OK- here we are. Baseball season is now a fight

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Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve

Win your home series and do not get swept on the road. That puts you 15-15 in conference play and will have you hosting.

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Yep that works for me too.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

Team BA and runs scored per are higher than last season overall- but we obviously havent played an SEC game.

This team is different as it will be a pitching and defense team. It's not going to hit for power- so you adjust offensively to what you have. Incorporate a little more bunting and such. Just getting Rally Killa out of the 5 hole has helped the last 2 games.

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I know it's not the sexy thing, but If i had to pick between having a slugging team or a pitching/defense team, I'll take the pitching/defense every time because that's what it takes to win consistently. Obviously you'd like both but take the pitching/defense every time. It all comes down to the arms.

Getting a better hitter in the 5 hole made a world of difference.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

Fielding percentage is up to .982

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And 6 of our 10 errors are on pitcher pickoffs or run downs. We are fielding it exceptionally well.

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Originally Posted by confucius say

And 6 of our 10 errors are on pitcher pickoffs or run downs. We are fielding it exceptionally well.

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I'm a pitching/defense guy and I love the way our infield is playing(outfield too), but the improvment on the infield, especially the left side is nothing short of astounding!

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Originally Posted by StarkVegasSteve

Win your home series and do not get swept on the road. That puts you 15-15 in conference play and will have you hosting.

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Last season we went 9-21. We got swept in 4 of our 10 SEC series. A sweep is a killer. You have to avoid sweeps.

Let's say a team wins 8 SEC series (2 games of 3), and is swept twice. Your final record is 16-14 (barely over .500) yet you won 8 of the 10 series that you played. That is the power of the sweep.

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Originally Posted by Commercecomet24

I'm a pitching/defense guy and I love the way our infield is playing(outfield too), but the improvment on the infield, especially the left side is nothing short of astounding!

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Pitching and defense will always or at least most of time keep you in the game. Clutch hitting is important also. My top two all time pitchers are Bob Gibson and Greg Maddox. Talk about strike throwers and quick games.

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Originally Posted by Commercecomet24

Yep that works for me too.

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Hosting? We talkin bout hosting? Lol. Just get to the tourney this season. That’s improvement!! We win 1 this weekend and I’m happy.

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Originally Posted by preachermatt83

Hosting? We talkin bout hosting? Lol. Just get to the tourney this season. That?s improvement!! We win 1 this weekend and I?m happy.

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Lol I'll take that too!

Just win baby!

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Originally Posted by basedog

Pitching and defense will always or at least most of time keep you in the game. Clutch hitting is important also. My top two all time pitchers are Bob Gibson and Greg Maddox. Talk about strike throwers and quick games.

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Yeah they don't make em like those 2 anymore! Both had a mean streak too and owned the strike zone! If Bob was pitching today there wouldn't be a whole lot of guys pimping home runs on him. They'd only do it once that's for sure lol!

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Originally Posted by Commercecomet24

Yeah they don't make em like those 2 anymore! Both had a mean streak too and owned the strike zone! If Bob was pitching today there wouldn't be a whole lot of guys pimping home runs on him. They'd only do it once that's for sure lol!

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Bob Gibson was a great athlete. Wasn’t afraid to throw right under one’s chin to remind them who was in control.

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Originally Posted by basedog

Bob Gibson was a great athlete. Wasn’t afraid to throw right under one’s chin to remind them who was in control.

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Yep and he was a great basketball player at creighton too. Could've played in the nba as well. He could really hit too and fast until his knees have out. Loved Gibby!

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Originally Posted by Commercecomet24

Yep and he was a great basketball player at creighton too. Could've played in the nba as well. He could really hit too and fast until his knees have out. Loved Gibby!

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Gibson I think played one year for the Globe Trotters. No one was as dominant in pitching in World Series as him.

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Originally Posted by basedog

Gibson I think played one year for the Globe Trotters. No one was as dominant in pitching in World Series as him.

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He did play for the globe trotters. Yeah that guy was money in big games.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

12-4 heading into the meat of the season. Should get 2 midweeks this week to get to 14-4 facing LSU at home. Then got to find a way to win the series.

Huge week for the Diamond Dawgs

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We all know, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, how this turns out. It's time to quit all the genespagesque sunshine pumping and call a spade a spade. It's not a question of if, it's when. The sodomization officially begins Friday night.

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Originally Posted by Saltydog

We all know, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, how this turns out. It's time to quit all the genespagesque sunshine pumping and call a spade a spade. It's not a question of if, it's when. The sodomization officially begins Friday night.

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Yea, I actually like Lemonis and wish he would make it but right now I only give him about a 25% chance of making the NCAA tournament which is what he HAS to do. Last year our pitching and defense was our downfall, this year it appears its going to be our offense.

