The ultimate problem with our baseball team thus far

The bottom line is that winners win. Winners find a way to get it done. They aren't doing that.

Our starting pitcher (Stephen in game 2 versus Air Force) gives us 7 innings of 3-hit baseball, only allowing 1 run against a non-conference opponent. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Stephen gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

The opposing pitchers walk us 14 times and hit 4 batters (yesterday) in the first 8 innings. That is 18 free baserunners they give us in the first 8 innings. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Austin Peay's pitchers gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

You have to find a way to win those games. Those 2 games were gifts, and we wouldn't take them. They were easy wins for us. That's the problem. Find a way to win. Nobody wants to hear excuses, just figure something out. Winners figure it out.

It's like playing South Carolina in football and Rattler throws 6 interceptions, fumbles 2 times, and they commit 5 false starts and 6 holding penalties, and yet we lose.

No grit. We have the personality of our head coach.

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

The bottom line is that winners win. Winners find a way to get it done. They aren't doing that.

Our starting pitcher (Stephen in game 2 versus Air Force) gives us 7 innings of 3-hit baseball, only allowing 1 run against a non-conference opponent. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Stephen gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

The opposing pitchers walk us 14 times and hit 4 batters (yesterday) in the first 8 innings. That is 18 free baserunners they give us in the first 8 innings. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Austin Peay's pitchers gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

You have to find a way to win those games. Those 2 games were gifts, and we wouldn't take them. They were easy wins for us. That's the problem. Find a way to win. Nobody wants to hear excuses, just figure something out. Winners figure it out.

It's like playing South Carolina in football and Rattler throws 6 interceptions, fumbles 2 times, and they commit 5 false starts and 6 holding penalties, and yet we lose.

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It's not that they aren't finding ways to win. They are finding ways to lose. I don't know how he has done it, but just like some coaches create a team of winners that find ways to win even when things don't go their way, it appears Lemonis has created a team of losers that finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory even when the game is basically given to them. It's early, so this isn't necessarily who we are, but given the performance of the last two years, it probably is.

Our late inning pitchers last night couldn't find a way to miss any bats! The better hitters played for The Peay this week. They either out recruited State or out trained State. No in between. Their hitters were not lucky. They were making solid contact on any type pitch thrown. No excuses from them when the off speed came up to the plate. They saw it and they hit it. They were just better.

The biggest problem with the program is culture within the locker room. We have not had any leadership, alpha dog, whatever you want to call it, in 3 years. We are still coddled and put on a pedestal. The fact we are lighting NIL money on fire for this roster is beyond reproach. We have become a charmin soft program. We are soft. Soft.
S O F T. I would use another term but I?ll keep it clean.

Stevie Wonder can see the problem---Lemonis.. but our AD can't.

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Originally Posted by Johnson85

It's not that they aren't finding ways to win. They are finding ways to lose. I don't know how he has done it, but just like some coaches create a team of winners that find ways to win even when things don't go their way, it appears Lemonis has created a team of losers that finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory even when the game is basically given to them. It's early, so this isn't necessarily who we are, but given the performance of the last two years, it probably is.

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For all the crap that people give John Cohen - he built teams with mentalities that found ways to win. He built that culture so well, and recruited it so well, it carried over for 5 years after he moved over to AD. From 2011 to 2021, I had no doubts that when it was nut cuttin' time, the Dogs were ready to bite. We didn't win them all - but we won a ton games we shouldn't have because of that mentality. And, we didn't give away many games that the other team gifted us.

I'd take Cohen back as baseball coach in a heartbeat.

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

Our starting pitcher (Stephen in game 2 versus Air Force) gives us 7 innings of 3-hit baseball, only allowing 1 run against a non-conference opponent. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Stephen gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

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That game remined me of the 2022 season opener against Long Beach State when Sims went 7 innings with 5 hits, 1 run and 13k's and we lost 3-0.

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

The bottom line is that winners win. Winners find a way to get it done. They aren't doing that.

Our starting pitcher (Stephen in game 2 versus Air Force) gives us 7 innings of 3-hit baseball, only allowing 1 run against a non-conference opponent. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Stephen gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

The opposing pitchers walk us 14 times and hit 4 batters (yesterday) in the first 8 innings. That is 18 free baserunners they give us in the first 8 innings. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Austin Peay's pitchers gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

You have to find a way to win those games. Those 2 games were gifts, and we wouldn't take them. They were easy wins for us. That's the problem. Find a way to win. Nobody wants to hear excuses, just figure something out. Winners figure it out.

It's like playing South Carolina in football and Rattler throws 6 interceptions, fumbles 2 times, and they commit 5 false starts and 6 holding penalties, and yet we lose.

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Look at the 5-9 in the Lineup BA.

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Originally Posted by Johnson85

It's not that they aren't finding ways to win. They are finding ways to lose. I don't know how he has done it, but just like some coaches create a team of winners that find ways to win even when things don't go their way, it appears Lemonis has created a team of losers that finds a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory even when the game is basically given to them. It's early, so this isn't necessarily who we are, but given the performance of the last two years, it probably is.

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I believe this

I?m watching it now at the HS level

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Originally Posted by BrunswickDawg

For all the crap that people give John Cohen - he built teams with mentalities that found ways to win. He built that culture so well, and recruited it so well, it carried over for 5 years after he moved over to AD. From 2011 to 2021, I had no doubts that when it was nut cuttin' time, the Dogs were ready to bite. We didn't win them all - but we won a ton games we shouldn't have because of that mentality. And, we didn't give away many games that the other team gifted us.

I'd take Cohen back as baseball coach in a heartbeat.

