In response to the baseball talk from earlier

[DiamondReb]

I think any reasonable person could make an argument that Bianco is the best coach in the SEC. That's certainly not an absolute but the argument could be made. Manieri got to the series after a serious hot streak. If you only want to measure success by post season accomplishments then Polk would still be here one year removed from the CWS. Tanner is a great coach and you could certainly make the argument he is the best but if I'm not mistaken I think Bianco has the best record ... could be wrong. The fact that you throw Corbin in there shows how weak your argument is. Oh wait you say he won an SEC regular season championship (which also by the way makes Cohen better than Bianco wink wink) ... but then you remember that you either call Bianco the best or you totally discount the regular season. Bianco being called the best is not the outlandish claim you try to make it out to be.

"He thinks they will win the National Championship every year because Bianco, the God of College Baseball Coaches, is their coach. Even though it's been 30 years, or something like that since they've even been to the CWS, he's still the best coach in the SEC. Make that - the Nation."
-stupid ******** by brianthedawg

yeah I've never said any of that and try to have a rational discussion with rational people.

And yes walk the dawg, Ole Miss is a powerhouse baseball program...being ranked for consecutive years...have consistently high ranked recruiting classes and attendance numbers and being one of the winningest programs in the country makes you a powerhouse. And if you ask an analyst to name the top 15 or 20 coaches in the country I think they'd be hard pressed to leave him off the list. If you're in the top 20 out of several hundred I'd say he's one of the best in the country.

And no I wouldn't trade Kennedy for Donovan. Donovan was in his second year at one point. It's much easier to have success at Florida than Ole Miss and that point isn't up for debate. I don't think many could have come in and turned Ole Miss around the way he has. It's just an opinion and I personally wouldn't trade him. And I think if got Michael Brown to put a gun to state fans heads they'd take AK in a heartbeat. Stans is a horrible post season coach, your own self defined measure of success...far worse than Bianco.

The overall point is you can't argue that all three were good hires and Pete Boone is a moron and he gave us a jumbo tron and a fantastic IPF. Any OM fan would fire him today.

And a PS...I'm sure yall have seen this but I was just looking around and was blown away by this list. This is really something to be proud of.

<span class="mw-headline">Top 25 On-Campus College Baseball Crowds</span> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC"> <th>Attendance</th> <th>Schools, Location</th> <th>Date</th> <th></th> </tr> <tr> <td>14,991</td> <td>Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 22,1989</td> </tr> <tr> <td>14,378</td> <td>Louisiana State at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 16, 1988</td> </tr> <tr> <td>13,761</td> <td>Arkansas at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 25,1992</td> </tr> <tr> <td>13,715</td> <td>Clemson at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>June 9 ,2007</td> </tr> <tr> <td>13,617</td> <td>Georgia at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 8, 2006</td> </tr> <tr> <td>13,123</td> <td>Mississippi at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 15, 2000</td> </tr> <tr> <td>12,708</td> <td>Auburn at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 24, 1993</td> </tr> <tr> <td>12,620</td> <td>Clemson at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>June 8, 2007</td> </tr> <tr> <td>12,360</td> <td>Georgia at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 6, 2002</td> </tr> <tr> <td>11,763</td> <td>Auburn at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 12, 2003</td> </tr> <tr> <td>11,496</td> <td>Florida State at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>May 27, 1990</td> </tr> <tr> <td>11,174</td> <td>Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 13, 1991</td> </tr> <tr> <td>11,127</td> <td>South Alabama at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>May 26, 2000</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,958</td> <td>Auburn at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 9, 2005</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,832</td> <td>Notre Dame at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>May 28, 2000</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,688</td> <td>Washington at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>May 25, 1997</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,619</td> <td>Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 17, 2004</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,588</td> <td>North Carolina at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>May 28, 1989</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,581</td> <td>Louisiana State at Arkansas, Fayetteville</td> <td>May 5, 2007</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,382</td> <td>Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 25, 1987</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,324</td> <td>Kentucky at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>March 31, 2007</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,284</td> <td>Middle Tenn. St. at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>May 30, 2003</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,145</td> <td>Louisiana State at Arkansas, Fayetteville</td> <td>May 4, 2007</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,119</td> <td>Alabama at Mississippi, Oxford</td> <td>April 9, 2005</td> </tr> <tr> <td>10,050</td> <td>Alabama at Mississippi State, Starkville</td> <td>April 10, 1999</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

