Lets change topic here.

[statefanoncampus]

With a bowl game on the horizon anda basketball team that has invested their title hopes in a french fry loving center, there is plenty to talk about. With baseball season not too far away, I want to change roads here for a brief moment and talk about baseball. Ok, I was a huge Cohen fan when he first came. I mean the guy won at Kentucky. Yes the place where fans show up in the bleachers holding basketballs. Today, not as huge of a fan. Supposedly he is recruiting well but the results are not there. I know he didn't exactlyinherit a national championship caliber team but I believe improvements should be seen by now. I fear the same results of the past two seasons will reoccur this season also.

So I ask, How do you think we will fare this year? And if Cohen does keep on this road in the future, How long will he remain head coach here?

 

[statefanoncampus]

With a bowl game on the horizon anda basketball team that has invested their title hopes in a french fry loving center, there is plenty to talk about. With baseball season not too far away, I want to change roads here for a brief moment and talk about baseball. Ok, I was a huge Cohen fan when he first came. I mean the guy won at Kentucky. Yes the place where fans show up in the bleachers holding basketballs. Today, not as huge of a fan. Supposedly he is recruiting well but the results are not there. I know he didn't exactlyinherit a national championship caliber team but I believe improvements should be seen by now. I fear the same results of the past two seasons will reoccur this season also.

So I ask, How do you think we will fare this year? And if Cohen does keep on this road in the future, How long will he remain head coach here?

 

[Todd4State]

for a couple of reasons- we should have better pitching (disclaimer that they need to stay healthy, and there are some question marks, but it should still be better than last year if for no other reason the bats won't be as live), we have an easier schedule, and a schedule that is put together so that it will allow us to not have to put a lot of strain on our pitching staff- basically more spread out at the end of the season.

We won't win the SEC or anything spectacular like that, but there is no reason for us to not have a winning season and make a regional. If you want to be really wooly- a great season might even yield a regional host, but that is probably the best that the wooly could realistically hope for this year.

Now, if we don't Cohen should definately be on the hot seat. And I would say that if we don't, it will most likely be because of pitching- whether that be injuries or lack of performance. Personally, I wouldn't fire Cohen if we have a losing season if I were the AD, but I would make it clear in no uncertain terms that he better make some changes to the coaching staff at pitching coach and he better win the next year or he will be gone. And if we have a losing season, Cohen and Stricklin need to sit down and try to figure why we aren't winning and how to fix it.

So, in my view, this will be a big year for Cohen. There were a lot of wounds from how things shook down from the Polk supporters, but I think how Cohen has responded to the Ryan Duffy injury has helped heal that because he has shown them that he is not a fire breathing monster without a pulse with a potty mouth. He has shown that he does care about the players on his team- and I have also found that also from talking to him on a personal level. Regardless, Cohen must perform on the field, or rather get his team to.

And that said, there is no doubt in my mind that we have improved from a talent standpoint from the time Polk left to now, and I think that will start to show up very soon.

 

[rugbdawg]

year, we won't have a chance to win a low scoring game due to defense. Combine that with the dead bats and we could really struggle.

 

[patdog]

I was on board with the Cohen hire, and I think most fans still way underestimate the absmal talent level he inherited. But it's time for him to win some damn games.

 

[alabamadog]

on the bright side, the fielding should actually be decent this year. With this schedule Cohen needs to have a winning record.

 

[alabamadog]

I'm guessing it will be 1B- Darryl Norris, 2B- a recruit such as Pitts or Henderson, SS- Ogden, 3B- Parks or Vickerson.

 

[Goat Holder II]

for a couple of reasons: The schedule is easier, the pitching is finally there and finally, we've recruited too much talent to suck. Cohen is completely confident in what he is doing, regardless of what all the Joe-blow wannabe MSU fans think he SHOULD be doing. The guys we are bringing in are absolutely better than the guys that are leaving.

