EIn 1985, we came close to winning a National Championship

[Antonio Brown's Foot]

In 1986, the team sucked hard. In 1987, we won the SEC tournament championship and hosted a Regional.

Just saying that years like this year are not uncommon.

 

[Smoked Toag]

True, and we now know that Allen, Jordan and Bednar were comparable to Palmeiro, Clark and Brantley as far as college effectiveness. Just huge holes. Combine that with the injury bad luck, and we've just spiraled.

We will be back next year. The portal will be good to us, and not to mention the younger guys will make a jump.

It's easy to be negative right now.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

The 1986 didn’t have any returning experience from the 85 CWS run
Hitters
Clark & Palmiero drafted as juniors
Van Cleve, Thiesen, Thigpen, & Frank Davis all were seniors
Pitchers
Morgan, Brantley, & Thigpen all seniors

The only potential returning starters were Mitchell & McDonald
Sunday starting pitching was unstable in 85, so there wasn’t even a returning starter to naturally promote to Friday.
1986 was expected to be a total rebuild. 2022 was not.

 

[Smoked Toag]

1986 was expected to be a total rebuild. 2022 was not.

Did you expect our 2 best pitchers and another very significant one to tear their UCLs? While injuries are part of it, 3 is too many. With just 2 of those guys we are a regional team.

Maybe you need to quit expecting things. Expectations are the biggest fallacy in sports. You're being duped by the sports media, and you are taking it out on your own team.

Solid pitching is the main thing you must have to give yourself a chance. Without it, you're dead. Solid pitching, solid hitting, then elite defense/pitching, in that order, wins titles. That's how it goes, those components build on each other. All our injuries happened in the most important component.

 

[maroonmania]

Did you expect our 2 best pitchers and another very significant one to tear their UCLs? While injuries are part of it, 3 is too many. With just 2 of those guys we are a regional team.

Maybe you need to quit expecting things. Expectations are the biggest fallacy in sports. You're being duped by the sports media, and you are taking it out on your own team.

Solid pitching is the main thing you must have to give yourself a chance. Without it, you're dead. Solid pitching, solid hitting, then elite defense/pitching, in that order, wins titles. That's how it goes, those components build on each other. All our injuries happened in the most important component.

Not sure how we can say that Stone Simmons was our 2nd best pitcher on the staff based on 4 innings pitched. I do agree that he would have been a significant contributor though. I just think the only real difference maker on our entire team this year coming in was Landon Sims. Once we lost him we were always going to be no more than an average, at best, SEC team. That's just an indictment on our recruiting or development (one or the other). I mean when is the last time that our top hitter on the team was below .320 this late in the season?

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

I expected some combination of Fristoe, Tepper, Walling to give us a lot of quality innings this year. I agree with you that the outlook for our season changed dramatically when Landon left the mound at Tulane. My intent wasn’t to bash the staff. My point was though that we knew leaving Omaha in 85 that 86 was probably going to be bad.

 

[Smoked Toag]

Not sure how we can say that Stone Simmons was our 2nd best pitcher on the staff based on 4 innings pitched. I do agree that he would have been a significant contributor though. I just think the only real difference maker on our entire team this year coming in was Landon Sims. Once we lost him we were always going to be no more than an average, at best, SEC team. That's just an indictment on our recruiting or development (one or the other). I mean when is the last time that our top hitter on the team was below .320 this late in the season?

There are always things you don't know until you start playing. It was pretty obvious that Stone was our closer. That alone probably nets us 5 more wins.

 

[Smoked Toag]

I expected some combination of Fristoe, Tepper, Walling to give us a lot of quality innings this year

We agree there. Reminds me a lot of 2015, where we basically got nothing from Hudson and Houston in their sophomore years. Then in 2016 they were lights out en route to an SEC title (and definitely the potential of a national title).

Of course, Jack Kruger and Nate Lowe helped, and as I've said many times, portal help is on the way.

 

[thekimmer]

Landon Sims record this season was 0-2 in 3 appearances.....

Not sure how we can say that Stone Simmons was our 2nd best pitcher on the staff based on 4 innings pitched. I do agree that he would have been a significant contributor though. I just think the only real difference maker on our entire team this year coming in was Landon Sims. Once we lost him we were always going to be no more than an average, at best, SEC team. That's just an indictment on our recruiting or development (one or the other). I mean when is the last time that our top hitter on the team was below .320 this late in the season?

Losses to Long Beach State and Northern KY both terrible teams. Incidentally, LS did not lose those games by pitching poorly. We lost them by hitting poorly. Not saying he would not have made a difference but not sure if it would have been enough to change anything.

I know that many of the published stats indicate that we are hitting similarly to what we did last season but I know what I've seen with my own eyes and that is a horde of runners left on base and horrible hitting with RISP.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

Lemonidas needs to figure this **** out quick! THIS IS STARKVILLE!!!!