Now that the smoke has cleared

[Todd4State]

Here's a way too early projection of what our baseball starting lineup might look like.

P/ACE- Nick Routt- So.
P- Tyler Whitney- Sr.
P- CC Watson- Fr.
Midweek- Fr. du Jour- Luke Bole, Chad Girordo, Ben Bracewell, and maybe Chris Stratton if he's healthy. Could possibly see Devin Jones and or Paxton Pace here to.

Closer- Micheal Dixon- JUCO transfer. I think he gets the first crack at the job. I think Devin Jones could get a shot to.

C- Wes Thigpen- JUCO transfer. I hope Cohen gives Cody Freeman a look here to, I don't think Cohen has seen him healthy yet. It seems like Cohen has his heart set on Thigpen, though. This is a position of concern because the two guys with the most catching experience are Freeman and Ryan Duffy, and I don't think either one of them will catch much next year. Kolby Byrd and Carlos Leal will also get looks to. And yes, Jet Butler will get a look, but I don't think he will start.

1B- Conner Powers. Hell yes. That is all.
2B- Platoon between Jonathan Ogden and Jet Butler. I think Butler will start because of his bat, but I also think that Ogden, who is a much better defender could end up starting if he can hit, which is the big question mark with him. Ogden will probably be a late inning defensive replacement. Frankie Rawdow will also get a look, and might be the best all-around guy of the group.
3B- Jarrod Parks. Yes, over Russ Sneed because of his glove. Parks has to show that he can hit SEC pitching, though.
SS- Nick Vickerson. JUCO transfer who had a really good summer. I think Rawdow certainly could be a fit here to.

RF- Trey Johnson/Cody Freeman/Luke Adkins/Brent Brownlee- The corner outfield spots are going to be up for grabs this year between these four players.
CF- Jaron Shepherd- Could be a one year and done guy for State since he has been drafted twice already. Stock fell when he hurt his ankle.
LF- See RF candidates.

DH- Russ Sneed. Not a very good defensive player, but is a pretty good hitter, and one of the most improved players under Cohen. He can hit for power and average, and is a fifth year senior.
PH- Ryan Duffy. I think he'll find his way into the lineup in some form or fashion because he is a LH hitter with power and is a pretty good hitter in the clutch. He would start if he could play defense. He may figure into the LF equation if he can shag some fly balls.
PR- Brownlee and Rawdow.

If you look at this team, we're going to have a LOT of upperclassmen position players, and many of them have experience. We do have some JUCO transfers that are question marks at this time, but even a few of them have some D-I experience like Vickerson and Dixon. I also like the depth that this team could potentially have. There is going to be a lot of compeition for spots this year. Pitching still looks like it will be the biggest weakness, but I don't think it will be as pronounced as last year. State does have a legit ace in Routt, and a senior starter in Whitney to build around. I think CC Watson will step up and do OK on Sun, but again that is a question mark. There are also a lot of Fr., but unlike last year, these Fr. have some ability, which should allow them to make some mistakes and get away with them from time to time. State must find a closer, and if they can round out the rest of the bullpen, State could definately be a tough team to play next year. Finding a midweek starter is going to be crucial to, because again, State will likely be counting on Fr., and we can not afford to give away games during the midweek. An easier non-conference schedule and a lineup that can survive some slugfests could help with that some.

 

[Todd4State]

Here's a way too early projection of what our baseball starting lineup might look like.

P/ACE- Nick Routt- So.
P- Tyler Whitney- Sr.
P- CC Watson- Fr.
Midweek- Fr. du Jour- Luke Bole, Chad Girordo, Ben Bracewell, and maybe Chris Stratton if he's healthy. Could possibly see Devin Jones and or Paxton Pace here to.

Closer- Micheal Dixon- JUCO transfer. I think he gets the first crack at the job. I think Devin Jones could get a shot to.

C- Wes Thigpen- JUCO transfer. I hope Cohen gives Cody Freeman a look here to, I don't think Cohen has seen him healthy yet. It seems like Cohen has his heart set on Thigpen, though. This is a position of concern because the two guys with the most catching experience are Freeman and Ryan Duffy, and I don't think either one of them will catch much next year. Kolby Byrd and Carlos Leal will also get looks to. And yes, Jet Butler will get a look, but I don't think he will start.

