baseball roster update....

[philduckworth]

Incoming transfers:

1. Dohm, RHP
2. Nixon, RHP
3. Gartman, RHP
4. Davis, LHP
5. Ledbetter, OF
6. Larry, 2B
7. Hujsak, SS

Juco:

8. Holcombe, RHP

Returning players:

9. Kellum Clark, OF
10. Slate Alford, 3B
11. Forsythe, SS
12. Hancock, C
13. Downs, OF
14. Hines, 1B
15. Kohn, P
16. Cheatum, P
17. KC Hunt, P
18. C. Smith

It's pretty safe to say the above 18 players are going to be on the 35 man roster.

Then you have 17 incoming HS signees. And you have 2 Jucos in Chester and Yntema. 1 transfer in Doyle. And you have Seibert, Chance, Stone Simmons, and Stinnett as possible returners who could earn a roster spot.

So right now, you have 42 guys battling for 35 roster spots. And we may add another portal player or 2. So for those wondering why some signees have been let go, that's why. It's a tough deal now with the portal. I also think we had a couple of guys make it to campus that we didn't expect. It's rare we only lose 1 signee.

Coaches are in a different spot. They don't have much room for developmental guys anymore. If you don't play a kid, he transfers. If you fill too many holes with freshmen, you lose and get fired. The portal is just too easy of a fix.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Something's off here. I see no PO's. Are all our pitchers going to bat and/or play in the field on their days off?

 

[bddawg]

Incoming transfers:

1. Dohm, RHP
2. Nixon, RHP
3. Gartman, RHP
4. Davis, LHP
5. Ledbetter, OF
6. Larry, 2B
7. Hujsak, SS

Juco:

8. Holcombe, RHP

Returning players:

9. Kellum Clark, OF
10. Slate Alford, 3B
11. Forsythe, SS
12. Hancock, C
13. Downs, OF
14. Hines, 1B
15. Kohn, P
16. Cheatum, P
17. KC Hunt, P
18. C. Smith

It's pretty safe to say the above 18 players are going to be on the 35 man roster.

Then you have 17 incoming HS signees. And you have 2 Jucos in Chester and Yntema. 1 transfer in Doyle. And you have Seibert, Chance, Stone Simmons, and Stinnett as possible returners who could earn a roster spot.

So right now, you have 42 guys battling for 35 roster spots. And we may add another portal player or 2. So for those wondering why some signees have been let go, that's why. It's a tough deal now with the portal. I also think we had a couple of guys make it to campus that we didn't expect. It's rare we only lose 1 signee.

Coaches are in a different spot. They don't have much room for developmental guys anymore. If you don't play a kid, he transfers. If you fill too many holes with freshmen, you lose and get fired. The portal is just too easy of a fix.

Hancock and stinett don't count against the 35. So we can have 37 total.

 

[Go Budaw]

Just a note….2023 will still have roster allowance up to 40 players if there are still players that lost 2020 due to COVID on the roster. If you only have 4 such players, the limit is 39, only 3 - 38, etc.

By my count, we have at least 5 players who qualify - Hancock, Seibert, Hunt, Simmons, and Stinnett from your list, as well as Brandon Smith and Brooks Auger who are not on your list. There are likely also several of the transfers that qualify as well, but I didn’t take the time to research them. So, we will still likely have a 40-man roster next season, provided that at least 5 of those 7 (plus eligible transfers) choose to be on the team.

I’d add Auger and Smith to your list until the dust settles on one or both of them, and we’d have 44 guys competing for 40 spots. Which isn’t too far above and beyond the normal amount of cuts you have to make from signees and transfers.

“For the ’23 season, the NCAA is allowing programs to have a roster size anywhere from 35-40, but there are major caveats. For instance, any student athlete beyond 35 would have had to lose their season to COVID back in 2020.”

https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/2023-changes.361209/

 

[philduckworth]

Ok, I thought the Covid exception had expired. I believe Brandon Smith has hung up the cleats and Auger is unlikely to be ready so that's why they are excluded. I didn't think Seibert was on the roster during Covid. But yeah, looks like we will be able to carry 39-40 so that helps. May just have to redshirt a couple of guys. I'm sure a few will leave after the fall. Managing a college baseball roster is such a difficult job.

 

[Go Budaw]

Ok, I thought the Covid exception had expired. I believe Brandon Smith has hung up the cleats and Auger is unlikely to be ready so that's why they are excluded. I didn't think Seibert was on the roster during Covid. But yeah, looks like we will be able to carry 39-40 so that helps. May just have to redshirt a couple of guys. I'm sure a few will leave after the fall. Managing a college baseball roster is such a difficult job.

Seibert wasn’t on our roster but he was at PRCC in 2020. Doesn’t count any different to the NCAA. Same with several others….Stinnett was in JUCO, Simmons was at Furman, etc.

Also I misspoke on Auger, he was in HS in 2020. I don’t expect him or Simmons to be ready. But if we want to keep one or both around it looks like we will have the option and flexibility that we wouldn’t normally have.

 

[Ralph Cramden]

My guess would be Lemonis knows exactly what his numbers are

 

[philduckworth]

no ****

 

[ababyatemydingo]

Incoming transfers:

1. Dohm, RHP
2. Nixon, RHP
3. Gartman, RHP
4. Davis, LHP
5. Ledbetter, OF
6. Larry, 2B
7. Hujsak, SS

Juco:

8. Holcombe, RHP

Returning players:

9. Kellum Clark, OF
10. Slate Alford, 3B
11. Forsythe, SS
12. Hancock, C
13. Downs, OF
14. Hines, 1B
15. Kohn, P
16. Cheatum, P
17. KC Hunt, P
18. C. Smith

It's pretty safe to say the above 18 players are going to be on the 35 man roster.

