Fall ball update....

While I'm not sure how they came up w these teams(to me they look way unbalanced) but maybe that's for a reason or I'm just wrong. Although cheese being up 3-0 is what I would have thought. Anyway, k James and Logan Tanner have stepped it up big time. Piec them w the 3 srs and we have a decent lineup. Skinner looks and plays the part. McDonald put himself in the convo and Hancock is going to hit. Add garner, pimentel for platoons w Clark and James, not as bad as once thought. A 4 game sec weekend would benefit us w our depth on the hill no doubt. Praying baseball has more than 50% fans or we gonna had w a mess.

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Originally Posted by Homedawg

While I'm not sure how they came up w these teams(to me they look way unbalanced) but maybe that's for a reason or I'm just wrong. Although cheese being up 3-0 is what I would have thought. Anyway, k James and Logan Tanner have stepped it up big time. Piec them w the 3 srs and we have a decent lineup. Skinner looks and plays the part. McDonald put himself in the convo and Hancock is going to hit. Add garner, pimentel for platoons w Clark and James, not as bad as once thought. A 4 game sec weekend would benefit us w our depth on the hill no doubt. Praying baseball has more than 50% fans or we gonna had w a mess.

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Will other teams not be just as deep on the mound considering so many are returning another year?

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Originally Posted by Cowbell

Will other teams not be just as deep on the mound considering so many are returning another year?

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Well I think everyone is going to be better. No doubt. But it's not the sr so much, but the guys that we saved Bc of the short draft. We could have lost tullar, smith, tepper, fristoe(who is going to be good but behind smith and tepper Bc of command ) and maybe another juco or two. This was THE year to get jucos that you would normally lose. When you think that we are trying to figure out how to use Landon sims and tullar that should tell you how deep we are. Heck in a normal year Cade smith would be a candidate to be a Sunday starter. Don't think he wil be this year. But w a 4 game sec series he most certainly could be!!

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Originally Posted by Homedawg

Well I think everyone is going to be better. No doubt. But it's not the sr so much, but the guys that we saved Bc of the short draft. We could have lost tullar, smith, tepper, fristoe(who is going to be good but behind smith and tepper Bc of command ) and maybe another juco or two. This was THE year to get jucos that you would normally lose. When you think that we are trying to figure out how to use Landon sims and tullar that should tell you how deep we are. Heck in a normal year Cade smith would be a candidate to be a Sunday starter. Don't think he wil be this year. But w a 4 game sec series he most certainly could be!!

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Thanks - I'm like you and hope that we can have considerable fans! We need something to pull for!

I see us as a middle of the pack SEC team. I just don't see this offense producing many runs.

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Originally Posted by Cowbell

Will other teams not be just as deep on the mound considering so many are returning another year?

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Let me put it this way- we have more guys throwing in the mid to upper 90's than most college baseball teams and as Homedawg said we have a lot of veteran seniors mixed in as well. So the answer is no.

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Originally Posted by Homedawg

Well I think everyone is going to be better. No doubt. But it's not the sr so much, but the guys that we saved Bc of the short draft. We could have lost tullar, smith, tepper, fristoe(who is going to be good but behind smith and tepper Bc of command ) and maybe another juco or two. This was THE year to get jucos that you would normally lose. When you think that we are trying to figure out how to use Landon sims and tullar that should tell you how deep we are. Heck in a normal year Cade smith would be a candidate to be a Sunday starter. Don't think he wil be this year. But w a 4 game sec series he most certainly could be!!

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I think Sims will be a relief ace for us. That's how I would use him personally at least.

I think you have to move Rowdey back to LF. Skinner looks legit.

1. Debrule - 2B
2. Rowdy - LF
3. TA - RF
4. L. Tanner - C
5. Hatcher - 1B
6. James - SS
7. Hancock/Garner - DH
8. Clark - 3B
9. Skinner - CF

Might swap Debrule and Skinner if Skinner keeps showing out like he is.

Pimentel, McDonald, Forsythe can push for starts and provide depth off the bench.

That's a solid lineup. Just wish we had another power bat. Pimentel can be that if he flushes last year.

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Originally Posted by KOdawg1

1. Debrule - 2B
2. Rowdy - LF
3. TA - RF
4. L. Tanner - C
5. Hatcher - 1B
6. James - SS
7. Hancock/Garner - DH
8. Clark - 3B
9. Skinner - CF

Might swap Debrule and Skinner if Skinner keeps showing out like he is.

