It’s a big week for MSU Baseball

[57stratdawg]

We get 11-4 South Alabama on Tuesday in Biloxi followed by New Orleans. You’d love to grab both, because we return home coming home to #2 LSU. Obviously, quite a bit of that ranking relates to guys no longer on the roster. Their pitching numbers are similar to ours.

3-2 keeps you on pace for a NCAAT birth. Anything better than that and we’ll turn some heads.

Feels like a big week for Lemonis’ future at MSU.

 

[LanierDawg]

We get 11-4 South Alabama on Tuesday in Biloxi followed by New Orleans. You’d love to grab both, because we return home coming home to #2 LSU. Obviously, quite a bit of that ranking relates to guys no longer on the roster. Their pitching numbers are similar to ours.

3-2 keeps you on pace for a NCAAT birth. Anything better than that and we’ll turn some heads.

Feels like a big week for Lemonis’ future at MSU.

Yea, uh, amazingly baseball is what we are doing best lately. Still hoping hoops can surprise us and get hot. ****, I also follow the 9 car who is struggling

 

[HuntDawg]

Way way way way too early to talk about being on pace for a tourney bid. The face we should be undefeated against this schedule and aren’t… I’m not sure we are on any pace.

But pace doesn’t matter at this point… this team two years ago was on pace as well half way thru conference play and fell apart.

our entire season revolves around how we do in sec play. We need 14-15 wins.

 

[skydawg1]

I can't wait. South is a good club, UNO is no slouch. LSU has some issues, but don't we all? Hurd, who was supposed to be their Friday guy, is now their Sunday guy and they lost today. Should be a good series.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Yes it is. Can’t wait. We will finally be able to say with some definitiveness how good we may be.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Get 2 in Biloxi and just figure out how to get 1 from LSU. We might be LSU's best opponent thus far in the season outside 1 game with the tea-sippers

 

[Seinfeld]

SPS by middle of this weekend

 

[BulldogBlitz]

SPS by middle of this weekend

By Thursday and the collapse versus ls-who in Nashville, it'll be back to total depression.

 

[Perd Hapley]

My only comment, why the 17 are we traveling 4.5 hrs to play TWO midweek games against decent competition during the week before opening SEC play? Doesn’t seem like the smartest scheduling in the world.

 

[Studentdawg06]

My only comment, why the 17 are we traveling 4.5 hrs to play TWO midweek games against decent competition during the week before opening SEC play? Doesn’t seem like the smartest scheduling in the world.

I HATE playing two midweek games the week SEC play opens. We can’t afford anymore midweek losses, so we have to use the pen as much as needed to win both of those games. It’s needlessly taxing on the bullpen with SEC play on the weekend.

 

[8dog]

I can't wait. South is a good club, UNO is no slouch. LSU has some issues, but don't we all? Hurd, who was supposed to be their Friday guy, is now their Sunday guy and they lost today. Should be a good series.

Holman is their Friday guy. Their schedule has been soft but his numbers are ridiculous so far.

 

[josebrown]

I HATE playing two midweek games the week SEC play opens. We can’t afford anymore midweek losses, so we have to use the pen as much as needed to win both of those games. It’s needlessly taxing on the bullpen with SEC play on the weekend.

Agree 100%. To win two this week we will have to rely on the same bullpen arms we rely on to win on the weekend, and mid-week. And it’s not all of them. I’d look for us to give up one or both this week to have a shot of getting two on the weekend. It’s gonna be a fine thread unless we score a ton of runs. Starting pitching gonna have to eat some innings this week. And the arms we face are gonna be much better than what we’ve seen from this point on. I’ll def be watching them.

 

[HumpDawgy]

I'm guessing Dakota needs to have a 15 homer week.***

 

[patdog]

I HATE playing two midweek games the week SEC play opens. We can’t afford anymore midweek losses, so we have to use the pen as much as needed to win both of those games. It’s needlessly taxing on the bullpen with SEC play on the weekend.

Screw that. Teams should play 2 midweek games every week. I don't know how you guys expect us to play in and win a regional if we can't even play 5 games in 7 days. And win a regional should be the goal for MSU baseball every single year.

 

[The Peeper]

My only comment, why the 17 are we traveling 4.5 hrs to play TWO midweek games against decent competition during the week before opening SEC play? Doesn’t seem like the smartest scheduling in the world.

Well, we've heard daily but how pitiful our early season scheduled competition was so bad and we were going to regret it later........

 

[patdog]

My only comment, why the 17 are we traveling 4.5 hrs to play TWO midweek games against decent competition during the week before opening SEC play? Doesn’t seem like the smartest scheduling in the world.

Because it's spring break week and this is a good series for our South Mississippi fans. It's good scheduling.

