Baseball - Bradley Loftin - Left Handed Freshman

[StarkVegasSteve]

They hit 30 combined between them last year but here's hoping Kellum really figures things out this year and can hit at a .285/.600/.385 clip.

I also agree with Todd in that we should be able to cut back on the SO as LoTan, Mule & Kam all k'd at 45 or more times on the season.

Well and you hope that Hines does not go into that slump he went into in the middle of the year again. I think he had like 20 Ks in three weekends at one point.

[SpaceBully]

Saw these pictures of Loftin throwing, dated 12/27/22

His fall ended early, so he did not pitch in the scrimmages vs Alabama.

This is one of MSU's top freshmen. With Loftin (FR), Pico Kohn (SO), Tyler Davis (JR), and Graham Yntema (JR) seems the team has a huge upgrade in LHP vs 2022. Lofin and Kohn are true Blue Chip HS talents. Davis is a Friday night transfer from VCU, so he is a very good player with experience. Yntema is a JC transfer with stats that signal lots of promise.

Yntema throws in the High-80's but strikes out lots of hitters. Total JC stats don't look stellar but gave up most of his hits and runs in the last 4 appearances. Un-Hittable in his first 42 innings and then had a rough final 13 innings to end his season. Even 10 or the 25 walks happened in that last 13 innings. Curious.

Loftin reportedly turned down 7 figure money to come to MSU. Can't verify that though. Maybe we promised enough $NIL to get him to go to college. He's supposed to be close to a 5-Star pitcher (using the football star scale). Unless he has arm problems, I think he'll figure into our staff make up either weekday or possibly weekend.

[TNDawg35]

If Hines and Clark hit 40 HRs between them then we are in Omaha. We will just bash people to death. Who is pitching for us will not matter much.

Get ready, that is EXACTLY what LSU is fixen to do.... BUT, they also have Skenes and another really good transfer pitcher coming in. They are unreal loaded this year. As you know in baseball, the most talented team doesnt win most of the time. (Looking at you Tenn)

[Offshore Dawg]

Loftin reportedly turned down 7 figure money to come to MSU. Can't verify that though. Maybe we promised enough $NIL to get him to go to college. He's supposed to be close to a 5-Star pitcher (using the football star scale). Unless he has arm problems, I think he'll figure into our staff make up either weekday or possibly weekend.

weekend or weekdays. just about covers everything.

[WSOPdawg]

Get ready, that is EXACTLY what LSU is fixen to do.... BUT, they also have Skenes and another really good transfer pitcher coming in. They are unreal loaded this year. As you know in baseball, the most talented team doesnt win most of the time. (Looking at you Tenn)

I like Skenes and wish he would have decided to be a Bulldog, but I bet he finds out real quick that the talent he faced in the MW at Air Force Academy is no where near the talent he's going to go up against in the SEC. He'll still be good, but not sure he'll be tops in the SEC at season's end.

[Homedawg]

I like Skenes and wish he would have decided to be a Bulldog, but I bet he finds out real quick that the talent he faced in the MW at Air Force Academy is no where near the talent he's going to go up against in the SEC. He'll still be good, but not sure he'll be tops in the SEC at season's end.

Skenes is legit. Make no mistake. Wish we had him.

[maroonmania]

Skenes is legit. Make no mistake. Wish we had him.

LSU is just as serious about baseball as we are and have a lot more NIL money to work with. Going to be tough going head to head with them on high value transfers.

[WSOPdawg]

Skenes is legit. Make no mistake. Wish we had him.

Oh, I definitely agree (him being legit and wishing we had him). I'm just saying that he's now going up against SEC hitters instead of Mountain West hitters and will arguably face much more adversity than the last few years at Air Force Academy.

[WSOPdawg]

LSU is just as serious about baseball as we are and have a lot more NIL money to work with. Going to be tough going head to head with them on high value transfers.

True, but there's a lot of baseball players out there and LSU can't get them all. D1 Baseball just came out this morning with our freshman signing class (led by Dakota Jordan & Loftin) as being the #2 overall signing class last year. Combined with our top-4 transfer class and I'm really liking the re-build that Lemonis and company have done this year.

Besides, not since the 'Canes of 1999 has the #1 overall team won it in Omaha. If your pitching can get hot in May and June, and you play good defense, anything can happen. Last year, attrition due to injuries just robbed us of our pitching. Time to rebound in '23.