 

[ShineOnYouCrazyBulldog]

has had as many teams finish with 55+ wins as Bianco has had 40 + wins this decade. He has more regional, super regional, and CWS appearances. He also has overall conf titles and a tourney title. None of his teams have finished with fewer than 40 wins. So please explain to me how Bianco is better. Bianco is good. He is not great and certainly not the best. And yes, we've seen that list. I am not shocked you haven't though.

 

[HD6]

Ole Miss is a powerhouse baseball program...being ranked for consecutive years...have consistently high ranked recruiting classes and attendance numbers and being one of the winningest programs in the country makes you a powerhouse.

Is Mississippi State a powerhouse basketball program? I mean, I guess we weren't ranked two years ago, but we fit all the other criteria, right? Stansbury has more SEC titles in hoops that Bianco does in baseball, or any other Ole Miss coach for any sport since 1963 does for that matter. Our recruiting classes are always highly ranked, we sell out our arena on a regular basis.

Really, who the hell are you trying to convince here? Because it seems like you're talking yourself into this more than anyone else. Glad to see you mention that "fantastic IPF" once aGAIN. We're still trembling.

 

[JimHalpert.nafoom]

We've made the financial and facility commitments to make it a powerhouse, but until you're a regular in Omaha you aren't there.

I don't see why people feel the need to get into pissing matches with MSU over baseball stuff. We've got two of the more attractive situations in the nation for baseball, and we've both got some work to do to get into the upper echelon of teams (like LSU, ASU, UNC, the California teams, damn Oregon State). I hope we both get there. A OM/MSU national title game in Omaha would surely cost thousands of lives.

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

there are no powerhouse baseball teams out there that hasn't set foot in Rosenblatt Stadium in the past 30+ years. None. Simple as that. Hell UM baseball wasn't even on the radar in oxford past just a few years ago. And now all the sudden we have a college baseball juggernaut in the north half of the state? I've got news for you now. bianco's picking of the litter days are over with with Polk and his recruit only from camps strategy is gone. You better have enjoyed those recruiting classes of a few years ago. You know Cohen has already started making some serious recruiting headway when the Spirt.. ummm.. writers are saying that he is offering too much scholarship money too early to explain Cohen's early recruiting success. I don't know how they explain it now. And yes another mention of the almighty IPF. You know as much as you have praised that thing on here... you would think no one else has one and it rivals a Saudi palace in magnificence.

 

[patdog]

You know Cohen has already started making some serious recruiting headway when the Spirt.. ummm.. writers are saying that he is offering too much scholarship money too early to explain Cohen's early recruiting success. I don't know how they explain it now.

He's going to leave our program in shambles, just like he did at Kentucky. <sarcasm>

 

[RebelBruiser]

I'm not going to support any of Diamond's arguments, but I have to wonder why so many of you seem to think that Cohen is going to make a big dent in our baseball recruiting. Whether it's a good thing or not, Bianco and his staff really aren't all that focused on Mississippi anymore. Sure they target a handful of in state guys every year, but my guess is Bianco and Cohen will only go head to head on a handful of prospects every year, because we've been recruiting out of state so much lately.

