I'll start by saying put me in the camp that says offense is our biggest problem right now. That's not to give pitching a pass, because it hasn't been very good either. But we're losing 3-1, 4-3, 3-0 type games way too frequently. If you can't score more than 3-4 runs in college baseball, that's really bad. And it doesn't matter if those 3 runs are earned or unearned, come on a homer, walked in, or whatever else.
The two things that concern me the most are this: 1) Offense is supposed to be Cohen's forte. Yet we've been average at very best every year he's been here thus far. That's got to change. 2) Key players are regressing offensively. Frazier & CT both immediately spring to mind this season. If those 2 aren't hitting, our whole offense goes into the *******. They're the table setters.
I think Cohen is a good coach, but his obsession with matchups is killing us at the plate. Baseball isn't exactly rocket science. Generally, you find your 9 best hitters and find a way to get them on the field at the same time. The only exception is if you have a sensational defensive SS or 2B. But whatever you do, find a lineup and run it out there every day. Guys need regular ABs to gel and get comfortable. If it were up to me, this would be our lineup: 1) Frazier 2) Pirtle/Frost 3) Renfroe 4) Rea 5) Porter/Detz 6) Norris 7) Slauter 8) CT 9) Henderson CT needs to move down in the order & Norris should be at 3B every day. Norris must've kicked Cohen's dog or something, because you can't name a solid reason for him to not be in the lineup.
We also have too many slap hitters in the lineup. Frazier, CT, Henderson, Pirtle, Frost, and Slauter aren't exactly power threats. Sure, they're all capable of occasionally poking one out, but they aren't guys that consistently scare you. Our team should be pissed that opposing pitching staffs are starting to intentionally walk Renfroe. It's a complement to the season that he's putting together, but it also tells me they don't think anyone else in our lineup is capable of delivering. Honestly, the only 2 guys who seem to want to be at the plater in RBI situations right now are Renfroe & Rea. This team needs to have one of those infamous "players only" meetings and get their **** together. Until more than 2 guys wanna drive in runs, we're going to struggle putting runs on the board.
Now, on to pitching. Yes, it's been suspect so far. We've struggled to throw strikes. No one in their right mind will deny that. Lindgren not being able to go yesterday definitely hurt. But we've GOT to settle the 3rd spot in the rotation. If it were up to me, I'd give the shot to either Cox or Woodruff. Cox was very good in the non-con prior to last week. And I wouldn't be surprised if his struggles last week were a result of rust. I don't remember him having pitched in at least 2 weeks prior to that start. You can throw a bullpen every day if you want, but there's nothing that can simulate pitching in a game.
I also don't understand why we're babying Woodruff's elbow. Throw him out there and see what happens. We did that with Stratton for 2 years. Why the hell can't we run Woody out there a couple of weeks? It's just really puzzling to me how we're handling our staff right now.
Another point: I love Ben Bracewell, but the guy isn't a starter. He's what I like to call a max effort pitcher. He throws every pitch as hard as he can. There's no concern about pacing himself to last 6, 7, 8 innings the way a starter would. That's great coming out of the 'pen, but it's terrible for a starter. I can understand trying to use him some in long relief. Personally, I'd pair him with Pollo or Ross Mitchell if one of them becomes the 3rd starter ahead of Cox or Woodruff. But I still say those 2 should be at the front of the line for the job.
I'm also of the opinion that our offensive struggles are partially causing our pitching breakdown. We're essentially asking our starters to go out there and win 2-1, 1-0, 3-2 every night. They feel the pressure to pitch perfectly, instead of just pitching. And when you're trying to pitch perfectly, you struggle with control. That's absolute hell on a pitching staff. They need to know they can afford to make a mistake because the offense will pick them up. Our guys have to feel the exact opposite right now.
Bottom line, we just aren't a good team at this time. We've got a lot of talent, but for some reason it isn't translating. Cohen needs to stop over-managing, settle on a lineup, and give it time to gel. He needs to let Norris out of the dog house. And he needs to stop babying Woody & give him a rotation shot. This weekend's series with Florida is a must-win. If we lose 2 of 3 aGAIN, this season could spiral out of control in a hurry.