 

[Goat Holder II]

I think Cohen has the blueprints for success. But I do think we really need to start playing like a Cohen-coached baseball team. Might have to do with getting rid of all the cancers on the team before. Or it could be simply the pitching problems. Either way, in the third year, we should only have traces of that type of problem.

 

[NashvilleBulldawg]

but were there "cancers" on the previous teams?

 

[Goat Holder II]

nm

 

[Todd4State]

The only guy I'm worried about defensively is Nick Vickerson.

The others, not so much.

First base- My guess is Daryl Norris, and he is a decent defender. Jarrod Parks is our best defensive corner infielder, and I would rather see him play third because of that. Could be Vickerson, and another guy to look for there is Brett Bozeman. Wes Rea, in my opinion, is our best defensive first baseman, but he is hurt and can't throw, so don't look for him much next year at all unless it is DH or PH.

Second base- My guess is Sam Frost against right handed pitchers and DeMarcus Henderson against left handed pitchers. I think DeMarcus is better than Frost defensively, but Sam is not bad defensively. DeMarcus is very quick and has very quick hands. I saw him play second base in a High School All-Star game, and he made several very nice defensive plays. If either Frost or Henderson emerges at the plate, you won't see the platoon there anymore.

Third base- Jarrod Parks. Excellent defeder. Vickerson could play here because we have to find a way to get his bat in the lineup- I'd stick him in the outfield so that we can use Hunter Renfroe at DH. But for Nick to not be a liability, he must cut down on his throwing errors. Daryl Norris may play here some because I think third base is probably his future position in the field.

Shortstop- Jonathan Ogden, as we all know is a very good defensive player. The question is can he hit? If he can't and DeMarcus Henderson and Sam Frost are hitting better, you might see Henderson at SS. Taylor Stark is another guy to watch here as well. Ogden does have occasional power, but I would prefer he get his average up even at the expense of power.

Also, our outfield will be MUCH better defensively as well. Jaron Shepherd and CT Bradford can cover some ground. Ryan Collins had a good fall, but like I said, we have to find a way to get Vickerson and Hunter Renfroe in the lineup. Brent Brownlee is an excellent defensive player when he is healthy.

 

[whatever.sixpack]

Oh yeah, don't you remember last year's propaganda? EVERY one of Polks recruits was a cancer, even though they accounted for about 90% of our run production(I'm not saying they could play defense). We should score anywhere from 10-30% less this year, but it will be ok, b/c they will be hard nosed and won't mind being cussed at.<div>
</div><div>Bottom line is, pitching was our primary problem last year and will define us this year. If guys like Bracewell, Graveman, Girodo, Watson, and the other guys that got experience last year don't improve significantly from yr 1 to yr 2, it'll be another SEC record of far below .500</div><div>
</div><div>Like someone else said, if Routt or Stratton gets injured, we're pretty much locked into being a bottom 4 team in the SEC</div>

 

[Todd4State]

The good news is Stratton is healthy, and he should be better than last year. I know that the staff has been working on that third pitch that I was talking about last year with him. He can dominate at times- I think last year he struck out the first 6 batters of our game against Ole Miss that he started, but without that third pitch, the hitters could eliminate his curve and sit on his fastball. That's why starting pitcher need that third pitch- so that hitters won't sit on just one thing. I love Stratton's work ethic. He is all the time looking at film of himself pitching and trying to get better. He certainly has a MLB work ethic right now.

Routt, according to what I have heard, is healthy. Which is great news. However, I expect him to start on Sundays so that we can protect him a little bit and not overextend him. We have to be careful with how we use him.

Devin Jones is going to be a big key as far as what kind of season we have. He will be drafted on his raw talent alone. But he has to step up and play up to his potential. I think that we need to keep him in the rotation as a starter instead of shufflng him around from role to role in the bullpen and as an occasional spot starter, and I think having that defined role will help Devin out a lot too. He has a MLB fastball, but what of the other pitches? What about his control and composure on the mound?


