What?s everyone?s best guesses??
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What?s everyone?s best guesses??
Hmmmmm. I will go
Pico - Fri
Karson Ligon - Sat
Jacob Pruett - Sun
To start the season:
Friday-Pico
Saturday-Pruett
Sunday-Ligon
By the time SEC play rolls around, who the hell knows. We have so many high ceiling unknowns with our team. Hell last year no one knew Khal Stephen, still doesn't have an S at the end, would be what he became. Guys like Charlie Foster, Chase Hungate, Mikhai Grant, Kevin Mannell, etc. We have a lot of arms to choose from. We just need 10-12 to step forward.
Season start:
Fri- Pico
Sat.- Ligon
Sun.- Pruett
Season end:
Fri- Pico
Sat.- Stone
Sun.- Pruett
Has it been 3 years in a row someone from opening rotation has been injured early? So many wild cards. Does pico and Pruitt have the stuff needed for sec. Can ligon throw a strike? Can stone stay healthy and have other elite pitches besides straight gas?
Yeah the rotation for opening weekend is pretty much set
Duke Stone or Stone Simmons?Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Ligon was the Miami Friday guy. Lemons says Ligon is better than ever.
Sounds like ligon struggled today in scrimmage. First pitch was a hbp. Multiple walks. Pico was more stable. Hungate and black had good outings.
Everything I’m hearing is just raving about Gavin black
End - foster is in it if he stays healthy.
Stone Simmons.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer
Lemonis also said good things about Colby Holcombe last year. If Ligon can not throw strikes he will not be in the rotation for long.
After today I am thinking I may have spoken too soon on my prediction.
I have not paid attention hardly at all, but what about Grant?
Grant's been throwing but they have kept him on a pitch count working him along slowly
Pico gave us a chance in the regional last year. He pitched well enough for us to win.
Pico is solid. He's not a #1 but certainly could be a 2 or a 3 for us at worst.
I think Grant, Dane Burns, and Charlie Foster will all help us this year. Along with Nolan Stevens and Luke Dotson. Our pitching future is very bright.Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityDawg
Pico has really good movement on his pitches. I could see him making a jump similar to Khal Stephens last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
Agree unless he has made a big jump? I was hoping to see some new names at the top but guys improve too, guess we'll see.Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
But does it make sense to not stack to southpaws (Pico and Pruett) back-to-back in the rotation (Sat and Sun) and for that reason, would we slot Pico into the Friday night slot?Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
Pruitt is right handed.Quote:
Originally Posted by WSOPdawg
my bad, I thought he was a leftie. Can't wait for 2/14 to get here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Homedawg
I would guess Pico, Ligon, Simmons. I’m not really sure. Seems lime we have elite potential. Just need to tap into it. I liked Gavin Black a lot last year. He turned it on there at the end. If he doesn’t start as the closer, I imagine he is by EOS.
Lemonis doesn't like to overwork pitchers during the season so I suspect we will see at least two closers like we saw last year with Hardin and Tyler Davis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brobi-wan
My guess is Black will be one and Nolan Stevens will be one. I think we see Dane Burns, Makhai Grant, and maybe Charlie Foster in that role as well. And of course Stone Simmons has been a closer before too.
I th ink you are way overdoing Stevens as a closer. He might pitch some, but we have a lot of options from the left side. I'll be floored if he is a closer.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
Foster is going to be in the rotation by seasons end.
Lemon said "get 3 outs for us" in the latest interview I saw on Stevens. Same with SullivanQuote:
Originally Posted by Homedawg
It's hard for me to believe Black is not the top candidate to close. I'm curious about Simmons role. He's 35 years old and should be finally healthy. He could be a big piece for us this season
Simmons is 23 and 10 months. Hopefully super rested and ready to give us 110 innings this year. His MSU career is only 28 innings total.Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
I'm kind of reading between the lines on what Lemonis has said about how he will use Stevens. Plus with him being a position player using him like Thigpen or Young makes some sense. Plus that's how they tried to use him at times. IMO they used him in too many high leverage situations before he was ready last year. Of course I think they were surprised when Aaron Nixon signed too and I think they thought he would be the closer going into last year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Homedawg
Dual position guys complicate the DH situation and I imagine they want to keep Stevens and Sullivan's bat in the lineup as much as possible.
I like Foster a lot too. Certainly could be in the rotation by years end. I have heard people just as high on Dane Burns and Makhai Grant too though. Both are coming off of injuries and it sounds like Burns is way ahead of where he was expected to be.
Stone is fighting Pruett for the third spot in the rotation. Whoever doesn't get the third spot probably is going to play the same role Houston Harding had for about half of the 2021 season while also starting midweek games. Personally I think I like Stone better as a reliever and Pruett better as a starter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
I wish we would go to a starter for the midweek games. I hate doing the 2 innings and go to the next. Have someone go 5-6 if possible then let the bullpen have at it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd4State
When you have a staff of 15 guys or so- you have to get them mound work during games. Thats what the midweeks are for. Personally I would go 4 with whatever I felt is my 4th guy and then finish the game with various arms.Quote:
Originally Posted by TNDawg35
Thanks Tom HomanQuote:
Originally Posted by The Federalist Engineer
I do too. At least for games like USM and South Alabama and Memphis, etc. I would only want them to go 4-5 innings at the most though to let some other guys get work and also to let them have some rest in case we need to transition them to the weekend.Quote:
Originally Posted by TNDawg35
I know a lot of fans don't like scheduling SWAC teams but teams like that are when we can get a chance to put guys into live game action and see what they can do. Now obviously, we don't want to over schedule those types of games but there is a balance because like Coach said you have to give guys a chance to see what they can do and sometimes use them as rehab starts like we did with Pico last year.
And it's interesting looking at our schedule and this has to be by design- our most difficult midweek games are on pre-SEC play. USM twice, Troy, and then the two Biloxi games.
The most difficult midweek game during SEC play is the Governor's Cup.
That leads me to believe we will probably use Stone and Pruett as our midweek guy to start with and then go from there.
This recent interviews are interesting, takes dedication and belief to comeback after 2 years of rehab.Quote:
Originally Posted by Coach34
https://youtu.be/oB_0iAh_4WU?si=_QxhbU2iQC9aa6cd
https://www.youtube.com/live/qwi0iJk...DQMFLPiMwOPnTn