What did we learn in Fall Ball?

Wes Rea is back with a vengeance. He worked hard in the summer and in the weight room to get ready for fall ball. He showed everyone that he can hit any ball that is thrown to him. He really worked on his hitting. There is no doubt he will have a great 2015. He is a 5th year senior.

Canadian OF Jacob Robson had a tremendous fall. He hit, he stole bases, he ran down fly balls. IMO, he is the starting CF going into the spring. Eh?

What did the new low seam ball have on the hitters? IMO, it is hard to say because we have some really good hitters. Reid Humphreys and Gavin Collins are elite hitters, they both had good falls. I think it will be sometime in May when we can tell. After the weather warms up (across the nation) and players get used to it, especially the pitchers who have to throw it.

We have great depth at all positions, IMO. When you look at the roster, we have quality hitters on the bench and tons of pitching. The question is how effective can they be? That is the coaches jobs to put them in the positions. But really 1 through 35, we have the most depth and talent since John Cohen took over.

The designated hitter position is so much better. This goes along with what I said about depth. If Reid Humphreys is the starter in left field and Luke Reynolds is starting at 3B, then redshirt freshmen Brent Rooker and Joey Swinarski will man the DH role, IMO.  Both really came on late in the fall with their hitting. Along with the DH role is the pinch hitting role, especially late in tight games. This is often overlooked in college baseball. I do think we have enough depth and talent to be really good at pinch hitting. Cole Gordon (bats left) is a great example. Once he gets used to D1 baseball, he will be good.

The weekend starters did take a little shape. I do think LHP Lucas Laster and RHP Preston Brown are the leaders for 2 of the 3 spots. The continue to throw strikes, not walk batters, not give up many runs and have low pitch counts. As of right now, the 3rd spot is open, IMO. Several players are in the game for it.

The coaches handed the closers role to RHP Trevor Fitts and he did a good job. It is hard for anyone to come behind Jonathan Holder because we want to compare them to Holder. We may have several pitchers come in to do the job. Whatever it takes, I don't care.

Several other pitchers did well. LHP Vance Tatum had some great outings where he struck out the side or got out of the inning unscathed. RHP Zac Houston also did well throughout the fall. I could see Zac coming in the 7th or 8th starting the season. He may be the closer for 2016. Austin Sexton also did well. He will have a chance at starting. RHP Dakota Hudson had back issues at the beginning of fall but he pitched well in spots later.

Ross Mitchell is the same old dude. He just doesn't give up much. I don't think he starts in 2015. We need him in the bullpen and we need him well rested throughout the year.

2015 Schedule breakdown: SEC games

We start out at home versus Alabama. This is a good thing. Alabama will be ranked and will be one of the favorites to win the SEC. So its good we have them at home.

At Kentucky for the second series. I don't like going up there in March because it will be colder and there is always a possibility of bad weather. But it is a hitters park.

Back home for the next two series. Against a struggling Auburn club then against South Carolina. SC will probably be tabbed as a frontrunner for the SEC East crown. Very good to have them come to Starkville.

At Texas A & M, where it is always windy. We scored a lot of runs the last time we were there. I have no reason to think we can't do it again.

Florida at home for Super Bulldog Weekend. We should have 13,000 for each game. I love this because Florida has premier talent and I love to show them what they are missing crowd-wise. Florida, as you may not know, doesn't draw many fans to see baseball games. We really need to play well, Florida will probably be the SEC East leader at this point.

At Arkansas, will be our most difficult away series. The crowds will be big and Arkansas will be good.

We come home for the last time to play arch rival LSU. We need huge crowds for this series. We sure do need two wins from them. This is a huge series.

The last two series are away at hitters parks. First is at Ole Miss then at Tennessee. OM will have large crowds. I don't think they will be as good as they were last year. Tennessee will have small crowds but they will be a better club.

I do think we will win at least 15 games and be in the SEC tournament again.

2015 Schedule breakdown: non-conference

The good thing about the non-conference portion is we don't have any NE teams. If they have a huge snow storm north of Virginia we are in good shape.

We start out with 2 northern teams, Cincinnati and Miami of Ohio. They are probably decent clubs. I will dig deeper right before the season.

Sandwiched in between Ms Valley State and Alcorn State is Marshall and Alabama A & M. I haven't heard if Marshall is any good but I do think Alabama A & M is good.

The 3rd weekend of the spring, we entertain Arizona and Samford. I think Arizona is supposed to be good. Samford from Birmingham AL will be decent.

Arkansas Pine-Bluff visits for the first time in a while before an SEC like opponent flies in from the West Coast. We play San Diego next. Don't confuse them with our last years regional opponent, San Diego State. SD will be good.

The last games before SEC play are with Western Kentucky. Cohen played them a lot when he was with Kentucky. I do believe they will be a good opponent.

We will have 6 games left after SEC play starts. The first one is Eastern Illinois.

Then on March 24th, the first of 2 visits to Pearl. We play USM Golden Eagles. They are always a good club.

The next 2 games are away and are in very important recruiting areas (and alumni areas). We play South Alabama in Mobile and Memphis in Autozone Park. We recruit south Alabama and Memphis area real hard.

The last home non-conference game is with Northwestern State of Louisiana.

Then the last game we have is in Pearl versus Ole Miss. This is the Governors Cup. Obvious recruiting game too. This one usually sells out.

The highlight for the 2016 non-conference part is a trip to Los Angeles to play UCLA and USC in the Dodgertown Classic.

Post Fall Ball 2015 starters

1B - Wes Rea, Senior
2B - John Holland, Junior
SS - Seth Heck, Junior
3B - Luke Reynolds, Sophomore
C - Gavin Collins, Sophomore
LF - Reid Humphreys, Sophomore
CF - Jacob Robson, RS Sophomore
RF - Cody Brown, RS Sophomore

SEC - RHP Preston Brown, RS Junior
SEC - LHP Lucas Laster, Senior
SEC -

Batting Lineup

1 - John Holland, left
2 - Jacob Robson, left
3 - Gavin Collins, right
4 - Reid Humphreys, right
5 - Wes Rea, right
6 - Luke Reynolds, left
7 - Seth Heck, right
8 - Brent Rooker, RS Freshman, DH, right
9 - Cody Brown, left

I think Holland, Heck, Rea, Collins and Humphreys must start every game. These guys are too good to leave out. Reynolds can DH when Matthew Britton plays 3B.

Every year there are players that don't do much in the fall and when spring starts they really excel. A few have this potential.

Of course, this is just my opinion. There won't be a set lineup every game due to matchups. And a couple players not even mentioned will jump up and start half the year.

