Baseball Roster

[bulldogcountry1]

So now that the dust has settled a bit and there is nothing else to talk about these days, let's talk about the baseball roster going into fall. Specifically, what returning players will be back and reasonably healthy.

Position Players:

Stovall
Alexander
Skelton
Poole
Vansau
MacNamee


Pitchers:

Barton
Self
Ford
Ashcraft
Small
Billingsley
Barlow
Pilk
Hughes
Prince


Dual:

Mangum
McQuary
Gordon


Injured/Questionable:

James
Breaux
B Smith


-That's 22 guys, by my count, but I don't recall seeing anything official about Bragg.

-I was kind of surprised to see that Gordon isn't listed as playing summer ball. I was curious to see if he was going to concentrate on pitching. Anyone know anything there?

-Is McQuary pitching this summer?

[Leeshouldveflanked]

I think McQuary is working on academics this summer.

[I seen it dawg]

And better get after it

[HSVDawg]

I think you can take Gordon out of the "dual" category. He'll either learn to hit by the end of the fall, or he'll be a roster casualty before next spring. He has no place on our roster as a pitcher when everyone is healthy.

[msstate7]

I think you can take Gordon out of the "dual" category. He'll either learn to hit by the end of the fall, or he'll be a roster casualty before next spring. He has no place on our roster as a pitcher when everyone is healthy.

Forget talent... I don't think he has the makeup to be a pitcher. His uncontrollable crying after a bad outing is a bad sign for a pitcher imo

[Todd4State]

I think you can take Gordon out of the "dual" category. He'll either learn to hit by the end of the fall, or he'll be a roster casualty before next spring. He has no place on our roster as a pitcher when everyone is healthy.

Based on what I've seen he should focus on pitching. I think he does have a place on our team in that role because if you look at his outings more often than not he has one really, really, really bad inning and the rest of the time he's fine.

[Todd4State]

Forget talent... I don't think he has the makeup to be a pitcher. His uncontrollable crying after a bad outing is a bad sign for a pitcher imo

That didn't stop the Cubs from drafting Alex Lange in the first round.

Had to do it. Even though we lost the SR, I think it's pretty awesome that we made both of LSU's starting pitchers cry.

[HSVDawg]

Based on what I've seen he should focus on pitching. I think he does have a place on our team in that role because if you look at his outings more often than not he has one really, really, really bad inning and the rest of the time he's fine.

He had two chances in the regional (against non-SEC competition) just to get us 3-4 good innings and get the game to the bullpen, and he failed miserably both times. Gave up a bomb to the damn lead off hitters in the first at bat of both games, which is really hard to do. He had more than one really bad inning against USA and "only" one really bad inning against USM because he was yanked immediately. The only really promising outing he had was against UF in an absolutely meaningless SEC Tourney game for both teams. 5.69 ERA and 30 walks in 55 innings. He barely had a role for us THIS year even with all the TJ guys out. There is no way he has a role on next year's squad if we get even 2-3 additional pitchers from the TJ crew and the recruiting class combined, which seems like a given. He needs to work on hitting curve balls if he wants to keep playing SEC baseball.

[Todd4State]

He had two chances in the regional (against non-SEC competition) just to get us 3-4 good innings and get the game to the bullpen, and he failed miserably both times. Gave up a bomb to the damn lead off hitters in the first at bat of both games, which is really hard to do. He had more than one really bad inning against USA and "only" one really bad inning against USM because he was yanked immediately. The only really promising outing he had was against UF in an absolutely meaningless SEC Tourney game for both teams. 5.69 ERA and 30 walks in 55 innings. He barely had a role for us THIS year even with all the TJ guys out. There is no way he has a role on next year's squad if we get even 2-3 additional pitchers from the TJ crew and the recruiting class combined, which seems like a given. He needs to work on hitting curve balls if he wants to keep playing SEC baseball.

That's why I said typically he had one bad inning and not every time he pitched- if you throw a complete game and have a shutout around one 5 run inning your ERA is still going to be five. My point is when I say that is you have to look beyond the numbers with him, watch him pitch, and look deeper at the box scores to truly get an idea of what kind of talent he has. He had a great outing against Memphis and he was very good against Kentucky on SBW aside from the one bad inning. He was also had a similar outing against LSU during the regular season where he allowed a four run inning around two scoreless innings and also had two scoreless innings in relief against Ole Miss. Not to mention his outing against Florida that everyone talks about. Two of those teams he had decent outings against played for the National Title and the other played in a SR in Kentucky.