If something happens, look for Chad Girodo to be a starter. He has increased his velocity by a good bit. He has good control, and it's really to the point where it's not a good thing. He has to learn how to be effectively wild. Good hitters can hit strikes over the plate after all. I think he will be a very good pitcher for us, though.

What of Daryl Norris, our top pitching prospect? I would LOVE for him to take a spot in the rotation, but I have a feeling that he may be destined to be like Pete Young- which is not a bad thing at all in my book and be a relief pitcher/third baseman. He has a decent fastball, and an excellent slider that is his out pitch. But much like Chris Stratton last year, what is his third pitch? I know he throws a curveball to, but is it good enough to get people out? I'm a little skeptical of that, but maybe he proves me wrong.

My biggest concern right now is closer. We need someone to step up. Don't be surprised if it ends up being CT Bradford.

 

[Todd4State]

is the run production. Fact of the matter is, we will be swinging the same bats as everyone else. There is no doubt that we are going to have to manufacture runs by playing small ball next year. With the way our team is built and our ballpark, we MIGHT adjust a little bit better than some of the other teams in the country. We won't know until the season actually plays out.

My main concern is the freshmen because we're going to play several, and you never know how they are going to react and adjust to a higher level of baseball. I think they will be OK, but it's hardly something that I would say is a slam dunk either. But, we're going to need some of them to really step it up on day one forward.

Also, Bracewell is out for the year. So, don't count on him next year. He will RS and be back the next year, though. But the other three guys, yeah, I agree that they need to step up and will be an important part of any success that we have. A couple of other guys to look out for as far as pitchers- Caleb Reed will play a big part, and I also think Luis Pollerena will play a big part as well. Also- Evan Mitchell might surprise some people as well.

 

[Goat Holder II]

we went 34-25 in 1995. Funny thing is, we were pissed about that record. Not pissed, but we considered it below our standard and we were rebuilding. If I knew that would be our record this year, I'd take it in a heartbeat. Of course, it would get us a regional nowadays, while we got left out back then in the 48 team format.

 

[Hutchinson11]

we need mike kinnison from delta state as our coach

 

[Todd4State]

players time to adjust and develop. And they will.

But what you pray about is someone like a Clark or a Palmeiro that can come in and contribute right away as a freshman. I would also say Jeffrey Rea as well. We've had guys come in and make an immediate impact before, but it's also something that you can't expect, either. You just have to recruit as well as possible and pray.

 

[HippyDawg]

He is responsible for scouting the southeast. His opinion was MSU would be one of the most athletic teams in the SEC with decent pitching. With the new bats that will be an asset. He thought LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas would be at the top in the West followed by MSU & Ole Miss with Alabama last.

 

[nemsdawg]

is a wonderful coach, but we have the man in place.

 

[nemsdawg]

a lot is what baseball is up against. It is much more difficult to turn a baseball program around with the draft and scholarship limitations. With basketball and football you can retool rather quickly. When you only have a very limited scholarship base and limited roster spots it just makes it hard. Coach Cohen has been recruiting some very athletic, capable kids who will start to produce this season. When your pitching is as young it is trouble period. Very few freshman and sophomore pitchers have success on average.

Having said all that I dont think you can give the guy 10 years to put together a competetive team. He is one of the most competetive people I have ever met. He is a winner. He knows his program is not up to standard for him or for MSU. He does have us headed in the right direction. He is recruiting more regionally and even nationally. That is what it takes. I wish I had a roster of the team he took over. I would like to see how many kids were from outside of Mississippi. If you look at successful teams they have kids from all over. I went to an Ole Miss game last season and they had 0 kids from Mississippi starting zero. Now I am not saying this is the way to head, but I do not think the majority of your team can be kids from MS private schools. That was the majority of the starters we had. Our roster was a joke. We did have a few kids who could play, but a few was it. To have success you have to have more than 8 position players and 3 starting pitchers. You need productivity from lots of kids and quite frankly we did not have that.