The OF is the deepest its been in a long time. Reid Humphreys, Cody Brown, Jacob Robson, Michael Smith and Jake Vickerson all will start at some point or play a lot. Really the OF will mix and match left and right handed hitters depending on the opposing pitchers. Brent Rooker and Joey Swinarski must get some at bats as DH/PH types.

I do think, when games are well in hand, you will see mass substitutions to get these guys some experience. We have so much depth to go around plus you have to think ahead to 2016.

2014 Freshman signees: Post Fall Ball Edition

RHP/1B: Cole Gordon
A dual threat player. He really impressed at both positions although he had Tommy John surgery over 12 months ago, he pitched well in spots. He played a lot at 1B in the fall. He is 6-6 240 and bats left. Goodness, what a combo. I think he will be a great player before he leaves college. What about 2015? I think once his arm gets stronger and back in shape, I can see him coming in relief in spots for 1 or 2 batters. He can touch 90 with his fastball. I also think he gets some time at DH and PH. Again, once he gets AB's at the D1 level, he will be great. I am really excited about Cole.

RHP Aaron Dominguez
Along with the other freshmen, he played a lot in fall ball so the coaches can see him in action. He will see some time in the bullpen in 2015. He has the pitches to get out of jams. Aaron is 6-0 194. He just needs to gain experience and get used to D1 ball. He is a determined pitcher.

RHP Jesse McCord
I think Jesse is the best freshman pitcher of 2014 signees. I really believe by May he will be a impact pitcher. He has the stuff. He has the breaking balls. He is 6-1 190. He could very well be the Tuesday starter sometimes. A future weekend starter. We really got a good one here.

LHP Paxton Stover
Paxton had a lot of strike outs in the fall. I do see him as a bull pen specialist in 2015. He is 5-11 180. A really good addition from the state of Tennessee.

LHP Andrew Mahoney
Andrew is 6-2 210. He didn't pitch his senior year because of arm surgery. He didn't pitch a lot in the fall. If he isn't redshirted so he can get stronger, I do see him as a bull pen specialist. He was highly rated before the surgery, so I am excited about his future. I think once he gets his arm in shape, he will really take off.

MIF Ryan Gridley
Ryan had a great fall at the plate and in the field. He is an absolute gamer/dirtbag. He is 5-9 170 from Georgia. He had the winning hit in the fall World Series. The sky is the limit for Ryan. I would think, he would play some backup role at both MIF positions in 2015. By the end of the 2015 season, he will be ready to be a starter in 2016 at one of the spots. He just needs some D1 experience. A really good player. I am glad he is on our team.

RECAP: We didn't sign a huge freshman class but they are all good. Two had HS injuries (Gordon and Mahoney) that they are overcoming and once they are, they will be great players. I think (as of now), Gordon, McCord and Gridley are headed for stardom. While the others have great potential. Of course, I do need to see more of them.

2014 JC Transfer Signees: Post Fall Ball Edition

LHP/1B: Trent Waddell, Junior
Trent played a lot of 1B in the fall and pitched some in relief. He brings a LH bat to first base and to the DH/pinch role. A big kid at 6-2 210, he brings experience and toughness to the team. I think Wes Rea is the starter at 1B but Waddell can spell him some. IMO, Trent will be a multiple player, he will pitch some, play 1B/DH also.

MIF: John Holland, Junior
John is what you call a 5 star recruit. He will come in and start. He bats left and throws right. He is a grinder at the plate, he will walk a ton. He is the leadoff or 2 hole hitter. It is still uncertain what MIF position he starts. He is 5-11 175 and an absolute great addition to the club.

2B/3B: Matt Spruill, Junior
Matt showed in the fall he can play 3 positions, 3B, SS and 2B. He is a gamer. His older brother is a MLB pitcher. IMO, he will play a lot in 2015 in the multiple roles. A good player to come off the bench. He brings depth and experience to the infield. Matt is 6-1 190.

C Josh Lovelady, Junior
I think Josh surprised the coaches with his play in the fall. I believe he has made an impact to the 2nd string catcher race. He is a tough kid. If there is one critical position battle in the fall, it was for #2 catcher. We have to wait this race out. Josh is 6-0 190 and a gamer behind the dish.

OF Michael Smith, Junior
Michael is definitely in the OF rotation. I am thinking at least 5 guys to mix and match depending on the opposing pitcher. Michael did what he came to do, he is super fast. He ran down fly balls in the OF and put pressure on the defense when he ran the bases. He will play a lot in 2015. A late edition to the club but a great addition. He is 5-10 170.

RHP Logan Elliot, Sophomore
A pitcher that throws  sidearm. He is a specialist out of the pen. He was brought in a lot throughout the fall. Sometimes he gave up the big hit but other times he got out of if. He had to make adjustments to D1 ball. We shall see if he makes a jump in the spring. Can he come in and shut down the other team? Logan is 6-1 175.

LHP Daniel Brown, Sophomore
Daniel had one bad outing in the fall but I thought he did great the other times. I think he has a shot at being an SEC starter. If he doesn't become a starter he will counted upon numerous times to get us out of an inning. I think once he gets adjusted he will be super. He is not big, 5-10 183 but neither was Jon Harden. Daniel came from a Texas JC and made all-american honors his only year in JC baseball. I look for big things out of him in 2015.

3B/DH Luke Reynolds, Sophomore
I think Luke made a huge impression in fall camp. He made several sparkling plays at 3B. He came in known as a good hitter and he did that. He is a contact hitter. But diving for balls at 3B and rifling over to 1B to get the runner made some people notice. Senior Matthew Britton had a knee issue the last half of fall so the spring should tell the tale of who plays here the most. I put Luke at DH too. He is 6-2 186 and bats left (Britton too). Luke will only get better as he gets more reps. He will play a ton in 2015 at both 3B and DH.

RECAP: The stars of the JC class are: Holland, Smith, Brown and Reynolds. Those 4 will start and or play a ton in 2015. I would classify Waddell, Spruill and Lovelady as intriguing prospects. Those three each bring their own talent to certain roles.

2016 Class, so far.

We have 7 commits for the 2016 class. One player, Tre Turner, will be on a football scholarship.

Dustin Skelton, catcher
He is already ranked as the #1 catcher in the state of MS. We love getting those elite catchers.

Walker Robbins, LHP/1B
He is the #1 ranked LHP in the state of MS. He is not a bad first baseman either. A great player from south MS.

Cole Whitman, LHP
He is the #2 ranked LHP in the state of AL. He is 6-4 200. How many do we have of those! He will be an elite recruit.

Mitchell Miller, LHP
(Notice a trend with the LHP's!)
He is the #4 ranked LHP in talent rich state of Georgia.

Riley Self, RHP
He is the #2 ranked RHP so far in the state of MS. He is 6-4 215 and can bring the heat.

