Opening Weekend Review

[messageboardsuperhero]

If Woodruff can bounce back like he should, I'd like to see a rotation of him on Friday, Fitts on Saturday, and a Bracewell/Hudson piggyback on Sunday. That would be our deepest rotation since Cohen has been here.

[Todd4State]

Woodruff just couldn't figure the ump's strike zone... Hell a lot of people couldn't. He will be fine.

If that was the case, Cohen should have ridden the umpires ass.

[RAYn_Man]

Randolph is probably the starting catcher, so we're probably going to have another .250 type hitter like Ammiratti last year, but at least Randolph can defend. So, an upgrade there.

Are you saying Randolph is a defensive upgrade from Ammiratti? You won't find many catchers better defensively that Ammo...

[engie]

Are you saying Randolph is a defensive upgrade from Ammiratti? You won't find many catchers better defensively that Ammo...

Say what?

[engie]

If Woodruff can bounce back like he should, I'd like to see a rotation of him on Friday, Fitts on Saturday, and a Bracewell/Hudson piggyback on Sunday. That would be our deepest rotation since Cohen has been here.

Do not like that piggyback at all. The big deal with the success we've had with those is setting up with one guy to "set the lineup" and then following with someone stylistically totally different against a lineup now "set" to his strengths. Hudson is a continuation of Bracewell's style with a little better fastball but not as good of off speed stuff(yet) -- so I think that one sets Hudson up to fail to an extent.

I'd rather go with Hudson to start, break them with Ross Mitchell(of course assuming he doesn't generally throw 8 innings on Friday, but instead just a few outs) or even Gentry, then to Bracewell/Holder.

[AlSwearengen]

Having that really tight strike zone in the spring scrimmages may have affected our hitters negatively in this series. Cohen might have done that differently if he knew that we were going to play Western Carolina instead of Hofstra to start the year.

I was thinking the same thing when we were reading about the small strike zone during the fall. Hitting isn't difficult when the ball is over the heart of the plate. Hopefully we will adjust and see a lot of improvement. It seems that there is a lot more room for it than I was expecting.

[dickiedawg]

I wouldn't automatically assume WCU will be a 4 seed. SoCon has had a 3 seed in at least the last two tournaments.

[rabbitthedawg]

One thing I noticed was the crowds were huge. Sunday the main grandstands were about 80% filled and the LFL was it's usual. Umps made some miserable calls behind home plate. The kid from WCU that hit the home run should have had a called 3rd strike. Can't believe the ump didn't call that one a strike. Results for the weekend were good except for the inability to get a bunt down and the strike outs. Overall, it was a very good weekend against a quality team.

[shoeless joe]

Do not like that piggyback at all. The big deal with the success we've had with those is setting up with one guy to "set the lineup" and then following with someone stylistically totally different against a lineup now "set" to his strengths. Hudson is a continuation of Bracewell's style with a little better fastball but not as good of off speed stuff(yet) -- so I think that one sets Hudson up to fail to an extent.

I'd rather go with Hudson to start, break them with Ross Mitchell(of course assuming he doesn't generally throw 8 innings on Friday, but instead just a few outs) or even Gentry, then to Bracewell/Holder.

All good points. The piggybacking that happened last year was born out of necessity, not because it's the new wave of MSU pitching. There was a method to that madness but given a choice Cohen and Thompson would both prefer to have the more typical dominant starter with the pen used to come in and shut it down.

[Goat Holder]

I'm thinking that Bracewell probably should start on Sunday. He's a senior that has pitched in big games for us. I'm not sure if he can go any more than 5 IP for us though. With his injury history, we have to be careful.....I'd like to see Dakota come out of the bullpen as a set-up guy and let him go 2-3 IP whenever we need him.

Can't say I agree here. Hudson is a starting pitcher in every way, shape and form imaginable. Plus, our only live look at him showed VERY positive results. Furthermore, Bracewell has never been great as a starter for us, but very good in relief. I guess what I'm saying is, I'd like to know how you formed this opinion. All the evidence seems to go against you.

I mean, if Woodruff doesn't get it together, the combination of Hudson/Real Deal could win us a lot of Friday night SEC games at this point, judging from Sunday and what he showed in the fall and preseason scrimmages.

[Goat Holder]

Randolph is probably the starting catcher, so we're probably going to have another .250 type hitter like Ammiratti last year, but at least Randolph can defend. So, an upgrade there.

Dude Ammo was better than Randolph at catching. At least if we're comparing 2013 Ammo and 2014 Randolph.

[Goat Holder]

I think Ammo is better than Randolph, but both are pretty average. Ammo wasn't an elite catcher, as you are alluding to.

[I seen it dawg]

You mean pancake?