Baseball Guys

Im ready for it to get going. Any word? Predictions if you feel like it. Lemon better do a lot better than sneaking into Hoover to save it in my opinion. Making Hoover is less impressive than 6-6

I know a lot of the hardcore baseball guys are optimistic, but I'm just not seeing it.

We hired a new pitching coach, so that's a plus. He should have us better there.

But because of the fact we've sucked the last 2 years, our portal haul this past year was kinda weak.

I think we'll be in the bottom half of the SEC. Maybe we can squeak into the NCAAT.. Idk

We should be much more motivated. We will be improved but where we stack up in the Sec is questionable right now.

Pitching will be much improved. We should go to a SR.

Dakota Jordan and Hines are going to be one of the more dangerous combinations in the SEC.

We should be better on defense too.

Colby Holmcombe is going to surprise a lot of people.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

We should be better on defense too.

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I think this is a guarantee.

Swapping out Slate for Kohler is definitely an improvement at 3rd.
Highfill having a year under his belt certainly helps at catcher.
DJ in right will be better than Kellum.
Hujsack can handle center.

Hines at 1st is the only position where we might not be a strong as last year.

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Originally Posted by MStateDawg

I think this is a guarantee.

Swapping out Slate for Kohler is definitely an improvement at 3rd.
Highfill having a year under his belt certainly helps at catcher.
DJ in right will be better than Kellum.
Hujsack can handle center.

Hines at 1st is the only position where we might not be a strong as last year.

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Lemonis not starting Hines at 1st for last month of the season = Leach not giving meaningful snaps to Robertson and Locke up by 40 against an FCS team in the 4th.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

We should go to a SR.

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I stopped reading right here

We should be pretty good. Top of the batting order is Top 3 in the country. Defense should be pretty good

Comes down to pitching. Holcombe supposedly made a big jump in the Fall. We get 2 more quality arms back in Simmons and Auger. New PC has been impressive to everyone.

Let's roll

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

I stopped reading right here

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Key word Todd wrote was "should", I'm not positive just yet but we "should" make the tournament.

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Originally Posted by basedog

Key word Todd wrote was "should", I'm not positive just yet but we "should" make the tournament.

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We "should" make the tournament.

Super regional is a little far fetched

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

Super regional is a little far fetched

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How so? We certainly have the talent.

Solid.
Lineup will be old. As of today:
DJ in right
Hujsak in center
Chance in left
Mershon/Cupp at SS
Kohler at third
Larry/Cupp at second
Hines at first
Highfill at catcher

Pitching will be the key, as always. I think it will be improved. Question is how much.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

How so? We certainly have the talent.

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I think we'll be decent. Just don't think we did enough to address some needs to be back yet. Y'all are expecting a major turnaround and I just don't think that's realistic. We can improve a lot from last year and still be a pretty average team

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

We "should" make the tournament.

Super regional is a little far fetched

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Not really. Unless we get the regional of death and we're a 2 seed we should be able to beat a four seed like a Marist and a 3 like say Samford or an average ACC team. Then all we have to do is beat the 1 seed.

So no it's not that far fetched unless you think we're worse than Samford.

And if we don't make it to a SR then we should find another head coach.

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Originally Posted by confucius say

Solid.
Lineup will be old. As of today:
DJ in right
Hujsak in center
Chance in left
Mershon/Cupp at SS
Kohler at third
Larry/Cupp at second
Hines at first
Highfill at catcher

Pitching will be the key, as always. I think it will be improved. Question is how much.

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I dont see us sitting Larry to play Chance.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

I think we'll be decent. Just don't think we did enough to address some needs to be back yet. Y'all are expecting a major turnaround and I just don't think that's realistic. We can improve a lot from last year and still be a pretty average team

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I'm curious as to what you think we didn't address?

The number one thing we needed was a pitching coach. And I don't think our fans really fathom how bad it was the past two years. We had guys literally going to their private coaches and high school coaches for help to try to find answers.