Hagan Severance, OF
He is not ranked yet but he will now that he is committed to us. He is a really good hitter from the
state of TN.

Tre Turner, OF
A great running back from LA. Oh, by the way, he can run down any ball in the OF.

We are recruiting hard a big RHP from the mid-west and a slick fielding shortstop from the Pacific North West. Stay tuned for more great news!

2015 Signees Recap

The 2015 team has 9 seniors and numerous underclass men that might be drafted by MLB. We signed 18 HS seniors in the fall signing period.

Ms State baseball will increasingly have to deal with the Major League Draft every June. We have to recruit and sign elite players, this will lead to anxiety each June but we have to do it. We have to gamble on these players because we will keep more than we lose.

Why is Rafael Palmerio and Will Clark so good and so famous? Because they we elite prospects themselves coming out of HS. Both were drafted (my memory fades) in the top 8 rounds of the 1982 draft. We have to get these type of players to win championships.

I don't know what will happen next June. I know our coaches are seasoned enough not to get killed by the draft.

We lose 2 catchers off the 2015 club, we signed 2 catchers.

We lose 4 infielders, we signed 2 and another 3 (pitchers and a catcher) that are good enough to play infield.

We will lose at least one OF, we signed 3.

We will lose 3 LHP's, we signed 5.

We will lose at least 1 RHP, we signed 6.

The coaches do a superb job of plugging the holes with JC players. You will see that again in late spring or summer.

We signed 6 top 100 PG players.

We signed 5 LHP, 6 RHP, 2 MIF, 3 OF, 2 C.

We signed 3, count them, 3 switch hitters.

Our final PG rank was 4th in the country.

I think we did an excellent job no matter what happens next June. We have buffered ourselves just in case we lose a few to the draft.

2015 Signees: The OF's

We signed 3 players. An elite prospect and two outstanding OF from the state of MS.

Greg Pickett, 6-4 215, Aurora, CO, Legend HS
He is graded at 10 by PG which means he is an elite player. He is ranked #26 overall nationally by PG. He is the #1 OF in the state and the #2 player in the state of Colorado by PG. He has played in every all star game you can think of last summer. He has major power to all fields. PG scouts says the ball sounds different when it comes off his bat. He is a left-handed batter. Summer team is Chandler World.

Jake Mangum, 5-11 180, Pearl, MS, Jackson Preparatory School
He is rated #3 OF in the state and the #10 best player according to PG. His dad and uncle played college football. He is a switch hitter. He is a left-handed pitcher also. He reminds you of C.T. Bradford. He was committed to Alabama. He is another that I am glad he chose us, he can make a difference. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

Brant Blaylock, 6-2 190, Southaven, MS, DeSoto Central HS
He is rated #2 OF in the state and the #9 best player per PG. He is a very physical OF. He will play a corner OF while Jake is a CF.

Pickett is an elite player, he could come in and immediately play DH in 2016.

2015 Signees: The catchers

We really did well at this position. We got 2 stars both 1# at their position in their states.

Elih Marrero, 5-9 190, Miami, FL, Coral Gables Senior
He is graded at 10 by PG which means he is an elite player. He is ranked nationally at #82 and is the #1 catcher in the state of FL. He is the #16 best prospect in the state of FL per PG. His father was a catcher in the Major Leagues for some years. He is a switch hitter. Played in the PG All-American Classic in San Diego along with Austin Riley. He is an excellent defender behind the plate, has an excellent pop time to 2B. Summer team is South Florida Elite Squad.

Hunter Stovall, 5-10 170, Pelham, AL, Pelham HS
He is graded a 9.5 by PG. He is ranked nationally at #309 and is the 1# catcher in the state of AL according to PG and the 5# best overall player. He is the ultimate dirtbag player. He gets dirty before they sing the National Anthem. He is also pretty good at 2B. His pop time is great to 2B. He is what you want, he hustles, slides, dives, whatever it takes to get an out or score a run. He committed early also. He loves Ms State baseball and we are glad he picked us. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

We got 2 elite catchers. This position takes 2 players to play through out the season. He is the quarterback.

2015 Signees: The MIF's

We have 1 heralded recruit while the other one has tons of potential.

Luke Alexander, 6-0 180, Belmont, MS, Belmont HS
Nationally, Luke is ranked #352 player in the nation. He is the #1 shortstop in the state of MS and the #5 ranked player in the state per PG. He is probably the first player we have had to commit in the 8th grade. He is very passionate about baseball and Ms State. I am glad he is with us. He is a 9.5 by PG. He is an elite player. He has a shot of lots of playing time because we will graduate 2 MIF next year. He is a switch hitter also. Summer teams is Dulin Dodgers.

Delvin Zinn, 5-11 170, Pontotoc, MS, Pontotoc HS
He is ranked #12 by PG in the state and the #3 best 2B in the state. Bats right.

If you look at our recruiting history, we seem to always get a JC MIF guy to come in and play great. We might still get one. Alexander has a great chance to be a star.

2015 Signees: The LHP's

As I keep saying and repeating, I think this group is the best LHP in the country. Lots of star power.

Ethan Small, 6-3 175, Lexington, TN, Lexington HS
He is considered the #91 best player in the country regardless of position by PG. He is the #1 LHP in the state and the #3 player in the state. He made a huge jump the latter half of the summer. He either figured it out or ate his Wheaties. His fastball is now 93. Just wait until he puts some weight on. This kid is a diamond in the rough. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

Trysten Barlow, 6-2 215, Halls, TN, Dyer County HS
He was the #1 LHP in the state until Small made a big jump, now he is #2. He is the #9 player in the state overall. He is ranked #275 overall nationwide by PG. He is also a really good hitter, so I wouldn't be surprised if he played 1B also. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

Jared Padgett, 6-4 200, Graceville, FL, Graceville HS
He is #8 LHP in FL and #54 overall player in the state. If he was in a lesser talent rich state, he would be #1. A big, tall lefty, just what we needed. Last year, he struck out 115 batters in 51 innings. Hello, that is 2 out of 3 outs per inning they don't even leave the batters box. He is super talented out of the state of Florida. And he is graceful, like the town he is from. Awesome job by our coaches.

Kale Breaux, 6-0 170, Sulphur, LA, Sulphur HS
He is the #3 LHP in LA and the #10 best player in the state. We got a good one here. He was on the 18U team with Gray Fenter, so we had 2 on the team of 20, not bad huh. We wouldn't be as good of a program if we didn't have crafty LHP's. Kale is another one. He is a strikeout machine. I am glad he chose us. Summer team is Texas Sun Devils.

Konnor Pilkington, 6-3 215, Lucedale, MS, East Central HS
He is the #1 LHP in the state of MS and the #8 player in the state per PG. PG says he is an intriguing player to follow and I agree. He is just beginning to be good. Another great find by the coaches. Summer team is the Marlins National Scout Team.

