Baseball in 30 days. How do you feel about it? What has to happen?

[thekimmer]

I'd like to say 'cautiously optimistic' but I really don't know to feel this year. I suppose it is a combination of so many new faces combined with what transpired last year.

I think it is safe to say that we will be better but how much better do we have to be to demonstrate we have our mojo back?

I think we all could agree a repeat performance of last season should culminate a coaching search. To me the same thing should be considered if we don't make a regional. I don't expect either one to happen. I will not be satisfied we are back on track until we are in a hosting discussion.

The one thing that gives me optimism is what happened in 2015 and what we followed up with in 2016.

 

[dawgstudent]

You have to get to a regional. Anything else is gravy.

 

[curseddawgs]

You have to get to a regional. Anything else is gravy.

Regional should be the minimum every season. Winning a game in Omaha is gravy

 

[The Peeper]

You have to get to a regional. Anything else is gravy.

All indications from what I've heard are that it will be a repeat of last season, so, anything better than that may be the gravy......

 

[dawgstudent]

Regional should be the minimum every season. Winning a game in Omaha is gravy

Coming off of a year where you don't make one - I think making one will appease people where they aren't going apeshit.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

After the natty, and then the downer of last year, I don't care about all these expectations. I'm still going to follow it. Of course, I would prefer we be good.

That said, I'm intrigued by our lineup. I expect Hancock, Clark, Hines and Forsythe to be similar players to last year, maybe slight improvement. Hines may hit a slump, who knows. The newcomers will be what they are, and I'm talking freshmen here - Jordan, Mershon, Highfill. The X-factor is if Alford and Downs making a jump, and/or Hujsak and Ledbetter do what we think they can. If they do, this lineup could be deadly, 2016 level.

Pitching, I think we have too many arms to not be at minimum solid.

I see a fringe hosting team. Low seed host or 2 seed somewhere.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

I don’t think Lemonis’s job is in danger at all this year, even if we don’t make a Regional. Just feel like a new AD is going to give a championship winning coach every opportunity to show he can still get it done.

Having said that, I fully expect us to be a Regional team. My gut says solid 2 seed in someone else’s Regional. But I feel very good about the additions to our roster and think the returning guys will be eager to make amends for last year.

 

[SchrodingersDawg]

I think the coaching staff has a lot of work to do to prove last year was bad luck/a fluke. Got to at least make a regional and look pretty damn competitive all season in doing so.

 

[onewoof]

Don't get swept by Mizzou or lose the series.

 

[knock him out john]

After the natty, and then the downer of last year, I don't care about all these expectations. I'm still going to follow it. Of course, I would prefer we be good.

That said, I'm intrigued by our lineup. I expect Hancock, Clark, Hines and Forsythe to be similar players to last year, maybe slight improvement. Hines may hit a slump, who knows. The newcomers will be what they are, and I'm talking freshmen here - Jordan, Mershon, Highfill. The X-factor is if Alford and Downs making a jump, and/or Hujsak and Ledbetter do what we think they can. If they do, this lineup could be deadly, 2016 level.

Pitching, I think we have too many arms to not be at minimum solid.

I see a fringe hosting team. Low seed host or 2 seed somewhere.

look for Downs to make a jump.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

To quote my grandfather after playing in my first golf tournament, “well, you can only get better.” I expect us to be better than last year.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I think the coaching staff has a lot of work to do to prove last year was bad luck/a fluke. Got to at least make a regional and look pretty damn competitive all season in doing so.

No they don't. Anybody with a brain knows exactly why last year was a fluke.

I'm not saying the coaches don't have a lot of work to do. They do. But not for the reasons you mention.

 

[jdbulldog]

Walks, walks, walks. Let’s hope our staff throws strikes and allows our defense to make plays. If it does, we have a chance to be good. Free passes are hard to defend.

 

[SchrodingersDawg]

To quote my grandfather after playing in my first golf tournament, “well, you can only get better.” I expect us to be better than last year.