He earned his way into a starting role if for only a brief time and he performed well enough at times as a pitcher that it leads me to believe that if he focuses solely on that aspect of the game he could be valuable for us. I think his splitting time and being a dual position player hurt him at both but if he picks one- and he wants to pitch anyway plus he seems better at it- he will probably be a productive player for us. You have to look at the whole picture to understand the entire situation rather than look at the last two games of the year when he and the rest of our staff was running on fumes in a year where he pitched about 90% more than he would have in a typical year and say that he should leave because he melted in the regionals.

I also think he is better in relief than he is at starting- based on how he typically performed. But again a full year of focusing on pitching he may be able to improve enough to be a back end starter.

[HSVDawg]

That's why I said typically he had one bad inning and not every time he pitched- if you throw a complete game and have a shutout around one 5 run inning your ERA is still going to be five. My point is when I say that is you have to look beyond the numbers with him, watch him pitch, and look deeper at the box scores to truly get an idea of what kind of talent he has. He had a great outing against Memphis and he was very good against Kentucky on SBW aside from the one bad inning. He was also had a similar outing against LSU during the regular season where he allowed a four run inning around two scoreless innings and also had two scoreless innings in relief against Ole Miss. Not to mention his outing against Florida that everyone talks about. Two of those teams he had decent outings against played for the National Title and the other played in a SR in Kentucky.

He earned his way into a starting role if for only a brief time and he performed well enough at times as a pitcher that it leads me to believe that if he focuses solely on that aspect of the game he could be valuable for us. I think his splitting time and being a dual position player hurt him at both but if he picks one- and he wants to pitch anyway plus he seems better at it- he will probably be a productive player for us. You have to look at the whole picture to understand the entire situation rather than look at the last two games of the year when he and the rest of our staff was running on fumes in a year where he pitched about 90% more than he would have in a typical year and say that he should leave because he melted in the regionals.

I also think he is better in relief than he is at starting- based on how he typically performed. But again a full year of focusing on pitching he may be able to improve enough to be a back end starter.

We'll see. "One bad inning" is often an indication of mental focus issues as others have stated, not due to running on fumes. At present time, he has no reliable off-speed pitches and his fastball doesn't have enough movement. That is why leadoff hitters on Sun Belt / CUSA teams were able to take him yard. You don't go up swinging for the fences in the leadoff spot unless you know the guy you're up against is throwing straight up meat pitches 75% of the time.

Bottom line is that Billingsley, McQuary, Self, Pilk, Price, and Barlow all showed more promise than he did last season, all are back, France is coming in from Tulane, potentially Ford, Small, and maybe Keegan James coming back from injury, and a bunch of new signees are coming in. Who on the list of returning pitchers (plus France) are you going to take innings from to give them to Gordon? The big need we have right now is LH relievers. If any one takes innings from the returning guys, it's gonna be someone that fits that mold. I just don't see how we have a spot for him on the mound, but we have a need at 1B and we have a need for power in the lineup with Rooker, Gridley, and Brown leaving. So that is what seems to make the most sense.

[Dawg61]

Gordon has elite power if he can ever touch the ball. That is by far his highest skill set. He sucks at everything else. He should hit the gym, add bat speed and hit 200 balls a day till he has a clue at the plate. He should never pitch again. Totally agree with 7 he doesn't have it upstairs to be a pitcher. He can however hit a bunch of HRs with a lot of hard work this offseason.

[Homedawg]

I think you can take Gordon out of the "dual" category. He'll either learn to hit by the end of the fall, or he'll be a roster casualty before next spring. He has no place on our roster as a pitcher when everyone is healthy.
Well then, he will be a casualty if that's the options. He isn't going to "learn" to stop swinging and missing

[The Federalist Engineer]

The 2018 pitching equation: path to 600 innings

Pilk = 100 (500)
Ashcraft = 100 (400)
France = 80 (320)
Price = 40 (280)
Self = 60 (220)
JB = 40 +
McQ = 40 +
Barlow = 10+
Barton = 10 +
Ford = 20 +
Hughes = 20 +
Bryant = 20 +
Leibelt = 10 +
Gordon = 10 +
Small = 5 +

Gordon has a role, but not in the SEC or Regionals or starting

But, I assume no more TJ, Flunk Outs, or Party Casualties....that would change everything

And I'm betting big on Ashcraft, if he is not ready and only pitches 40 innings, we could see self at 100 and more JB

[louisvilledawg]

Forget talent... I don't think he has the makeup to be a pitcher. His uncontrollable crying after a bad outing is a bad sign for a pitcher imo

I never saw him crying- probably because i was dog cussing him while walking back to the fridge for a beer.