I'm guessing that whatever Cohen does at MSU will have very little effect on what happens with our baseball program other than the effect it'll have on whether or not we win the MSU series. It is definitely possible for MSU to rebuild a successful baseball program and for us to have one at the same time. Thought I'd also add that I think it could actually be a little bit of a positive for us if MSU were to build a strong baseball program, and if we are able to maintain a solid program. If the rivalry can become more intense, as I expect it will, it may help us both with recruiting, as players will probably want to come be a part of the rivalry.

 

[DawgatAuburn]

And no I wouldn't trade Kennedy for Donovan.

The stupidity of that statement is mind-bottling.

 

[RebelBruiser]

Anyone would trade Kennedy for Donovan, because you've got a proven commodity. However, if Kennedy sticks around a long enough time at Ole Miss it would still be tough to compare the two. The reason I say that is because Donovan never would've won a national title at Ole Miss. He's a good coach, but my guess is he would be lucky to get us to an Elite Eight and a few Sweet Sixteens if you were to give him 8 or so years here.

Whether we like it or not, Ole Miss basketball is about like Kentucky football. It's one of the historically worst programs in the SEC. We're capable of having some good teams on occasion, but we'll never compete nationally on a consistent basis.

 

[TBonewannabe]

Saying Donovan probably could only get you to the Elite Eight is like saying Cohen can only get us in the CWS championship game for the next five years. We have one appearance in the Elite Eight (Final Four year), Tennesse's first appearance was last year. Other than UK and UF, not too many SEC teams have made it that far very often if at all.

 

[DiamondReb]

as a powerhouse. That's just where I guess we are differing on opinions as to what a powerhouse is. In my mind year in and year out there is a chance that team has a chance to make it to Omaha. That's what I think of as a powerhouse. State, Southern Cal, Texas and the LSUs of the world will always qualify for me because they are the best of the best. I don't think you can say only teams that make it to Omaha because then you have to throw the Louisvilles and Fresno States into the talk. Now obviously they had a better season and were a great team last year...but they aren't going to be there year in and year out, like Louisville last year. Ole Miss has been a game away twice. Do you really believe that teams that make it to Omaha and go two and out are light years better? That argument just doesn't hold water to me. But hey, different opinions don't bother me.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

I do expect to be in the sweet 16 within 4 years. You get there, who knows, you may get lucky and make the 8

 

[basedog]

realizes Bianco is a good coach, probably the best coach ya'll have had since Vaught, but to say he is the best in the SEC is way off. Tanner has done more at SC and I would say he is the best IF one can make an arguement over who's #1.
It ain't how you start it's how you finish and Bianco takes the "mule to the river but the mule....."you get the idea.

As for as Cohen, what he will do is bring Msu standards back to the top again, in other words Bianco will have to compete for regional hosting which RP over the last several years didn't provide the goods for us to host. I don't think the recruiting wars will be in the state of Ms but what it will boil down to is who gets the better players as both are really good on the field coaches. I'd say our tradition will make the biggest difference, the real test will be one day if or when Bianco stumbles and we'll see how the crowds are at OM, we've stumbled but our fans still follow the Diamond Dogs with passion, I don't see a "football school" (couldn't resist) such as the rebel nation doing what we do as for as baseball is concerned.

 

[muddawgs33]

but I have to wonder why so many of you seem to think that Cohen is going to make a big dent in our baseball recruiting. Whether it's a good thing or not, Bianco and his staff really aren't all that focused on Mississippi anymore. Sure they target a handful of in state guys every year, but my guess is Bianco and Cohen will only go head to head on a handful of prospects every year, because we've been recruiting out of state so much lately.

Neither is Cohen. We have 12 commits and only 5 are instate guys. I think the fact that we have won a couple of recruiting battles this year that Bianco wouldn't normally have to worry about when Polk was here is why people think Cohen will put a dent in Bianco's recruiting

.

It is definitely possible for MSU to rebuild a successful baseball program and for us to have one at the same time. Thought I'd also add that I think it could actually be a little bit of a positive for us if MSU were to build a strong baseball program

You think? I mean we are only 2 years removed from the CWS.