 

[HuntDawg]

Well, we've heard daily but how pitiful our early season scheduled competition was so bad and we were going to regret it later........

We are 12-4, but our RPI is 20 points higher than anyone other than mizzoui. Its an embarrassing schedule for a sec school that is suppose to pride itself in baseball. The friday night guy for evansville was a right hander throwing 86-87. You'll find that in high school games all over the state.

Our last 8 games the RPIs we have beaten are: 216, 290, 290, 290, 24, 152, 152, 152

Guess we'll find out soon, but there is no way we should have been allowed to schedule like this. We havent even left the state all year.

 

[patdog]

We are 12-4, but our RPI is 20 points higher than anyone other than mizzoui. Its an embarrassing schedule for a sec school that is suppose to pride itself in baseball. The friday night guy for evansville was a right hander throwing 86-87. You'll find that in high school games all over the state.

Our last 8 games the RPIs we have beaten are: 216, 290, 290, 290, 24, 152, 152, 152

Guess we'll find out soon, but there is no way we should have been allowed to schedule like this. We havent even left the state all year.

That #24 is misleading. Southern Miss won't be in the top 100 at the end of the season.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Screw that. Teams should play 2 midweek games every week. I don't know how you guys expect us to play in and win a regional if we can't even play 5 games in 7 days. And win a regional should be the goal for MSU baseball every single year.

Well, you can’t play more than 56 games, so that’s not really an option. And I’m not against 2 midweek games in general. I just don’t like the specific combo of 2 midweek + going on road + decent competition + week before opening conference play. You want your whole staff on full rest heading into SEC opening weekend, and this does the opposite.

 

[patdog]

Well, you can’t play more than 56 games, so that’s not really an option. And I’m not against 2 midweek games in general. I just don’t like the specific combo of 2 midweek + going on road + decent competition + week before opening conference play. You want your whole staff on full rest heading into SEC opening weekend, and this does the opposite.

Meh. The guys we pitch Wednesday won't be pitching much, if any, over the weekend anyway. And the Tuesday guys will have 2 full days rest before the LSU series, and wouldn't be likely to pitch in game 1 anyway. Its no big deal. Baseball is meant to be played pretty much every day. Too much rest is worse for a team than playing regularly. I do understand with the 56-game limit, it's not feasible to play 2 midweek games more than once or twice a season. But I think it would be better for the teams if we went to a 60-64 game limit so they could play more midweek games.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Well, you can’t play more than 56 games, so that’s not really an option. And I’m not against 2 midweek games in general. I just don’t like the specific combo of 2 midweek + going on road + decent competition + week before opening conference play. You want your whole staff on full rest heading into SEC opening weekend, and this does the opposite.

I don't see the difference in one SEC weekend vs. another SEC weekend.

I was going to make a post agreeing with @patdog's stance about the 5 game weeks, but none of it really matters anyway, the schedule isn't really fair or similar. The only time you'll play 5 games in the postseason is if you get in the loser's bracket of a regional. The rest is best 2/3 then a spread out 'regional' in Omaha where you can use your ace twice.

Older I get, the more I realize that not much makes sense about college baseball. I mean teams routinely go like 50-6 in the regular season and just get bounced in their own regional.

 

[patdog]

I don't see the difference in one SEC weekend vs. another SEC weekend.

I was going to make a post agreeing with @patdog's stance about the 5 game weeks, but none of it really matters anyway, the schedule isn't really fair or similar. The only time you'll play 5 games in the postseason is if you get in the loser's bracket of a regional. The rest is best 2/3 then a spread out 'regional' in Omaha where you can use your ace twice.

Older I get, the more I realize that not much makes sense about college baseball. I mean teams routinely go like 50-6 in the regular season and just get bounced in their own regional.

To me, the biggest change college baseball needs is to get rid of the regional tournaments and replace them with 2 rounds of best 2-of-3 series. 5 games in 72 hours is just too much for a sport with 11.7 scholarships. You're deciding who advances between two teams with no pitching left, or teams taking too much risk with pitchers' health.

 

[HuntDawg]

Typically you'd have a mid week starter AND then you could decide based on score whether you'd use your high leverage arms or not.

Combine that with your friday night guy SHOULD be a 7 inning guy. Keeps everyone freshed and not over used. We have turned most mid week games into bullpen days for everyone. Recipe hasnt really worked of recent.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

To me, the biggest change college baseball needs is to get rid of the regional tournaments and replace them with 2 rounds of best 2-of-3 series. 5 games in 72 hours is just too much for a sport with 11.7 scholarships. You're deciding who advances between two teams with no pitching left, or teams taking too much risk with pitchers' health.

I think I would be on board with that. You could also get rid of the crappy conference tournaments and just go right into it.

