This is assuming that no one else gets hurt, and is based upon my opinion of who or what I think will happen.
All right-
Pitching staff:
Closer- This is up in the air, and probably won't be settled until sometime during the season. It's possible that we could go with a committee of closers. The reason for this is because Micheal Dixon went down with Tommy John surgery. I know that Devin Jones has been discussed as a potential closer, and is possible because of the new starting pitching depth that we have. I think two guys will most likely emerge as the closer or closers- CC Watson and Ben Bracewell. I think that Watson is the most likely candidate because he has a deceptive delivery, he throws hard- low 90's, and more importantly, he has an out pitch- his curveball. Watson's long-term future is as a weekend starter, and Ben Bracewell is our likely closer of the future long-term. I'm willing to bet that Cohen is going to want to see him in that role from time to time nxt season. He is a high energy closer- very emotional and likes to pump his fists, and I think our fans our going to love him in time. There are certainly some other possibilities for the closer spot- Corey Collins will pitch a lot for MSU in relief regardless of his role, and one guy that might surprise some people this year is Greg Houston. I think Greg will finally be put into a role where he is best suited and that should make him even more effective as a pitcher. Of course, there are a lot of freshmen that will make up the bullpen in general, and I expect very few if any of them to be RS. Luke Bole will be a two-way player- something that I'm going to have to get used to during the Cohen era, but am all for- and I think he and Chad Girodo will also contribute next year and may be in the closer mix as well. Then there are the guys who may surprise if they develop during the season- that incluudes Jared Miller, who I really like, Matt Lane who is more of a control pitcher, but he is 6'5" and will be someone to watch in the future, and Kendall Graveman who has a pretty good fastball. Another guy to watch as far as the closer mix- Trey Johnson who also will be a dual-position player for MSU. Finally, the one survivor besides Devin Jones from Polk's last class Caleb Reed is still around and we will wait and see on Jordan Faulkner, a RH walk-on from Meridian CC via Madison Central who I think makes the team now that Nick Ray and Carlos Leal have left. I don't expect the last two guys to pitch very much next year, and Faulkner may be RS if he makes the team. On the DL- Paxton Pace, Justin Bussey, and Dixon.
The rotation- This is actually a little bit more defined than the closer spot because we have fewer freshmen competing and more known commodities here.
Fri.- This is between Devin Jones and Nick Routt, and they could be interchanged during the season between the Fri. and Sat. slots. It also depends on whether or not Jones closes. I also think it may be possible that Cohen uses Jones on Fri. as a starter and for one inning as a closer on Sun. I would prefer that Cohen not do that, though because I think it might burn Devin out by the seasons end. Hopefully Devin Jones does not become Rickey Bowen 2.0.
Sat- Routt and Jones, with a possibility of Chris Stratton should Devin Jones close. I've seen Stratton pitch in high school, and one thing that stood out about him was his mound prescence. He was very confident and aggressive, and he will be a staple in MSU's rotation for the next three years.
Sun. Stratton or Tyler Whitney. Both have their pros and cons. Whitney has experience in the SEC, and has had success, and Stratton has good stuff. Since the SEC has better hitters in general than the midweek competition, and the fact that I feel that Whitney is better suited to come out of the bullpen than Stratton if need be, I'm going with Stratton. Chris also has more swing and miss type stuff than Whitney, who is more of a pitch to contact guy, and I think that will serve MSU better against better hitters. In theory, Stratton will have more margin of error. Whitney's style will better serve the team during midweek when he is facing lineups that typically only have one power hitter and the guys are trying to put the ball in play and use their speed. It is also possible that one of the other freshman pitchers could emerge, but I think these two are the most likely candidates.
Midweek- Whitney or Stratton or one of the plethora of freshmen. And this could be a week to week thing. There are opportunities for the freshmen to get some experience against the likes of Alcorn State on the schedule, and it may be more beneficial to the team in the long run to give a Chad Girodo a start vs Tyler Whitney. At the same time, Whitney has pitched against people like Ole Miss- mention because we play them one time midweek, not obsessed, and his experience will be valuable against teams like that.
Catchers- It will be shared by Cody Freeman and Wes Thigpen. Freeman is a little bit more dangerous offensively, and Thigpen is the better defender. Ryan Duffy is listed as a catcher, but unless he has improved markedly defensively, I do not expect to see him behind the plate. Kolby Byrd is the catcher of the future, but may be RS. He struggled offensively this fall. Jet Butler is possibly the third catcher, and as you might expect he is very raw. So, a walk-on from Meridian named Dallas Hannah, who can play several positions- could very well end up being the third guy if he can beat out Byrd offensively. The "guy from Puerto Rico" transferred to a community college in Florida this month, kind of leaving us a little thin in the depth department.