Defense? We got a new third baseman and a new shortstop if it's not Mershon. Highfill should be better.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

I dont see us sitting Larry to play Chance.

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I don't either. But odds are we'll find a spot for both anyway.

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Originally Posted by confucius say

Solid.
Lineup will be old. As of today:
DJ in right
Hujsak in center
Chance in left
Mershon/Cupp at SS
Kohler at third
Larry/Cupp at second
Hines at first
Highfill at catcher

Pitching will be the key, as always. I think it will be improved. Question is how much.

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Cupp should start at SS unless he struggles to adjust at the plate.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

I think we'll be decent. Just don't think we did enough to address some needs to be back yet. Y'all are expecting a major turnaround and I just don't think that's realistic. We can improve a lot from last year and still be a pretty average team

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We have 4 guys that will be drafted in the Top 5 rounds of the MLB draft next summer. Talent should find its way to production

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

I'm curious as to what you think we didn't address?

The number one thing we needed was a pitching coach. And I don't think our fans really fathom how bad it was the past two years. We had guys literally going to their private coaches and high school coaches for help to try to find answers.

Defense? We got a new third baseman and a new shortstop if it's not Mershon. Highfill should be better.

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I'm just taking a wait and see approach before I place any sort of expectations on this team. I thought we would be decent in 2022. We weren't. I thought we would be improved in 2023. We weren't.

Kohler will be better than Alford, but he had a high K% in the AAC. His glove will be better.

We're relying on some hitters who don't have much experience or production. Not saying they can't do it, but we're having to hope.

We got some decent arms with potential but are far from proven. I acknowledged Parker should help. I just don't think he helps so much that we're back in a super regional yet.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

We have 4 guys that will be drafted in the Top 5 rounds of the MLB draft next summer. Talent should find its way to production

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"We hope."

I think we will have a chance to surprise a lot of people. We have a lot of talent and guys that play hard. Also don?t be shocked if Holmcombe looks like and early draft pick after this year

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Originally Posted by Coach34

How so? We certainly have the talent.

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Mainly because we fell off the wagon last two years, last and next to last not making Sec tourney, poor coaching and decisions. We lacked hustle at times and lack of motivation. I'm gonna pull hard for this team and no doubt we will be better, but there are some loaded teams ahead of us right now. Time for this bunch to prove they are worthy and not some paper champion wanna be's .

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Originally Posted by basedog

Mainly because we fell off the wagon last two years, last and next to last not making Sec tourney, poor coaching and decisions. We lacked hustle at times and lack of motivation. I'm gonna pull hard for this team and no doubt we will be better, but there are some loaded teams ahead of us right now. Time for this bunch to prove they are worthy and not some paper champion wanna be's .

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Correct.

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Originally Posted by basedog

I'm gonna pull hard for this team and no doubt we will be better, but there are some loaded teams ahead of us right now. Time for this bunch to prove they are worthy and not some paper champion wanna be's .

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agree completely

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

I'm just taking a wait and see approach before I place any sort of expectations on this team. I thought we would be decent in 2022. We weren't. I thought we would be improved in 2023. We weren't.

Kohler will be better than Alford, but he had a high K% in the AAC. His glove will be better.

We're relying on some hitters who don't have much experience or production. Not saying they can't do it, but we're having to hope.

We got some decent arms with potential but are far from proven. I acknowledged Parker should help. I just don't think he helps so much that we're back in a super regional yet.

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Im with you. Everyone should be on the wait and see and most people including me have been on the fire Lemonis train

I'd go with this to start the season:

Mershon 2B
Larry LF
Hines 1B
Jordan RF
Kohler 3B
Hugesak CF
Highfill C
Chance DH
Cupp SS

F- Holcombe
S- Loo
Su- ????

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

I'm just taking a wait and see approach before I place any sort of expectations on this team. I thought we would be decent in 2022. We weren't. I thought we would be improved in 2023. We weren't.

Kohler will be better than Alford, but he had a high K% in the AAC. His glove will be better.