[SpaceBully]

weekend or weekdays. just about covers everything.

starting role

[StarkVegasSteve]

True, but there's a lot of baseball players out there and LSU can't get them all. D1 Baseball just came out this morning with our freshman signing class (led by Dakota Jordan & Loftin) as being the #2 overall signing class last year. Combined with our top-4 transfer class and I'm really liking the re-build that Lemonis and company have done this year.

Besides, not since the 'Canes of 1999 has the #1 overall team won it in Omaha. If your pitching can get hot in May and June, and you play good defense, anything can happen. Last year, attrition due to injuries just robbed us of our pitching. Time to rebound in '23.

I like this signing class more and more every time I read about it. Dakota Jordan may end up being one of our better draft gets over the years. Add him in with Mershon, Highfill, Cjintje, and Loftin and you have building blocks for some success not only this year, but definitely down the road as well.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Oh, I definitely agree (him being legit and wishing we had him). I'm just saying that he's now going up against SEC hitters instead of Mountain West hitters and will arguably face much more adversity than the last few years at Air Force Academy.

He also is going from playing in front of maybe 1,000 people a couple of times a year to being in front of 10,000+ every weekend. Now add in those Cajuns that will turn on you if things start going south, and you ratchet up those nerves 10x.

[Cowbell]

He also is going from playing in front of maybe 1,000 people a couple of times a year to being in front of 10,000+ every weekend. Now add in those Cajuns that will turn on you if things start going south, and you ratchet up those nerves 10x.

I would argue those same things could also make him much better. Great players get better when the lights come on,

Mcnamee, tanner Allen, Ethan small

[The Federalist Engineer]

Loftin reportedly turned down 7 figure money to come to MSU. Can't verify that though. Maybe we promised enough $NIL to get him to go to college. He's supposed to be close to a 5-Star pitcher (using the football star scale). Unless he has arm problems, I think he'll figure into our staff make up either weekday or possibly weekend.

Yes

I guess you and I are the only dudes remembering all this.

If there are three or four players that LSU would buy Off the MSU roster...It would be Hines, Loftin, Cade, and Jurrangelo Cinjinte. Maybe Colby Holcombe.

If Loftin is eased-into college baseball, that's cool. He has the pedigree similar to our greatest recruits. Plus he comes from Paul Maholm and Ethan Small part of the world.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Yes

I guess you and I are the only dudes remembering all this.

If there are three or four players that LSU would buy Off the MSU roster...It would be Hines, Loftin, Cade, and Jurrangelo Cinjinte. Maybe Colby Holcombe.

If Loftin is eased-into college baseball, that's cool. He has the pedigree similar to our greatest recruits. Plus he comes from Paul Maholm and Ethan Small part of the world.

Loftin is ALL DAWG. He wants to be at MSU. Money wasn't a factor. If it was he would've gone pro. There were teams that would have offered 7 figures to sign him.

[WSOPdawg]

I like this signing class more and more every time I read about it. Dakota Jordan may end up being one of our better draft gets over the years. Add him in with Mershon, Highfill, Cjintje, and Loftin and you have building blocks for some success not only this year, but definitely down the road as well.

Yeah, this is definitely one of our better incoming classes that we've had in quite a while as any of the five you've mentioned can blow up big time as their Bulldog career plays out. The future is definitely exciting.

[The Federalist Engineer]

I like this signing class more and more every time I read about it. Dakota Jordan may end up being one of our better draft gets over the years. Add him in with Mershon, Highfill, Cjintje, and Loftin and you have building blocks for some success not only this year, but definitely down the road as well.

There is a veteran player or two that are considered locked to start, that if they don't produce 30% more ... Highfill needs to go ahead and play. How good is Mershon right now?

We may have good veterans for late inning pinch hitter, drag bunt, and defensive subs we can pull.

[Todd4State]

There is a veteran player or two that are considered locked to start, that if they don't produce 30% more ... Highfill needs to go ahead and play. How good is Mershon right now?

We may have good veterans for late inning pinch hitter, drag bunt, and defensive subs we can pull.

Mershon could play right now and May and probably will get starts if Forsythe slumps. The question right now as it is with all freshmen is how will he be at the plate.

Forsythe has improved a lot though based on the fall so I think he will get the majority of the playing time.