1B- Conner Powers. Hell yes. That is all.
2B- Platoon between Jonathan Ogden and Jet Butler. I think Butler will start because of his bat, but I also think that Ogden, who is a much better defender could end up starting if he can hit, which is the big question mark with him. Ogden will probably be a late inning defensive replacement. Frankie Rawdow will also get a look, and might be the best all-around guy of the group.
3B- Jarrod Parks. Yes, over Russ Sneed because of his glove. Parks has to show that he can hit SEC pitching, though.
SS- Nick Vickerson. JUCO transfer who had a really good summer. I think Rawdow certainly could be a fit here to.

RF- Trey Johnson/Cody Freeman/Luke Adkins/Brent Brownlee- The corner outfield spots are going to be up for grabs this year between these four players.
CF- Jaron Shepherd- Could be a one year and done guy for State since he has been drafted twice already. Stock fell when he hurt his ankle.
LF- See RF candidates.

DH- Russ Sneed. Not a very good defensive player, but is a pretty good hitter, and one of the most improved players under Cohen. He can hit for power and average, and is a fifth year senior.
PH- Ryan Duffy. I think he'll find his way into the lineup in some form or fashion because he is a LH hitter with power and is a pretty good hitter in the clutch. He would start if he could play defense. He may figure into the LF equation if he can shag some fly balls.
PR- Brownlee and Rawdow.

If you look at this team, we're going to have a LOT of upperclassmen position players, and many of them have experience. We do have some JUCO transfers that are question marks at this time, but even a few of them have some D-I experience like Vickerson and Dixon. I also like the depth that this team could potentially have. There is going to be a lot of compeition for spots this year. Pitching still looks like it will be the biggest weakness, but I don't think it will be as pronounced as last year. State does have a legit ace in Routt, and a senior starter in Whitney to build around. I think CC Watson will step up and do OK on Sun, but again that is a question mark. There are also a lot of Fr., but unlike last year, these Fr. have some ability, which should allow them to make some mistakes and get away with them from time to time. State must find a closer, and if they can round out the rest of the bullpen, State could definately be a tough team to play next year. Finding a midweek starter is going to be crucial to, because again, State will likely be counting on Fr., and we can not afford to give away games during the midweek. An easier non-conference schedule and a lineup that can survive some slugfests could help with that some.

 

[8dog]

still walked too many but struck out a bunch of guys. And I'd love to be able to throw a righty on the weekend. I have this fear that Watson or Bole or Bracewell is going to come in and not be able to find the zone---flashbacks to Dykes, Holloway and Faulkenberry.

- I can't imagine Freeman and Duffy not being in the line up at the same time all the time, but I think Thigpen is what we need defensively at C which puts us in a bind.
- I've heard the staff loves Ryan Collins. I don't think he ever recovered from injury last year and some of the players say he is legit. Right now, Im expecting him to start.
- The outfield is crowded which should be a good thing. However, Brownlee, Shepard, Johnson and Adkins all have the potential to suck. But even if that happens, you can put Freeman in a corner spot and let Duffy DH every game. The staff really likes Brownlee.
- I love the thought of Vickerson's bat in the line up, but he is an error machine. Word is that he air mails about every 4th throw. Nearly 20 errors last year. I think he Rawdow and Butler compete for the middle. Its hard to ignore a guy like Butler who is a vet and hit over .300 in conference last year. Ogden is likely a defensive reliever ala Matt Peeples.
- The staff does think a lot Parks' bat so him at 3rd, Sneed to DH is a possibility. However, that would take both Freeman and Duffy out of the line up. Not our max line up.

We should be able to score runs again this year. My only concern offensively is replacing Hogue. He was a spark plug.

 

[maroonmania]

if it pans out that way. 3 left handed starters for the SEC weekend. You don't see that too often.

 

[GoState662]

1.Will we have some speed? who will be our steal leaders?

2. Didnt we get some Private school pitcher that never lost a game his entire high school career?...I remember reading that somewhere in Clarion Ledger.

3.Which NEW player will be the biggest contributor?

