then in 2007 he was fired after two subpar seasons that followed. This is at Florida, a school with rich traditions in many sports, but not a baseball tradition or fan following that matches MSU.

3) Jackie Sherrill in 2003. This is an example of how to NOT handle a coach on the decline. Again, we have a coach who took his program farther than it had ever been with a stretch from 1997 to 2000 that included a division championship, 3 bowl appearances, and wins over top 10 teams. We have complete shit seasoms in 2001 and 2002 with an ongoing NCAA investigation to boot. Instead of doing the right thing and pulling the plug in 2002, we give JWS yet another year completely burn our program to the ground and setting the foundation for the worst coaching hire in MSU sports history.

The point is, historical runs of success do not allow forgiveness for future expectations not being met. Especially not in the SEC.

[Smitty]

2013 CWS Champ UCLA went 20-25-1 last year. Right now they are #2.

So they parlayed a CWS run into good croots that are panning out now… And we didn't.

[Coach34]

Richard Williams was replaced 100% for off the court issues- not on the court. Had he been coaching Stands 1st team- the one they had built- they would have been in the NCAA Tourney without a doubt.

[gravedigger]

My opinion is this. You gotta give him 2016 to square up.

So ya couldnt find a better way to say this?

[HancockCountyDog]

We're back in the NCAA's next year or we need a new coach

You think just making it is good enough or do we need to be in host conversation.

[Coach34]

You think just making it is good enough or do we need to be in host conversation.

making it is good enough...we're not going to fire a coach that makes the NCAA Tourney unless the program is an embarrassing shit show like basketball became- and it's rare those types of teams make the NCAA Tourney.

Our fans need to chill the **** out. We are a top 20 program- but we arent a top 10 program. We dont have a NC in our history. We only average making Omaha what- once every 5 years since 1980? We have 7 Omaha appearances in the last 35 years. We are a good program- not great. Making the Tourney at State and advancing every now and then is good enough.

Shit- Cohen has finished in the top 16 2 times in the last 4 years. He's not going to lose his job over 1 bad season. 2? Things could change

[Todd4State]

You think just making it is good enough or do we need to be in host conversation.

I'm not exactly sure why our fans are caught up in hosting. What if we are a two seed and don't host, but then go to a SR or Omaha anyway? That's not an unacceptable season by any means.

The benchmark in today's game of college baseball is SR and CWS.

[Todd4State]

He should definitely get next year and then we'll see how it goes. Our rotation should be better- with Hudson, Sexton, and Tatum all being juniors and Preston being a senior. I think Houston will be a good closer and he's also a junior. Yes, we'll have to rely on a few freshmen for bullpen roles but we have more power arms coming in than we did this year by far.

We should be better at catcher with Collins being healthy- that has hurt our offense and our power this year. Lovelady should be back because he's a good catch and throw guy and I think we probably get Elih Marrero who is a high end prospect.

The infield is going to be having a lot of competition- we'll see what Lowe the JUCO guy can give us, but if he doesn't pan out, Rooker and Cole Gordon should be fine. I'm not sure what the middle infield will look like- but worst case scenario is Holland and Gridley. We'll see if Hunter Stovall can learn second quickly- he has more pop than Holland. Luke Alexander is better defensively than any of our other MIF- but how quickly can he adjust to SEC pitching? Third base depends on who comes to school- but worst case scenario there is Luke Reynolds who is playing a lot better. Britton being hurt has really hurt us as well.

Our OF should be pretty good- Humphreys, probably Robson, Smith- yet again another player who has been hurt, and Cody Brown. I wouldn't totally rule out Humphreys at first or third next year, but that's just speculation on my part. More than likely he stays in the OF unless some guys aren't panning out. It's going to be put up or shut up time for Swinarski as well- it would be nice if he actually surprises us. I think Humphreys not being able to play last summer probably affected him this year some. He and Swinarski both need to play somewhere and get some AB's. And don't be surprised if Jake Mangum pushes for some playing time.

[Coach34]

I would move Hump to 1st

[Todd4State]

I would move Hump to 1st


We would definitely be more athletic in the OF with Humphreys at first. And we can potentially use Rooker in the OF and not lose too much power.

[Homedawg]

We would definitely be more athletic in the OF with Humphreys at first. And we can potentially use Rooker in the OF and not lose too much power.

If rooker is worse in the OF than hump- I don't want to see it. And we haven't used rooker at all out there. Scary. He's a freak athletically I know.