So Kendall Rogers doesn't have us anywhere near Omaha next year?

[gravedigger]

I just thank goodness that the NCAA decided not to use Kendall as the determiner of who actually gets to go to Omaha.

[CadaverDawg]

unless there is a ton of improvement in a lot of places then we wont sniff Omaha and possibly not even a regional. We will still be a singles team who lost our best "singles" hitters and also lost two of our 3 best pitchers. So yea, Getting mad at KR for this prediction is dumb. I have us as a 30 win team next year at best.

[Goat Holder]

I don't have a problem with lower expectations next year either. We COULD be better in 2015 than we were in 2014 but there is no doubt we go into 2015 with many more question marks than 2014. A lot depends on talented younger players being ready to step up and contribute and having some pitchers that haven't pitched a lot be ready to take over in the bullpen. And yes, we have our starters all back but nobody knows what we get out of a recovering Preston Brown, Laster only started during the last month, and Fitts is a decent starter but rarely dominant. Mitchell will likely go back to the bullpen which should certainly help there. But hey, OM went into 2014 with many more question marks than 2013 and they ended up among the last 4 standing in Omaha so who knows.

I agree in theory but 'question marks' is so misguiding. We had a lot of constants last year but who could see Detz/Rea regressing the way they did? They weren't question marks last year but they sure appear to be now. So now, I've got a different system of evaluating......who will step up and be our offensive leaders? In that vein, the only question marks I see is whether Collins/Humphreys develop into our team leading hitters. We need 2 at least, then the rest can be role players. Maybe it's Britton? Holland? Even Rea? Who knows if the light comes on. Those are all guys you can 'see' doing it, and with power.

Pitching wise, I do not have a worry at all. 2 senior starters. One battle tested 5th year inning eating senior out of the pen. A number of talented guys available to take over the 3rd spot (P. Brown, Hudson, Sexton, Young). A host of other relievers and set up guys (Tatum, Gentry, Cox, Shelly). Haven't even gotten to the redshirt freshman and true freshmen.

[msstate7]

Ross has been an inning eater and a very good pitcher for us, but he needs to be used less often next season IMO. He seems to have faded in the postseason and I wonder how much is attributed to fatigue. I'd like to have Ross at full strength down the stretch

[Goat Holder]

Ross has been an inning eater and a very good pitcher for us, but he needs to be used less often next season IMO. He seems to have faded in the postseason and I wonder how much is attributed to fatigue. I'd like to have Ross at full strength down the stretch

Agreed, he threw like 8 complete games this season, that gets to even most rubber of arms

[maroonmania]

Ross has been an inning eater and a very good pitcher for us, but he needs to be used less often next season IMO. He seems to have faded in the postseason and I wonder how much is attributed to fatigue. I'd like to have Ross at full strength down the stretch

I also believe Ross was breaking down toward the end of the year. He is physically frail anyway and for him to go out as a starter every week usually giving 7 innings plus is a lot to ask of him. That is much tougher on him than pitching a couple of 2 to 3 innings stints per week out of the bullpen.

[Todd4State]

Our worst case scenario would be 30 wins. That would be us having a year like this year where literally everything that could go wrong did.

The pitching should be about the same, the bullpen will be worse and we should hit better and the defense will likely be about the same.

[Pioneer Dawg]

If we win 30 games it will be because we lead the nation in sac bunts.

[Todd4State]

I also believe Ross was breaking down toward the end of the year. He is physically frail anyway and for him to go out as a starter every week usually giving 7 innings plus is a lot to ask of him. That is much tougher on him than pitching a couple of 2 to 3 innings stints per week out of the bullpen.

He did break down, but I agree with Goat. To me, being a starting pitcher is little bit more of a grind because of the routine that they have to follow as well.

[MarketingBully01]

He did break down, but I agree with Goat. To me, being a starting pitcher is little bit more of a grind because of the routine that they have to follow as well.

Bottom line Ross was moved to a starter role out of necessity because Woodruff never stepped up due to injury and not being fully recovered. Bottom line, we should be able to move him back to the pen this year. We have Fitts, Laster, and it would be great if Hudson is that third starter or if Brown can be that guy once he is fully recovered. We need Hudson to develop a good secondary pitch to go with his plus fastball. He could be a big time ace if he can develop a good curve ball or change. Anytime you can hit 95+ with your fastball you have a bit of an edge.

[Pioneer Dawg]

I don't think we should be counting on Fitts as a no-doubt starter

[Saltydog]

at all and he was far from a sure thing. He pitched well down the stretch but statistically speaking, he was far from the best closer in the nation this year. Also, statistically speaking his stats got worse each year but then again when you have an era as miniscule as he had his first two years, it's hard to do any better than what he did as a frosh and soph.

[Todd4State]

Bottom line Ross was moved to a starter role out of necessity because Woodruff never stepped up due to injury and not being fully recovered. Bottom line, we should be able to move him back to the pen this year. We have Fitts, Laster, and it would be great if Hudson is that third starter or if Brown can be that guy once he is fully recovered. We need Hudson to develop a good secondary pitch to go with his plus fastball. He could be a big time ace if he can develop a good curve ball or change. Anytime you can hit 95+ with your fastball you have a bit of an edge.

I agree about Hudson. His summer has been very encouraging to me so far. Really, to me we need Vance Tatum, Austin Sexton, or Jesse McCord to be the third guy. I'm just not sold on Preston Brown being anything more than a midweek/ mop up guy becuase of his health.

[Todd4State]

I don't think we should be counting on Fitts as a no-doubt starter

Troll attempt fail.

Fitts is more likely to be a starter than Ross or Laster right now.

[Pioneer Dawg]

Troll attempt fail.

Hahaha you're such a loser. Gotta keep that "cred" right**

[Pioneer Dawg]

Fitts is more likely to be a starter than Ross or Laster right now.

1st off I didn't say "he wouldn't start" just that its not a guarantee… Troll

Fitts averaged just 4.1 IP per start this year. For his career he is averaging 3.2 IP per start. In only 4 of his 22 career starts has he logged 6 innings, but its "crazy" to think he may get beat out by 3 more solid options…. Troll

Averaged just 4 IP in 11 SEC starts.

Hudson, Tatum, Sexton, Laster, Ross, Brown… See ya on Tuesdays Trevor

[engie]

Fitts averaged just 4.1 IP per start this year.

Had nothing at all to do with the best reliever in the country coming behind him**

Fitts had the shortest hook of any pitcher we've had under Cohen because we had Lindgren coming next.

[Coach34]

Will James/Pioneer- let me explain something.

Cohen is going to start Fitts next year on weekends. Why? Because he is a veteran that will give him 4-5 solid innings. We dont mind going to the pen and that trend will continue. We really arent looking for guys to go 7 innings in a start per say- we dont mind doing tandem pitching.

Cohen gonna stick to his vets and start Fitts

[Pioneer Dawg]

When I have time I will look at Fitts opponents batting average 1st time thru compared to 2nd.. Yeah he was relieved early but only because most of the time he would dig a severe hole for himself and needed Lindgren to bail him out.

We all know this. How many times was it mentioned that he can't get thru more than once.

[Todd4State]

Hahaha you're such a loser. Gotta keep that "cred" right**

One way to get "cred" is to not make outlandish comments about the only guy on the staff that has started a CWS game and was the only guy to start from week one going forward in SEC play.