The likely lineup next Friday

[KOdawg1]

Today's scrimmage looked like starters vs. reserves. The starters were the maroon team, and their lineup was

1. Yeager - 2B
2. Hancock - 1B
3. James - 3B
4. LoTan- C
5. Hines - DH
6. Cumbest - LF
7. Clark - RF
8. Forsythe - SS
9. Skinner - CF

Cumbest hit a 2 run HR today.

Jackson Fristoe pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 0 runs, 0 hits, 3 Ks, and 3 BBs. I think he's the Sunday guy as of now. So the rotation looks like..

Sims
C. Smith
Fristoe

KC Hunt is the closer.

Let's roll baby!

[StarkVegasSteve]

If Fristoe can get right we could be downright scary. In a perfect world we can go:

Fri: Landon->Smith->Hunt
Sat: Cade->Preston->Stinnett
Sunday: Fristoe->Walling->Wholestaff

I think you try to make Jack Walker and Stone Simmons you?re midweek guys.

[HoopsDawg]

I like it. Looks good. Maybe Corder will start in CF vs lefties.

[KOdawg1]

I like it. Looks good. Maybe Corder will start in CF vs lefties.
Yep, and you'll probably see Slate Alford DHing against lefties too

[KOdawg1]

If Fristoe can get right we could be downright scary. In a perfect world we can go:

Fri: Landon->Smith->Hunt
Sat: Cade->Preston->Stinnett
Sunday: Fristoe->Walling->Wholestaff

I think you try to make Jack Walker and Stone Simmons you?re midweek guys.

Pico Kohn too

[HoopsDawg]

Yep, and you'll probably see Slate Alford DHing against lefties too

Maybe some. But I really think Hines is an everyday lineup kind of stick.

[maroonmania]

Really hope Skinner can hit well enough to justify leaving him in the field.

[Todd4State]

Fristoe has earned the Sunday spot. I'm curious as to how they plan on using Walling. I could see them possibly using him like Harding last year as a midweek starter/long reliever on the weekend who progresses to a possible weekend starter.

Skinner doesn't surprise me. He was injured last year and I think that limited his performance at the plate especially.

Matt Corder is a dark horse to play a lot.

Things will evolve and change throughout the season. Last year at this time Spencer Price was the closer and Landon Jordan was the third baseman with Kam James at SS. Cerentola was in the rotation. We'll see how this season plays out.

[Todd4State]

If Fristoe can get right we could be downright scary. In a perfect world we can go:

Fri: Landon->Smith->Hunt
Sat: Cade->Preston->Stinnett
Sunday: Fristoe->Walling->Wholestaff

I think you try to make Jack Walker and Stone Simmons you?re midweek guys.

Both Simmons and Walker have struggled in the scrimmages. I'm not sure what direction they go. I could see Walling, Kohn, Preston Johnson, or one of the two you mentioned.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Both Simmons and Walker have struggled in the scrimmages. I'm not sure what direction they go. I could see Walling, Kohn, Preston Johnson, or one of the two you mentioned.

I just hesitate to use Johnson or Walling in a starting weekday role because we will need both, especially Preston on weekends.

[Todd4State]

I just hesitate to use Johnson or Walling in a starting weekday role because we will need both, especially Preston on weekends.

I'm pretty sure part of our recruiting pitch with Walling was that we would let him start at least some. Lemonis is typically good with following through without hurting the team.

[Commercecomet24]

I just hesitate to use Johnson or Walling in a starting weekday role because we will need both, especially Preston on weekends.

Yeah Johnson is to valuable out of the pen. That guy has some huge stones and pitched in some extremely high leverage situations last year and bailed us out more than once. Outside of Sims and Bednar, Preston was huge for us. He's got some ice water in his veins. I like him coming out and putting out fires and he can eat some innings in middle relief.

[AlSwearengen]

If Fristoe ends up being a reliable piece for the whole season, that changes things a lot. Coming into the fall and listening to some of the things that people were reporting, combined with the way he faded last year, I was ready to write him off.

His numbers in the scrimmages have been very good though. He has a 1st round arm and if he pitches like a 3rd rounder, we just got alot better.

[R2Dawg]

Today's scrimmage looked like starters vs. reserves. The starters were the maroon team, and their lineup was

1. Yeager - 2B
2. Hancock - 1B
3. James - 3B
4. LoTan- C
5. Hines - DH
6. Cumbest - LF
7. Clark - RF
8. Forsythe - SS
9. Skinner - CF

Cumbest hit a 2 run HR today.