First base- Conner Powers. He could have a big season for MSU- like 20 home runs, .320-.350 average, and plays good defense. Nick Ray, a walk-on transferred to Jones. So, his likely back-ups are Cody Freeman, Russ Sneed, Duffy, and Hannah in no particular order.
Second base- Frank Rawdow. The middle infield will be rotated between three guys- Rawdow, Johnathan Ogden, and Nick Vickerson. I think Rawdow is the best all-around second baseman- offensively and defensively speaking. One guy that I think will come off of the bench some- Sam Frost an invited walk-on from Hoover HS in Birmingham on an academic scholarship, who was one of the better hitting freshmen this fall.
Third base- Nick Vickerson. OK, stay with me here. It would be Jarrod Parks except for the fact that Parks will be in the DL for breaking his neck while goofing off during a game while fielding a bunt- sarcasm to David Murray's hack reporting. Vickerson's biggest asset is his arm. He has a cannon- and at times the accuracy of a cannon to- and that's something that is highly desired out of a third baseman- a strong arm. His bat doesn't play as well there, but the other option is Russ Sneed, who isn't exactly Brooks Robinson himself. If I was Cohen, it would come down to who plays better defense of the two. I'm thinking that's probably going to be Vickerson. Jet Butler may very well start here as well. It would be really nice if he would actually play up to his potential for once because he has the ability to start, but he simply has poor instincts- especially on the basepaths. If he can overcome that somehow, I would pencil him in here. Other potential options- Freeman, Hannah, Frost, Ogden, Rawdow.
Shortstop- Johnathan Ogden. This guy can flat out field. Even before Parks was put on the shelf, Ogden was probably going to play a good bit. I've heard people utter the words Maniscalco to describe him. And it's probably a good comparison in that Ogden is not that great of an offensive player-although Manny became a darn good hitter as a senior. Ogden is a guy that like Ozzie Smith may not drive in a lot of runs, but he will certianly save his share. I expect Ogden to hit anywhere between .200- I know high expectations- and .250. But I also expect stellar defense, a guy who is a good bunter, and a guy that will steal some bags. Other options- Vickerson, Rawdow, Frost, Hannah.
Right field- Ryan Collins. This was a tough one, and like the middle infield and maybe third base, I expect several guys to start here. I think Collins is the best all-around in my opinion, and therefore, I give him the nod. He just needs to stay healthy. Jaron Shepherd will break the color barrier for MSU and while he was drafted by the Reds last year, he was for me a disappointment in the fall. Still, he has good potential and is a great athlete if nothing else. He still has to show me something to start. Luke Adkins will also probably play some as well and he may be the surprise of the team this spring. He has always been able to hit, and he is definately a Cohen type player. Other guys- Trey Johnson, Duffy, Freeman, Hannah of course, Jet.
Center field- Brent Brownlee. When you have the coaching staff touting you as the "best defensive outfielder in the SEC" you know that you are probably the starting CF. He does need to improve offensively, but I have a feeling he will. I'd like to see him hit at least .280-.300 and steal at least 10 bases and be one of the better bunters on the team.
Left field- Trey Johnson. Cohen loves this guy, and therefore, I will take the hint that he will start. He showed some power in JUCO, but I have a feeling that if he hits 10 home runs we should be happy. I do think he will hit for average and steal some bases and play solid defense. He may moonlight in CF or RF at times. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that this guy will be a regular. See Right field for other options. And yep- Dallas Hannah.
Designated hitter- Russ Sneed. This is tough because I'm leaving Ryan Duffy on the bench in my starting lineup, but he will DH for us some as well. I also believe that whichever catcher is not starting amongst Cody Freeman and Wes Thigpen could also DH at times. My secret weapon pick- Luke Bole who hit 20 home runs last year in high school, and who I think will be a dual position player for MSU. Other options- everyone else that I didn't mention that isn't a full time pitcher.
Pinch hitter- Ryan Duffy. This guy is one of the best in the SEC and deserves some mention for that. Especially since I've ripped his defense plenty of times. And yes, he will DH some for MSU.
Pinch runner- Jaron Shepherd. One of the faster players on the team, if he can't crack the lineup, I don't think Cohen will hesistate to use him on the basepaths.
Utility man- Jet Butler. He can play third, the corner outfield spots, maybe catch. He is also a senior that can hit with some occasional power. Honroable mention to walk-on Dallas Hannah who I mentioned in every paragraph, but since he might be RS, I couldn't give this to him- for this year.
The Grandstand Trophy- awarded to a player that is classy (rule violation) and is a good student- Greg Houston. I don't mean this in a derrogatory way- like there's something wrong with being a good student and playing hard? Hey, it's part of MSU's baseball tradition. Presented by Jon Harden.
LFL Trophy sponsored by the shortbus- Also part of MSU's baseball tradition- players that play their *** off and do what it takes to win. Brent Brownlee wins this. Presented by Rusty Thoms.
