Good news

[basedog]

Not surprised. I'm thinking and hoping he comes back.

[Brobi-wan]

Hines coming back helps a lot. Shame we couldn’t get DJ back too

[viverlibre]

Rosey reporting Mershon hasnt even begun talks yet about an Angels offer

He's also high on the JC pitcher coming in and another true freshman pitcher. He is concerned the pitcher transferring in from UK may sign with MLB.

2025 is going to be good year, we'll host and challenge for a top 8 national seed.

[Cooterpoot]

Rosey reporting Mershon hasnt even begun talks yet about an Angels offer

Got to wait on the guys ahead of him and compare the NIL/"desire to play pro". It's a dumb move to go but there's a lot of push to do it.

[Cooterpoot]

He's also high on the JC pitcher coming in and another true freshman pitcher. He is concerned the pitcher transferring in from UK may sign with MLB.

2025 is going to be good year, we'll host and challenge for a top 8 national seed.

Top 8? Depends on how the dominoes fall bull with the moves being made, I feel a little better. Hosting is the damn minimum if things fall like I think!

[bigbub50]

Who is the incoming Juco pitcher ppl are high on?

[viverlibre]

Who is the incoming Juco pitcher ppl are high on?

Can't remember his name, he signed with Kansas State, then transferred to Juco. Rosebowl said a MLB scout told him he was the best pitcher in Juco. It's in this pod:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000662650293

[Commercecomet24]

Got to wait on the guys ahead of him and compare the NIL/"desire to play pro". It's a dumb move to go but there's a lot of push to do it.

Yeah it all comes down to is just ready to start pro ball. I agree it's a dumb move if he goes. If he's patient and stays another year he could really move up.

[Saltydog]

He's also high on the JC pitcher coming in and another true freshman pitcher. He is concerned the pitcher transferring in from UK may sign with MLB.

2025 is going to be good year, we'll host and challenge for a top 8 national seed.

Yeah, ok.........Let's bookmark this thread.......We're closer to being in the bottom of the league than we are to hosting...........

[viverlibre]

Yeah, ok.........Let's bookmark this thread.......We're closer to being in the bottom of the league than we are to hosting...........

What is it about our fanbase that we have so many that expect us to and want us to fail? There's no way this kind of mindset is so engrained in other fanbases of successful programs.

[the_real_MSU_is_us]

Yeah, ok.........Let's bookmark this thread.......We're closer to being in the bottom of the league than we are to hosting...........

Eh I wouldn't go that far. We will go from 4 to 2 (at the most) holes in the lineup and Parker has enough talent that he'll put something together. Will it be the best offense? No. Will it be the lowest ERA? No. But both could be middling which could put us as a bubble team to host

[Homedawg]

Yeah, ok.........Let's bookmark this thread.......We're closer to being in the bottom of the league than we are to hosting...........

Maybe. But the exact same thing was said last year at this time and that proved to be brutally wrong.

[the_real_MSU_is_us]

Maybe. But the exact same thing was said last year at this time and that proved to be brutally wrong.

This time last year I said we'd squeeze into a regional, lose it, and bring Lemo back for another bad year. I don't know if I was "brutally" wrong, but we did better than I thought and were a high 2 seed. 10 sports lower in RPI and we would have been a bubble team. I now think we'll make the tournament next year too, but I don't think we'll host.

Ultimately, lemos in season management SUCKS. He DHs the wrong person at the wrong time, sticks with the wrong lineups for way too long, and pulls pitchers at the wrong time. He costs us a lot of games compared to our talents actual ceiling. We have to have 11 draft picks to be a 2 seed, as an example. Given that we have the NIL to poach starters from Kentucky, I worry Lemo will be kept on life support indefinitely; us always buying enough talent to just make up for Lemos bad coaching and keep him employed here

But we'll see next year. If we host or make a super he should get '26. If we miss both of those again... that's 4 years since he'll have hit the "state standard" and bringing him back again means we are now a "field of 32" program that doesn't expect to seriously compete. I could see next year playing out either way but I highly doubt we miss the tournament entirely

[SPMT]

Commerce, basedog, other coaches?.

What does Hines need to do to change his draft perception?

I know many say he needs to hit to all fields. To me that could be difficult to change. He?s most likely been exclusively a pull hitter since he was a kid.

Is that really changeable?

To me, he needs to get jacked and strong as hell. He lost a lot of baby fat and looked pretty small this year.

[KB21]

Commerce, basedog, other coaches?.

What does Hines need to do to change his draft perception?