You might think, well there is only one highly rated player by PG in this list, why do you say it is the 1# LHP group in the country. Well, we have the 1# LHP in 2 states, #2 in one state, #3 in one state and a highly touted one out of FL that would be higher rated if in a smaller "baseball" state. Again, only 1 pitcher is "small", Breaux out of LA is only 6-0. The other 4 are 6-2 or taller. I just love this group. This group if it stays intact, will win a lot of ball games at Ms State. You can quote me on that.

2015 Signees: The RHP's

This position possesses 3 players in the top 100 Perfect Game. It has a mix of starters and relievers.

Parker Ford, 6-3 210, Lufkin, TX, Lufkin HS
He is graded at 10 by PG which means he is an elite player. Ranked #60 in the country regardless of position by PG. Once he visited it was all over, he loved our program. He is the 13th best player in Texas and #5 RHP in Texas by PG. Fastball up to 94. He is a big power arm. Parker had numerous other offers but chose Ms State. Summer team is Texas Sun Devils.

Austin Riley, 6-3 230, Hernando, MS, DeSoto Central HS
He is graded at 10 by PG which means he is an elite player. Ranked #63 in the country regardless of position by PG. He is the consensus #1 player in the state of MS. Played in the Under Armour AA game at Wrigley Field this past summer. He can also flat out smash the ball and plays a mean 3B. To me, he is another Pete Young from the late 1980's. He will play 3B and hit, then get on the mound and bring heat. He is so good at either position, PG says the scouts are split as to what position he is best at. I would play him just like we did Pete, 3B and then closer. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

Gray Fenter, 6-0 190, West Memphis, AR, West Memphis HS
He is graded at 10 by PG which means he is an elite player. Ranked #69 in the country regardless of position by PG. He is the #1 player in the state of Arkansas for 2015 per PG. Velocity is in the mid-90's. He also played at Wrigley Field this past summer. He was on the 18U USA National Team, 1 of only 20 players selected. He committed late in the recruiting game and we are glad he did. He is a game changer. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

Keegan James, 6-3 210, Southaven, MS, DeSoto Central HS
He is a graded at 9.5 by PG. He is ranked by PG as the #6 player in the state of MS and the #3 RHP in the state. Fastball is in the upper 80's. He might have a chance to play in the field in college, he is a pretty good hitter. Summer team is Dulin Dodgers.

Noah Hughes, 6-2 175, Ridgeland, MS, Jackson Preparatory School
He is ranked by PG as the #11 player in the state of MS and the #4 RHP in the state. He went 11-1 with an ERA of 1.21 and struck out 101 batters his junior season. Summer team is Team Georgia.

Ryan Cyr, 6-3 200, Leawood, KS, Blue Valley HS
He is ranked #8 player in the state of Kansas and the #5 RHP in the state. His team won the state championship last year. He is another player that when he visited fell in love with the campus and the city. Summer team is MNS Red Sox.

The impressive stat about this group is height. Five of the 6 players are 6-2 or taller. Fenter is 6-0 but he is tough as nails. He is a bulldog on the mound. Ford, Riley and Fenter can bring the heat into the mid-90's. A good mixture of potential front line starters and back end closers.

2015 Signees and Perfect Game Rankings

	2015 Signees										Natl Rk	St Rk
MIF	Luke Alexander	1	5-11	170	Fr.	HS	S/R	Ms			352	5			1# SS in MS
RHP/3B	Austin Riley	2	6-3	230	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ms			63	1			1# player in MS
RHP	Keegan James	3	6-3	190	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ms			500	6			3# RHP in MS
C/2B	Hunter Stovall	4	5-10	180	Fr.	HS	R/R	Al			309	5			1# C in AL
CF/LHP	Jake Mangum	5	5-11	180	Fr.	HS	S/L	Ms			500	10			3# OF in MS
RHP	Noah Hughes	6	6-2	170	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ms			500	11			4# RHP in MS
OF	Brant Blaylock	7	6-3	190	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ms			500	9			2# OF in MS
LHP	Jared Padgett	8	6-4	200	Fr.	HS	L/L	Fl			349	54			8# LHP in FL
LHP	Kale Breaux	9	6-0	175	Fr.	HS	L/L	La			500	10			3# LHP in LA
LHP	Konnor Pilkington	10	6-3	215	Fr.	HS	L/L	Ms			500	8			1# LHP in MS
OF	Greg Pickett	11	6-4	215	Fr.	HS	L/R	Co			26	2			1# OF in CO
C	Elih Marrero	12	5-9	190	Fr.	HS	S/R	Fl			82	16			1# C in FL
RHP	Ryan Cyr	13	6-3	190	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ks			500	8			5# RHP in KS
RHP	Parker Ford	14	6-3	210	Fr.	HS	R/R	Tx			60	13			5# RHP in TX
MIF	Delvin Zinn	15	5-11	170	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ms			500	12
LHP	Trysten Barlow	16	6-2	215	Fr.	HS	L/L	Tn			275	9			1# LHP in TN
RHP	Gray Fenter	17	6-0	190	Fr.	HS	R/R	Ar			69	1			1# player in AR
LHP	Ethan Small	18	6-3	175	Fr.	HS	L/L	Tn			91	3			2# LHP in TN

The Dulin Dodgers players

I called Tim Dulin today and asked him several questions about the crop of Dodgers we will be signing tomorrow and about the 8th grader who committed to us yesterday. First of all, I am no reporter. I didn't write down verbatim what he said so I can quote him. I don't have a recording device. I know the cell phone has one but I don't have time for that.

First lets start with the 8th grade wonder, Austin Kelly. I think Kelly's family has moved to the Greenville area to attend Washington School. Bill Burrus, a reporter for the Commonwealth newspaper emailed me this:

"Former McCarley resident and ex-Pillow Academy student Austin Kelly, an eighth-grader at Washington School, has given a verbal commitment from an early baseball scholarship offer from Mississippi State. Kelly would be a class of 2019 signee.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder is a power-hitting lefty who throws right-handed. He is being recruited as a catcher, third baseman and outfielder. He was named MVP of the National Perfect Game Tournament in July in Dallas while hitting five home runs, including a grand slam, for the PSA Sox Red major team.  Kelly hit 38 homers in summer ball this year."

When I talked to Coach Dulin about him, he had nothing but rave reviews about Austin. His body is very mature for 14. He has very strong legs, thus that is where his power comes from. He plays way above his age. We both think he will be the 1# player in Mississippi his senior year perhaps his whole HS career. But he is 5 years away before playing for us. Let's look at the other Dodger players.