That's a bold statement to make when it comes to golf.

 

[Seinfeld]

Coming off of a year where you don't make one - I think making one will appease people where they aren't going apeshit.

Agreed. Missing postseason once is an understandable anomaly. Missing it two years in a row will really have me questioning this staff’s ability to recruit and develop

 

[POTUS]

Intrigued by Jurrangelo Cijntje

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

I’d definitely like to see us get off to a better start. Nonconference was a disaster for us last year, we lost quite a few games against a weak schedule, and then had the Sims injury.

We seem to play a better non-con slate this year in general. Only two games against SWAC teams all year, which feels low for us. VMI on opening weekend isn’t a good series but it at least should be a sweep and get us off to a good start.

 

[patdog]

I don’t think Lemonis’s job is in danger at all this year, even if we don’t make a Regional. Just feel like a new AD is going to give a championship winning coach every opportunity to show he can still get it done.

This is 20-year old Larry Templeton era thinking. If a baseball coach at Mississippi State misses a regional 2 years in a row, his seat better be white-hot at the very least.

 

[MStateDawg]

This success of this season will depend largely on the pitching staff and how well they perform. The lineup should be stout. But we need some returning pitchers to make a jump, we need need the transfer pitchers to be solid and we need to stay healthy.

I expect the lineup to be something like:
1. Amani Larry 2B
2. Colton Ledbetter CF
3. Luke Hancock C
4. Hunter Hines 1B
5. Slate Alford 3B
6. Kellum Clark RF
7. Lane Forsythe/David Mershon SS
8. Aaron Downs/Dakota Jordan/Connor Hujsak LF
9. Aaron Downs/Dakota Jordan/Connor Hujsak/Von Seibert DH

For this pitching staff???? I really dont know. I imagine Cade Smith will start on the weekend but other than that, who knows.
Potential Starters:
Cade Smith
KC Hunt
Landon Gartman (Memphis transfer)
Bradley Loftin (true freshman)
Jurrangelo Cijntje (true freshman BHP!!!)

Bullpen:
Pico Kohn
Parker Stinnett
Colby Holocombe (JUCO transfer)
Nate Dohm (Ball State transfer)
Aaron Nixon (Texas transfer)

Then we have several other true freshmen and juco transfers as well.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

That's a bold statement to make when it comes to golf.

When you come in last, you can’t do worse.

 

[beachbumdawg]

That's a bold statement to make when it comes to golf.

Yep
Played with a guy said he was good - 7.5 hrs later we finished 18holes at farmlinks - he shot 161 and search and rescued every mishit - I shot 88

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

This is 20-year old Larry Templeton era thinking. If a baseball coach at Mississippi State misses a regional 2 years in a row, his seat better be white-hot at the very least.

I think it would absolutely be white hot going into 2024. And may require some staff changes. But i fully expect Lemonis to be our coach in ‘24 even if we suck this year.

Good news is I don’t think we’ll suck this year.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Get back to me after the Bama weekend. We have a pretty strong schedule.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

We have to win the natty. This year. If not, fire everyone, including the meteorology department

 

[Dawgbite]

Yep
Played with a guy said he was good - 7.5 hrs later we finished 18holes at farmlinks - he shot 161 and search and rescued every mishit - I shot 88

Anyone who says you can’t get worse at golf has never really played golf. I lost SIX balls today and not just I’m too lazy to walk that far to look for it, legit lost.

 

[MSUDAWGFAN]

I'd like to say 'cautiously optimistic' but I really don't know to feel this year. I suppose it is a combination of so many new faces combined with what transpired last year.

I think it is safe to say that we will be better but how much better do we have to be to demonstrate we have our mojo back?

I think we all could agree a repeat performance of last season should culminate a coaching search. To me the same thing should be considered if we don't make a regional. I don't expect either one to happen. I will not be satisfied we are back on track until we are in a hosting discussion.

The one thing that gives me optimism is what happened in 2015 and what we followed up with in 2016.

Omaha is mandatory.