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Agree - he hating losing more than he wanted to win - need an IB back in the dugout

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Originally Posted by BrunswickDawg

For all the crap that people give John Cohen - he built teams with mentalities that found ways to win. He built that culture so well, and recruited it so well, it carried over for 5 years after he moved over to AD. From 2011 to 2021, I had no doubts that when it was nut cuttin' time, the Dogs were ready to bite. We didn't win them all - but we won a ton games we shouldn't have because of that mentality. And, we didn't give away many games that the other team gifted us.

I'd take Cohen back as baseball coach in a heartbeat.

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FACT! Nothing more needs to be said. I remember seeing them when I was leaving the MSU track in Cohens first year, running in the rain. Nothing about that helps the game of baseball directly, but there is an element of toughness involved in running in rain in 45-50 degrees. It is way worse than 30 degrees in snow.

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Originally Posted by SPMT

FACT! Nothing more needs to be said. I remember seeing them when I was leaving the MSU track in Cohens first year, running in the rain. Nothing about that helps the game of baseball directly, but there is an element of toughness involved in running in rain in 45-50 degrees. It is way worse than 30 degrees in snow.

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I remember one game where it was a miserable windy, overcast, around 40 degree day and had rained about 2 inches the night before. The first thing the opposing team saw when they came into their dugout was our guys down the left field line practicing taking leads and diving back to the line sloshing up water in the puddles. Even from the outfield you could see the "What the F have we gotten ourselves into?" looks in their eyes.

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Originally Posted by Mjoelner34

I remember one game where it was a miserable windy, overcast, around 40 degree day and had rained about 2 inches the night before. The first thing the opposing team saw when they came into their dugout was our guys down the left field line practicing taking leads and diving back to the line sloshing up water in the puddles. Even from the outfield you could see the "What the F have we gotten ourselves into?" looks in their eyes.

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That meant something and that culture is gone now. We could not be talented but play the NC Florida gators I the Sec tournament title game and never quit. You can see it, even in a sport like baseball. It is hard to describe but we don’t have a Tanner or Rowdey. You know when you do and you know when you don’t have it.

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Originally Posted by SPMT

That meant something and that culture is gone now. We could not be talented but play the NC Florida gators I the Sec tournament title game and never quit. You can see it, even in a sport like baseball. It is hard to describe but we don’t have a Tanner or Rowdey. You know when you do and you know when you don’t have it.

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Speaking of that leadership, here is a Mangum story. My cousin (early 60's MSU grad) game up from Orlando for the JoMo Florida game. I took him by the new baseball stadium during fall ball. They weren't even scrimmaging. Just having batting practice and here is senior, All American, stsrter, nothing left to prove Jake Mangum going full speed and laying out horizontal snagging batting practice balls during the fall.

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Originally Posted by Mjoelner34

I remember one game where it was a miserable windy, overcast, around 40 degree day and had rained about 2 inches the night before. The first thing the opposing team saw when they came into their dugout was our guys down the left field line practicing taking leads and diving back to the line sloshing up water in the puddles. Even from the outfield you could see the "What the F have we gotten ourselves into?" looks in their eyes.

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I remember when Cohen wanted to play Nicholls State in the snow at Dudy Noble. They ended up leaving town basically.

I also heard a story about us losing the Governor's Cup one year and he made them stop the bus in the middle of nowhere and just chewed the team out.

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Originally Posted by Mjoelner34

Speaking of that leadership, here is a Mangum story. My cousin (early 60's MSU grad) game up from Orlando for the JoMo Florida game. I took him by the new baseball stadium during fall ball. They weren't even scrimmaging. Just having batting practice and here is senior, All American, stsrter, nothing left to prove Jake Mangum going full speed and laying out horizontal snagging batting practice balls during the fall.

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That's the kind of thing that winners in baseball do that others don't do.

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Originally Posted by somebodyshotmypaw

The bottom line is that winners win. Winners find a way to get it done. They aren't doing that.

Our starting pitcher (Stephen in game 2 versus Air Force) gives us 7 innings of 3-hit baseball, only allowing 1 run against a non-conference opponent. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Stephen gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

The opposing pitchers walk us 14 times and hit 4 batters (yesterday) in the first 8 innings. That is 18 free baserunners they give us in the first 8 innings. Yet we can't find a way to win that game. Austin Peay's pitchers gifted us a victory, yet we couldn't win.

You have to find a way to win those games. Those 2 games were gifts, and we wouldn't take them. They were easy wins for us. That's the problem. Find a way to win. Nobody wants to hear excuses, just figure something out. Winners figure it out.

It's like playing South Carolina in football and Rattler throws 6 interceptions, fumbles 2 times, and they commit 5 false starts and 6 holding penalties, and yet we lose.

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Honestly, I think it's pretty odd to lose games like that. It's not the same thing every game. Sometimes we pitch well and then the same guys get lit up by Austin Peay. Sometimes we score runs and then sometimes we don't.

Odds are we'll figure out who can do what and who can help us and who can't and we'll end up winning some games. But he needs to figure it out soon.

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Originally Posted by Mjoelner34

I remember one game where it was a miserable windy, overcast, around 40 degree day and had rained about 2 inches the night before. The first thing the opposing team saw when they came into their dugout was our guys down the left field line practicing taking leads and diving back to the line sloshing up water in the puddles. Even from the outfield you could see the "What the F have we gotten ourselves into?" looks in their eyes.

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They used to say that about our stadium in general. Now they love coming here cause they can whip our ass and get a meal afterwards…

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Originally Posted by tcdog70

Stevie Wonder can see the problem---Lemonis.. but our AD can't.

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Oh, I'm willing to bet he can see it.

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Originally Posted by BrunswickDawg

I'd take Cohen back as baseball coach in a heartbeat.

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At this point in this Charlie Foxtrot.......without a doubt I would.