I've seen experts pick us for a SR already in the early going. Safe to say that we'll be projected to be a top 25 team again this year at least.Quote:
Originally Posted by maroonmania
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I've seen experts pick us for a SR already in the early going. Safe to say that we'll be projected to be a top 25 team again this year at least.Quote:
Originally Posted by maroonmania
Aiden Moffett to Texas?
These the same experts that had us at #4 to start the 2022 season?Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Hope that happens though I'm quite skeptical. I would actually really like to see Lemonis get things back rolling and stabilize things.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Yeah and the same ones that had us last in the SEC this year.Quote:
Originally Posted by StateDawg44
All teams are losing big players. UGA will never see another Condon ever again. LSU will be looking for a Skenes and never find him again. Losing Tommy Tanks too. Vandy is on the long road back to normal. Florida losing Caglione and others.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
That said, I don't see how MSU is heading to anything special next year. Portal sucks thus far. Pitching is ok-ish, got Pico, Ligon, Dotson, and maybe Loftin can finally play. There are some prospects on the mound. But only one dude is known to be good. People saying that Holcombe has no chance of returning.
If this was August instead of June I would be a bit concerned but as it is right now it's still June. No one knows what we or anyone else will have for that matter.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer
What we do know- based on history- is that we have the same fears about the portal every year, we miss on a Braden Montgomery and everyone melts down, and then at the end of the day we have met all of our portal needs and then we end up with a solid team at the end of the day. I think that's what the experts expect out of us at the moment at least that are making predictions. It seems like a lot of our fans expect Lemonis to fail and be fired while the experts expect us to be pretty good and that's quite a discrepancy.
We do need to get as many arms as we can. But if Parker is the wizard we all think he is then we should be fine next year with whatever it is that we end up with. And I find it really hard to believe that we completely crap out on pitchers in the portal.
Technically we have already filled the holes with our positional players through the portal plus guys that we have coming back so we're actually in some ways playing with house money at this point although we certainly need more.
C- Highfill/Powell
1B- Stahlman
2B- Reeves
3B- Frei
SS- Cupp
LF- Chance
CF- Pulliam
RF- Stevens
DH- Sullivan
That's probably our worst case scenario right now. Obviously I left off Mershon and Dante Nori.
I've already touched on pitching- but our rotation right now might be Simmons, Pico, and Stevens. Ligon and Gavin Black has been pitching pretty well in the Cape and we have Schuelke coming back too.
The reality is there is going to be a lot more turnover in college baseball when you have teams coveting seniors from the portal to make a run every year. We're not immune to that.
As always, really good stuff from you, Todd. I agree this would be serviceable, if it came down to it. Like you mentioned, we all are just hoping for some more quality pieces around the diamond. Whether or not that happens, time will tell. Right now we are well below the level of what we lost compared to what we got/have returning. Just one or two pieces to energize the program and fan base would be phenomenal.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Would be lots of unknowns in that lineup for sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Yes but I feel confident that some guys would emerge. Stevens is having a really good summer at the plate. Cupp I think will be better as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by maroonmania
Not much different than last year when we had a lot of unknowns on the pitching staff.
And of course my scenario is worst case almost. If Mershon comes back it changes the lineup some. Same with Nori.
The biggest thing is we should be much more difficult to strike out next year. We'll see what that philosophy change does but it's very obvious to me that we are shifting our overall philosophy on the mound and at the plate compared to 2023. At the same time it doesn't appear that we are doing so by sacrificing power.
What shows you that we have very obviously changed anything at all at the plate?Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
probably nothing other than these portal guys didn't strike out at a high rate last year. Can they still maintain that in an 0-2 count consistently?
The types of players we are recruiting. Every single one of them has more walks than K's or very close to it with low K numbers.Quote:
Originally Posted by StateDawg44
Three of the four portal recruits have 10 or more home runs as well. Most have decent stolen base numbers as well.
That's a different profile compared to Amani Larry, Conner Hujsack, and Logan Kohler for example.
It should in theory lead to more contact which will hopefully translate into a better performance in clutch situations like with runners in scoring position.
Contact hasn't been a problem for Gaut teamsQuote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
It absolutely was a problem last year IMO. If you look at the advanced hitting stats we were in the middle of the pack of the league for most situational categories. So while they may not have been Barbay offense level putrid bad there is room for improvement in and of itself right there. Beyond that batting average could be misleading because sometimes with runners on base if you make contact and are recorded out it doesn't help your batting average- but you have a better chance of getting the run home. Our problem was we struck out way too much in clutch situations. Hence the lack of contact issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cooterpoot
So with a lineup that cuts down on strike outs AND still has power it's going to improve our offense.
It also tells me that we weren't happy with our guys two strike approach last year in general. And this is how they are going to fix it. Lemonis even said in his press conference at the end of the regional that we were going to look for more talented hitters and here we are.
Edit to say- improve the offense even a little bit and maintain our pitching and defense numbers and we're a 20 win SEC team last year no question.
LSU website saying Zach Root is considering LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas. We'll see I guess.
Ole Miss is losing their Duke transfer from last year. A 20HR kid is entering the portal, Andrew Fischer.
Fischer is rumored to be going to Tennessee.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer
Root- I don't know. Last I heard was Auburn but LSU wouldn't surprise me.
I guess we don?t expect Brooks Auger back? He should have one more year.
Not expected backQuote:
Originally Posted by 3dawgnight15
I would look for us to get a couple of commits this week. We're on a big arm, not Root, that I expect will make a decision this week. We're also on a couple of other bats too to hedge our bats in case Nori opts to go pro.