since the Slytanic. I know our pitching sucks --but you would think with this team we would at least make Hoover--but 17 NO.
since the Slytanic. I know our pitching sucks --but you would think with this team we would at least make Hoover--but 17 NO.
Not coaching so much as recruiting, State doesn't seem too get game changing players. We have good but other teams have better. Or not enough to win more games. Our baseball recruits may start to resemble our football recruiting compared to the rest of the SEC.
Just imagine if Mangum and Tanner Allen went to the schools they were originally going to. Imagine the last 7 years without those two.
Welcome to the NIL world folks. Y'all better hang on, this is going to get bumpy across all sports for us.
Many pitchers for MSU were highly rated recruits, some extremely highly regarded. Before the season, I bet 8 or 9 SEC schools would have traded staffs, straight up. MSU was supposed to be a Top-10 team this season. All that was predicated on players growing into roles and developing.
The only consistent performer has been Cade Smith.
1- Pre-Season Stinnett and KC Hunt were regarded as much developed and with "electric stuff". In-Season, they are pretty much the same as previous seasons, look at the ERA and WHIP, same or slightly worse. But on hype alone, you could have gotten many buyers. Stinnett was a pre-season MLB top-200 draft prospect.
2- Tepper and Fristoe, were "10" rated recruits, but both are not much developed relative their Freshman seasons. Fristoe was even mentioned a potential high draft-pick in 2022
3- Tullar was considered a "gift" from the truncated COVID MLB draft. He would never been on campus otherwise.
4 -Jack Walker is the reigning Gatorade Louisiana Player of the Year, maybe the biggest recruit from Lousiana since Charlton Loewer?
5 -Walling was also a monster recruit, supposed to be a One-year-Ringer. A 6-5 LHP with a 97 mph fastball. A weekend starter or a closer
On paper and by resume, this is a far better staff than Cannizarro had in 2017. Guys like Billingsley, Plumlee, and Price were plucked from Sunbelt commitments. The highest rated player was Graham Aschraft, who was always either decent or injured. Cannizarro turned his collection of misfits into a Band of Brothers and into a Super Regional. Those cats were inspirational.
The 2021 results looks more like Slytanic coaching and Slytanic roster management. Maybe the Slytanic recruiting is starting this year. I wonder if Vitello is not texting our 2024 class a picture of the scoreboard 2-27 in Starkville, with fireworks in the background.
Bc they are average college hitters. Certainly not good enough to overcome the worst pitching staff in the league. None of these guys are Tanner Allen or even rowdy. Hancock, lane, Clark, James, Tanner-none of those are even career .300 hitters.
We're also soft. We don't grind and compete.
Every team and every year is different, even if the players are the same. We have had a grind it out attitude really since 2011 - to our benefit. But, you saw a lot of the same things this year that we saw in 2015. In 2015 we were thin on experienced pitchers, and were last in the SEC in ERA, Opponents BA, K's, W's, 13th in Saves, 4th most hits allowed, second highest in Runs allowed, gave up the 5th highest number of HR, had the second most hit batters, and walked more than half the league. When you are outgunned on the mound or at the plate continually, it really does get in your head. Doesn't matter what coaching does or doesn't do. Call it quiting, call it whatever, but like the shrink says in The Natural, losing is contagious. It is like a disease and it can spread during a season. And it happens in baseball more than any other sport. How do the Braves win it all last year, and look as much like ass as we do? Same basic team as last year.
Now. What everyone needs to focus on, or more directly what Lemonis needs to focus on, is that HE is going to have to outwork everyone this next season. He is going to have to prove that this year was the fluke, not 2019 and 2021.
Great baseball coaches figure it out. Cohen figured it out for 2016. I really hope Lemo does too. If he doesn't, then I think the predictions of those saying "he can't win with his recruits" are likely right. But, as of right now, I'll still take Jake Mangum and other players opinions about Lemo, Geuxt, Fox and Cheese over fans who stomp their feet and want fire everyone. For now.
Partly bc we have different style hitters this year. Guys like TA and Debrule would grind at bats. Cumbest and Clark don't do that. This lineup is much more see ball, hit ball. Very free swingers. When they interviewed aggie pitcher Cortez during the Sunday game and asked him how to attack us he said "they get themselves out."
But the bigger issue is we had guys on the mound that would get after you and challenge the zone in sims, Bednar, and Harding. Give me those three and TA and Rowdy and we'd be right back in it this year.
I also think everything went wrong that could go wrong and we've pouted. We look worn down and defeated.
We look worn down and defeated.
Lack of pride! Would be nice if we had the kind of pride Bama football has.
I'm glad you said this.... I have the same thought process but alot of people want to throw excuses out. We won a National Championship, there is absolutely no way that we should finish last the following year... you build on that a try to create a dynasty and culture like Bama football, UCONN women's basketball, Duke basketball etc.. its embarrassing
We'll never achieve Bama pride in 17ing baseball...college baseball ain't exactly a national attention getter.
It might not be a National attention getter but it is ALL we have as State fans. And Lemonis better figure out that you don?t get bye seasons at State. You don?t have to win a NC every year and you don?t have to go to Omaha every year. But State fans expected winning teams before he got here, while he is here and after he is gone from here.
But if you want to play the a National perception game we can. Coastal Carolina has the same number of National Championships that State does. Do you think their fans feel the same way about baseball as ours? Do you think their fans and school spend the kind of money on baseball that State and the fans do?
This is it! This is the damn deal breaker that makes next year a ?must make a Regional? year!!