I know many say he needs to hit to all fields. To me that could be difficult to change. He?s most likely been exclusively a pull hitter since he was a kid.

Is that really changeable?

To me, he needs to get jacked and strong as hell. He lost a lot of baby fat and looked pretty small this year.

It's more about chase and swing and miss with him. He chased a lot of pitches that were out of the zone last season, and he also had some swing and miss issues on some in the zone.

[Commercecomet24]

Commerce, basedog, other coaches?.

What does Hines need to do to change his draft perception?

I know many say he needs to hit to all fields. To me that could be difficult to change. He?s most likely been exclusively a pull hitter since he was a kid.

Is that really changeable?

To me, he needs to get jacked and strong as hell. He lost a lot of baby fat and looked pretty small this year.

Theres a lot he can do to make the adjustments necessary to become a more complete hitter. He's always gonna be a high k guy because power hitters tend to be that way. He lacks plate discipline and he swings at so many pitches that aren't close, it looks as if he's decdided he's gonna swing before the pitch is even thrown. He needs to work on learning the zone better and pitch recognition. He's gonna have to put in some work and make some adjustments if he's gonna become the hitter he needs to be to earn a high draft spot. Very telling that he wasn't even drafted this year. Scouts are seeing the same things I've just mentioned and his lack of plate discipline and pitch recognition killed his stock. He's got work to do unless he's happy being a 15-20 hr, .260 hitter with 25% k rate, which means his career will end after next year.

[basedog]

Theres a lot he can do to make the adjustments necessary to become a more complete hitter. He's always gonna be a high k guy because power hitters tend to be that way. He lacks plate discipline and he swings at so many pitches that aren't close, it looks as if he's decdided he's gonna swing before the pitch is even thrown. He needs to work on learning the zone better and pitch recognition. He's gonna have to put in some work and make some adjustments if he's gonna become the hitter he needs to be to earn a high draft spot. Very telling that he wasn't even drafted this year. Scouts are seeing the same things I've just mentioned and his lack of plate discipline and pitch recognition killed his stock. He's got work to do unless he's happy being a 15-20 hr, .260 hitter with 25% k rate, which means his career will end after next year.

I think u nailed it 24. But one thing he needs is confidence, he seemed pretty confused and lost at the plate. All athletes need to have confidence they can get the job done. Hitters can get hot and then they can also get cold. If it was me, I would cut down on my swing especially after two stirkes, but that is easy to say when I'm not batting.

P.S. Seems Mershon has a nice NIL deal in front of him, around $250K from us.

[Commercecomet24]

I think u nailed it 24. But one thing he needs is confidence, he seemed pretty confused and lost at the plate. All athletes need to have confidence they can get the job done. Hitters can get hot and then they can also get cold. If it was me, I would cut down on my swing especially after two stirkes, but that is easy to say when I'm not batting.

P.S. Seems Mershon has a nice NIL deal in front of him, around $250K from us.

There's an old drill(because I'm old), that i've seen work countless times and i've used it over and over. You have a guy stand in the box with no bat and have a guy throw pitch after pitching mixing fbs, breaking balls, changeups, etc. and have him call what kind of pitch it is and whether or not ball or strike. It can help a hitter learn the zone better and pitch recognition.

ETA Mershon isn't gonna get that kind of money from the Angels. If he's wise he'll take our deal and comeback and improve his draft stock for next year and cash in.

[Really Clark?]

There's an old drill(because I'm old), that i've seen work countless times and i've used it over and over. You have a guy stand in the box with no bat and have a guy throw pitch after pitching mixing fbs, breaking balls, changeups, etc. and have him call what kind of pitch it is and whether or not ball or strike. It can help a hitter learn the zone better and pitch recognition.

ETA Mershon isn't gonna get that kind of money from the Angels. If he's wise he'll take our deal and comeback and improve his draft stock for next year and cash in.

That's a really good drill. Work it with dominate eye training, spin focus, large to small eye focus training, etc.

[basedog]

There's an old drill(because I'm old), that i've seen work countless times and i've used it over and over. You have a guy stand in the box with no bat and have a guy throw pitch after pitching mixing fbs, breaking balls, changeups, etc. and have him call what kind of pitch it is and whether or not ball or strike. It can help a hitter learn the zone better and pitch recognition.

ETA Mershon isn't gonna get that kind of money from the Angels. If he's wise he'll take our deal and comeback and improve his draft stock for next year and cash in.

Awesome advice and coaching techniques!

I just think Mershon will be back, $250K for the coming year to stay in college is good money. Plus he can work on his game w/o much pressure and enjoy another year of college life.