I know that was a lot of rambling, but Coach Cohen knows what has to be done. He is an excellent recruiter and an excellent coach. Give him some time.

 

[Todd4State]

But I'm not sure that he would leave Delta State.

 

[Todd4State]

He is responsible for scouting the southeast. His opinion was MSU would be one of the most athletic teams in the SEC with decent pitching. With the new bats that will be an asset. He thought LSU, Auburn, and Arkansas would be at the top in the West followed by MSU & Ole Miss with Alabama last.

What's encouraging to me is that I would imagine that a lot of the players that he is talking about are freshmen. Thing is, we have guys that are athletic that are good baseball players from an instinct standpoint coming in.

I was really encouraged by the number of players that we had that were drafted out of high school. There is a saying that the MLB draft will tell you how good your recruiting class was.

 

[dawgoneyall]

(less run production by everyone) and expected improvements in pitching should get us into a regional.

 

[windcrysmary]

most folks are aware of question marks stans has put on himself with the fanbase over the years...but cohen was successful at a LA directional school before he went and put KY on the map..... no one was expecting cohen to come in and take us straight to omaha but to suck as bad as we've done confuses the hell out of me... is he not the highest paid baseball coach in the country? we need big time improvement this year... if not, I don't think anybody other than an insider to the program would have an answer to fixing MSU baseball if cohen can't do it... if cohen can't fix this ****, there's something up that the avg fan is simply not aware of... .

 

[AceLeroy]

The first thing I want to see is if They are still running the bases like ****. If in year 3 , They are making stupid base running mistakes and coach is refering to it as "agressive " , I will be convinced that Cohen will not ever get this program where it is capable of going.

 

[Hector.sixpack]

It seems to me its just an MSU tradition that we get a lot of pitchers hurt. I know everybody has some to get hurt, but its seems we get way more than our fair share. Has anything changed from last year with the pitchers off season training?

 

[maroonmania]

and was excited when he came in. But right now I am viewing him as a good recruiter but an average coach. I say that because last year we were not a fundamentally sound team especially on the basepaths. And also I did not see our pitchers improve from the previous year under Cohen's staff. I will be very interested to see how the team performs this year.

 

[RougeDawg]

players time to adjust and develop. And they will.

But what you pray about is someone like a Clark or a Palmeiro that can come in and contribute right away as a freshman.

Any of these type players in the future. What the average MSU baseball fan does not realize is the recruiting technique of the highly rendered Ron Polk. Or should I say lack of. I personally know a long time scout for they Yankees and now with the SF Giants and he clued me in to Ronnie's tactics. Polk would go and ask scouts who they were looking at drafting high rounds out of high school, and go an offer them a scholly. The scouts caught on to his ****, and began to black ball him in the mid-late 90's. Funny how this also correlates to the decline in talent and performance. In that time of black-balling we got passed up by competent talent evaluative coaches and it will be a long time before we catch up.

 

[Goat Holder II]

While it's true that we capitalized in a time where other teams didn't, that only goes as far as facilities and the like. The talent was still there. It's just being wooed to other schools. Look at California, they've always had baseball talent out there, damn near every school in the state has had success. We should have kept the momentum going by hiring Maneiri, but we didn't. We dug a hole, and now we've got one of the best recruiters in the business digging us back out. Our stupid fans can't see past 10 feet in front of them, unfortunately for us wiser fans and for Cohen.

 

[Goat Holder II]

I think first and foremost you have to get the best players from your immediate area. That doesn't have to be certain state lines, just more of a loyalty base. For MSU in particular, that is the state of Mississippi, Memphis, areas of Alabama, Louisiana, and maybe other particular areas where there's a good contingent of MSU backing, like Atlanta or Jacksonville.

All the successful MS sports teams are built with a core of these players. I'm sure there are exceptions.