And you're right about the arms.....it happens every single year. So really, the 5-game weeks aren't preparing for regionals at all. So may as well get rid of them. You can develop pitching with 4 game weekends early in the year, to take advantage of travel costs. I used to love those Friday, Saturday DH, Sunday series that Cohen used to do, no idea why we got away from those. I think it was a Lemonis request? Shocker.

And I guess you could keep Omaha the same, won't hurt anything.

 

[HuntDawg]

To me, the biggest change college baseball needs is to get rid of the regional tournaments and replace them with 2 rounds of best 2-of-3 series. 5 games in 72 hours is just too much for a sport with 11.7 scholarships. You're deciding who advances between two teams with no pitching left, or teams taking too much risk with pitchers' health.

Regionals are too much of money makers for them to do this. Plus it'll drag the season out another week, along with adding expenses for a sport thats already losing money for 2 weeks of travel.

The whole regional, then super 2-3, then back to a 2 weeks of omaha is an issue. I'd like to see Omaha turn into best of 3, with championship being a 1 game winner take all.

Take the days off in between. Play 4 games a day. Mon, Tues, Wed would be round 1. Take Thursday off. Friday, Sat, Sun would be round 2. Take Monday off and your national championship game starts either Tues or Wed to give staffs time to rebuild.

You gotta win 2 best of 3 series in a short time to get to the championship...Then the championship be a 1 game, winner take all, hopefully ace vs ace with a full deck of arms in the pen. Would be incentive to win your series in 2-- to save arms-- and it would assure 1 dominate arm couldnt carry you to them championship

 

[patdog]

I think I would be on board with that. You could also get rid of the crappy conference tournaments and just go right into it.

And you're right about the arms.....it happens every single year. So really, the 5-game weeks aren't preparing for regionals at all. So may as well get rid of them. You can develop pitching with 4 game weekends early in the year, to take advantage of travel costs. I used to love those Friday, Saturday DH, Sunday series that Cohen used to do, no idea why we got away from those. I think it was a Lemonis request? Shocker.

And I guess you could keep Omaha the same, won't hurt anything.

I think the problem with the 4-game weekends early is it limits your midweek games even more and you have to go a couple more weeks with no midweek games. LSU did a couple of those 3-team 4-game weekends the first 2 weekends of the season. But they did it with a Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon series then a Thur-Fri-Sat-Sun series, with no midweek game in between.

 

[8dog]

Meh. The guys we pitch Wednesday won't be pitching much, if any, over the weekend anyway. And the Tuesday guys will have 2 full days rest before the LSU series, and wouldn't be likely to pitch in game 1 anyway. It’s no big deal. Baseball is meant to be played pretty much every day. Too much rest is worse for a team than playing regularly. I do understand with the 56-game limit, it's not feasible to play 2 midweek games more than once or twice a season. But I think it would be better for the teams if we went to a 60-64 game limit so they could play more midweek games.

We are gonna need every arm possible If Dohm is out for a while (or for the year) bc Ligon and Holcomb have created some big gaps in this staff no one anticipated.

 

[patdog]

Regionals are too much of money makers for them to do this. Plus it'll drag the season out another week, along with adding expenses for a sport thats already losing money for 2 weeks of travel.

Most regionals aren't making much money. You'd probably make more with 32 home teams + 16 home teams for best 2-of-3 series than you do with only 16 home teams for one weekend.

 

[patdog]

We are gonna need every arm possible If Dohm is out for a while (or for the year) bc Ligon and Holcomb have created some big gaps in this staff no one anticipated.

Yep. I know they're saying Dohm leaving the Friday game is no big deal. But I'll believe it when he pitches effectively with no problems this Friday.

 

[HuntDawg]

Most regionals aren't making much money. You'd probably make more with 32 home teams + 16 home teams for best 2-of-3 series than you do with only 16 home teams for one weekend.

I'd disagree. Most regionals are packed. 4 day events. Most will even pack out the non home team game as well or have a good crowd.

Plus getting 3 teams to your city, campus, etc-- is always a big plus.

 

[HuntDawg]

We are gonna need every arm possible If Dohm is out for a while (or for the year) bc Ligon and Holcomb have created some big gaps in this staff no one anticipated.

Any real word on Dohm? id guess at best they'd give him the week off. Cant imagine he's going to get his full work routine in this week, to be able to throw on Friday?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

We are gonna need every arm possible If Dohm is out for a while (or for the year) bc Ligon and Holcomb have created some big gaps in this staff no one anticipated.

If those 3 are truly out of commission, along with Loftin, you can stick a fork in our happy asses

 

[Perd Hapley]

I don't see the difference in one SEC weekend vs. another SEC weekend.

