So who do we start Sunday

[confucius say]

Brown, Pilkington, James, Houston, other?

[War Machine Dawg]

Johnny Wholestaff

[VandelayIndustries]

No clue, but would like to see Houston start

[Coach34]

Houston is a mental midget so maybe starting him will help. We need someone that can go 4-5 innings

[CadaverDawg]

I'm guessing we start Brown, and see Breaux, Rigby, Small, and maybe Hughes.

[confucius say]

Houston is a mental midget so maybe starting him will help. We need someone that can go 4-5 innings

He really is. Starting him might be the only way we get anything from him.

[Intramural All-American]

I bet we go with a righty for the same reason we started James last week. Just like Georgia, Ole miss has looked horrible against our two power righties, so Cohen will probly want to go another righty.

[the59dawg]

No clue, but would like to see Houston start

Houston can't throw enough strikes.

[trob115]

Ethan Small or Brown

[Dawg61]

Hump!!!

[Commercecomet24]

I've known Zac for years. He's a great kid and tough competitor. Zac's problem is his secondary pitches are not elite and he's had trouble commanding his fastball, that's his problem. He is not a mental midget I can promise you that!

[Coursesuper]

I've known Zac for years. He's a great kid and tough competitor. Zac's problem is his secondary pitches are not elite and he's had trouble commanding his fastball. That's his problem, he is not a mental midget I can promise you that!

He just doesn't have an out pitch. But last Saturday all if them were missing big. They were either way off the plate or it was out over the plate as big as a beachball.

[Commercecomet24]

He just doesn't have an out pitch. But last Saturday all if them were missing big. They were either way off the plate or it was out over the plate as big as a beachball.

Exactly his offspeed stuff is average at best and he has to depend almost exclusively on his fastball and when you can't command your fastball and your offspeed stuff is average you got a big problem!

[MaroonFlounder]

All I know is Rigby should get the most innings, regardless of who starts. He can nail down the sweep.

[baseballfan]

Small is my choice. He he a good fall and spring as a starter.

[Political Hack]

I want to see Small and Rigby closing things down for us the rest of the year. Someone else needs to step up and grab that Sunday role if we're going to be as elite as we could be... And this team is Omaha elite if they can find a Sunday starter and keep Small and Rigby in the pen.

[Saltydog]

he can be very good. If he's not, yank him quickly and bring in Rigby and see how long he can go. Then pitch it by committee thereafter. The guy they are starting has some pretty good stats but you damn well know we'll see Wyatt Short tomorrow come hell or high water and that little sawed off shit is damn good.

[AlSwearengen]

Houston probably would be a more well rounded pitcher if he had grown up in Hattiesburg as opposed to poplarville.

[smootness]

I've known Zac for years. He's a great kid and tough competitor. Zac's problem is his secondary pitches are not elite and he's had trouble commanding his fastball. That's his problem, he is not a mental midget I can promise you that!

I'm consistently amazed that the depth of baseball analysis on here essentially consists of 'he's got balls' or 'he's a headcase'. There are pretty much never any other reasons offered for why a player is struggling. It always reminds me not to take any of it seriously.

[godlluB]

I'm throwing out the first pitch tomorrow (yes, really). I'm hoping if it goes well they'll just leave me in.

[Dawg61]

I'm throwing out the first pitch tomorrow (yes, really). I'm hoping if it goes well they'll just leave me in.

You'd definitely get Robinson out atleast

[Dawg62]

I'm consistently amazed that the depth of baseball analysis on here essentially consists of 'he's got balls' or 'he's a headcase'. There are pretty much never any other reasons offered for why a player is struggling. It always reminds me not to take any of it seriously.

That's I Seen It and Mic for ya...

[msstate7]

I'm consistently amazed that the depth of baseball analysis on here essentially consists of 'he's got balls' or 'he's a headcase'. There are pretty much never any other reasons offered for why a player is struggling. It always reminds me not to take any of it seriously.