The 2015 class has 9 Dodger players. I asked Coach Dulin, have you ever had that many players go to one particular school in a given year and he didn't think so. I think Ms State broke a record. He was, of course, very up beat about all their futures with Ms State baseball. He thinks we have really turned the notch up with talent and the new baseball stadium. Coach Dulin also raved about our 3 coaches, John Cohen, Butch Thompson and Nick Mingione. Our coaches treat the players great and are very up front with them in the process. He believes great times are ahead.

Here is a list of the Dulin Dodgers that will sign with us in this early signing period:

3B/RHP Austin Riley, Ms
Coach Dulin said he could play both positions in college, he is that good.
OF Jake Mangum, Ms
RHP Keegan James, Ms
SS Luke Alexander, Ms
Coach really raved about Luke's defensive prowess. One of the best in the SE.
C/2B Hunter Stovall, Al
Coach really liked the hustle and talent of Hunter.
LHP Trysten Barlow, Tn
RHP Gray Fenter, Ar
OF Brant Blaylock, Ms
LHP Ethan Small, Tn

Riley is 1# player in Ms
Alexander is 1# shortstop in Ms
Stovall is 1# catcher in Al
Barlow and Small are the top 2 LHP in Tn
Fenter is 1# player in Ar

This rating is by Perfect Game.

I didn't have time to go over each one of these Dodgers but he expressed how talented they are as a group. I appreciate Coach giving me the time. I will call him back on other players.

We have made major in roads into these elite travel teams. This class is just the tip of the iceberg.

Notes after 2 weeks of scrimmages

Several pitchers still competing for starting rotation. Those who've stood out are: So. Austin Sexton, So. Vance Tatum, So. Daniel Brown, Jr. Preston Brown. So. Dakota Hudson-injury and Sr. Lucas Laster-sick are just starting to throw. Hudson is a big time talent while Laster started some in 2014 and did great. These 6 guys will IMO make up the 3 starters and the mid-week starter we need.

The bullpen is still taking shape. Sr. Trevor Fitts is in the lead for the closer.

The hitting is leaps ahead of 2014 because of great talent. Sophomores Gavin Collins, catcher and Reid Humphreys, left fielder/DH are hitting doubles and HRs. Newcomers Jr. John Holland, shortstop and So. Luke Reynolds, third baseman, each have shown their prowess at the dish.

Sr. Wes Rea, first baseman and So.RS Jacob Robson, center fielder, have improved at the plate. Big Wes rarely strikes out now and Robson shows why he was highly recruited, he gets hits and steal bases.

I am really liking this team. It is deep in pitching and guys coming off the bench to pinch hit in critical situations. Fall ball has I think 14 more games so we are a long way from over. Stay tuned as I break it down. And BTW, signing day is Nov. 12th. We have 18 HS players committed and we rank 4th in the nation according to Perfect Game. Excellent class coming in August of 2015.

My lineup as of 10/24

Jacob Robson--CF bats Left
John Holland--SS bats Left
Gavin Collins--C  bats Right
Reid Humphreys--DH  bats Right
Wes Rea--1B  bats Right
Seth Heck--2B  bats Right
Cody Brown--RF  bats Left
Luke Reynolds--3B  bats Left
Jake Vickerson--LF  bats Left

Every day guys who are very valuable to our success: Holland, Collins, Humphreys, Rea, Heck. These guys have to defend and/or bat every game.

Weekend starting rotation:

Preston Brown RHP
Austin Sexton RHP
Daniel Brown LHP

Still a long way to go determining these spots. Dakota Hudson and Lucas Laster have yet to pitch because of injury/illness and I fully expect both to be starters.

10/14 Scrimmage

From what I gleaned from John Cohen's interview:

He mentioned Michael Smith as a really good CF. He is in my OF rotation.

He said Reid Humphreys is a middle of the order bat. He will be all over DH, IF, and OF.

Trevor Fitts seeing time as closer. He is getting a look.

2015 Team: My thoughts in September

I think this is the most talented team John Cohen will have have in his tenure. I am talking about 1-42, not the guys starting but as a whole, this is his most talented team. We still have lots of question marks but I think this team has great potential. Like, going to Omaha potential. The outfield is very talented and deep. The infield seems very solid with the addition of JC players. The catching position is solid. What the team needs that it had last year is "swing and miss" pitching guys. Jacob Lindgren is gone and so is Jonathan Holder. If you can find pitchers that can strike someone out in critical situations, then we are in business.

I think the combo of the new lower seam baseball and the addition and maturation of hitters will mean we will score more runs in 2015. Young hitters like Gavin Collins, Reid Humphreys, Brent Rooker, Joey Swinarski need to have a good year. I think they will.

The starting pitching will be the deepest in the John Cohen era. We have 7 potential starters right now for the 3 weekend spots. And this is my opinion before fall ball starts. Usually someone will step up during fall, so there may be more!

And judging by the national writers, they don't expect MsState to go to Omaha in 2015. That is a mistake but its good in the fact that we will be underdogs. We excel at being an underdog.

Cohen and staff keep stockpiling this talent and it will take us where we want to go. SEC and NCAA championships.

Fall ball is obviously very important. It shows the coaches what the young players can do. They need to see John Holland in action. Where does he play? They need to see the 6 OF's play and figure out what rotation they have. They need to see who will step up in the pitching staff, primarily in the bullpen. We need to find a closer.

Pre-Fall Info: Right handed pitchers

Trevor Fitts, Sr. 6-2 205
He is not flashy but he gets it done. Right now he is a week end starter. He is also a leader.
Will Cox, Sr. 6-4 200
He was injured last year so he might be a RS Jr. Anyway, he is working his arm back into shape. He may not pitch in a game until April. He should give us experienced relief help.
Preston Brown, Jr.RS 6-0 195
If he would have been healthy the whole 2014, the season may have turned out different. He is healthy now and should be a weekend starter.
Ben Hudspeth, Jr.RS 6-0 180
Was redshirted last year. Fall ball will determine where he is.
Myles Gentry, Jr. 6-0 180
A side arm delivery guy. Has gotten some big outs the last two years. A mainstay in the bullpen.
Cole Barlow, Jr.Tr. 6-2 180
A transfer who throws side arm. Fall ball will determine if he can help in 2015.
Paul Young, So.RS 6-2 205
Paul is finally healthy. Thank goodness. He has great potential. Butch will bring him along slow so by May 1st you should see the real Paul Young. He throws in lower to mid 90's fastball. I see him as a bullpen guy then in 2016, a full fledged starter.
Austin Sexton, So. 6-3 190
He showed flashes his freshman year. Now he is in full competition for a starting role. Another rising star on the staff. Fall ball will determine.
Dakota Hudson, So. 6-5 210
John Cohen said it after last season. He expects Dakota to compete for the Friday night starting pitcher role. He is a future 1st rounder.
Zac Houston, So. 6-6 220
I think Zac will be one of the closers. I think we will go with 2 or 3 to fill that role. Hard to replace Jonathan Holder.
Logan Elliot, So.Tr. 6-1 180
Another side armer. He did really good in JC throwing side arm. I do expect him to contribute in 2015. Fall ball will determine.
Jacob Billingsley, Fr.RS 6-1 185
Jacob had a really good summer. He should be one of the closers or a set up guy. Looking forward to seeing him pitch.
Levi Mintz, Fr.RS 6-4 190
Fall ball will be big for Levi. He needs to show what he can do.
Cole Gordon, Fr. 6-6 220
A multiple player. He can really hit the ball. He is a closer type. He had surgery two years ago but before then he was around 90 with his fastball. He has a ton of potential. He is a Mitch Moreland type, 1B/OF/RHP player.
Aaron Dominguez, Fr. 6-0 190
He is a very determined and scrappy pitcher. He will compete for PT in the bullpen.
Jesse McCord, Fr. 6-1 195
His brother played at Auburn. One of the top pitchers in the southeast coming out of HS. He will definitely get his share of innings in 2015. Most likely all bullpen duty but a future weekend starter.