Jackson Fristoe pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 0 runs, 0 hits, 3 Ks, and 3 BBs. I think he's the Sunday guy as of now. So the rotation looks like..

Sims
C. Smith
Fristoe

KC Hunt is the closer.

Let's roll baby!

I thought some were writing off Fristoe a little too soon. That is a pitching lineup that can win, if the bullpen is solid gonna be another great ride.

[R2Dawg]

Yeah Johnson is to valuable out of the pen. That guy has some huge stones and pitched in some extremely high leverage situations last year and bailed us out more than once. Outside of Sims and Bednar, Preston was huge for us. He's got some ice water in his veins. I like him coming out and putting out fires and he can eat some innings in middle relief.

I agree. Johnson is another guy that brings it out of the pen. Gotta have 2-3 of those guys. I think we have that many.

[Homedawg]

I'm pretty sure part of our recruiting pitch with Walling was that we would let him start at least some. Lemonis is typically good with following through without hurting the team.

We never even saw him pitch. We took the word of a scout. So I doubt that we gave him or anyone any type of thing that says oh. You will start. We have to much talent. You work and earn your spot.

[OLJWales]

Really hope Skinner can hit well enough to justify leaving him in the field.

That's what I've been wanting too cuz I love watching him SHAGG. He need dat Austin Powers Mojo Baby!!

[The Federalist Engineer]

Today's scrimmage looked like starters vs. reserves. The starters were the maroon team, and their lineup was

1. Yeager - 2B
2. Hancock - 1B
3. James - 3B
4. LoTan- C
5. Hines - DH
6. Cumbest - LF
7. Clark - RF
8. Forsythe - SS
9. Skinner - CF

Cumbest hit a 2 run HR today.

Jackson Fristoe pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 0 runs, 0 hits, 3 Ks, and 3 BBs. I think he's the Sunday guy as of now. So the rotation looks like..

Sims
C. Smith
Fristoe

KC Hunt is the closer.

Let's roll baby!

Who pitched against the maroon team?

[KOdawg1]

Who pitched against the maroon team?
Stone Simmons, Taylor Montiel, Drew Talley, Cam Tullar, Mikey Tepper

[Todd4State]

We never even saw him pitch. We took the word of a scout. So I doubt that we gave him or anyone any type of thing that says oh. You will start. We have to much talent. You work and earn your spot.
That's kind of crazy to me. Surely we watched some footage.

[CaptainObvious]

Wasn?t Walling a starter at Oregon State? Surely he hasn?t fallen that far down the chart that he may struggle to get innings?

[The Federalist Engineer]

Wasn?t Walling a starter at Oregon State? Surely he hasn?t fallen that far down the chart that he may struggle to get innings?

At OSU, he was a Freshman in 2019. COVID season in 2020. JUCO in 2021. Now with us.

He did not have a big career at OSU, just 10 innings total. Funny thing is that in 2020, he pitched 3 innings, 2 innings were in Starkville, against MSU.

Walling is a big prospect. I would put him in the category of Fristoe, Hunt, Tepper, and Stinnett as players who could have big seasons but we are not exactly sure how it will all happen and in what specific role. I am relatively alone on the Stinnett position, it's cool, lets see what happens. That's college baseball, players develop and breakout.

[Coach34]

I am relatively alone on the Stinnett position, it's cool, lets see what happens. That's college baseball, players develop and breakout.

Stinnett has the stuff. Last year- he didnt have the confidence/stones to be top notch. That certainly could have changed this offseason. I'm hopeful

[smootness]

Any chance Preston Johnson is in the rotation? I've been reading through D1 Baseball's stuff, and they seemed convinced as of the end of the year last year that he definitely would be moving to the rotation, and they seemed to be basing it on conversations they had with Lemonis.

[The Federalist Engineer]

That's kind of crazy to me. Surely we watched some footage.

I think Homedawg prolly means that we never saw him pitch in live games.

But these players have video, he did play in Starkville in 2020. Also, baseball has analytic scouting services that are the rage. Nate Silver wrote an interesting book on the subject for drafting and managing the farm.

Many teams think that over-emphasis on "seeing" the player introduces biases. They want to treat players like "investments" or "risk instruments".