The big difference is every SEC team’s toughest weekend series opponent to date is, by far, going to be opening weekend of conference play. You ideally don’t want 2 midweek games often during any week of conference play. And we usually follow that formula. But after your first weekend of conference play, you know your pitching rotation is going to be stretched to the max, what you have left is your midweek arms, and then you can set the table for the following week much easier. You can’t do that after a weekend series over a team like Evansville, where you aren’t really pushed to use all your best guys out of the pen, when you then have to turn around and play a pair of games against teams that are both better than Evansville.

If we have to burn one of our best relievers for 4-5 innings on Wed night because we don’t get a good start, then that guy’s either spent for the whole weekend or, at best, maybe only good for a Sunday inning or two. But if the series was next week, that guy likely already pitched multiple innings on Sat / Sun against LSU, you then know you have to manage his workload during the midweek so he’s ready for the following weekend.

It just cuts down on the number of things you have to try and predict and account for when you’re setting up your rotation and your bullpen, when its this week vs. next week.

 

[HuntDawg]

If those 3 are truly out of commission, along with Loftin, you can stick a fork in our happy asses

Add Simmons and Highfill to the list of guys that dont seem to be able to play this year... and no real update on them either.

 

[patdog]

I'd disagree. Most regionals are packed. 4 day events. Most will even pack out the non home team game as well or have a good crowd.

Plus getting 3 teams to your city, campus, etc-- is always a big plus.

48 home weekends vs 16. Are you really making 3 times what you would for a 2-of-3 series on a regional? Especially if a State or Ole Miss is a #2 seed and not hosting a regional?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Add Simmons and Highfill to the list of guys that dont seem to be able to play this year... and no real update on them either.

Oh yeah, forgot about Simmons.

I don't keep up like I used to, but I'd be interested to see if other SEC teams have these same problems with pitchers, and ultimately, do we just have a crootin/talent issue or an injury issue.

 

[8dog]

Oh yeah, forgot about Simmons.

I don't keep up like I used to, but I'd be interested to see if other SEC teams have these same problems with pitchers, and ultimately, do we just have a crootin/talent issue or an injury issue.

Everyone has injury issues. LSU has lost a boatload of kids in the last 12 months. OM lost their likely Friday guy this year in Rivas. And also did last year with Elliott.

 

[HuntDawg]

48 home weekends vs 16. Are you really making 3 times what you would for a 2-of-3 series on a regional? Especially if a State or Ole Miss is a #2 seed and not hosting a regional?

it would be 32 vs 16. As the supers are still the supers.

Right now if you are a Regionals host you are getting 6 games and maybe 7 games. The format you mentioned will host is 6. Could only host 4.

Will smaller schools travel for that second weekend, or the 3rd, sure the SEC schools will, but everyone else?

But i stand behind, regionals make money.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Oh yeah, forgot about Simmons.

I don't keep up like I used to, but I'd be interested to see if other SEC teams have these same problems with pitchers, and ultimately, do we just have a crootin/talent issue or an injury issue.

These days, you basically have to plan on probably 3-4 roster spots being allocated towards TJ casualties. Guys who absolutely will not help you at all that particular season. That’s par for the course. If you use only 2, you’re very lucky. Have to use 5 or 6, you’re unlucky. This year we have Grant, Kohn, and Simmons who are all using up spots for sure. Maybe Loftin….who knows. But we’re not getting hit any harder there than anyone else.

You’ve got to plan for it in recruiting….and the better the prospect, the higher the risk is, obviously. Parker’s done a fantastic job thus far all things considered. Hope he can continue to not let the staff be our major downfall for the 3rd season in a row, even if its not a strength once we get into SEC play.

Also, the NCAA needs to recognize and address the frequency of TJ in 18-22 year olds and create some leniencies in both roster caps and scholarship allocations. But until that time, we have to start being tougher and making the hard decisions with guys like Simmons. It sucks for the kid, but he can’t be tying up a roster spot at an SEC program for 2.5 years without ever throwing a pitch. That’s just ludicrous, and not something that LSU, UF, UT, Vandy, Ark, etc. would ever allow. I’m sure he’s a good kid who loves MSU, but there’s plenty of ways to keep him involved without him actually being on the active roster.

 

[patdog]

it would be 32 vs 16. As the supers are still the supers.

Right now if you are a Regionals host you are getting 6 games and maybe 7 games. The format you mentioned will host is 6. Could only host 4.

Will smaller schools travel for that second weekend, or the 3rd, sure the SEC schools will, but everyone else?

But i stand behind, regionals make money.

It would be 48 vs 16. 32 1st round series + 16 2nd round series + 8 3rd round series (currently the super regionals). Not that it matters, because it's not changing anyway. But it is a terrible format for postseason baseball.