RECAP: This list is extensive. Seems everyone is healthy although a couple may not be full speed. Lots of work to do in the fall to determine what role they will have.

Pre-Fall Info: Left handed pitchers

Ross Mitchell, Sr.RS 6-1 170
Just call him captain. Both he and Rea are the longest tenured players. He has excelled as a starter and reliever. Which begs the question, in his last year, what will he be used at-a starter or reliever? At this point, a starter until someone is better then put him back to long relief.
Lucas Laster, Sr. 5-11 180
He really excelled at the end of 2014. I would say he is a starter at this point.
Trent Waddell, Jr.Tr. 6-3 210
A really intriguing prospect. He had arm trouble last year but is over it. The word on him is that he does have a really good arm. Fall ball will do him a lot of good. We need to find a spot for him.
Vance Tatum, So. 6-4 210
A star in the making. A hard worker. He pitched in both roles in 2014. Just need to keep gaining experience.
Daniel Brown, So.Tr. 5-11 180
He really dominated JC pitching a year ago. He was an All-American. I am really excited about him. I think he can do both, start and relief. Fall ball will determine.
Andrew Mahoney, Fr. 6-3 210
He didn't pitch his senior year because of arm surgery. He was highly rated in his home state of Alabama. Another one that fall ball will be good for. He needs to show what he can do after a long lay off.
Paxton Stover, Fr. 5-11 175
He just needs to gain experience and work under Butch Thompson. Fall ball will determine how much he pitches in 2015.

RECAP: We need 2 LHP's to start on some SEC weekends because the opponent will have good left handed hitters. Mitchell, Laster, Tatum and Brown, in my mind, are the LHP starters. Mitchell is just automatic. I think he got worn down last year but we are deeper in the pitching staff as a whole, so he should be well rested by June. Laster did really well in his starts. Again, just keep him fresh throughout the year. Tatum could have a breakout year. Brown, IMO, is a great find by the staff. This guy shut down opposing hitters in his 1 year of JC. Waddell, I see coming out of the BP in year one. The others, I will have to see what they do in fall ball. I am excited about this group. Last year, we had 4 LHP's, this year we will have 7. Their roles will be determined in fall practice.

Pre-Fall Info: Outfielders

Jake Vickerson, Sr. 5-9 185
Bats left, throws right. A solid addition from JC a year ago. Mainly will be in left but can play right.
Michael Smith, Jr.Tr. 5-10 175
A really nice addition for 2015. A very fast CF type. He will be very important in 2015.
Jacob Robson, So.RS 5-8 180
Injured most of 2014, then had surgery on his elbow. Should be 100%. Jacob bats left. Another fast OF that can run down fly balls.
Cody Brown, So.RS 5-10 180
Bats left, throws right. A very scrappy player that is a plus defender. He can grind an AB too.
Joey Swinarski, Fr.RS 6-3 185
He graduated early in 2014 so he is considered a true freshman now. Joey has tremendous upside. He has a lot of offensive potential. Fall ball will be big for him.
Brent Rooker, Fr.RS 6-4 190
Bats right. He can play 1B also. A really big and tall athletic player. He hit a few HR's during summer ball. Can't wait to see him play.
Cole Gordon, Fr. 6-6 240
A true freshman that bats left. He has a big power bat.

RECAP: The deepest part of any field position. We have 4 players who bat left and 3 that bat right. So any combo of left/right against the opposing pitcher will be used here. There are small, fast type players and a few big, burly guys who can hit HR's. I am really excited about this group.

Pre-Fall Info: Catchers

Zach Randolph, Sr.RS-6-1 190
Zach started a few games in 2014. He brings lots of experience into his last year.
Cody Walker, Sr.-5-10 190
In his 2nd year after transferring from JC. Had a couple of starts in 2014. He will compete with Randolph for the backup catching role which is a very, very important role.
Josh Lovelady, Jr.Tr.-6-0 190
Josh provides depth to a critical position. Fall ball will determine how much he plays.
Gavin Collins, So.-6-0 200
The star of the group. He will be the starter after a solid 2014. He can do it all. He can hit, throw runners out and defend. He will be an All-American before he leaves.

RECAP: Collins is the starter. But this position requires a quality backup. The other 3 will battle it out for 2nd team.

Pre-Fall Info: Middle Infielders

Middle Infield:

Seth Heck, Sr. 5-11 175
I repeat what I said last year. What a great find by the coaching staff. Heck has a 4.0 in the classroom plus he is an excellent defender. His offense is not bad either. He made what 4 errors at SS last year. That is unheard of. But he might have to play 2B in 2015. Fall ball will determine.
John Holland, Jr.Tr. 5-11 180
One of the newcomers that will have a major impact in 2015. He comes with lots of accolades for defense, offense and stealing bases. The biggest question for MIF this fall is where Heck and Holland plays. The Heck and Holland duo could go down in the annuls of history as one of the best.
Matt Spruill, Jr.Tr. 6-1 190
Matt may play 2B or 3B. We'll have to wait and see where he ends up.
Michael Smith, Jr.Tr. 5-10 170
His main position is OF but I have read where he can play 2B. Fall ball will determine.
Ryan Gridley, Fr. 5-9 170
A true freshman with a lot of upside. He needs to gain experience behind all these upper class men. His day will come when he will start. I really like is attitude and hustle.

