Dawg83

State wins in 12 innings. On one hand they played sloppy defense and left a million guys on base again, on the other hand they were down 7-3 in the 7th and came back to win without allowing a hit the rest of the way, Odd game, Doubleheaders in Starkville and Oxford tomorrow, should be a fun day.

Obviously a massive series in Oxford this weekend with Ole Miss and South Carolina. Major hosting implications for both teams. Really feels like OM can't afford to drop five series in a row. At a certain point you've gotta start winning some of these series. That said, I tend to think OM does that this weekend. I'm not really sold on SC, and if OM can avoid further bullpen meltdowns I think they have a great chance to win the series. I like the matchup for State against A&M this weekend if they can keep the ball in the strike zone and play clean defense. A sweep is very much on the table, but as long as you win the series you'll at the very least hold serve in the national seed discussion. I'll be keeping my eyes on Arkansas-LSU and Vandy-Florida as well this weekend.

Thought Moore might go to Green Bay at 29, but that would've made too much sense and they apparently don't care a whole lot about offering an olive branch to Aaron Rodgers. He will go pretty quickly tonight. Not expecting any State players until Saturday.

Add another wrinkle to the hosting process, apparently they are now going to use the May 10th date to announce 20 "possible" host sites and then pick 16 from that group at the end of the season. Not really sure what the point of naming 20 possible sites is if you're just picking 16 at the end of the year like always. But at least they are using the entire body of work for host selection instead of ignoring the last 3 weeks of the season. This seems to be significant from an Ole Miss perspective. I don't think they're currently in the Top 16 but I bet they would be on that list of 20 if the season ended today. I've been under the impression that they needed to go 4-2 in the next two weeks to get in the Top 16, but at this point 3-3 is probably good enough to make the initial cut. Then you've just got to play well down the stretch to lock down a host. State should be safely locked in as a host barring a major collapse the next few weeks, more about trying to nail down a national seed now.

It will probably be a light draft for State. 2-3 guys tops, all Day 3 guys. Some combination, of Kylin, Erroll, Kobe, and Marquiss Spencer. Not really expecting anyone outside of that. I think Moore is going to be a solid NFL player. Probably somewhere in between what Treadwell did and what DK and AJ are doing. Seems like he is projected to be a late 1st/early 2nd round guy, which I think suits him well.

Barring a late comeback looks like Vandy will take the series from State. Had chances today for sure, led 4-0 at one point but then the bats went cold and there were a few defensive plays to be made that weren’t. Many are questioning the decision to not pull Fristoe sooner, I could go either way with it. Hindsight is always 20/20, to me it was less a bonehead move and moreso something that just didn’t work out. 8-4 in the last 12 should get State a Top 8 seed comfortably. I think that’s very doable given the remaining schedule.

Yes, no matter what this OM team has Omaha potential. Issue is the host sites are being decided in about two weeks. Gotta get right soon or you’ll have to make your postseason run on the road.

If it was just about any other coaching staff you’d see probably see Sims at one point today. But that’s just not how Lemonis does things. Like you said, he tends to be conservative, at least when you’re still in the middle of the season. I do seem to remember him using Cole Gordon almost every game in the postseason two years ago, so I do wonder if Sims’ usage will go up once we get to May and June. But clearly Lemonis is trying to keep him fresh until then.

I turned off the Ole Miss game in the Top of the 8th. Thought I was being lied to when someone told me they came back and won. Obviously it doesn’t totally save the weekend for OM but it keeps it from being an enormous failure. The South Carolina series next weekend is enormous, feels like whoever loses that series won’t be hosting. Big time win for State. Bednar was better than Leiter tonight, plain and simple. A loss tomorrow isn’t a big deal at all, and they will probably have to win it without Sims, but perhaps between Fristoe, Harding, and Stinnett you still have enough bullets left in the chamber. I frankly haven’t seen much difference between the two teams to this point, and tomorrow’s game feels wide open.

If State can pick up one game this weekend they aren’t totally out of it in the West. I like State’s schedule in the last four weeks better than I like Arkansas’s. Truthfully for State I am less concerned with the West and more concerned about staying in the Top 8 overall. I think 19 SEC wins is probably the magic number to lock it up. Might have a chance with 18 if you play well in Hoover.

Wow, LSU takes the series in Oxford with a chance to sweep tomorrow. Did not see that coming at all. OM’s hosting chances in real trouble at the moment. Rocker pretty much dominated State tonight, and MacLeod had one bad inning where it unraveled, Vandy wins 6-2. Not much else to say, quick and pretty uneventful game. State was able to save their top bullpen arms at least.

