Post Non-Con Baseball lineup thoughts

[Tater]

So we've gotten 16 games into the season and seen just about every variation possible with our lineup and batting order. As we start to settle on who is and isn't a part of the games, we've figured a couple of things out.

Ace is the 2 hole. No shocker there. 1.223 OPS. He's had some dud moments but overall he is settled into that spot and has 3rd base locked up.

Bryce Chance has locked up the 9 hole and does his role excellently. Having 1.000+ OPS is typically a great player mark in college - our 9 hole has 1.061 and looks comfortable in that role. He can play any of the outfield spots we need as well.

Caterpillar feels like we can't bench him. He needs to stay in the 3 hole behind Ace and either be the 1B or the DH. 1.378 OPS is nuts no matter the competition.

This then leads to the next thing to notice. Stallman (though hurt) has 1.456 OPS. Nuclear hitting. It seems obvious to have him and Sullivan be 1B/DH and 3/4. But then you look at Cornholio and he's got a 1.329 OPS. We saw a bit of the potential softball lineup with him in Left yesterday. If he can be serviceable defensively out there then good ****ing luck with the 2-3-4-5.

Then at 2nd base you've got the Frei / Wyers platoon battle. Frei has double the at bats so take Wyers #s with a grain of salt, but 1.354 OPS makes it hard to bench and why he earned DH and leadoff yesterday. Frei mashes and has a 1.048 himself. This means you've got 5 guys vying for 3 lineup spots and platooning / earning their way into the lineup with insane #s. Cornholio being able to play LF opens this up to 4 spots and only one odd man out.

Woodson seems defensively to be our only real option at shortstop as his bat is far better than Sanders. Having him in 6, 7, or 8 hole makes the most sense based on batting side diversification and matchups.

Then you get back to the outfield. Teel has had a rough go of it but is a Rowdy like slow starter and still is at .921 OPS. You think with this week off if he's not too injured he'll be right back in the lineup and can be a 1-hole at his best or a 6-7-8 if others are performing. He then has CF defense on lock and along with Chance makes up for some of the shortcomings you have with Cornholio in left.

But then that leaves out Valincius and Parker. VV has performed when given the bat and Parker ****ing tanks bad pitches. Nunnalee is on thin ice in all regards and may have well played himself out of rotation. There's late game defensive replacement opportunities - but right now these 3 have to deal with a hot bat coming for their spot. Mind you if Teel doesn't get going like we expect - they can challenge for his spot too.

Chone/Raymond has pretty much settled into an even split. Maybe Milewski is healthy and ready to challenge again - but with those two hovering around the 1.000 OPS mark - hard to shake it up further.

All this to say - damn we're loaded.

My lineup for Arkansas would be:

Teel - CF
Reese - 3B
Sullivan - DH
Stallman - 1B
Cornholio - LF
Frei / Wyers (L/R split) - 2B
Woodson - SS
Raymond / James - C
Chance - RF

May swap Frei/Wyers with Teel going to 8 and Raymond/James going to 6

[Coach34]

Yeah- agree with most of that.

Sean Puffy James has a good bat but is not good at the catching part of catcher. If Milewski is healthy has probably has the best glove and that will get him on the field. Raymond is solid and has been a good surprise.

Appears we now want to leadoff Teel vs RHP's and slide him down the order vs LHP's
Wyers just wont go away- love that. Same with Cornholio.
Hope Stall gets that foot cleared up soon

I've said it a bunch and will say it again- most talent we have ever had. Need a couple more arms to keep growing up

[Quaoarsking]

Who is Cornhole? Mershon? We need to pin a table of nicknames so we'll know who everyone is talking about.

[Coach34]

Who is Cornhole? Mershon? We need to pin a table of nicknames so we'll know who everyone is talking about.

Bevis = Cornholio...you must not have watched the show

[No BS Dawg]

Cornholio is Blake Bevis. It?s a play on a Beavis and Butthead character that Beavis would sometimes ?become?.

[Leroy Jenkins]

Are you threatening me?

[Pancho]

Hard, he said Hard.......

[Tripp McNeely]

Who is Cornhole? Mershon? We need to pin a table of nicknames so we'll know who everyone is talking about.

Or maybe they can just use their real names, like adults?

[Tater]

Who is Cornhole? Mershon? We need to pin a table of nicknames so we'll know who everyone is talking about.

Bevis started in left field yesterday. As others have said - Cornholio* is his alter ego from the show.

[The Federalist Engineer]

Friday is RHP- Gabe Gaekle flush out with the LHH crew. Then DVH will put in a Lefty Reliever, adjust with Bevis and Chone for L/R balance
Saturday is LHP- Hunter Dietz flush out with RHH crew.
Sunday is LHP- Collin Fisher again flush out with RHH crew.

Of course, Arkansas is going to have quality relief so a great test of the full lineup of hitters.

[Coach34]

Or maybe they can just use their real names, like adults?

Nahhhhh- whats the fun in that? Even MLB guys, NBA, NFL go by nicknames all the time.

[Quaoarsking]

Bevis = Cornholio...you must not have watched the show

No, never seen that show (before my time), but I think I have heard the word before.

[maroonmania]

Cornholio is Blake Bevis. It?s a play on a Beavis and Butthead character that Beavis would sometimes ?become?.

Well there needs to be a consensus on nicknames or either we need a decoder ring. Seen Bevis called Butthead and now Cornholio. Someone needs to decide and stick with it. Keeping up with all these random nickname references is too much effort. I mean when did Sullivan become Caterpillar?

[Tater]

Well there needs to be a consensus on nicknames or either we need a decoder ring. Seen Bevis called Butthead and now Cornholio. Someone needs to decide and stick with it. Keeping up with all these random nickname references is too much effort. I mean when did Sullivan become Caterpillar?

When he put that caterpillar on his upper lip

[Quaoarsking]

When he put that caterpillar on his upper lip

Didn't he have that on Day 1?

[The Federalist Engineer]

Well there needs to be a consensus on nicknames or either we need a decoder ring. Seen Bevis called Butthead and now Cornholio. Someone needs to decide and stick with it. Keeping up with all these random nickname references is too much effort. I mean when did Sullivan become Caterpillar?

[schddog72]

Bevis = Cornholio...you must not have watched the show

THANK YOU!! And I didn't watch the damn show either!!

[Todd4State]

I don't disagree with anything Tater. I just want to add this though. We need to figure out who our midweek guy is. I think that's going to end up being Foster. Now when we play Jackson State and Grambling it might be one of the freshmen like Miller probably. Who we start against Tulane will be interesting.

We need to go to Fayetteville and make a statement. We have talent but we need to start cashing in with wins which I think we will. They're going to play us hard but I think we're hungry and the UCLA experience is going to pay off for us.

[Coach34]

Well there needs to be a consensus on nicknames or either we need a decoder ring. Seen Bevis called Butthead and now Cornholio. Someone needs to decide and stick with it. Keeping up with all these random nickname references is too much effort. I mean when did Sullivan become Caterpillar?

I'm for going with Cornholio instead of Butthead. Easy switch early in the season.

[Tater]

I'm for going with Cornholio instead of Butthead. Easy switch early in the season.

Oh coach and I agree with no argument. Board might break from this.