This baseball team is going to be OK.

[Tbonewannabe]

With the returning players, we were going to take a step back. I don't see Cohen having that much of a difference in our record if he was still coaching. We are struggling right now mostly due to zero depth in the bullpen. We can't hold a lead. This team has lost some close games that a healthy bullpen would solve. When you have about 50% of your pitching staff go out with TJ then even competing is tough.

[raymond21]

With the returning players, we were going to take a step back. I don't see Cohen having that much of a difference in our record if he was still coaching. We are struggling right now mostly due to zero depth in the bullpen. We can't hold a lead. This team has lost some close games that a healthy bullpen would solve. When you have about 50% of your pitching staff go out with TJ then even competing is tough.

Cohen would have won today because he would have bunted Rooker late when we had runners on 1rst and 2nd with no outs

[gravedigger]

With the returning players, we were going to take a step back. I don't see Cohen having that much of a difference in our record if he was still coaching. We are struggling right now mostly due to zero depth in the bullpen. We can't hold a lead. This team has lost some close games that a healthy bullpen would solve. When you have about 50% of your pitching staff go out with TJ then even competing is tough.

Good post and I agree

[Todd4State]

I agree but to your point about the pitching- we're having to move guys from the bullpen to the rotation which in turn taxes the bullpen. It's semantics- and either way you look at it you are correct.

If you look at our losses- we lost two games to Texas Tech and Oregon against their ace or number two guy. Then the loss to Morehead State we blew because we threw a guy that we didn't know was hurt and needed Tommy John Surgery. We lost to Marist and Oregon the second time because we got into a hole early. Both of those two losses our offense came back and we lost both by one run apiece. Cohen would have maybe one or two more wins if he was coaching- stress on the word maybe. Three of our losses have been by one run and that doesn't include Morehead State where we blew a huge lead and should have won despite the final score.

We know who our pitchers are that we can rely on going forward- it's up to the coaches to actually do it. A big part of the problem I see is I don't think they want to move Self to the rotation- but that's ultimately what is best for us right now IMO. Especially if Cyr can take over the long relief role and Price, Barton, and Rigby can handle the middle relief roe and Ashcraft can close. The way we did things this weekend we're essentially using two long relief guys- Self and Cyr- and it's causing us to not be able to utilize some of the other guys that can help us and causing us to start a pitcher who isn't ready. Barton didn't throw at all this weekend.

[CadaverDawg]

To me, the pitching depth was a "known"....the strikeouts and looking clueless at the plate was not. We have got to make some adjustments at the plate and learn to have an approach. Doesn't matter if you hit for average, if all of your outs are K's. In college ball you can score a lot of runs by just hitting grounders and making teams field and throw. We put no pressure on their defense. Canny is a hitting coach by trade, so I hope that crap improves.

[Noxdog]

Yes on the K's. I don't think we look clueless at the dish. It's inexperience.

[CadaverDawg]

Yes on the K's. I don't think we look clueless at the dish. It's inexperience.

By clueless I mean we don't realize that if we swing at a bouncing curve on 0-1, we're gonna see it again on 0-2. Or if we K on it in ab 1, look for it in ab 2 and don't K on it again. So I do feel we look clueless in that regard. No adjustments, no learning from ab to ab or game to game.

[Noxdog]

By clueless I mean we don't realize that if we swing at a bouncing curve on 0-1, we're gonna see it again on 0-2. Or if we K on it in ab 1, look for it in ab 2 and don't K on it again. So I do feel we look clueless in that regard. No adjustments, no learning from ab to ab or game to game.

And that comes with experience. I dunno, you may be right but I'm not there yet, Heck, hitting overall is not the problem to me. Being stuck in hole by the PS is more of a concern.

Edited to say Starting Pitching

[CadaverDawg]

And that comes with experience. I dunno, you may be right but I'm not there yet, Heck, hitting overall is not the problem to me. Being stuck in hole by the PS is more of a concern.

Fair enough. Both concern me, ha. I just expected the staff to struggle...I didn't expect 100+ K's through 12 games. Especially after hiring a hitting coach as a head coach, and one that said "an Andy Cannizaro team will be a team that doesn't strike out much", 3 days before the 1st game.

[beretta]

i hope we get better sooner than later, bc these losses are making turkey season look a helluva lot more interesting......