All right-
Pitching staff:
Closer- This is up in the air, and probably won't be settled until sometime during the season. It's possible that we could go with a committee of closers. The reason for this is because Micheal Dixon went down with Tommy John surgery. I know that Devin Jones has been discussed as a potential closer, and is possible because of the new starting pitching depth that we have. I think two guys will most likely emerge as the closer or closers- CC Watson and Ben Bracewell. I think that Watson is the most likely candidate because he has a deceptive delivery, he throws hard- low 90's, and more importantly, he has an out pitch- his curveball. Watson's long-term future is as a weekend starter, and Ben Bracewell is our likely closer of the future long-term. I'm willing to bet that Cohen is going to want to see him in that role from time to time nxt season. He is a high energy closer- very emotional and likes to pump his fists, and I think our fans our going to love him in time. There are certainly some other possibilities for the closer spot- Corey Collins will pitch a lot for MSU in relief regardless of his role, and one guy that might surprise some people this year is Greg Houston. I think Greg will finally be put into a role where he is best suited and that should make him even more effective as a pitcher. Of course, there are a lot of freshmen that will make up the bullpen in general, and I expect very few if any of them to be RS. Luke Bole will be a two-way player- something that I'm going to have to get used to during the Cohen era, but am all for- and I think he and Chad Girodo will also contribute next year and may be in the closer mix as well. Then there are the guys who may surprise if they develop during the season- that incluudes Jared Miller, who I really like, Matt Lane who is more of a control pitcher, but he is 6'5" and will be someone to watch in the future, and Kendall Graveman who has a pretty good fastball. Another guy to watch as far as the closer mix- Trey Johnson who also will be a dual-position player for MSU. Finally, the one survivor besides Devin Jones from Polk's last class Caleb Reed is still around and we will wait and see on Jordan Faulkner, a RH walk-on from Meridian CC via Madison Central who I think makes the team now that Nick Ray and Carlos Leal have left. I don't expect the last two guys to pitch very much next year, and Faulkner may be RS if he makes the team. On the DL- Paxton Pace, Justin Bussey, and Dixon.
The rotation- This is actually a little bit more defined than the closer spot because we have fewer freshmen competing and more known commodities here.
Fri.- This is between Devin Jones and Nick Routt, and they could be interchanged during the season between the Fri. and Sat. slots. It also depends on whether or not Jones closes. I also think it may be possible that Cohen uses Jones on Fri. as a starter and for one inning as a closer on Sun. I would prefer that Cohen not do that, though because I think it might burn Devin out by the seasons end. Hopefully Devin Jones does not become Rickey Bowen 2.0.
Sat- Routt and Jones, with a possibility of Chris Stratton should Devin Jones close. I've seen Stratton pitch in high school, and one thing that stood out about him was his mound prescence. He was very confident and aggressive, and he will be a staple in MSU's rotation for the next three years.
Sun. Stratton or Tyler Whitney. Both have their pros and cons. Whitney has experience in the SEC, and has had success, and Stratton has good stuff. Since the SEC has better hitters in general than the midweek competition, and the fact that I feel that Whitney is better suited to come out of the bullpen than Stratton if need be, I'm going with Stratton. Chris also has more swing and miss type stuff than Whitney, who is more of a pitch to contact guy, and I think that will serve MSU better against better hitters. In theory, Stratton will have more margin of error. Whitney's style will better serve the team during midweek when he is facing lineups that typically only have one power hitter and the guys are trying to put the ball in play and use their speed. It is also possible that one of the other freshman pitchers could emerge, but I think these two are the most likely candidates.
Midweek- Whitney or Stratton or one of the plethora of freshmen. And this could be a week to week thing. There are opportunities for the freshmen to get some experience against the likes of Alcorn State on the schedule, and it may be more beneficial to the team in the long run to give a Chad Girodo a start vs Tyler Whitney. At the same time, Whitney has pitched against people like Ole Miss- mention because we play them one time midweek, not obsessed, and his experience will be valuable against teams like that.
Catchers- It will be shared by Cody Freeman and Wes Thigpen. Freeman is a little bit more dangerous offensively, and Thigpen is the better defender. Ryan Duffy is listed as a catcher, but unless he has improved markedly defensively, I do not expect to see him behind the plate. Kolby Byrd is the catcher of the future, but may be RS. He struggled offensively this fall. Jet Butler is possibly the third catcher, and as you might expect he is very raw. So, a walk-on from Meridian named Dallas Hannah, who can play several positions- could very well end up being the third guy if he can beat out Byrd offensively. The "guy from Puerto Rico" transferred to a community college in Florida this month, kind of leaving us a little thin in the depth department.