I'm sure our resident Ole Miss fans can comment more on this than I could, but that bullpen seems like a major problem. Broadway was thought to be by far the best arm and he's gotten hit pretty hard recently. I saw a stat that he's given up like 16 or 17 hits in his last four appearances and now has a .275 BAA for the season. It really is something else, because their starting pitching is outstanding, especially if Diamond pitches like he did last night moving forward. That's one heck of a number four option. But they almost have to have complete games from everybody because their pen can't do anything right at the moment.

I still favor Ole Miss to win the series, to be blunt this just isn't a good LSU team. Morgan and Crews have bright futures, but the upper class of that team just isn't up to snuff. Pitching-wise you've already seen their best guys. So OM should still feel good about their ability to win the next two. But if they don't.... yeesh. Very excited to see what happens in Nashville this weekend. One win for State is perfectly fine, though I actually do feel like they have a better chance to take the series than some are giving them credit for. I say that, watch Rocker and Leiter combine for zero runs allowed and 30 strikeouts the next two nights.

LSU beats Ole Miss in the series opener tonight. A little bit of a double whammy in that OM lost the game while throwing Broadway almost 50 pitches in the process (and he didn’t exactly look great either). Granted, OM very well may win the next two games by 10 runs apiece, LSU had to burn Marceaux and Fontenot tonight and they don’t have much left after those two. But kind of a dangerous spot for OM, can’t afford another loss this weekend or your hosting chances are really in jeopardy. Arkansas also won in Columbia tonight. I kinda think SC is overrated so I fully expect the Hogs to win one or two more this weekend.

As good as Rocker and Leiter are, you can make a valid argument that Hoglund and Nikhazy have been every bit as good. So if you’re State, you’re probably looking at the same recipe to beat Vandy that you used to beat Ole Miss. Win a pitcher’s duel in one of the first two games and then let your depth be the difference on Sunday. I’m certainly not sold on Vandy being this unstoppable force. They went 3-3 against Georgia and Tennessee teams that probably aren’t as good as State or Ole Miss. It’s just going to be a matter of finding a way to get it to Sims with the lead like you did on Friday and Sunday.

Great game at The Dude, one of the better ones I’ve ever attended in person. That place went NUTS on Allen’s triple. Can’t help but feel like Bianco’s bizarre bullpen management really killed his team’s chances in the two losses. And State’s bullpen was really good for the most part in spite of a lackluster weekend from starting pitching. Also, just great timely hitting from some guys who have been there and done that before with TA and Rowdey. It’s a huge series win for State. 8-1 in league play since getting swept by Arkansas, probably the best they could’ve realistically hoped for. And it definitely takes pressure off you going to Nashville next weekend. One win and you’re just fine. 10-5 at the midway point with A&M and Mizzou still on the schedule is a really good spot to be in.

Impressive response by Ole Miss today, a thorough butt kicking so far. Nikhazy has been great, and Bednar had by far his worst start of the year. Kudos to OM for hitting a good pitcher hard like that. Sets up a very interesting Game 3 where both teams should have most of their bullpens fresh. Still haven’t seen Broadway yet and it sounds like State is planning on using Sims if needed. Fascinated by the starting pitching matchup, two young guys who are very talented but haven’t been in this position before. I’ll be there in person for the first time this weekend, looking forward to it.

Should’ve clarified, I meant moreso the conference resume. My biggest thing with hosting this year is that I’m convinced a southern team or two is going to get hosed because we just have to have Regionals in Ann Arbor or Lincoln or Corvallis even if those teams aren’t deserving. No matter what happens this weekend I absolutely think State and OM both are Top 10 teams. But the danger is you don’t want to be on a skid right before they pick the hosts in a few weeks in a year where the criteria is less about merit than usual.

Interesting that you would say that. Given that Ole Miss has lost two straight series on top of the historical trend against State the last 5 years, I would think winning the series is pretty important. Granted, I don't think a series loss sinks your season at all. But given that the hosting sites are being picked early, three straight series losses wouldn't be a tremendous optic, and it definitely puts pressure on you to beat an improving LSU team next weekend and a good SC team the following weekend. Truthfully if State wins the series this weekend, OM's resume is totally built on sweeping Bama and Auburn, and they would have lost the majority of their SEC series to this point. In a year where there will likely be a more geographic emphasis on host sites than previous years, you can't afford too many more losses between now and the end of May. I would say the same thing about State to a certain extent though, if they lose the remaining two games then there's definitely some pressure on you going to Nashville next weekend to win at least one if not two, and then you'd probably need to sweep A&M at home the following weekend.