[msstate7]

Fair enough. Both concern me, ha. I just expected the staff to struggle...I didn't expect 100+ K's through 12 games. Especially after hiring a hitting coach as a head coach, and one that said "an Andy Cannizaro team will be a team that doesn't strike out much", 3 days before the 1st game.

That's really his quote?... bout like Hev saying a Hev oline will be all 5*s

[msstate7]

i hope we get better sooner than later, bc these losses are making turkey season look a helluva lot more interesting......

I don't hunt. It's braves or bust at this point haha

Who am I kidding? I'll watch every inning no matter how bad it gets

[CadaverDawg]

That's really his quote?... bout like Hev saying a Hev oline will be all 5*s

That was his quote when asked "what does an AC coached team look like"....he said "a team that lights up the scoreboard and doesn't strike out much. We're gonna put it in play." Oops

And LOL on the Hev comparison. You know I got a chuckle out of that

[The Federalist Engineer]

To me, the pitching depth was a "known"....the strikeouts and looking clueless at the plate was not. We have got to make some adjustments at the plate and learn to have an approach. Doesn't matter if you hit for average, if all of your outs are K's. In college ball you can score a lot of runs by just hitting grounders and making teams field and throw. We put no pressure on their defense. Canny is a hitting coach by trade, so I hope that crap improves.

Yes indeed, UCLA won the title in 2013 with a team BA of .250

[lamont]

Yes indeed, UCLA won the title in 2013 with a team BA of .250

You cant do that in the SEC. UCLA's 3 starters were all top 2 round draft picks and they were dominant- but their conference doesnt have the depth of the SEC. Once they got to postseason- having 3 dominant SP's kicked in.

[DogDaddy]

Cohen would have won today because he would have bunted Rooker late when we had runners on 1rst and 2nd with no outs

Identical situation 2 weekends ago against Western Illinois. He didn't bunt and Rooker hit one off the wall.

[Todd4State]

Identical situation 2 weekends ago against Western Illinois. He didn't bunt and Rooker hit one off the wall.

Yeah- I can't question not bunting Rooker there. You have to play the percentages and the odds of Rooker getting a hit or a home run are better than him getting a bunt down. If it was Stovall or Blaylock maybe you bunt- but not Rooker.

[Coldsleeve Jr.]

Yes indeed, UCLA won the title in 2013 with a team BA of .250

Dead bat era.

[maroonmania]

The real sad part is that in our losses for the most part its not that our pitchers are getting hit really hard, its that our pitchers are giving away games. Oregon did not have a hit from the 5th inning through the 10 inning. Yet we wasted a 5-4 lead in the 8th through giving them a HBP, a walk, a wild pitch and Oregon then got a Sac Fly on a foul out to tie the game. They essentially got the tying and go ahead runners into scoring position in that inning without even taking the bat off of their shoulder. The Morehead St. game was given away as well. Oregon gave us a lot of hits but they played cleanly in most other ways with no errors and very few walks plus we helped them out with a number of strikeouts on balls out of the zone. We just aren't doing the little things to win games right now even against mediocre competition. And Oregon is a mediocre team at best. They have some pitching but their offense is very weak.

[HSVDawg]

With the returning players, we were going to take a step back. I don't see Cohen having that much of a difference in our record if he was still coaching. We are struggling right now mostly due to zero depth in the bullpen. We can't hold a lead. This team has lost some close games that a healthy bullpen would solve. When you have about 50% of your pitching staff go out with TJ then even competing is tough.

I think the program as a whole is going to be OK. Cannizaro seems to have instilled the same hard nosed, battling mentality that Cohen strived for with his teams. He will be fine and as long as he recruits as well as advertised we should see long term success. However, this team this year just doesn't have enough tools to expect much in the toughest league in baseball. 7-5 so far in a 12 game stretch where only two games were against a likely regional team does not bode well for SEC play, at all.

[basedog]

Young team, young coach, first time on the road in questionably weather.

We will learn from this past weekend, all three games were close. Mistakes were made, we will get better as time goes on.

Patience is the key with this young team and coach.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Dead bat era.

We hit 293 that year and Arizona hit 333 the year prior with an even more dead bat

[I seen it dawg]

Young team, young coach, first time on the road in questionably weather.