4. What about the Cuban/Puerto Rican Catcher? I heard no one can steal on him.

5. What is your prediction for the team? Record? Regional, Super, Omaha.... Will we host?

Thanks Todd your the only one I trust when it comes to MSU baseball!!!

 

[alabamadog]

I agree with you about pitchers. With all the recruits its hard to tell who will start. Obviously Routt will, and I expect Whitney will too. If Freeman wasn't healthy last year and gets healthy I expect he starts at catcher. If Parks can hit well enough that would be huge. I expect Sheperd and Collins to get the most starts in the outfield, and Brownlee could surprise some people.

 

[Todd4State]

and I realized that I had forgotten about Ryan Collins. (Internet cred -100) I like Collins to- he hit a lot better at the end of the year, and he hit very well his Fr. year. I guess talapia is good for memory.

The guy I'm most concerned about failing to live up to his potential right now is Stratton because of his tendonitis, which often times is a first indicator of Tommy John surgery. Hopefully that's not the case. Dykes didn't live up to his expectations because of injuries and he was probably overrated from the start. Holloway had always had control issues, and I think he got upset at Polk and co. for not letting him pitch more. I can't fault them on that with his poor control, though. Faulkenberry was just a bust, and he kind of came out of nowhere anyway.

My thing is this- someone may be a bust, but odds are someone is also going to step up. It just may be someone like Matt Lane that no one is talking about.

You're right about this to- it seems like every player that we have can either hit, but can't field, or can catch and throw the ball, but can't hit. It could make for some box scores that look like an All-Star game.

 

[BlindDawg]

Its neither here nor there, but I disagree that Dykes was overrated from the start. I'm friends with him so I may be biased, but he was legit. He had nasty stuff and absolutely dominated at every level he ever played. His career was undone by injuries. Had he stayed healthy, I think he would have been very good for us. Two arm surgeries in three years takes quite a toll. He struggled adjusting here from high school, but I think he would have figured it out. The perfect game he pitched against JA his junior or senior year is one of the best pitched games I've ever seen in person.

 

[Todd4State]

1. Steal leaders- I think it will be Shepherd, Ryan Collins (Didn't forget him this time), Brownlee, Adkins, Rawdow, and maybe Ogden. I think we have a little bit more speed than last year, but a lot of our problem wasn't so much actual team speed as much as it was team attitude. Jet Butler was public enemy #1 here. Butler is a good athlete and has some speed, but he is a poor base runner, and thus gets thrown out a lot. I'm hoping that some of the newcomers will be more aggressive as players and do more of the little things that help you win games like taking the extra base.

2. No, not that I'm aware of. You may be thinking about Jared Miller of Sumrall who went 14-0 last year, or Ben Bracewell who went 15-0 for a private school in Alabama, but all of our pitchers lost at least one game in high school. The only other possibility is walk-on Elliot Varney, but I believe he lost a game for St. Andrew's last year. The other, other possibility is Caleb Reed who went undefeated his senior year at Bayou Academy, but he lost a game his junior year.

3. New player that will be our biggest contributor- I think it will be Jaron Shepherd, who was drafted by the Reds this year, and I think CC Watson will be the biggest new contributor on the pitching staff. One guy that I think will make an impact- Corey Collins, a JUCO pitcher who will be a relief pitcher and he has a guy that has a lower arm angle- I'm not sure if he is a submarine guy or not, but I've heard it's low.

4. Carlos Leal is a walk-on from Puerto Rico, and he has a really good pop time (throw from home plate to second base for a catcher) MLB average is 2.0, and his is supposedly 1.8. I don't think that he will contribute much next year, and may be RS, but with the catcher job up for grabs, he could conceivably take it if he out performs Thigpen (who I think will start) and Kolby Byrd. I think he could contribute down the road, and he could use the year to work on his offensive game. Most likely best case scenario for him would be as the top back-up for us, which is very possible.

5. Next year, I think we will be much improved and win about 30 games and make a Regional. Don't think we will host next year, but I think we will make the SEC Tournament. A lot of it is going to depend on the newcomers, but in all likelihood some of them will pan out, and at the same time we have seniors that are proven. If this team gets hot at the right time, they could definately do some damage in the postseason. We also have some depth in case some people don't pan out to.

 

[Todd4State]

eventually had he stayed healthy.