First base- Conner Powers. He could have a big season for MSU- like 20 home runs, .320-.350 average, and plays good defense. Nick Ray, a walk-on transferred to Jones. So, his likely back-ups are Cody Freeman, Russ Sneed, Duffy, and Hannah in no particular order.
Second base- Frank Rawdow. The middle infield will be rotated between three guys- Rawdow, Johnathan Ogden, and Nick Vickerson. I think Rawdow is the best all-around second baseman- offensively and defensively speaking. One guy that I think will come off of the bench some- Sam Frost an invited walk-on from Hoover HS in Birmingham on an academic scholarship, who was one of the better hitting freshmen this fall.
Third base- Nick Vickerson. OK, stay with me here. It would be Jarrod Parks except for the fact that Parks will be in the DL for breaking his neck while goofing off during a game while fielding a bunt- sarcasm to David Murray's hack reporting. Vickerson's biggest asset is his arm. He has a cannon- and at times the accuracy of a cannon to- and that's something that is highly desired out of a third baseman- a strong arm. His bat doesn't play as well there, but the other option is Russ Sneed, who isn't exactly Brooks Robinson himself. If I was Cohen, it would come down to who plays better defense of the two. I'm thinking that's probably going to be Vickerson. Jet Butler may very well start here as well. It would be really nice if he would actually play up to his potential for once because he has the ability to start, but he simply has poor instincts- especially on the basepaths. If he can overcome that somehow, I would pencil him in here. Other potential options- Freeman, Hannah, Frost, Ogden, Rawdow.
Shortstop- Johnathan Ogden. This guy can flat out field. Even before Parks was put on the shelf, Ogden was probably going to play a good bit. I've heard people utter the words Maniscalco to describe him. And it's probably a good comparison in that Ogden is not that great of an offensive player-although Manny became a darn good hitter as a senior. Ogden is a guy that like Ozzie Smith may not drive in a lot of runs, but he will certianly save his share. I expect Ogden to hit anywhere between .200- I know high expectations- and .250. But I also expect stellar defense, a guy who is a good bunter, and a guy that will steal some bags. Other options- Vickerson, Rawdow, Frost, Hannah.
Right field- Ryan Collins. This was a tough one, and like the middle infield and maybe third base, I expect several guys to start here. I think Collins is the best all-around in my opinion, and therefore, I give him the nod. He just needs to stay healthy. Jaron Shepherd will break the color barrier for MSU and while he was drafted by the Reds last year, he was for me a disappointment in the fall. Still, he has good potential and is a great athlete if nothing else. He still has to show me something to start. Luke Adkins will also probably play some as well and he may be the surprise of the team this spring. He has always been able to hit, and he is definately a Cohen type player. Other guys- Trey Johnson, Duffy, Freeman, Hannah of course, Jet.
Center field- Brent Brownlee. When you have the coaching staff touting you as the "best defensive outfielder in the SEC" you know that you are probably the starting CF. He does need to improve offensively, but I have a feeling he will. I'd like to see him hit at least .280-.300 and steal at least 10 bases and be one of the better bunters on the team.
Left field- Trey Johnson. Cohen loves this guy, and therefore, I will take the hint that he will start. He showed some power in JUCO, but I have a feeling that if he hits 10 home runs we should be happy. I do think he will hit for average and steal some bases and play solid defense. He may moonlight in CF or RF at times. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that this guy will be a regular. See Right field for other options. And yep- Dallas Hannah.
Designated hitter- Russ Sneed. This is tough because I'm leaving Ryan Duffy on the bench in my starting lineup, but he will DH for us some as well. I also believe that whichever catcher is not starting amongst Cody Freeman and Wes Thigpen could also DH at times. My secret weapon pick- Luke Bole who hit 20 home runs last year in high school, and who I think will be a dual position player for MSU. Other options- everyone else that I didn't mention that isn't a full time pitcher.
Pinch hitter- Ryan Duffy. This guy is one of the best in the SEC and deserves some mention for that. Especially since I've ripped his defense plenty of times. And yes, he will DH some for MSU.
Pinch runner- Jaron Shepherd. One of the faster players on the team, if he can't crack the lineup, I don't think Cohen will hesistate to use him on the basepaths.
Utility man- Jet Butler. He can play third, the corner outfield spots, maybe catch. He is also a senior that can hit with some occasional power. Honroable mention to walk-on Dallas Hannah who I mentioned in every paragraph, but since he might be RS, I couldn't give this to him- for this year.
The Grandstand Trophy- awarded to a player that is classy (rule violation) and is a good student- Greg Houston. I don't mean this in a derrogatory way- like there's something wrong with being a good student and playing hard? Hey, it's part of MSU's baseball tradition. Presented by Jon Harden.
LFL Trophy sponsored by the shortbus- Also part of MSU's baseball tradition- players that play their *** off and do what it takes to win. Brent Brownlee wins this. Presented by Rusty Thoms.