College Baseball 2024

[Dawg83]

I don’t know if Ole Miss needed more practice on fielding pop flies but State is giving them plenty of that today.

[pancho]

very lifeless look to the team for sure

[Bulldogs4]

I called it that Ole Miss was going to win the series just because it was time.

Eventually they were going to take a series. 

[Insideradvantage]

Even a blind hog finds… well y’all know the rest. 

[MSTSatchmo]

Neither program is happy and rightfully so.   After Friday, Bianco was back on the chopping block.   Yesterday Lemonis was feeling the heat after blowing a 7-3 lead.  Today Lemonis is a dead coach walking.  

[Dawg83]

If Zac Selmon wants to put out a press release tomorrow morning, that’s all right with me. I think most have an idea where this is headed. I hate it for a coach that accomplished some amazing things from 2019-2021. But it has flown off the rails since.

[Bulldogs4]

No need to be Thelma & Louise…

Let the season play out and go from there. 
Before the season had we said State would be 7-8 at the half way mark of the conference season we would have been okay with that. 
So here we are. 

[hasbeen67]

Which loss do is worse? A close game you had a chance to win or being run ruled? I just don't understand how a team can be so inconsistent. 

[Dawg83]

45 minutes ago, Bulldogs4 said:

No need to be Thelma & Louise…

Let the season play out and go from there. 
Before the season had we said State would be 7-8 at the half way mark of the conference season we would have been okay with that. 
So here we are. 

Here’s my problem.

 

What exactly is the bare minimum for there to not be a coaching change? Opinions may vary on this. My thought has been they either need to host or win a Regional as a non-host. Essentially, either be a Top 16 team in the regular season or make the final 16 of the postseason.

 

The first option ain’t happening. The second option technically still could. But even if it does happen, how much time is that really buying him? State is likely losing almost all of its best players off this team. 2025 looks like it may be a tough year. He’s not surviving another noticeable regression.

 

Just feel like it’s a matter of when. If it doesn’t happen this year it’s probably happening next year. The path to him being here long term is very narrow at this point.

Edited April 14, 2024 by Dawg83

[Dawg83]

20 minutes ago, hasbeen67 said:

Which loss do is worse? A close game you had a chance to win or being run ruled? I just don't understand how a team can be so inconsistent. 

In this case I actually think it’s a simple explanation. They have two solid starting pitchers and absolutely nothing behind them. They have a couple of quality bats but an equal number of auto outs in the lineup.

 

It’s just not a good or well built roster. That’s on Lemonis though. I know injuries happen but it was clear what some of this team’s portal needs were and they were, for the most part, inadequately handled.

[Dawg83]

Also, shout out to LSU for keeping the national championship curse alive with their 3-12 conference record.

[hasbeen67]

For me it seems worse than the win/loss because at times it seems they don't have the basic fundamentals of baseball. Some of this goes back to the last couple years and maybe is better now. At times they don't seem to have a pitcher that can throw strikes even to just get it across. Aside from the pitching, fielding isn't always great. The situational hitting isn't always there and hitting generally is just streaky. 

[Dawg83]

14 hours ago, hasbeen67 said:

For me it seems worse than the win/loss because at times it seems they don't have the basic fundamentals of baseball. Some of this goes back to the last couple years and maybe is better now. At times they don't seem to have a pitcher that can throw strikes even to just get it across. Aside from the pitching, fielding isn't always great. The situational hitting isn't always there and hitting generally is just streaky. 

The last three years have shown me that John Cohen and Andy Cannizaro were bad ass recruiters and Lemonis isn’t close to their levels in that regard (other than flipping Will Bednar from Ohio State)

Edited April 15, 2024 by Dawg83

[pancho]

He's a mid major type guy who lacks the ability to motivate and is useless evaluating talent. Combine that with his low level game managing and one has a major issue. Other than that he's a nice guy but being nice gets one fired in the SEC.

[Bulldogs4]

So what gives?

 

State’s recruiting class in 2022 was in the top ten. 

2023 in the top 15.

2024 to this point is in the top 25. But still a ways to go. 

 

Theoretically, we should be playing better baseball than the record indicates. 

 

Are we like Florida State in football from years ago? 
All the stars look good but on the field they completely flop? 
 

Now I understand the transfer portal has skewed everything the last couple of years. 
 

If we can Lemonis this year, who are your picks to succeed him?

 

Burroughs? 
Or are there other options that we could make a run at? 

[Dawg83]

1 hour ago, Bulldogs4 said:

So what gives?

 

State’s recruiting class in 2022 was in the top ten. 

2023 in the top 15.

2024 to this point is in the top 25. But still a ways to go. 

 

Theoretically, we should be playing better baseball than the record indicates. 

 

Are we like Florida State in football from years ago? 
All the stars look good but on the field they completely flop? 
 

Now I understand the transfer portal has skewed everything the last couple of years. 
 

If we can Lemonis this year, who are your picks to succeed him?

 

Burroughs? 
Or are there other options that we could make a run at? 

Part one of your question: yeah I think the recruiting sites just got it wrong on some guys. Pitching development under Foxhall was also very poor. Parker is having to make the most of the guys he has available, but it’s just not much to work with. Offensively there are some studs on this team but just as many guys who aren’t SEC caliber starters at this point, if they ever will be. State literally started a DH with a batting average of .000 yesterday. They’ve played almost 40 games now. That’s nuts.

