Do y’all honestly think it’s possible to rebuild a team from the portal?

[OG Goat Holder]

Shlt’s not happening. The difference makers command NIL and other things that we aren’t paying.

Ya’ll may as well get used to the idea that 80% of the starting lineup will be returning guys. Downs, Chance, Highfill, Cupp, Stevens, Pulliam, O’Brien, there you go.

Amazing to me the amount of grown men that have the attention span of a middle schooler. It’s like so many don’t understand that players get better when they get a year older. And if they don’t, Lemon gets fired. But the portal ain’t saving him, or putting him over the top.

All I hear is got to go to the portal. Portal portal portal portal.

 

[patdog]

short answer, no. It’s good for 1 or 2 players who can fill in spots. But we need a lot more thsn that.

 

[preacher_dawg]

Lemonis just doesn't seem like a portal guy to me, or a recruiter for that matter.

 

[Seinfeld]

Lemonis just doesn't seem like a portal guy to me, or a recruiter for that matter.

Or much of a developer of talent, which begs some obvious questions

 

[Seinfeld]

No, but I also don’t see us fielding an SEC competitive team by hoping that 7-8 guys that couldn’t even crack this year’s lineup can suddenly be everyday guys.

This roster’s a complete mess, and my stance that all of our time has been wasted by not doing what needed to be done last summer has not changed. If Lemonis proves me wrong and somehow puts together a middle of the pack SEC team in ‘25, that’s on me, but I don’t think there’s a prayer of it

 

[Yubey]

Yes

 

[aTotal360]

Not with our budget.

 

[The Peeper]

Shlt’s not happening. The difference makers command NIL and other things that we aren’t paying.

Ya’ll may as well get used to the idea that 80% of the starting lineup will be returning guys. Downs, Chance, Highfill, Cupp, Stevens, Pulliam, O’Brien, there you go.

It’s like so many don’t understand that players get better when they get a year older. And if they don’t, Lemon gets fired

Unless it's the pitching staff from '22 and '23 then nothing happens

 

[PBDog]

uconn rebuilt with a D3 all star team. they did something we couldn’t have done

 

[patdog]

No, but I also don’t see us fielding an SEC competitive team by hoping that 7-8 guys that couldn’t even crack this year’s lineup can suddenly be everyday guys.

This roster’s a complete mess, and my stance that all of our time has been wasted by not doing what needed to be done last summer has not changed. If Lemonis proves me wrong and somehow puts together a middle of the pack SEC team in ‘25, that’s on me, but I don’t think there’s a prayer of it

We just postponed the inevitable. And bought ourselves a few more years of mediocrity.

 

[thatsbaseball]

I think we can rebuild it to 2022 and 2023 levels **

 

[patdog]

uconn rebuilt with a D3 all star team. they did something we couldn’t have done

UConn wouldn’t have made the tournament if they played in the SEC.

 

[PBDog]

UConn wouldn’t have made the tournament if they played in the SEC.

but could win 2/3 from us

 

[Perd Hapley]

Nope. If LSU can’t do it (and they sure as hell couldn’t this year), then nobody can.

You can land those 2-3 key missing pieces that put you over the top, or take you from possibly missing the NCAA’s to almost hosting (like what we got with Khal / Kohler), but you can’t build a whole team that way.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Or much of a developer of talent, which begs some obvious questions

 

[TrueMaroonGrind]

After this year, possibly. All the message board geniuses killed everything Lemonis did in the portal last year, especially regarding pitching. Our pitching was phenomenal this year in large part due to the pieces we brought in from the portal and the talent we developed.

He however has not proved he can pull hitters from the portal. Idk who off the bench this year will make a jump, but he has to have someone. Also who all will he be able to retain? He has got to show us he can pull in a big bat or two.

This is another show me year for Lemonis. My expectations are for us to make it back to the tourney comfortably and be poised to have a big hosting year after that. It’s a tall order considering what we are losing, but it’s what he has to do.

Other than that I really won’t take much into account regarding most of the opinions of the message board heroes on here. Thank goodness yall aren’t evaluating anything because we would be in big trouble.

 

[RockyDog]

UConn wouldn’t have made the tournament if they played in the SEC.

And they never will be in the SEC. But they qualified for the tourney and are 1 win away from the CWS.

A portal haul may not get 50 wins or get an outright SEC title but it damn sure could get to .500 and into a regional which is all that matters.

Hell all it took was 13-17 this year.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Or much of a developer of talent, which begs some obvious questions

But he makes up for all that by being a poor in game manager.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

Rebuild a team, no. Field a team, sure. We getting warm bodies. Idling along.

Have you seen our stadium?

 

[Dawgbite]

Yes, I believe that you can build a roster from the portal but it’s more than just getting good players. You’ve got to get good players that become a good team. It’s a year to year crapshoot.

 

[Thebulldogcountry1]

No. That’s why it’s critical for us to recruit HS talent and maximize development. Lemonis and Gotro just aren’t doing great with either.

 

[The Cooterpoot]

You can rebuild pretty fast with the portal if you have a solid HS base in place. We don't.

 

[Anon1697564126]

So lemonis is the negative trifecta:
1. Can't get talent,
2. Can't coach talent.
3. Cant develop talent.