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Originally Posted by preachermatt83

Hosting? We talkin bout hosting? Lol. Just get to the tourney this season. That’s improvement!! We win 1 this weekend and I’m happy.

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Three consecutive years without hosting post-season baseball isn't improving.

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Originally Posted by ArrowDawg

Three consecutive years without hosting post-season baseball isn't improving.

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It's also below our standard. We're not Ole Miss baseball 1998 where making the SEC Tournament and a regional is the goal.

We're better than last year but really hard to see this team being up to MSU standards.

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Originally Posted by maroonmania

Yea, I actually like Lemonis and wish he would make it but right now I only give him about a 25% chance of making the NCAA tournament which is what he HAS to do. Last year our pitching and defense was our downfall, this year it appears it's going to be our offense.

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I think our downfall is going to be Lemonis's lack of attention to detail. You can't treat amateur baseball players that are 18-21 like MLB players.

That's what we had with Polk I and Cohen. And yeah I know we had some bad losses with Cohen but at least I knew he was probably running their ass Augie Garrido style letting them know that play wasn't acceptable. Lemonis will probably let them play at the beach tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

I think our downfall is going to be Lemonis's lack of attention to detail. You can't treat amateur baseball players that are 18-21 like MLB players.

That's what we had with Polk I and Cohen. And yeah I know we had some bad losses with Cohen but at least I knew he was probably running their ass Augie Garrido style letting them know that play wasn't acceptable. Lemonis will probably let them play at the beach tomorrow.

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Yep, it is one of his downfalls. You have to take full control of details for college players.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

They're about to learn that pitching and defense can win you baseball games. I'm sure they'll be back when LSU beats us 2/3 or sweeps us.

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Some people are going to learn. That’s for sure.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

You were pretty vocal when we were 3-4. What happened?**

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As I said, a weak non con schedule can only teach you bad things. Starting 3-4 showed us Lemo hasn't fixed a damned thing. It's been hidden by the recent run (that ended last night) so I let the optimists have a break from my negativity and hope I'm wrong.

We will see soon enough whether I'm right (that Lemo creates a soft, mentally weak team) or wrong (and we win 14+ SEC games and make the tourney). If you want me to "call my shot", I'd bet we get 11 wins

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

It's also below our standard. We're not Ole Miss baseball 1998 where making the SEC Tournament and a regional is the goal.

We're better than last year but really hard to see this team being up to MSU standards.

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THANK YOU! we agree on something!

I HATE to see this "I'm so excited to make the tournament! That shows improvement! Great job Lemonis go team!" Type of comments. We are STATE BASEBALL, Lemo needs to show us he can get us back to our standard, not just "improve" from the massive hold he dug the program into. People are mentally lowering the bar like it's end of Polk 2 instead of post Natty.

This is why we should have fired him last year. If he makes the tournament, we won't fire him because he "showed improvement", yet if you look at the roster we will be a worse team next year. So compared to firing Lemo at the end of '23 and bringing in a real coach to rebuild, we will have 2 more wasted Lemo years before starting that process. It was a JoMo/Arnett situation- pull the plug for the betterment of the program.

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Originally Posted by the_real_MSU_is_us

THANK YOU! we agree on something!

I HATE to see this "I'm so excited to make the tournament! That shows improvement! Great job Lemonis go team!" Type of comments. We are STATE BASEBALL, Lemo needs to show us he can get us back to our standard, not just "improve" from the massive hold he dug the program into. People are mentally lowering the bar like it's end of Polk 2 instead of post Natty.

This is why we should have fired him last year. If he makes the tournament, we won't fire him because he "showed improvement", yet if you look at the roster we will be a worse team next year. So compared to firing Lemo at the end of '23 and bringing in a real coach to rebuild, we will have 2 more wasted Lemo years before starting that process. It was a JoMo/Arnett situation- pull the plug for the betterment of the program.

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You're making a lot of assumptions about our baseball boosters.

The bottom line has always been that he has to meet our standards this year. Which I said as much LAST year.

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Originally Posted by basedog

Yep, it is one of his downfalls. You have to take full control of details for college players.

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You have to do it in the pros too. That's why they have spring training for over a month where all they work on are fundamentals over and over. I'm sure Cade would tell you as much.

But our guys? Nah. They're good.**

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

You have to do it in the pros too. That's why they have spring training for over a month where all they work on are fundamentals over and over. I'm sure Cade would tell you as much.

But our guys? Nah. They're good.**

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Cade got invitation yesterday to pitch against the "big boys", he did well. He may end up in the Hudson Valley (NY) to start the season. He has been coached up no doubt.

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Originally Posted by basedog

Cade got invitation yesterday to pitch against the "big boys", he did well. He may end up in the Hudson Valley (NY) to start the season. He has been coached up no doubt.

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Man that's so good to hear! Wish him much success!