 

Part two: I think they’d shoot higher than Burroughs and he’d only get the job if several others turned it down. Chris Pollard at Duke would be high on the list of names of interest. He’s got a masters degree from State and has done an amazing job at Duke. They had a 55 year NCAA tourney drought and he’s gotten them to 3 Supers since 2018.

Edited April 15, 2024 by Dawg83

[maroontide06]

This may have been mentioned before, but there’s just not any depth to this Mississippi State Baseball team and that really lowers the ceiling for this team.  This is what, year 5 for Lemons ?  Why should you have so little depth at this juncture?

[Dawg83]

Nothing like being an NCAAT bubble team and then seeing that 2-25 Alcorn State with their RPI of 302 out of 305 is coming to town tomorrow. Ugh.

[Insideradvantage]

Shame our Big 3 can't benefit (actually lose by playing) from scheduling Delta State and MC anymore. Those two, especially DSU, would beat Jackson State, Alcorn and Valley 9 out of 10 times every single season. Makes no sense. 

[maroontide06]

10 hours ago, Dawg83 said:

Nothing like being an NCAAT bubble team and then seeing that 2-25 Alcorn State with their RPI of 302 out of 305 is coming to town tomorrow. Ugh.

In other words, State's RPI is going to plummet like a lead weight whether Alcorn State wins or loses.

[Former Coach]

18 hours ago, Bulldogs4 said:

So what gives?

 

State’s recruiting class in 2022 was in the top ten. 

2023 in the top 15.

2024 to this point is in the top 25. But still a ways to go. 

 

Theoretically, we should be playing better baseball than the record indicates. 

 

Are we like Florida State in football from years ago? 
All the stars look good but on the field they completely flop? 
 

Now I understand the transfer portal has skewed everything the last couple of years. 
 

If we can Lemonis this year, who are your picks to succeed him?

 

Burroughs? 
Or are there other options that we could make a run at? 

Here in lies part of the problem. Lets take pitching as an example. Now days most players go to these showcase games or camps. A pitcher hops on the mound and pounds the zone at 98 for 1 maybe 2 innings, then he is done. Next pitcher. Same at the next show case and so on. He is now a top rated pitching prospect. School signs him. Comes in and can't throw strikes over an inning or two. How many have State and OM had/have on their rosters that fit this mold. State has several now.

 

Then there are injuries. Just at State Simmons is out again. I am also assuming since they haven't thrown in three weeks Pico and Loftin are reinjured or still hurt. And IMO that goes back to playing year round from 8 years old and never resting your arm. 

 I don't know if State need to make a move or not. Yes we should probably be 10-5 in SEC but still half the SEC schedule left with several winnable series. Lets let it play out.

[Bulldogs4]

Agree with you that the specialization of sports has hurt baseball badly. Travel ball, spring, summer and fall ball put far too much stress on a pitcher’s arm.

Some years back, an excellent pitcher at State flat told the pro scouts not to draft him.

He had been playing baseball nonstop for 18 years (age 4 to 22) and he was done. His arm was worn out. He went onto his career in life. 
Had he not had baseball shoved down his throat for almost 20 years , he may very well have gone on to a MLB career. He was talented enough to do have done so. 
 

Pitchers need down time for their arms to rest, recover and get stronger.

 

The other thing is when I was youngster (age 6-13) the coaches would NOT allow you to throw a curve ball. 14 was the minimum age and even then it was a moderate curve ball designed to put less stress on your elbow and arm. Of course today everything is about analytics and that is the holy grail of baseball. However, to me, common sense is much more valuable when it comes to teaching the basic fundamentals and mechanics to pitching. I cringe when I watch the LLWS and 11-12 year old kids are throwing curveballs. I fear they are damaging their arms but it won’t show until down the road when it catches up to them. 
 

It just appears to me that we see a lot of arm injuries and surgery’s with pitchers these days. 
If it is not from overthrowing and too much on the arm, then what is it from? 

[hasbeen67]

I recently saw a youtube video with John Smoltz talking about the epidemic of major leaguers having arm problems. He blames it mostly on the emphasis on velocity and downplayed some of the other reasons given such as pitch clock.  From a young age they train to throw as hard as they can every pitch and employ techniques like weighted balls. His point was even if a guy's natural speed is mid-90's, he won't get noticed by scouts unless it's upper nineties, so they push to reach that.

 

A few years ago when state had several pitchers go out with arm problems, someone here cited the pitching coach at the time heavily used weighted balls for training.  

[Dawg83]

The physical act of throwing a baseball is a very unnatural motion for the human body, especially at a high velocity. As velo’s have increased over time, makes sense that it’s just more stress on arms.

[pancho]

2 hours ago, hasbeen67 said:

I recently saw a youtube video with John Smoltz talking about the epidemic of major leaguers having arm problems. He blames it mostly on the emphasis on velocity and downplayed some of the other reasons given such as pitch clock.  From a young age they train to throw as hard as they can every pitch and employ techniques like weighted balls. His point was even if a guy's natural speed is mid-90's, he won't get noticed by scouts unless it's upper nineties, so they push to reach that.

 

A few years ago when state had several pitchers go out with arm problems, someone here cited the pitching coach at the time heavily used weighted balls for training.  

proper use of weighed balls is fine.