I looked back at the LSU series this year with LSU- painful

[Todd4State]

I think that was the worst we played and probably the worst Cann managed all year.

When we started McQuary I believe we had the game tied or were close to it and instead of bringing in Self, we brought in Jolly. Then some other guys outside "the six"- and we lost that game. We also started Gordon that series in game three and we lost. Self and Price got hit hard- which worries me. But I was at that game and it may be my "maroon glasses" but I thought the umpire squeezed us pretty bad. Pilkington pitched OK- but he just wasn't efficient. Outside of Lange- we hit the ball reasonably well against them- it's just that our pitching was so atrocious we couldn't overcome it. I think that if we had brought in Self when the game was tied in game two, we might have won.

If Lange pitches like he did against us, no one in the NCAA is going to beat him. Some reasons for going with McQuary if we do that- I like Pilkington vs. Poche match-up better. Pilkington is good- but he's not at Lange's level yet. I think he will get there by next year. McQuary is wild as we all know- but while that's not a good thing for us one thing it also does is it causes the other pitcher to sit around a little bit longer and sometimes that can knock them out of their groove a little bit. Hopefully we split one of those two and then we can come back with Billingsley in game three and hope for the best. And I want Billingsley to rest after throwing 120+ pitches against USM.

Just like the regional- we're going to have to have some guys step up to win the SR. Guys like Billingsley, Lovelady, Cody Brown, Stovall, Gridley, and etc.

This sort of reminds me a little bit of the 2011 SR when we played Florida. That was Cohen's first SR and first winning season and that team was pretty scrappy too. Of course, we're playing a SEC team on the road like we are now and the other team has a coach that doesn't like us. Now we didn't win that SR but I do think that SR was a springboard that kind of announced the return of MSU baseball as one of the better programs in the country and laid the foundation for the rest of Cohen's tenure and also our current team as well. Will this SR prove to be another springboard that announces our arrival as a National Powerhouse once again? I don't know- we'll see. I do think that this SR is going to be pretty heated because it's pretty obvious that Manieri and Cann don't get along and I think it's really going to jumpstart the MSU/LSU baseball rivalry again and maybe to levels we haven't seen before.

So, I think this is another chance to take an important step for our program as we're in a transition phase for the rest of this year and next while our new ballpark is being built. I think this year by sweeping Ole Miss in Oxford, winning the Governor's Cup and now going on the road to Hattiesburg and beating a 50 win USM team twice at their own place with the team we have I think we re-established ourselves as the best college baseball program in the state- although that's really probably been the case since at least 2011 but we're just now wrestling that away for good as Ole Miss and even USM tried to stake claim to that before Cohen. But the next step is to establish ourselves as a dominant program in the SEC- and to do that we have to take down LSU or at least start doing it some. So, this is a great opportunity for our program.

It's going to be tough but I'm hoping for the best.

[bulldogcountry1]

Thank goodness - A thread that isn't about UM, even though you technically did mention the NCAA and UM.



We really just need everyone to play their best games.


Rooker is coming out of his funk. We have to have him.

Brown is the man. In spite of his numbers, I think he gets underestimated by other teams because he just doesn't look intimidating and Rooker gets the attention. He always seems to make them pay.

Gridley just keeps doing what he does.

Mangum is so frustrating. He didn't have a bad weekend, but you can't but feel like he leaves so much on the table by being overly aggressive. LSU pitchers are going to exploit that. It is what it is at this point, unless he just makes the decision to not swing on the first pitch.

Stovall didn't have a great weekend, offensively, but we are a different team when is is out there. He's going to have a big year next season.

Mac and Saw always seem to get 3 or 4 hit between the two of them and have really helped fill in that massive hole we once had in the bottom half of the lineup.

Lovelady is a slow ground ball machine, but he's a warrior. Anything he does at the plate is a bonus.

Whoever bats 9th - I guess Bragg gives us the best chance if the pitcher makes a mistake.

[Tbonewannabe]

Thank goodness - A thread that isn't about UM, even though you technically did mention the NCAA and UM.



We really just need everyone to play their best games.


Rooker is coming out of his funk. We have to have him.

Brown is the man. In spite of his numbers, I think he gets underestimated by other teams because he just doesn't look intimidating and Rooker gets the attention. He always seems to make them pay.

Gridley just keeps doing what he does.

Mangum is so frustrating. He didn't have a bad weekend, but you can't but feel like he leaves so much on the table by being overly aggressive. LSU pitchers are going to exploit that. It is what it is at this point, unless he just makes the decision to not swing on the first pitch.

Stovall didn't have a great weekend, offensively, but we are a different team when is is out there. He's going to have a big year next season.

Mac and Saw always seem to get 3 or 4 hit between the two of them and have really helped fill in that massive hole we once had in the bottom half of the lineup.

Lovelady is a slow ground ball machine, but he's a warrior. Anything he does at the plate is a bonus.

Whoever bats 9th - I guess Bragg gives us the best chance if the pitcher makes a mistake.

Cole Gordon can also hit the ball a long way if he hits one. I think at this point unless Cole is pitching, you probably look at the L/R matchup although Bragg might be the more consistent between the two.

[confucius say]

Cann did an interview with Baton Rouge radio this morning. Msu baseball tweeted out the link if you want to listen. Good stuff.

Of note, they asked about the rift by Cann and PM and Cann, while not denying it exists, said this weekend is about the players not the coaches. Also, said Lsu i"has great pitching and players 1-9 and has MLB guys up and down its roster "so they should be going exactly what they're doing."

[Political Hack]

A guy told hats a little wild is harder to hit than someone that pounds the strike zone consistently. I think we gonwith that match up against Poche. If he's on, we're screwed regardless. No point in blowing our load then. Take someone, send them through 6-7 and save as many arms as you can for the other games. Based on the last series, were better off playing for a W in G2 & G3.

[Tbonewannabe]

A guy told hats a little wild is harder to hit than someone that pounds the strike zone consistently. I think we gonwith that match up against Poche. If he's on, we're screwed regardless. No point in blowing our load then. Take someone, send them through 6-7 and save as many arms as you can for the other games. Based on the last series, were better off playing for a W in G2 & G3.

Yep, probably the better strategy similar to what Cohen did early. The objective is to win 2 games out of 3 no matter how you get there.