Agreed.
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Clark with that 6’4” frame can, only if he stops crowding the plate.
This is the first year of a MLB draft with NIL. We'll see what happens but with the slot system in place plus the fact that we can offer NIL for the first time ever we're going to have a much better chance of keeping guys drafted after the 10th round. With NIL there is a chance that guys that come back to MSU for their senior year may actually end up making more money than leaving after their junior year because they can get NIL money plus roughly the same bonus money even after they have given up leverage.
And we have several that may fall into that category:
KC Hunt
Luke Hancock
Kam James
Brad Cumbest
Kellum Clark
Now, no I don't expect us to keep all of those players. But keeping 2-3 is very realistic.
All of this is very new so we'll see what happens. On top of that we'll see what they decide as far as baseball scholarships this summer. That's also an unknown but it will help us retain players in the future whatever they decide.
Clark?s swing was built to make him a HR hitter. I am thankful that it worked last year in Omaha to break up the no hitter and lead to a victory. But he is likely a .250 hitter with lots of k?s and the occasional HR. Someone is going to have to spend an entire off season fixing that swing to make him a better hitter.
With the portal we have a shot to turn this around no matter who comes back.
Lot of moving parts at this point and really impossible to speculate- but we need to figure out exactly who is coming back first of all.
We also need to figure out who we're getting with our JUCO guys and recruits in. Much has been made about our "questionable" recruits but there absolutely are some that may be able to come in and help right away.
Then we can really get to the portal. And that will be influenced some by the coaching carousel.
We'll also be monitoring how our pitchers are doing this summer. If they don't show improvement I suspect there will be some cuts.
I think a lot of it is his approach. I think we're saying the same thing here but if he can start to become a more complete hitter by going the other way and using the whole field in general as well as protecting the plate better with two strikes he will be a much better player.
I would never ever throw Clark a fastball, ever. He couldn't hit a change up to save his life and he constantly chases breaking balls. He may hit a mistake on an off speed on occasion, but he's a dead red pull hitter. No reason to throw him a fb at all. Yeah he's gonna be a 250 hitter with some power unless he makes some adjustments.
Thats what Y3 of college is for- becoming a dude that can handle those things.
17 STATE Baseball for the moment. 17 NIL. Hadn't watched all 7 games in a NBA Series in a while. Go Mavs.
With exceptions being TA, RJordan and Mangum : it would seem that the best pure hitters we have had meaning they go with the pitch presented to them are DaBrule and Yeager. FYI they both came from other programs with lots of ABs under their belt. The 3 mentioned above CAME to State being those types of hitters. We don’t seem to GROW a players ability to hit to all fields.
Take that for what it is worth.
This all day. How many times have we been no hit or 1/2 hit going late into the game the last few years. I honestly wish Gotro would move on. I understand the bullpen was shit this year and that’s on Foxhall. I would rather a pitcher get shelled than walk the bases loaded and then Give up a clearing double. We are better than that. How many teams have we faced that threw a freshman that come im and shoved it in our face? Where is our freshman that do that?
Now honestly I wish Lemonis would make some changes, but I just don’t see it happening this year after the title. For one, I wish we had a damn 1st base coach. I hate watching a player do it.
The portal can save us just like it did A&M. We can turn it around next year and I think we will.
One thing we can say is we all know Cohen isn’t gonna stand for baseball to suck. We all know that. As much as some of you guys hate him, he is gonna make sure baseball is taken care of period. Don’t think for one second he is gonna stand for it being this bad for 2 years, Natty or not…
If I’m Lemonis, I’m organizing some boosters right now and asking Jett, Jordan, and some other big time recruits what their number is. Write the damn checks. Get into the portal and start making calls. We should have a Ole Miss football type portal class this year with a good high school foundation to back it up…
To put it bluntly, fix it or we will get someone who can.
If Cumbest has his name called... he gone... round won't matter.
So then that brings up the question of who do we want back? I have changed my mind on Cumbest probably the most since about midway through the season. I went from thinking that he needed to drop to G5 to continue to play baseball to almost hoping he comes back. I am 50/50 on Clark. There is good and bad to bringing him back. James probably needs to go ahead and get what he can in the draft. Hancock is another 50/50 one and I think it really depends on what you do at Catcher in the portal or if you think Bane or Highfill could start next year.
On the pitching side of things. I think Fristoe is gone. Either transfer or draft. Tepper is probably also gone. We will have to wait and see on KC. Brandon Smith and Preston both have eligibility left so I would lean they would come back if that is an option.
James has 2 years left in college thanks to Chinese19. So he has draft leverage. He can work to get a number he wants or come back
Cumbest is in Y4. Highly unlikely he returns
Hancock will be a late pick if at all here in Y4. He's not getting any money of note regardless if its this year or next. Playing SEC ball 1 more time over a summer in the lower bus leagues has to be appealing.
Clark is draft age but didnt have the year he needed to go. Likely return.
KC Hunt has 2 years left so he also has draft leverage. But he's been here 3 years now and had some arm soreness. Likely to leave unless his draft stock has really dropped.
Thats based on things I've been told or just outright guessing based on the info at hand. Losing all these guys except Clark would suck