Then you have 17 incoming HS signees. And you have 2 Jucos in Chester and Yntema. 1 transfer in Doyle. And you have Seibert, Chance, Stone Simmons, and Stinnett as possible returners who could earn a roster spot.

So right now, you have 42 guys battling for 35 roster spots. And we may add another portal player or 2. So for those wondering why some signees have been let go, that's why. It's a tough deal now with the portal. I also think we had a couple of guys make it to campus that we didn't expect. It's rare we only lose 1 signee.

Coaches are in a different spot. They don't have much room for developmental guys anymore. If you don't play a kid, he transfers. If you fill too many holes with freshmen, you lose and get fired. The portal is just too easy of a fix.

Next year is going to be another tough year. Nothing about that lineup scares me, if I'm an opposing SEC coach. Year after next, we may see a glimmer of hope. That is, if the portal doesn't taketh away next year.

 

[The Peeper]

The portal will taketh away every year, get accustomed to it. Today's players are travel ball heroes that have gotten starts and accolades since they were 12 and won't take to sitting on the bench well nor will mommy and daddy

 

[Smoked Toag]

The portal will taketh away every year, get accustomed to it. Today's players are travel ball heroes that have gotten starts and accolades since they were 12 and won't take to sitting on the bench well nor will mommy and daddy

Well it also depends if they are paying a significant part of their school. These baseball players aren't half as entitled as football/basketball.

 

[philduckworth]

Next year is going to be another tough year. Nothing about that lineup scares me, if I'm an opposing SEC coach. Year after next, we may see a glimmer of hope. That is, if the portal doesn't taketh away next year.

I think that's fair. A whole lot is going to have to come together for this team to host or even make a regional. First thing is Lemonis needs to put together a better non-conference schedule than he did this past season. I think we are going to struggle to get to .500 in the SEC so we better have a good RPI.

 

[philduckworth]

The portal will taketh away every year, get accustomed to it. Today's players are travel ball heroes that have gotten starts and accolades since they were 12 and won't take to sitting on the bench well nor will mommy and daddy

I don't love this take. We haven't really lost any good players since the transfer portal started. Most of the guys that leave do so after meeting with the coaches. It's not Polk baseball anymore where you get 4 years regardless of performance. Other school care about baseball now. If Polk would have cut players, he probably would have won 2 or 3 titles at MSU.

 

[Go Budaw]

Next year is going to be another tough year. Nothing about that lineup scares me, if I'm an opposing SEC coach. Year after next, we may see a glimmer of hope. That is, if the portal doesn't taketh away next year.

Ye of little faith. That’s not the whole lineup. You add Dakota Jordan and potentially Highfill, then also add Ledbetter and Larry and its a pretty decent 1-9. A lot of guys who will be able to get on base, and still some pop with Hines, Ledbetter, Clark, and hopefully Alford. A lot more overall balance than this year’s lineup.

But the much bigger deal is pitching. We’re going to have a ton of really solid arms to choose from. That’s how you win in this league and we will be much improved, despite all the new faces. Getting Gartman and Davis here along with Nixon, Loftin, Holcombe, and Dohm is massive. Add those guys to Smith, Kohn, and Hunt. That’s 9 guys that I think most everyone feels pretty good about, and that doesn’t include any of the HS signees. Anything we get out of Forsythe, Cjintje, etc. will be a bonus….and I’m sure at least 2 or 3 of those 8 guys will step up.

 

[8dog]

As of now the lineup looks like this (or some variation):

Larry 2b
Ledbetter CF
Hines 1B
Clark RF
Hancock C
Alford 3b
Husjak DH/LF
Downs DH/LF
Forsythe SS

Got a chance to be good but who knows. Cant be this dependent on the portal every year.

 

[Go Budaw]

As of now the lineup looks like this (or some variation):

Larry 2b
Ledbetter CF
Hines 1B
Clark RF
Hancock C
Alford 3b
Husjak DH/LF
Downs DH/LF
Forsythe SS

Got a chance to be good but who knows. Cant be this dependent on the portal every year.

I forgot about Hujsak. I don’t know much about how good he is defensively, but he’s got a pretty big bat for a listed SS. I suspect he’ll make it hard on Lemonis and might challenge for Forsythe’s spot. He’s also a nice insurance policy at 3B if Alford doesn’t come along as expected. Then Downs is another wildcard. In any case, we look to have proven options galore in the field and on the mound, which is something we certainly didn’t have last year.

 

[olblue.sixpack]

The portal will taketh away every year, get accustomed to it. Today's players are travel ball heroes that have gotten starts and accolades since they were 12 and won't take to sitting on the bench well nor will mommy and daddy

Seems like losing a bench warmer to the portal might be a good thing.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Am I missing something? Didn’t our bullpen blow 9 games after leading into the 7th?

With a decent pen, that is 33 to 35 wins in 2022.

I have always believed you had to average 7 runs a game with metal bats to be successful. Seems we were real close to that, yet couldn’t hold leads. Th staff has to take ownership of that and make sure the pitching is SEC quality.

This fall May answer some questions there.

 

[fang]

is #5's first name Ardel, Burnel, Raynel, W.L., Lanel, Odel, Marcel, Claude, Newgene or Clovis?

 

[8dog]

Husjak made 25 errors at SS last year.

 

[Go Budaw]

Husjak made 25 errors at SS last year.

10-4. Forsythe it is then. And if he is simply the same player he was last year offensively, that will be more than fine.