RECAP: I see Heck and Holland starting and excelling in 2015. At which position, I don't know yet.
This position could be one of our strongest for 2015. As the saying goes, up the middle defense wins championships. Our up the middle is Gavin Collins at catcher, Heck at SS, Holland at 2B and either Michael Smith or Jacob Robson at CF. That is a great combination.

Pre-Fall Info: Corner Infielders

First Base

Wes Rea, Sr.RS. 6-5 275
It all starts with Rea, position player wise. He is a 5th year senior and a leader. He has had his ups and downs over his career. He plays a stellar 1B. He has been up and down hitting-wise the last 2 seasons (not unlike a lot of players) so we all pull for him having a monster senior season. He should start at 1B the whole year.
Trent Waddell, Jr.Tr. 6-3 210
Since the fall roster has yet to be released, I am assuming Trent will play 1B also. He is a LHP too. Fall will determine where he will play.
Reid Humphreys, So. 6-2 200
Really, one of the big questions this fall is where will Reid play. Is he a 1B or a 3B? Will he be the starting DH in 2015? He should have a huge year at the plate. He needs to be in the lineup every game, question is where.
Dylan Ingram, Fr.RS 6-3 210
A very talented youngster. He had a really good summer hitting the ball. He should come in late in ballgames to gain experience.
Brent Rooker, Fr.RS 6-4 190
Brent will most likely play a lot in the OF in 2015 but I will put him here also. Fall ball will determine where he will play. He has a power bat, lots of AB's in 2015.
Cole Gordon, Fr. 6-6 240
Another player I don't really know where he might play. His bat is explosive. I have him at 1B, OF and RHP. He bats left so he might get some AB's this year.

Third Base

Matthew Britton, Sr. 6-1 190
A seasoned veteran that started out in 2014 at SS but found a home at 3B. Exceptional defensive abilities and cannon for a right arm. If  he can hit better, he will be All-SEC. He should be the starter at 3B the whole year.
Matt Spruill, Jr.Tr. 6-1 190
I looked his bio up in JC in Texas and he mostly played 2B but did play 3B late in the year. Don't know if he will be here when the roster is released. His big bro is a MLBer with the Diamondbacks (pitcher). Could be a great find, like Brett Pirtle was. He should be a backup somewhere.
Reid Humphreys, So. 6-2 200
See above.
Luke Reynolds, So.Tr. 6-2 180
Another JC transfer that I think is listed at 3B. He is a pretty good hitter from the left side. He might be a OF when the roster is released. He should get some AB's at DH or late in ballgames.

RECAP: I think Rea and Britton are the starters. Humphreys can play both positions. Ingram is very capable and the future at 1B. Fall ball will teach us a lot about the others.

2014 Recruiting class

Currently ranked 6th by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. Baseball America has rated us 24th in it's latest ranking. They do 4 years later reproject the ranking. Perfect Game has a running ranking on their site and we are 56th. PG does not account for junior college players which is the strength of our 2014 class.


Freshmen:

RHP Jesse McCord 6-2 190: Rated 200 by Perfect Game. His brother played baseball at Auburn. Quality pitcher. Highly ranked in his home state of Alabama. I see him coming out of the BP in 2015.

LHP Andrew Mahoney 6-2 210: Rated 386 by PG. Another highly thought of pitcher from Alabama. He is coming off surgery but appears to be healthy.

MIF Ryan Gridley 5-9 180: Rated 391 by PG. A scrappy player who gets it done. He looks up to Dustin Pedrioa of the Red Sox. I hope he turns out just like Dustin! Ryan is from talent rich Georgia. I think he can be a quality backup this year.

RHP/RF/1B Cole Gordon 6-6 240: Ranked 500 by PG. Really don't know where they have him this fall. I have read where he tears the cover off the ball from the left side. I see him pinch hitting some in 2015. Cole is from Florida.

RHP Aaron Dominguez 6-0 195: Ranked 500 by PG. Aaron from what I hear is a Bulldog on the mound. A very determined pitcher. I do see him coming out of the BP for some innings.

LHP Paxton Stover 5-11 180: Paxton is from Tennessee. I don't know much about Paxton but as you can see he is a lefty which means he has a real good chance at BP duty in 2015.

Transfers: (the heart of this recruiting class)

MIF John Holland 5-11 180, Jr.: A no doubt huge pick up. He started some as a true freshman for Florida State. He can play great defense and hit from the left side. What else can you ask for? He and returnee SS Seth Heck will make for highlight reel material in 2015.

LHP Daniel Brown 5-11 185, So.: Another huge pick up (have you noticed that the coaches do a great job signing JC transfers in the positions we need the most help). He was All-American at a Texas juco. He was nasty from the left side. He was a starter too. He will do everything in 2015.

CF Michael Smith 5-10 170, Jr.: A very, very fast player. Michael is from Tennessee. He is a lead off, bunt for a single, steal second base baseball player. Any questions? I think he and Jacob Robson will tag team in CF.

2B/3B Matt Spruill 6-1 190, Jr.: Originally from Virginia but played in Texas juco last two years. His older brother is a MLBer for the Diamondbacks, a pitcher. I don't know much about him but he looks interesting.

LHP/1B Trent Waddell 6-3 210, Jr.: Another player that makes me go mmmmm. He played mostly 1B at East Ms CC and pitched a little mostly due to arm issues. I think he will mostly pitch with us. His arm is healthy. He has the size and of course he is left handed too. Fall ball will determine what we got.

RHP Logan Elliot 6-1 175, So.: A side arm action pitcher. Pitched last year at Tallahassee JC. He had good stats last year. Fall ball will determine what we got.

3B/DH Luke Reynolds 6-2 180, So.: The word on him is that he is a good hitter, bats left. Could become the DH or a situational hitter batting left. Again, fall ball will determine.

RHP Cole Barlow 6-2 190, Jr.: A Mississippi juco product. Another side arm pitcher. We shall see during fall ball what he has.

C Josh Lovelady 6-0 190, Jr.: Will push for PT behind starter Gavin Collins. We shall see during fall ball.


RECAP: What this class brings in JC star power. Expect at least 3 JC's to have a major impact in 2015. John Cohen likes to bring the freshman along slow, so that is what to expect with a few of them. But the JC guys will be thrown in to compete for spots immediately. Some of these guys are unknown so I am excited to see what they can do. I totally trust the coaches knack for finding talent. The 2015 class will rely heavily on the HS guys so this class went with JC players. It doesn't matter where they came from, if they can play and we win, it is all that matters. I will have more after fall ball is over.

Here and There Bits

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting. We have been at it. The class of 2015 is currently ranked 4th by Perfect Game. I expect at this point to lose 1 maybe 2 to the draft. Still, it is looking fantastic. The class of 2016 is no slouch either. All 5 commits are ranked 275 or higher. I expect more 2016 commits as the fall progresses. And the 2017 class, all 3 of them are highly ranked. Led by Hunter Milligan (LHP) of Arkansas at 7th in the nation. We are already working on the 2018 class with 1 commit.

