Here's how I see the differences in Jay Johnson and Brian O'Connor first two years

[CaptainObvious]

Johnson walked into a fairly set roster at LSU, brought in the Top pitcher in the country and added a couple of pieces and in his 2nd year, NC!

O'Connor will have to rebuild most of this roster and now with a 34 limit, choose very wisely on pitchers and even add two way players to shore up the BP.
We should still expect a Regional spot next year, but even with NIL/Portal, maybe a couple of years before Regional Hosts and Super Regionals.

We can turn our attention to Football now and let his team get to work on the roster for baseball.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Johnson walked into a fairly set roster at LSU, brought in the Top pitcher in the country and added a couple of pieces and in his 2nd year, NC!

O'Connor will have to rebuild most of this roster and now with a 34 limit, choose very wisely on pitchers and even add two way players to shore up the BP.
We should still expect a Regional spot next year, but even with NIL/Portal, maybe a couple of years before Regional Hosts and Super Regionals.

We can turn our attention to Football now and let his team get to work on the roster for baseball.

Why? We're paying him a top 3 salary and have given him a war chest in terms of NIL and Rev Share. Schloss turned A&M around in Year 1, in the portal era, and everyone has said O'Conner is head and shoulders better than Schloss. Erik Bakich had Clemson hosting Year 1 after MISSING THE POSTSEASON the year prior.

I have said it since he was hired, the expectation is Omaha. From the jump. Every year. We're not moving the goalposts. He needs to feel the heat from Day 1. This isn't a kick your feet up job.

[Quaoarsking]

Disagree. He would have had this year's team hosting since his coaching is surely 3 games better than Lemonis's, and I expect next year's team to be much better.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Disagree. He would have had this year's team hosting since his coaching is surely 3 games better than Lemonis's, and I expect next year's team to be much better.

Agreed. If he's the coach we believe we're getting then he would have had this year's team hosting. I honestly believe had Parker been the coach the whole year we would've hosted. It was a weak hosting bubble this year. Heck OM went from outside the hosting discussion to almost a Top 8 seed due to a run during the SEC tournament, which usually doesn't mean a ton.

[viverlibre]

Johnson walked into a fairly set roster at LSU, brought in the Top pitcher in the country and added a couple of pieces and in his 2nd year, NC!

O'Connor will have to rebuild most of this roster and now with a 34 limit, choose very wisely on pitchers and even add two way players to shore up the BP.
We should still expect a Regional spot next year, but even with NIL/Portal, maybe a couple of years before Regional Hosts and Super Regionals.

We can turn our attention to Football now and let his team get to work on the roster for baseball.

Get out of here with that. We?re hosting in 2026.

[Santiago]

Alot of former Oak players hitting the portal with do not contact....and their batting averages and arms are impressive.
Not sure how did they not win more games with these guys.

[DownwardDawg]

We need to host next year. And we will.

[StarkVegasSteve]

Alot of former Oak players hitting the portal with do not contact....and their batting averages and arms are impressive.
Not sure how did they not win more games with these guys.

Because their pitching was suspect and they were god awful fundamentally. Seems like just a bad team this year though because they are usually very sound fundamentally

[Quaoarsking]

Alot of former Oak players hitting the portal with do not contact....and their batting averages and arms are impressive.
Not sure how did they not win more games with these guys.

Virginia finished 16-11 in the ACC, which is a better % than 3 ACC teams who are playing in the Supers.

It's clear that the committee gave them a royal screwjob.

[confucius say]

Johnson walked into a fairly set roster at LSU, brought in the Top pitcher in the country and added a couple of pieces and in his 2nd year, NC!

O'Connor will have to rebuild most of this roster and now with a 34 limit, choose very wisely on pitchers and even add two way players to shore up the BP.
We should still expect a Regional spot next year, but even with NIL/Portal, maybe a couple of years before Regional Hosts and Super Regionals.

We can turn our attention to Football now and let his team get to work on the roster for baseball.

Uh no. Our top 5 hitters in average are all eligible to return (Reese, Sullivan, Frei, Chance, sanders), we have talented young arms, we have a top 3-5 staff in the country, and we are bringing a slew of portal talent. I expect to host in 2026.
Honestly, we would have hosted this year if lemonis figured out Frei, Reeves, Powell, and Sanders earlier.

[basedog]

Let's hope our key players are back and we pickup key players thru transfer, portals and some freshmen recruits. I look forward toward the future! Anxious to see the PC hire.

[Todd4State]

I think Jay Johnson brought some impact players with him from Arizona. And that helped turn LSU around very quickly.

O'Connor will do the same I'm sure.

We were not that far from hosting this year so this is more of a reboot than a complete rebuild.

[Todd4State]

Uh no. Our top 5 hitters in average are all eligible to return (Reese, Sullivan, Frei, Chance, sanders), we have talented young arms, we have a top 3-5 staff in the country, and we are bringing a slew of portal talent. I expect to host in 2026.
Honestly, we would have hosted this year if lemonis figured out Frei, Reeves, Powell, and Sanders earlier.

How is Sullivan able to come back? I'm happy if he is.

[QuadrupleOption]

Agreed. If he's the coach we believe we're getting then he would have had this year's team hosting. I honestly believe had Parker been the coach the whole year we would've hosted. It was a weak hosting bubble this year. Heck OM went from outside the hosting discussion to almost a Top 8 seed due to a run during the SEC tournament, which usually doesn't mean a ton.

The SEC grind was WAY overvalued by the NCAA selection committee this year. No way this league is all that great when you have the top two seeds get run out of their own stadiums by MUCH lesser programs.

[sandjunky]

Johnson walked into a fairly set roster at LSU, brought in the Top pitcher in the country and added a couple of pieces and in his 2nd year, NC!

O'Connor will have to rebuild most of this roster and now with a 34 limit, choose very wisely on pitchers and even add two way players to shore up the BP.
We should still expect a Regional spot next year, but even with NIL/Portal, maybe a couple of years before Regional Hosts and Super Regionals.

We can turn our attention to Football now and let his team get to work on the roster for baseball.

34 man roster limit is not set yet

[MoreCowbell]

Why? We're paying him a top 3 salary and have given him a war chest in terms of NIL and Rev Share. Schloss turned A&M around in Year 1, in the portal era, and everyone has said O'Conner is head and shoulders better than Schloss. Erik Bakich had Clemson hosting Year 1 after MISSING THE POSTSEASON the year prior.

I have said it since he was hired, the expectation is Omaha. From the jump. Every year. We're not moving the goalposts. He needs to feel the heat from Day 1. This isn't a kick your feet up job.

I have to agree, especially with what we were willing to pony up. Oh you better believe he knows the expectations

[confucius say]

How is Sullivan able to come back? I'm happy if he is.

Apparently a medical redshirt for one of his years.

[Quaoarsking]

How is Sullivan able to come back? I'm happy if he is.

He's listed as a Jr on hailstate.com with a medical redshirt in one of his prior seasons.

[BeardoMSU]

He's listed as a Jr on hailstate.com with a medical redshirt in one of his prior seasons.

Would be huge getting him back another year, obv.

[CaptainObvious]

Been a State fan for 61 years of my 72 on this planet. I'm just saying we better temper our expectations. At least until we see the Roster he puts together this Fall. I expect football to go 15-0 every year but it never happens. I expect a Final 4 for Basketball but it has happened once in my lifetime. I expect Omaha every year. I'm usually disappointed for a Day. Then I realize
We are MState. There are weak spots all over this current Roster. He has work to do!