[louisvilledawg]

We'll see. "One bad inning" is often an indication of mental focus issues as others have stated, not due to running on fumes. At present time, he has no reliable off-speed pitches and his fastball doesn't have enough movement. That is why leadoff hitters on Sun Belt / CUSA teams were able to take him yard. You don't go up swinging for the fences in the leadoff spot unless you know the guy you're up against is throwing straight up meat pitches 75% of the time.

Bottom line is that Billingsley, McQuary, Self, Pilk, Price, and Barlow all showed more promise than he did last season, all are back, France is coming in from Tulane, potentially Ford, Small, and maybe Keegan James coming back from injury, and a bunch of new signees are coming in. Who on the list of returning pitchers (plus France) are you going to take innings from to give them to Gordon? The big need we have right now is LH relievers. If any one takes innings from the returning guys, it's gonna be someone that fits that mold. I just don't see how we have a spot for him on the mound, but we have a need at 1B and we have a need for power in the lineup with Rooker, Gridley, and Brown leaving. So that is what seems to make the most sense.

I just hope Ethan Small gets fully healthy in a hurry. Love that guy.

[trob115]

I've also heard we have a drug problem on the team, and I'm not talking about marijuana. I'm talking hard stuff. Several of the players have been bragging about beating drug tests.

[BankerDog]

I've also heard we have a drug problem on the team, and I'm not talking about marijuana. I'm talking hard stuff. Several of the players have been bragging about beating drug tests.

That stuff has been going on way longer then recently with the baseball team. Just a much smaller scale

[msstate7]

I never saw him crying- probably because i was dog cussing him while walking back to the fridge for a beer.
Lol. "Crying" probably isn't a good description; he was having an emotional meltdown. Hopefully he's not suffering from PTSD

[Gutter Cobreh]

Lol. "Crying" probably isn't a good description; he was having an emotional meltdown. Hopefully he's not suffering from PTSD

I think the PTSD started when the mullet was chopped off. When anyone loses something that sweet, it is bound to effect their mental capacity.

[bulldogcountry1]

I've also heard we have a drug problem on the team, and I'm not talking about marijuana. I'm talking hard stuff. Several of the players have been bragging about beating drug tests.

They better be clean when they show up in August.

[HSVDawg]

I've also heard we have a drug problem on the team, and I'm not talking about marijuana. I'm talking hard stuff. Several of the players have been bragging about beating drug tests.

"The hard stuff"? Explain what you mean by that. Pretty sure we don't have anyone on the team doing black tar heroin or crystal meth.

[trob115]

Cocaine

[HSVDawg]

Cocaine

Yeah, thats's what I thought you meant. Cocaine is more or less the same as weed in terms of how "hard" it is. Both are pretty socially acceptable these days. That's not to say I want players on our team doing either one though, but its not like our players are engaging in anything that isn't typical of college students in general across all SEC schools.

[louisvilledawg]

Yeah, thats's what I thought you meant. Cocaine is more or less the same as weed in terms of how "hard" it is. Both are pretty socially acceptable these days. That's not to say I want players on our team doing either one though, but its not like our players are engaging in anything that isn't typical of college students in general across all SEC schools.

I would disagree that cocaine is as socially acceptable as marijuana, but you do you Rick James.

[HSVDawg]

Neither one is for me. I'm strictly speaking to how often I've seen each used at parties, bars, clubs, and other social gatherings over the past 5 years or so. That includes areas in / around Starkville.

[MaroonFlounder]

It may wipe out half the team, but the guys doing coke need to be shown the door.

[The Federalist Engineer]

This is now a horrible thread... but can we fire Cohen as AD for letting this happen, no wonder the APR for baseball fell to shit

[HSVDawg]

This is now a horrible thread... but can we fire Cohen as AD for letting this happen, no wonder the APR for baseball fell to shit

I don't know what made it a horrible thread, but that comment didn't make it any better. Fire Cohen? Seriously?