We will learn from this past weekend, all three games were close. Mistakes were made, we will get better as time goes on.

Patience is the key with this young team and coach.

So easy to see. Can't understand all the ****ing melt all the time from some.

[maroonmania]

Young team, young coach, first time on the road in questionably weather.

We will learn from this past weekend, all three games were close. Mistakes were made, we will get better as time goes on.

Patience is the key with this young team and coach.


Hopefully we get better but right now I would say we are definitely below the 50/50 mark for projecting whether we can make a regional.

[Cooterpoot]

I'm ok with Cannz. We're short players. Problem is, we're short players too often to be the program we expect/want to be. The inconsistency of our program is annoying. It's basically an all or nothing program. I don't see us making a regional this year, and that's just not acceptable from a program standpoint. Has nothing to do with Cannz.

[msstate7]

I'm ok with Cannz. We're short players. Problem is, we're short players too often to be the program we expect/want to be. The inconsistency of our program is annoying. It's basically an all or nothing program. I don't see us making a regional this year, and that's just not acceptable from a program standpoint. Has nothing to do with Cannz.

We're auburn of college baseball without the natty

[AusTexDawg]

However, this team this year just doesn't have enough tools to expect much in the toughest league in baseball. 7-5 so far in a 12 game stretch where only two games were against a likely regional team does not bode well for SEC play, at all.

Look on the bright side - the SEC may not be the toughest conference this year after the way the season has gone so far***
Just look at this weekend:
No. 4 LSU went 1-2 vs. the Big XII in Houston
No. 5 South Carolina went 1-2 vs. Clemson
No. 11 Ole Miss went 0-3 vs. the Big XII in Houston
No. 15 Texas A&M went 1-2 vs. the Big XII in Houston
No. 17 Vanderbilt went 1-2 vs. Cal State Northridge.
No. 24 Arkansas went 1-2 at the Frisco Classic (Lost to AZ and Okie State).

[msstate7]

Look on the bright side - the SEC may not be the toughest conference this year after the way the season has gone so far***
Just look at this weekend:
No. 4 LSU went 1-2 vs. the Big XII in Houston
No. 5 South Carolina went 1-2 vs. Clemson
No. 11 Ole Miss went 0-3 vs. the Big XII in Houston
No. 15 Texas A&M went 1-2 vs. the Big XII in Houston
No. 17 Vanderbilt went 1-2 vs. Cal State Northridge.
No. 24 Arkansas went 1-2 at the Frisco Classic (Lost to AZ and Okie State).

Definetely encouraging. Hopefully sec baseball follows sec football this year

[bulldogcountry1]

We are really only two games away from me being perfectly content - Marist and Morehead Sate. Those were awful. The rest of the losses are closely contested games. Those two games were 100% the fault of pitching. Every run they gave up in both games was earned. We also scored 8 and 9 runs in those games. No excuse.

While I won't put blame on the hitting thus far, we have a lot of work to do there. We are overly aggressive and don't "choke up" with two strikes. We are going to struggle against SEC pitching at times, especially if you 6-8 hitters aren't batting their weight.

[maroonmania]

I'm ok with Cannz. We're short players. Problem is, we're short players too often to be the program we expect/want to be. The inconsistency of our program is annoying. It's basically an all or nothing program. I don't see us making a regional this year, and that's just not acceptable from a program standpoint. Has nothing to do with Cannz.

Yep, its REALLY painful to say it but OM has a much more consistent baseball product than we do currently. While they aren't making routine trips to Omaha they at least don't have these slips back into totally missing the NCAAs or having losing seasons like we are prone to do. I really do hope Cannz can get things rolling where we can at least stay in the top half of the SEC every year. Should be the least to expect from a supposed "baseball school".

[The Federalist Engineer]

You cant do that in the SEC. UCLA's 3 starters were all top 2 round draft picks and they were dominant- but their conference doesnt have the depth of the SEC. Once they got to postseason- having 3 dominant SP's kicked in.

Only major league pitchers in the UCLA vs MSU series were in OUR dugout...but I hear your point, the UCLA pitchers were very good college players

Graveman, Girodo, and Lindy (he sucked that year)

Plutko, Berg, and Vander Tuig are MINOR league

Holder will be in the Majors before the UCLA guys, my guess