Of course, Silver acknowledges that stats and analytics do not capture "heart", "drive", "makeup", and other relevant factors to success. I bet Eric Cerantola would be awesome on Nate Silver analytics and Ross Mitchell or Houston Harding would be totally ignored.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Any chance Preston Johnson is in the rotation? I've been reading through D1 Baseball's stuff, and they seemed convinced as of the end of the year last year that he definitely would be moving to the rotation, and they seemed to be basing it on conversations they had with Lemonis.

For now Preston is probably more valuable in the long relief role, maybe weekday starter against a team like Texas Tech. I can see us using him a lot like we used Harding last year. If a starter begins to struggle(Fristoe last year) you can spot start him on Sundays. And he is great to have if you find yourself in the losers bracket in the tournament because he is a guy you can start and get 5-6 innings out of.

[Coach34]

You want a LH'ed SP for the weekend if at all possible to flip the line-up for some teams. Walling gonna get a long look to see if he can be that guy. If we dont have one ready then we just dont. But you want one if possible

[MaroonFlounder]

You want a LH'ed SP for the weekend if at all possible to flip the line-up for some teams. Walling gonna get a long look to see if he can be that guy. If we dont have one ready then we just dont. But you want one if possible

That's the only weakness of this pitching staff.

Very few LHers.

Walling, Kohn, Tullar? Is that it?

[The Federalist Engineer]

That's the only weakness of this pitching staff.

Very few LHers.

Walling, Kohn, Tullar? Is that it?

Those are the lefties, no Eric Dubose, Pilk, Small, MacLeod, Maholm, or BJ Wallace expected this year. Maybe we get a surprise like Lindy in 14 or Girodo in 13.

That said Walling, Kohn, and Tullar were all big recruits. They all have the capacity to be good for MSU in 2022, just not proven weapons. Walling is a top-200 MLB draft prospect.

FYI, 2013 UCLA won the title with only one relief lefty in their top-10 innings pitched. 2016 Costal Carolina also had only one relief lefty.

[Todd4State]

Wasn?t Walling a starter at Oregon State? Surely he hasn?t fallen that far down the chart that he may struggle to get innings?

Reliever. Starter in JUCO.


Any chance Preston Johnson is in the rotation? I've been reading through D1 Baseball's stuff, and they seemed convinced as of the end of the year last year that he definitely would be moving to the rotation, and they seemed to be basing it on conversations they had with Lemonis.

I agree with those that think he may be our Houston Harding this year. I also agree that he is more valuable at this point in the bullpen. I do think he could start by the end of the year. We'll see.


I think Homedawg prolly means that we never saw him pitch in live games.

But these players have video, he did play in Starkville in 2020. Also, baseball has analytic scouting services that are the rage. Nate Silver wrote an interesting book on the subject for drafting and managing the farm.

Many teams think that over-emphasis on "seeing" the player introduces biases. They want to treat players like "investments" or "risk instruments".

Of course, Silver acknowledges that stats and analytics do not capture "heart", "drive", "makeup", and other relevant factors to success. I bet Eric Cerantola would be awesome on Nate Silver analytics and Ross Mitchell or Houston Harding would be totally ignored.

Interesting.

[Todd4State]

You want a LH'ed SP for the weekend if at all possible to flip the line-up for some teams. Walling gonna get a long look to see if he can be that guy. If we dont have one ready then we just dont. But you want one if possible

If I was in Lemonis's shoes I would start him against Arkansas Pine Bluff and see how it goes. He has simply been too wild in scrimmages. Hopefully he will get a chance to pitch in relief this weekend for an inning or two to get his feet wet. Fristoe and Smith are also potential high picks in their own rights.

[smootness]

I'm just telling you, D1 Baseball clearly thinks Preston Johnson has been moved to the rotation and that's where he'll begin the year. No one here has even hinted at that, so I'm guessing they're wrong, but they have talked with Lemonis some, so I don't really know.

[basedog]

I'm just telling you, D1 Baseball clearly thinks Preston Johnson has been moved to the rotation and that's where he'll begin the year. No one here has even hinted at that, so I'm guessing they're wrong, but they have talked with Lemonis some, so I don't really know.

Only known starters are Friday and Sunday. So, we shall see who the Saturday guy will be.

[Commercecomet24]

I'm just telling you, D1 Baseball clearly thinks Preston Johnson has been moved to the rotation and that's where he'll begin the year. No one here has even hinted at that, so I'm guessing they're wrong, but they have talked with Lemonis some, so I don't really know.

Don't look for Johnson to be in the starting rotation. He maybe later but he won't start the year there.