So we are trading our Alabama crootin pipeline for a California crootin pipeline.....

[Taog Redloh]

I can live with that, they have the top talent in the country out there. But can we honestly expect to attract top California talent to Starkville, MS?

[ShotgunDawg]

Not trading Alabama, more like losing a player or two a year from Alabama in return for a player or two a year in Southern California.

MSU will always recruit Alabama well for baseball

[JDog13]

We have players from California and Canada. Don't think its an issue.

[MSUDawg99]

I suppose the new stadium will help too...

[Todd4State]

Alabama talent is about the same as Mississippi talent. Butch hurts us more with getting Georgia talent though.

We currently have Gavin Collins on the team plus we have a commit from Jack Owens who is one of the better prospects in California as it is. Alex Detz was also from California as well.

College baseball is not as big in California like it is in the SEC. Some of the players out there are going to find playing somewhere that baseball matters like MSU is very attractive.

We can land a few players from California and get them to come here. We'll still have the core of our team be from Mississippi. We also need to keep on recruiting Florida, Texas, and Georgia as well.

Losing a pipeline to Alabama doesn't really bother me. I'd much rather have one to Louisiana because I think the talent is more developed there.

[Todd4State]

I suppose the new stadium will help too...

Our stadium will be nicer than any of the minor league stadiums in California. The major powers in California college baseball essentially play at glorified high school fields.

[ScottH]

We currently have Gavin Collins on the team plus we have a commit from Jack Owens who is one of the better prospects in California as it is. Alex Detz was also from California as well.

.

Kruger is from California.

[Todd4State]

Kruger is from California.

I forgot about him since he came to us from Oregon.

[smootness]

But can we honestly expect to attract top California talent to Starkville, MS?

In baseball? Heck yes.

Is this a serious question?

[Rick Danko]

Do we need to worry about any prospects flipping to Auburn to follow Thompson?

[smootness]

Do we need to worry about any prospects flipping to Auburn to follow Thompson?

I would doubt it. You just don't really see that in baseball.

You honestly don't even see it that much with assistant coaches in football.

[MsStateBaseball]

We have 45 on the team, down from 46. I'm thinking 2-4 cuts and the rest red shirts which mainly will come from the pitching staff. If we lose players that will be redshirt than no big deal.

Im more worried about 2017 commits flipping. That is a solid class.

[Todd4State]

None of our commits are going to flip because of Butch.

[Bothrops]

Guys that are serious about baseball are gonna come to Mississippi State, regardless of where they're from.

[Homedawg]

We have 45 on the team, down from 46. I'm thinking 2-4 cuts and the rest red shirts which mainly will come from the pitching staff. If we lose players that will be redshirt than no big deal.

Im more worried about 2017 commits flipping. That is a solid class.

Got to be more cut than that. We don't have 6 newcomer pitchers not on baseball aid.....no one here is going to auburn, agree w that

[AlSwearengen]

Here is my take on butch/new guy. Looking from the outside, Butch was good at getting an average talent to find a niche for themselves and excel. It may not have been Butch's fault, but our better talent guys have seemed to have big ups and downs as their careers have gone along.

I remember watching Cal St. when they had the two true freshmen (too lazy to look up their names) starting for them and they were very good from beginning to end. One of them, I think was a really high pick. The other one was a small guy, so he probably didn't go terribly early.

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that the new coach might have a little more sway with a highly talented high school pitcher. That is what I am hoping for anyway.

[KB21]

If I had a criticism about Butch, it would be about the slow development of the better arms. Two that stand out that did not become what they should have at Mississippi State are Evan Mitchell and Brandon Woodruff. Granted, injuries play a role in some instances, but guys like Dakota Hudson and Zac Houston shouldn't be arriving in their junior years. We should be seeing things out of them latter in their freshman years and definitely in their sophomore years that make them stand out.

[Homedawg]

Here is my take on butch/new guy. Looking from the outside, Butch was good at getting an average talent to find a niche for themselves and excel. It may not have been Butch's fault, but our better talent guys have seemed to have big ups and downs as their careers have gone along.

I remember watching Cal St. when they had the two true freshmen (too lazy to look up their names) starting for them and they were very good from beginning to end. One of them, I think was a really high pick. The other one was a small guy, so he probably didn't go terribly early.

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that the new coach might have a little more sway with a highly talented high school pitcher. That is what I am hoping for anyway.

Butch will admit it was nick who got us to go after more "elite" and big time draftable guys. He was ok w getting a b+ guy w no risk of losing him as opposed to going after the A+ guy losing him and being stuck w a C guy. So last year and going forward we combined the strategies, which I like and has worked this far.

[Taog Redloh]

AlSwearengen and KB21......great posts, I can't agree with you more.

[ScottH]

AlSwearengen and KB21......great posts, I can't agree with you more.

Diito

[KB21]

I forgot about him since he came to us from Oregon.

Tyler Lash is a catcher prospect that is committed from California as well. He's in the class with Jack Owen.

[MsStateBaseball]

Yes good posts. We had to go to these big tournament to get elite players. We were falling behind.

Ming and Cohen went to PG event in Georgia, got this catcher to come by Starkville after the tournament to unofficial visit us. The kid liked it and committed all in a matter of a few days. His name was Elih Marrero, #1 rated catcher in Florida per PG. and he will be starting half the games next year, he's a stud.

[ShotgunDawg]

In the SEC you have to recruit some difference makers.

Outside of Florida this season (Florida has potentially 5, 2016 & 2017 1st round draft picks on their team this year) most all the teams in the SEC have the same base talent level. The difference in who wins & loses the league comes down to the best 3-5 guy on the roster & how many of those guys are top 3 round quality players.

Arkansas was an extremely average team last season, but they made it to Omaha because they had Benintendi & Zach Jackson. Both 1st round type players.

You have to recruit top 3 type players & hope that you can get one or two to campus ever two years. Some get there because they were injured their SR year of high school & some get there because they want to go to college.

[KB21]

Yes good posts. We had to go to these big tournament to get elite players. We were falling behind.

Ming and Cohen went to PG event in Georgia, got this catcher to come by Starkville after the tournament to unofficial visit us. The kid liked it and committed all in a matter of a few days. His name was Elih Marrero, #1 rated catcher in Florida per PG. and he will be starting half the games next year, he's a stud.

The team had 7 players selected to play in the Cape Cod League, and Brent Rooker's addition to the league later in the year made it 8. Gavin Collins was selected for the 2nd time but didn't play due to injury. Combine that with a top 5 incoming recruiting class, and there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the up coming season.

We have an emerging ace pitcher in Dakota Hudson who is starting to pop up on many top 50 prospect lists for the draft. Brent Rooker was considered to be the 2nd best prospect in the NE league. Nathanial Lowe and Cole Gordon were considered the 4th best prospects in their respective leagues.

[AlSwearengen]

It is surprising to me how much talent Florida has been able to stockpile under what's his name, the asshole. Florida has pretty mediocre facilities and fan support for an sec school. They are in a talent rich state though.