 

[thrill1]

Todd, first off, thanks for your rundown. Never too early for baseball talk.

Has Parks made that much of a stride with his bat over the summer to displace Sneed at third? I know Sneed isn't a great 3B, but I think he's proven he's good enough to hold on to his job. Plus, as has already been mentioned in the thread, he was one of our better hitters last season. Anyway, I would keep Sneed there and have Duffy, who was huge down the stretch, at DH. Hopefully the staff can help cut down his K's. He's just got too much power (something we desperately need besides Powers/Sneed) to keep on the bench. But you're right, he doesn't come near the field defensively.

 

[goldenwavedawg]

asdf

 

[Shmuley]

7th place to Hoover. 2/3 seed somewhere. And keep recruiting like MFers.

 

[bulldogcountry1]

....that I was giving my "Cohen doesn't even know what the lineup will look like right now" predictions. I know nothing about the new guys right now besides what can be read right now from this chair. I do that, if we don't have a lot of new faces out there in the spring, we have no chance of being better. I think there will be.

Sneed and Duffy - I really want to see these guys in the lineup. I just don't know were they fit in defensively.

Freeman - Not sure where he falls in the mix behind the plate when he is healthy, but we all know he can hit. I think he has the potential to give us 8-10 HRs if he can keep it together.

Collins - He was pretty impressive in 08. I guess he wasn't healthy this year. He he can get back to that form, he'll be an asset.

Brownlee - It's obvious that the staff likes him because of all the playing time he got last year. I never got to see him play, and his offensive stats are mediocre. They know somthing I don't.

As far as freshmens, what about Statz and Lane? Cohen was quoted as Statz being someone who could be an immediate impact player on the mound.

Will Dixon get a chance to pitch?

 

[DawgatAuburn]

4. Carlos Leal is a walk-on from Puerto Rico, and he has a really good pop time (throw from home plate to second base for a catcher) <span style="font-weight: bold;">MLB average is 2.0, and his is supposedly 1.8.</span> I don't think that he will contribute much next year, and may be RS, but with the catcher job up for grabs, he could conceivably take it if he out performs Thigpen (who I think will start) and Kolby Byrd. I think he could contribute down the road, and he could use the year to work on his offensive game. Most likely best case scenario for him would be as the top back-up for us, which is very possible.

Todd, that is practically Backerish. Do you know if he can dunk a basketball? How tall is he in his socks?

 

[omaha08]

Pretty good assesment but Parks will never start over Sneed. Parks won't hit sec pitching and his glove isn't that great just has a good arm. Decent juco player Second string player at state at best.

 

[Shmuley]

Todd used the word "supposedly" in describing el diablos alleged exploits. Fraud would have said, "He has a faster pop time than Pudge Rodriguez at that age."

 

[basedog]

Sneed is a proven SEC player. No way Parks takes his place at 3rd. I did see where Parks had a good summer, but still Sneed is proven with the bat and is decent at 3rd. I also think Freeman will play leftfield and do some catching or at least be given the chance to start, he could dh along with Duffy, righty-lefty thing.

Btw, my sleeper for freshmen is Bole, can hit and hit with power plus has a pretty good fastball.

Did Ryan Power come back to school?

 

[Todd4State]

Supposedly the staff like Parks as well. That was my main reason for giving him the starting nod. It kind of surprised me when I heard that because like you said, he hasn't hit SEC pitching yet, and for a guy that the "really like" they couldn't seem to get him in the lineup.

Originally, the plan was for Sneed to go to first and then Parks to play third, but Conner Powers has thrown a wrench in those plans. I'm not complaining about that, though.

Ryan Powers is gone. I don't know where he ended up, my guess is somewhere up North. He couldn't see eye to eye with Cohen about something.

Bole certainly will have an impact next year in some form or fashion- mound, plate, and maybe both. He has a really nice swing.

 

[Todd4State]

of Leal myself, mainly because he is a walk-on. He may be an academic scholarship guy, though.

 

[1msudawg]

From Baseball Factory.. it shows him with a 1.91 pop time.

IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ

Release times, running times, and pitch velocities were gathered by our scouting staff at this event - just as they are at every Baseball Factory event. Our scouts are well trained, experienced and professional in their fair and unbiased approach to evaluating each player. Scouting is subjective by nature, but running an accurate stopwatch is a skill that is developed with experience. As such, the times recorded for each player are an accurate measure of the specific performance that was scouted.