"He's got balls" is actually an advanced stat in college baseball. 2.0 is elite and 0.0 is terrible (pre-puberty level). Right now with our pitchers, Hudson is 1.97, sexton is 1.88, and rigby is 1.71. The rest are around the 1.0 level with some in the 0.2 level***

[Dawg61]

Hump for Sunday SP!!!

[I seen it dawg]

Hump for Sunday SP!!!

It's not the craziest thing ever....start him and DH him at the same time. When he comes off the bump he is still the DH in the lineup. See how far he can go. Start Rooker in right and Mangum in left if they go Short. If not you can still do that or play #nocapecody in left and Mangum in right.

[msstate7]

It's not the craziest thing ever....start him and DH him at the same time. When he comes off the bump he is still the DH in the lineup. See how far he can go. Start Rooker in right and Mangum in left if they go Short. If not you can still do that or play #nocapecody in left and Mangum in right.

They're starting johnson (rhp), but I think we'll see short early

[Dawg61]

It's not the craziest thing ever....start him and DH him at the same time. When he comes off the bump he is still the DH in the lineup. See how far he can go. Start Rooker in right and Mangum in left if they go Short. If not you can still do that or play #nocapecody in left and Mangum in right.

I want to see how far Hump can go. Anyone have Hump's pitching stats for the year?

[tcdog70]

Pitch Ethan Small, really an easy decision.

[msstate7]

I want to see how far Hump can go. Anyone have Hump's pitching stats for the year?

8.2 ip 3.12 era 8 h 1 bb 12 k .240 ba

[ShotgunDawg]

he's had trouble commanding his fastball, that's his problem.

This is really all you had to write. This little issue right here make pitchers with good stuff seem bad & average pitchers seem really good. Unless you have among the top .00001% of stuff on the planet, not having fastball command will end your career

[Dawg61]

Almost a 12 kper9. I'll take it!! Oh and only 1 bb

[Commercecomet24]

This is really all you had to write. This little issue right here make pitchers with good stuff seem bad & average pitchers seem really good. Unless you have among the top .00001% of stuff on the planet, not having fastball command will end your career

Yeah I been coaching pitchers and catchers a long time and this is true however it's exacerbated by the fact his offspeed stuff is very average. That and the fact that he's not a mental midget was the point I was trying to make.

[It_Could_Happen]

I would go Pilkington on a short leash... If he gets in trouble go to small/breaux/Hughes quickly.

[HSVDawg]

I say start Houston but pay close attention to walks and pull him at first sign of trouble. If he has 3 walks in the first couple of innings he needs to be out of there. Hope you get 3 innings out of him, then turn it over to Brown for 3 or 4 more. Then Small and Rigby to close it out.

[Coach34]

I'm consistently amazed that the depth of baseball analysis on here essentially consists of 'he's got balls' or 'he's a headcase'. There are pretty much never any other reasons offered for why a player is struggling. It always reminds me not to take any of it seriously.

mental midgets are guys that can't deliver in game situations the same way they do in the bullpen. That's the exact impression that Houston gives. Especially when you hear that he complains a lot about wanting to start and that he hates relieving.

Just because a poster knows him and tells us all about his competitiveness doesn't mean he isn't a mental midget. It's a lot easier to be competitive pitching at Poplarville than pitching vs LSU

[DogDaddy]

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who post in these forums denigrating 19-21 year old kids. All behind the safety of a screen name. Post your opinion, disagree with the lineup etc... But there's just no reason to rip our players. Or, if you want to do that, leave your name and address so our players can discuss the matter with you personally.

[Coach34]

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who post in these forums denigrating 19-21 year old kids. All behind the safety of a screen name. Post your opinion, disagree with the lineup etc... But there's just no reason to rip our players. Or, if you want to do that, leave your name and address so our players can discuss the matter with you personally.

Thats part of the modern age my man. Hell, in Louisiana, they have message boards for high schools grilling kids and coaches. SEC athletes are on a big stage and that's just part of it. That's the price of getting the privilege to play in front of thousands

[Jack Lambert]

I continue to be amazed at the number of people who post in these forums denigrating 19-21 year old kids. All behind the safety of a screen name. Post your opinion, disagree with the lineup etc... But there's just no reason to rip our players. Or, if you want to do that, leave your name and address so our players can discuss the matter with you personally.