State takes the opener 5-2. Really good baseball game. I thought both starting pitchers were very good. Hoglund was excellent outside of 2-3 pitches and that was the margin of error tonight. MacLeod was less effective after his first time through the order but he battled and got you through five innings without giving up much damage. And then Johnson and Sims out of the pen were great. I do question Bianco a little bit for going with Diamond in a spot he hasn’t been in before in a tight game. Those two insurance runs for State really seemed like they slammed the door, especially with Sims on the mound. Not that Diamond isn’t a good pitcher, just was surprised OM didn’t use a more experienced bullpen arm in a spot where the game was very much still winnable. Great atmosphere for baseball, I’m sure the next two days will be intense as well. As I’ve mentioned previously, really think Bednar vs. Nikhazy has a chance to be a GREAT pitcher’s duel.

The closer we get, the more I really don’t know what to expect this weekend. Saw where OM is switching things up with their Sunday starter so that adds another layer of unknown. I think Friday and Saturday you’ve got two excellent starting pitching duels on tap and I can’t wait to see those play out. I know OM is chomping at the bit to beat State after how lopsided the series was in the Mangum era. At the same time, we’ve seen this before with OM coming to Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend in what seemed like a pretty even matchup at the time (2014), and Ole Miss just came in and beat the brakes off State, and would’ve swept if not for an extra inning meltdown in the middle game. I’m not sure there’s one area where one team has a clear advantage. Some might say State in the bullpen but I think OM’s is probably better than it gets credit for and other than Sims, State has guys with a bit to prove still. You also might say OM clearly has the better offense but statistically speaking State has made a real jump recently. Now is some of that due to competition? Sure. But State is also better at the plate than what they were showing early in the year. I can’t really explain Hatcher’s struggles, but the rest of the lineup is one you feel pretty good about at the moment. Not great, this isn’t a 2016 or 2019 type hitting team for State, but plenty of offense to get the job done if the pitching matches potential. My gut says OM wins the Friday game and State wins the next two, but again, not a single thing would surprise me. Curious to hear what others may be expecting.

Welcome back, EB. Always enjoyed your input. I was able to find some reasonably price grandstand tickets to the Sunday game but I feel like I got really lucky. This is just my personal taste, and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the new Dude, but on a weekend like this, if I couldn’t find chairbacks and I didn’t know somebody with an outfield rig to spend the day with, I don’t think general admission is worth it. The berms are great and I also love the view from the right field plaza, but both fill up quick. Otherwise you’re stuck looking for any random spot to stand and it can be a real challenge to find a spot where you can even see home plate on crowded weekends. What I tell people is that this iteration of The Dude is a stadium of haves and have nots. If you have access to a chairback, an outfield spot, or the loft, it’s the best stadium in college baseball. If you’re stuck finding a place to stand for three hours where MAYBE you can see what’s happening, it obviously loses some appeal.

Without going too far down a rabbit hole with this... the NCAA can spare me the faux outrage. This is 100% pandering to avoid the angry mob. The NCAA has proven over and over again that they don’t actually care about their student athletes. And the only people that get hurt by rulings like this are the people who have nothing to do with it. You have a problem with the MS legislature so you’re going to punish 18-21 year old college kids for it? Give me a break. Sports leagues trying to get in the middle of political affairs never, ever works out for them. Don’t understand how these organizations keep repeating the same failures over and over again.

Should be a heck of a series at The Dude next weekend. I’m not quite convinced Arkansas wins the West or the league overall at the end of the day, their pitching depth is a serious concern. It’s nice to out slug everybody but how sustainable is that long term? Kopps is terrific out of the bullpen, but they’re relying on him an awful lot right now and the rest of their staff is pretty average. Not a single starting pitcher that strikes fear into you. I still think either State or Ole Miss can very much still win the division even though both dropped home series to the Hogs.

I think at this point you can say that all of the contenders have at least one flaw that could be their undoing: Vandy: Pitching depth after Rocker and Leiter Arkansas: starting pitching Ole Miss: bullpen concerns State: hitting concerns Anyone of them could win it all, or get dumped in a home Regional because of their flaw. It’s why college baseball is such a crap shoot. Oh and by the way, your current leader in the SEC standings is Tennessee... how bout that? And Vandy travels to Knoxville next week for what is now a MASSIVE series.