Top release times appear in order by lowest single time, and are further sorted by the high end of the player's release time range. Several players have made college commitments, they appear in ( ).

1.88 Luke Voit - C, 6-3/200, R/R, 2009, Lafayette HS - Wildwood, MO (John A. Logan Coll.)
1.90 Samuel Peterson - C, 6-0/185, R/R, 2010, DeRidder HS - Rosepine, LA
1.90 Kyle Bacak - C, 5-9/165, R/R, 2010, Seven Lakes HS - Katy, TX
1.90 Daniel Torres - C, 6-0/165, R/R, 2010, Countryside HS - Safety Harbor, FL
<span style="font-weight: bold;">1.91 </span>Carlos Leal <span style="font-weight: bold;">- C, 5-11/190, S/R, '09, San Ignacio de Loyola - Guaynabo, Puerto Rico (Mississippi State Univ.)</span>
1.93 Billy Logan - C, 6-0/195, R/R, 2009, Greenup County HS - Greenup, KY
1.93 Ryan Wagner - C, 5-9/195, R/R, 2009, Trabuco Hills HS - Lake Forest, CA
1.93 Arman Valenzuela - C, 6-1/175, R/R, 2010, Northview HS - Fontana, CA (Loyola Marymount Univ.)
1.93 Michael Miller - C, 6-1/190, R/R, 2010, Mansfield HS - Mansfield, TX
1.95 Kyle Clifton - C, 5-11/190, R/R, 2009, Truman HS - Independence, MO
1.97 Zane Evans - C, 6-3/210, R/R, 2010, Roswell HS - Roswell, GA (Auburn Univ.)
1.97 Jason Moralez - C, 6-0/165, S/R, 2009, Linfield Christian HS - Murrietta, CA
2.00 Chad Miller - C, 5-9/190, R/R, 2010, Angleton HS - Angleton, TX
2.00 Tyler Barlow - C, 5-10/165, R/R, 2011, Westview Secondary - Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
2.00 Hunter Lockwood - C, 5-11/185, R/R, 2011, L.D. Bell HS - Bedford, TX
2.00 Drew Farber - C, 6-1/195, R/R, 2010, St. Johns College HS - Bethesda, MD
2.00 Jordan Harbison - C, 5-10/170, R/R, 2009, Fulton HS - Knoxville, TN
2.00 Parker Hills - C, 6-1/170, S/R, 2011, East Lincoln HS - Stanley, NC
2.00 Richard Glenn - C, 5-11/185, R/R, 2010, Homewood Flossmoor HS - Flossmoor, IL
2.00 Joshua Zumbrook - C, 6-1/195, R/R, 2009, West Wilkes HS - Millers Creek, NC (Appalachian State Univ.)

Baseball Factory

 

[8dog]

to fill the 35 man roster.

What we'll never know is when a guy is really just walking on and has been told he has not guarantees.

 

[Shmuley]

Pedro is a switch hitter? [not that there's anything wrong with that]

 

[1msudawg]

4. Carlos Leal - C, 5-11/190, S/R, 2009, San Ignacio de Loyola HS - Guayanbo, Puerto Rico <div> Leal is a switch hitting catcher with loads of speed and life in his actions, both defensively and with the bat. Though he is capable from both sides of the plate, his left handed plus bat speed and raw power are of particular interest. He has a very aggressive approach and is looking to swing the bat, at times to a fault. Behind the plate, he has soft hands and moves well to block. His arm is near Major League average, and he checked in as low as 1.91 to second base. Leal recently signed with Mississippi State University.

They ranked him 4th best player to come out of that Under Armour Tournament.
</div>

 

[basedog]

is what to do with Freeman and Duffy. Like you have said maybe with him being healthy, he will be able to catch (against righthanded) some and Duffy can be the dh.
Also, I believe Butler will play and start at second but when we take a lead into the 7th, 8th or 9th inning he will be replaced. Again a proven SEC hitter. As for as Parks, I just don't see the staff sitting Sneed and like you said having Conner back which is a good thing, it throws a monkey wrench into mix!