 

[WrapItDog]

Schlossnagle did it in 2022 at A&M.​

2021 A&M was 29-27 and 9-21 SEC. He came in and pretty much had a new line up and pitching staff with mostly portal players. Finished 1st in the SEC West and made it to Omaha

 

[8dog]

Schlossnagle did it in 2022 at A&M.​

2021 A&M was 29-27 and 9-21 SEC. He came in and pretty much had a new line up and pitching staff with mostly portal players. Finished 1st in the SEC West and made it to Omaha

That’s not really true. 3 of his top 5 hitters were already there. His Friday guy was already there.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

We will have a new baseball coach this time next year.

 

[Shmuley]

It 17n pisses me off just about worse than anything that Jim Schlossnagle is not currently taking us, instead of 17n A&M, to yet another CWS. Jesus Christ, what a colossal search failure. 17n Bastard and his bull$h!+.

 

[TNDawg1]

I think we’ll find pitchers but the position players will be 60/40 mid SEC players. TN, LSU, Ark, and aTm will get needle movers.

 

[thatsbaseball]

So lemonis is the negative trifecta:
1. Can't get talent,
2. Can't coach talent.
3. Cant develop talent.

Make it four of a kind....4. Can't be fired

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

It 17n pisses me off just about worse than anything that Jim Schlossnagle is not currently taking us, instead of 17n A&M, to yet another CWS. Jesus Christ, what a colossal search failure. 17n Bastard and his bull$h!+.

Heard he was ready to come to MSU, then Cohen screwed it up.

 

[Forrest4Moore]

Kentucky is full of transfers. I think 6 position player starters, and around 4-5 of their best pitchers. And it’s not like they’re throwing a bunch of NIL money out for baseball. As much as I can’t stand their coach, they’ve done a great job evaluating Big East, AAC, and CAA players and have been able to plug and play.

Calling it like it is… LSU, UK, Tenn, A&M have embraced baseball portal like few others. And it’s almost assuredly centered on tampering. We either need to get with it or get left behind.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Kentucky is full of transfers. I think 6 position player starters, and around 4-5 of their best pitchers. And it’s not like they’re throwing a bunch of NIL money out for baseball. As much as I can’t stand their coach, they’ve done a great job evaluating Big East, AAC, and CAA players and have been able to plug and play.

Calling it like it is… LSU, UK, Tenn, A&M have embraced baseball portal like few others. And it’s almost assuredly centered on tampering. We either need to get with it or get left behind.

We’ve embraced the portal too. What evidence do you have that we haven’t? None. We are just getting beat on the big names, like 99% of the rest of the country.

Some of you are clueless.

 

[Podgy]

Yes. To make a regional. I bet even every Southland team has an SEC caliber player. You can find some mid-week pitchers there. Go after players in other conferences, and in the SEC too, and see who is willing to transfer. Be tireless in recruiting.

 

[pseudonym]

Question from the other perspective: Should high school players expect to go from HS to an SEC roster?

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Question from the other perspective: Should high school players expect to go from HS to an SEC roster?

That's laughable. The top HS players will always have a spot. Name all the kids getting recruited from William Carey (who is a very good NAIA program). Everybody already recruits Juco but Juco is being hurt by the portal takes, so that's not going to help kids.

 

[pseudonym]

That's laughable. The top HS players will always have a spot. Name all the kids getting recruited from William Carey (who is a very good NAIA program). Everybody already recruits Juco but Juco is being hurt by the portal takes, so that's not going to help kids.

The point is there are fewer spots, which is fewer opportunities for HS players.

An increasing portion of our roster is coming from somewhere other than high school. It’s the same at every SEC program.

 

[Shmuley]

The point is there are fewer spots, which is fewer opportunities for HS players.

An increasing portion of our roster is coming from somewhere other than high school. It’s the same at every SEC program.

^^^ This.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

A lot of impact Freshmen in these Super Regionals.

 

[Ranchdawg]

Shlt’s not happening. The difference makers command NIL and other things that we aren’t paying.

Ya’ll may as well get used to the idea that 80% of the starting lineup will be returning guys. Downs, Chance, Highfill, Cupp, Stevens, Pulliam, O’Brien, there you go.

Amazing to me the amount of grown men that have the attention span of a middle schooler. It’s like so many don’t understand that players get better when they get a year older. And if they don’t, Lemon gets fired. But the portal ain’t saving him, or putting him over the top.

All I hear is got to go to the portal. Portal portal portal portal.

Yes, just ask any Lame Train disciple.

 

[theoriginalSALTYdog]

Shlt’s not happening. The difference makers command NIL and other things that we aren’t paying.

Ya’ll may as well get used to the idea that 80% of the starting lineup will be returning guys. Downs, Chance, Highfill, Cupp, Stevens, Pulliam, O’Brien, there you go.

Amazing to me the amount of grown men that have the attention span of a middle schooler. It’s like so many don’t understand that players get better when they get a year older. And if they don’t, Lemon gets fired. But the portal ain’t saving him, or putting him over the top.

All I hear is got to go to the portal. Portal portal portal portal.

If you're LSU, possibly. If you're us, NO.