We're relying on some hitters who don't have much experience or production. Not saying they can't do it, but we're having to hope.

We got some decent arms with potential but are far from proven. I acknowledged Parker should help. I just don't think he helps so much that we're back in a super regional yet.

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Dakota and Hines are very dangerous. Hunter could hit 25 home runs this year. Highfill is a good hitter and will be better. Mershon played a lot. We get Larry back and he is solid. Bryce Chance was one of our better hitters against SEC competition. Hujsack should have played more than he did. He had a strong summer.

Kohler should give us what Alford did but with better defense. He hit SEC pitching well last year at Memphis- I believe he hit a home run against us and Ole Miss. Cupp is really the only inexperienced hitter we have and he was thought to be a potential first round pick. He's not your typical recruit.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

"We hope."

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Dakota, Colby, Nate Dohm, and Hunter Hines. They'll be drafted there regardless of how we do next season.

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Originally Posted by BuckyIsAB****

Im with you. Everyone should be on the wait and see and most people including me have been on the fire Lemonis train

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Lemonis is not a Tony LaRussa type. How well he does is based on how good his assistants are. He makes out the lineup card, recruits, talks to the media, and runs practice.

And for baseball- that's Ok. That's all we really need.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

I dont see us sitting Larry to play Chance.

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I think both will play. Larry might dh if Cupp and Mershon win the middle infield jobs. But I expect Larry to start at second.
Chance is a better outfielder than Larry right now. Maybe Larry can close that gap in the spring.

We?ll be 3-9 at best heading into UGA series- it?ll be an uphill climb

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

Dakota, Colby, Nate Dohm, and Hunter Hines. They'll be drafted there regardless of how we do next season.

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Yeah, I wasn't arguing that

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

Dakota and Hines are very dangerous. Hunter could hit 25 home runs this year. Highfill is a good hitter and will be better. Mershon played a lot. We get Larry back and he is solid. Bryce Chance was one of our better hitters against SEC competition. Hujsack should have played more than he did. He had a strong summer.

Kohler should give us what Alford did but with better defense. He hit SEC pitching well last year at Memphis- I believe he hit a home run against us and Ole Miss. Cupp is really the only inexperienced hitter we have and he was thought to be a potential first round pick. He's not your typical recruit.

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I mean all that is great and all but we're still doing a lot of hoping. Not saying it won't happen but I'm just going to have to see it first. My benefit of the doubt went out the window when we won 18 conference games in 2 years

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

Dakota, Colby, Nate Dohm, and Hunter Hines. They'll be drafted there regardless of how we do next season.

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So will Loo

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

The number one thing we needed was a pitching coach.

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This is absolutely the truth. By far our number one need. Seems like we scored on that for sure.

We will be better but that's not saying much when you finished next to last in the league. The top part of the order should be fine but if we get one or two people hurt we could be in trouble. Pitching is still a question mark. There are some decent arms but that doesn't equate to being a good pitcher.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

We should be pretty good. Top of the batting order is Top 3 in the country. Defense should be pretty good

Comes down to pitching. Holcombe supposedly made a big jump in the Fall. We get 2 more quality arms back in Simmons and Auger. New PC has been impressive to everyone.

Let's roll

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Remind me who this is and how they are top three? Not arguing with you because I'm never deep into baseball and checked out completely last year, but I didn't think we had top three talent across any three or four players. And I would have assumed there would be three big spenders on NIL that would keep us out of the top three even if we improved a lot.

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Originally Posted by Johnson85

Remind me who this is and how they are top three? Not arguing with you because I'm never deep into baseball and checked out completely last year, but I didn't think we had top three talent across any three or four players. And I would have assumed there would be three big spenders on NIL that would keep us out of the top three even if we improved a lot.

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Dakota Jordan and Hunter Hines are two of the three - Dakota is a Top 50 MLB prospect and I think Hines is top 100

Baseball is still won with pitching and defense. Offensively, we’re going to be good. We have a chance to be good defensively. Pitching is where we have to wait and see.