The two things that concern me the most are this: 1) Offense is supposed to be Cohen's forte. Yet we've been average at very best every year he's been here thus far. That's got to change. 2) Key players are regressing offensively. Frazier & CT both immediately spring to mind this season. If those 2 aren't hitting, our whole offense goes into the *******. They're the table setters.
I think Cohen is a good coach, but his obsession with matchups is killing us at the plate. Baseball isn't exactly rocket science. Generally, you find your 9 best hitters and find a way to get them on the field at the same time. The only exception is if you have a sensational defensive SS or 2B. But whatever you do, find a lineup and run it out there every day. Guys need regular ABs to gel and get comfortable. If it were up to me, this would be our lineup: 1) Frazier 2) Pirtle/Frost 3) Renfroe 4) Rea 5) Porter/Detz 6) Norris 7) Slauter 8) CT 9) Henderson CT needs to move down in the order & Norris should be at 3B every day. Norris must've kicked Cohen's dog or something, because you can't name a solid reason for him to not be in the lineup.
We also have too many slap hitters in the lineup. Frazier, CT, Henderson, Pirtle, Frost, and Slauter aren't exactly power threats. Sure, they're all capable of occasionally poking one out, but they aren't guys that consistently scare you. Our team should be pissed that opposing pitching staffs are starting to intentionally walk Renfroe. It's a complement to the season that he's putting together, but it also tells me they don't think anyone else in our lineup is capable of delivering. Honestly, the only 2 guys who seem to want to be at the plater in RBI situations right now are Renfroe & Rea. This team needs to have one of those infamous "players only" meetings and get their **** together. Until more than 2 guys wanna drive in runs, we're going to struggle putting runs on the board.
Now, on to pitching. Yes, it's been suspect so far. We've struggled to throw strikes. No one in their right mind will deny that. Lindgren not being able to go yesterday definitely hurt. But we've GOT to settle the 3rd spot in the rotation. If it were up to me, I'd give the shot to either Cox or Woodruff. Cox was very good in the non-con prior to last week. And I wouldn't be surprised if his struggles last week were a result of rust. I don't remember him having pitched in at least 2 weeks prior to that start. You can throw a bullpen every day if you want, but there's nothing that can simulate pitching in a game.
I also don't understand why we're babying Woodruff's elbow. Throw him out there and see what happens. We did that with Stratton for 2 years. Why the hell can't we run Woody out there a couple of weeks? It's just really puzzling to me how we're handling our staff right now.
Another point: I love Ben Bracewell, but the guy isn't a starter. He's what I like to call a max effort pitcher. He throws every pitch as hard as he can. There's no concern about pacing himself to last 6, 7, 8 innings the way a starter would. That's great coming out of the 'pen, but it's terrible for a starter. I can understand trying to use him some in long relief. Personally, I'd pair him with Pollo or Ross Mitchell if one of them becomes the 3rd starter ahead of Cox or Woodruff. But I still say those 2 should be at the front of the line for the job.
I'm also of the opinion that our offensive struggles are partially causing our pitching breakdown. We're essentially asking our starters to go out there and win 2-1, 1-0, 3-2 every night. They feel the pressure to pitch perfectly, instead of just pitching. And when you're trying to pitch perfectly, you struggle with control. That's absolute hell on a pitching staff. They need to know they can afford to make a mistake because the offense will pick them up. Our guys have to feel the exact opposite right now.
Bottom line, we just aren't a good team at this time. We've got a lot of talent, but for some reason it isn't translating. Cohen needs to stop over-managing, settle on a lineup, and give it time to gel. He needs to let Norris out of the dog house. And he needs to stop babying Woody & give him a rotation shot. This weekend's series with Florida is a must-win. If we lose 2 of 3 aGAIN, this season could spiral out of control in a hurry.