These 19-21 year old chose to be on the big stage. If they can't handle fan discontent they should not climb on board the boat.

[DogDaddy]

These 19-21 year old chose to be on the big stage. If they can't handle fan discontent they should not climb on board the boat.

Criticism and fan discontent are one thing. I understand that. Referring to someone as a "mental midget" or by other derogatory terms is completely another. Seems kind of juvenile to me. And generally it comes from people who never have been or couldn't get "on the big stage". Unless you consider JV baseball the big stage.

[tcdog70]

Criticism is one thing but Name Calling is another. Calling these Kids shitty little names only makes the poster a mental midget.

[turkish]

Coach has made up his own definition of "mental midget," apparently. How ironic.

[shoeless joe]

I'm consistently amazed that the depth of baseball analysis on here essentially consists of 'he's got balls' or 'he's a headcase'. There are pretty much never any other reasons offered for why a player is struggling. It always reminds me not to take any of it seriously.

Well that has TON to do with being successful in the game. It just does.

Before Houston even showed up on campus I was told by someone extremely close to him that he was a head case to the extent that it could hinder his success at this level. Guess what...time has proven that to be 100% accurate.

[shoeless joe]

Criticism and fan discontent are one thing. I understand that. Referring to someone as a "mental midget" or by other derogatory terms is completely another. Seems kind of juvenile to me. And generally it comes from people who never have been or couldn't get "on the big stage". Unless you consider JV baseball the big stage.

The first time I ever heard the term "mental midget" it was said by someone who was one of the best players to come thru the state of MS. He was definitely the best in the state while he played...so needless to say I disagree with your theory.

[mic]

Calling someone a mental midget is far from calling them shitty..
Hell I'm a mental midget when it comes to my golf game at times..

I guess I should apologize to any " little people" who may be on the board..

[Coach34]

Criticism and fan discontent are one thing. I understand that. Referring to someone as a "mental midget" or by other derogatory terms is completely another. Seems kind of juvenile to me. And generally it comes from people who never have been or couldn't get "on the big stage". Unless you consider JV baseball the big stage.

ive heard Bill Parcells say the term- he didn't play on the big stage- but he did ok for himself. I was fortunate to play after HS and some semi-pro...then as a coach lucky enough to win a state coy plaque. I've coached 3 guys that made it to the minors and 6 D-1 baseball players. I've been around some decent baseball.

Sexton showed us yesterday what we mean by a pitcher having a ballbag. The guys had made a couple of errors behind him- OM was threatening to close the gap, and he was getting up in pitch count. So what did he do? He struck the guy out and ended the threat himself. That's having the intestinal fortitude to battle and get the damn job done. A mental midget doesn't handle business in those situations. They haven't developed enough to get out of jams when the game is on the line. Some get there- and some never do. To this point- we haven't seen Houston do that. You know how he can? He can get in there and do the ****ing job. He's not that wild in bullpen sessions I assure you. But it's about what you can do when the crowd is there watching.

[AlSwearengen]

Since this has become a thread about Houston to some extent, I'll throw my educated guess as to the problem. Big kid with a thunder arm that most likely was a late bloomer. Being from poplarville, he was wayyy behind the curve when it comes to competition, development, opportunities , etc, etc.

Good kid from a good family, makes good grades, etc. I'm going to say he is the sensitive type that has a long memory, which makes being an sec pitcher difficult. I feel like if he could have a couple of successful outings, he could have a good run. Just needs confidence and we saw that last year. Hell, lindgren basically got benched late in his sophomore year. Look at Hudson from last year to this year. Baseball is obviously very mental and Houston needs a little success.

[Coach34]

And that's why I suggested starting him- let him have time to get his mind right- relax and get loose- and be ready to pitch. He does not appear to be mentally ready to be a RP