Pimentel, McDonald, Forsythe can push for starts and provide depth off the bench.

That's a solid lineup. Just wish we had another power bat. Pimentel can be that if he flushes last year.

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Debrule isn't hitting in the top 6!much less 1st.

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Originally Posted by Todd4State

I think Sims will be a relief ace for us. That's how I would use him personally at least.

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I think that's a great option. Depending on if we go to the 4 game sec series or not. But either way, depth is solid.

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Originally Posted by Homedawg

I think that's a great option. Depending on if we go to the 4 game sec series or not. But either way, depth is solid.

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The whole thing that makes projecting our lineup difficult- well at least the pitching rotation- is we don't know officially at this time what they are going to do with the schedule.

Rumors abound that they are going to do four game weekends starting on Thursdays and going through Sunday with teams playing their rival home/home in two separate series. To me that sucks as far as the midweek games in Pearl and Biloxi- and even Memphis. And the thing is we definitely could play Ole Miss without question in Pearl- and could play USM in Pearl and someone else in Biloxi.

There is a lot to like in the position players. Let's compare to the last great offense of 2016.

(1) We have 3 seniors with quality experience. Not 3 JCs with 1 previous MSU year, 3 real seniors: Rowdey, Tanner Allen, and Hatcher. All players with All-SEC profiles and All American possibilities. In 2016, we had John Holland as a senior and he was a JC transfer.

(2) We have an experienced SS with All SEC profile with the glove and bat. A big athlete that JC says will be a #1 pick next year. In 2016 we had two light-hitting out-of-position 2B'men playing SS. Luke Alexander was a FR. Stovall became great in later years.

(3) We have two known hitting Catchers with size and polish at the plate. Both experienced and high-value recruits. In 2016 we needed production from Kruger and got it. But Kruger was a for-sure catcher, we did not know he was a hitter. Collins was hurt previously and moved to 3rd base. Collins had a great year at 3rd.

(4) At 1B we know that Hatcher will hit, in 2016 we though Lowe would hit. He looked big for 15 HRs but he only hit 5. Hatch will match that power, he must match the batting average.

(5) Outfield defense. In 2016 we had Mangum and Robson that were great defenders. The run in the 0-1 loss to Arizona, that was a massive error in LF by Humphries. There was a reason that our power bat Rooker (only 11 HRs in 2016) was OF and DH. He was not that great an OF. This year, we don't have to weaken an OF as badly as in 2016 to generate offense.

(6) In 2016 we had 5 Juniors with experience (Hump, Robson, Collins, Cody Brown, and Rooker) way more that usual. This year we are almost matching that with 3, Landon Jordan, Hancock, and Cumbest. Fewer. But if you peak at 2015 stats, the only guy that promised something was Robson. 5 juniors is the only category where 2016 looked better at this point.

(7) Jake Mangum played in 2016. He was great and we probably do not get another Jake. He was a Freshman that hit 400. We need someone to step up and do something crazy like 2016 Mangum or 2017 Rooker or 2013 Renfroe or 2019 Foscue. Sounds improbable until you see that we generally get someone to step up, that the magic of the program.

What are the chances Skinner starts in CF and Rowdey slides back over to LF?

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Originally Posted by AlSwearengen

What are the chances Skinner starts in CF and Rowdey slides back over to LF?

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Good. The coaches like what Skinner brings to the table. But he has to hit. Even Tanner Poole was a decent outfielder.

Listening to the Jim Ellis broadcast, Skinner puts pressure on the defense. He generates disruption to the pitcher by merely being on-base.

Just numbers (don't mean anything)

Skinner hit 350 in a JC that produced OM's Van Cleeve. The OM kid continued to be productive at OM (375 at JC and 385 at OM). This could mean that Skinner's JC stats could translate to MSU.

When it comes to JC's, we have seen it all. I recall how the 125-lb Gunnar Halter was both a SS and power hitter in JC we could not believe he could hit 150 or even generate sac-flies for us. Halter was a JC Babe Ruth, 394 BA and 20 HRs.

On the sobering side, Tanner Leggett was a 250 hitter at the same JC and sub-Mendoza for us. But how do we even recruit 250 hitters from JC? We must love the infield utility. Ridiculously, we platooned him in 2020. He was hitting 110 while on Platoon.

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Originally Posted by AlSwearengen

What are the chances Skinner starts in CF and Rowdey slides back over to LF?

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It's very possible if Skinner is better than Pimentel and Cumbest. So not out of the realm of possibility at all.

At this point I think McDonald is the rh option.