The current roster is 42. I haven't heard of any major injuries to keep anyone out of practice. Some pitchers may not pitch much this fall bc of former injuries but they should be full speed during the 2015 season.

I will have a rundown of the 2015 team pre-fall to give you an idea what we have. I will try to post them over the next two weeks.

Of course, when recruits do come for a visit this fall, they will see the video of the new stadium. It will be the #1 college baseball stadium in the country. How can you not play for us? Anyway. It wouldn't surprise me at all we break ground next summer.

Again, on recruiting, we have expanded our reach into these big travel teams and into California. We will be getting some top notch talent in the coming years. Yes, we will get bit by the MLB draft but we will keep our share. We kept 2 highly drafted players before and look what happened....Clark and Palmerio.

Proposed New Dudy Noble Stadium

The plans for the new stadium are fantastic. The new entrance in upper right field is a great idea. That space is dead right now. Fans entering can flow into the chairback seats to the left or take a right into the LFL. The old entrance into LFL looks like a service entrance. And of course, having a ring of honor whatever that will entail is a terrific idea. We need to show our former players and our past championships as you walk in.

I love the grandstand. For one, no cement. The new grandstand will be there forever, just like Chicago Cubs, etc. A great idea. We need to have as much seating around home plate as possible and it seems to do that. The green areas at the end are a nice touch too. Get a blanket and watch with your kids rolling in the grass.

One big tradition will have to go and we have to live with it. Bringing in the LFL rigs will be no more. But at least you can claim the space as your own and put whatever you want there. I am sure it will be build with storage spaces, etc. The only problem I can think of is some rigs are built higher than others so they can see more. Maybe the new space will be such.

I do love the LF Lofts. We need to be different. Those spaces if empty can be for recruits family's or a players family to stay in for the weekend. What a recruiting tool.

I love the fact that it resembles a MLB park. That is what these kids strive for anyway. The bullpens won't be as secure, someone will have to catch the foul balls. But once the grandstand is built, it will last more than 30 years.

We have all complained about the congested concession stand during big crowds and regionals. We don't see this in the demo but rest assured it will be bigger and better. Plus they will have plenty of TV's to watch the action.

We fans will finally have a ballpark to match our passion for the school we love, the sport we love and the tradition we love.

Finally, there will be no doubt we will have a recruiting advantage with this new park. We should be much better as a team in the coming years. It will only be better from here on out.

2010 Signing Class Recap

Recap of what happened to the signees:

Ethan Bright--1B--transferred before spring
Kolby Byrd--C--transferred after redshirt
Luke Bole--LHP--transferred after 1 year
Matt Lane--LHP--transferred after 1 year
Runey Davis--OF--signed pro out of JC
Carlos Leal--C--walk on transferred after fall
Jared Miller--RHP--transferred after fall
Corey Collins--RHP--transferred after 1 year

Chris Stratton--RHP--great career--pro ball
Kendall Graveman--RHP--great career--pro ball
Trey Johnson--OF--played some--coaching
Ben Bracewell--RHP--great career--?
Wes Thigpen--C--solid player--pro ball--coaching
C C Watson--LHP--injured--medical
Jaron Shepherd--OF--great career--pro ball
Nick Vickerson--Utl--great career--pro ball
Jonathan Ogden--SS--great career--pro ball--coaching
Sam Frost--Utl--great career--?
Chad Girodo--LHP--great career--pro ball
Michael Dixon--RHP--injured--medical

Might have 4 major leaguers out of this group.  Stratton, Graveman, Vickerson and Girodo.

You can see almost half of signees transfer. This goes for most classes.

Recruiting

This is a post I will continually update. John Cohen has built a winner. He had to establish himself the first two years, then the recruiting started to pick up. I feel every year we are getting potential 1st round draft picks. Which means a Reid Humphreys and Gavin Collins will by their Junior years become a 1st rounder. I say this because those type of players make the difference between champions or not.

Each year a player gets adjusted to the speed of the game and/or makes adjustments to his game. They get better.

We signed the 2nd ranked recruiting class last November and now they are adjusting. We will see the benefits of that in 2015 and 2016. The 2014 class lost two big recruits. Chase Vallot and Dale Burdick chose MLB. Those are the type of players we need to go after each year. You win some and you lose some. Ron Polk won some (Clark and Palmeiro). The 2014 class now have 7 freshmen and 7 JC guys. I do foresee getting at least one more MIF or OF.

Starting July 1st, we will be going after the 2015 guys. We already have 10 commits. We have raked the state of Mississippi for the best players. We also have the best LHP group.

College baseball is a never ending recruiting machine. We go after 9th graders if they are good enough. Usually though, we go after the 10th graders. I expect a lot of commitments between now and November for 2015, 2016, 2017 classes.

If you have any inside info on a recruit, let me know! I don't tweet anything out unless it is verified. It is very hard to get any info on college baseball recruiting compared to football in which you know everything.

2015 Preview: How will we do in 2015?

We have 26 non-conference games each year and without looking at the schedule, our goal should be to win 20 each year. We were 17-8 in 2014 with one snow out. If we win 3 more, play the make up and win (4), that may have tipped the scale toward us hosting a regional. See how important those games are?

We have 30 conference games and without looking at the teams we play, I think we can win half of them.

We will make the SECT and if we can have around 35 wins that will put us back into a regional. When we make a regional anything can happen. I don't see us as a Omaha contender right now or in February. If the young players perform well and some stars arise (all-star type players) then that may change. I foresee the 2016 team as a serious Omaha contender. But for 2015 season, I would think we get to a regional and a super regional. I predicted nothing past a super for 2014 and was in the ballpark.

This is college (of course), so new players arrive all the time and old ones graduate or leave. A new team is born. We have lots of questions and lots of holes to fill. This is why fall baseball is very important and very exciting.

Defense:

A John Cohen team will always be good on defense. It is his mantra.  As of right now, the infield of Britton-3B, Heck and Holland-MIF and Rea at 1B, I see no drop off from the end of 2014. We will be a very solid defense with a smattering of spectacular plays in between.

The outfield heading into July is a big question. Bradford in CF over the years made solid defensive plays. Henderson in RF made tough plays easy. I have as of right now, Cody Brown-LF, Vickerson-CF and Swinarski-RF. Brown and Vickerson showed solid defense in 2014 but someone has to play CF and it seems it is either Brown or Vickerson. Redshirt Freshman Joey Swinarski is new. He should be a true freshman this year but graduated early from HS. He has a ton of talent. Jacob Robson was injured in 2014, so don't forget about him.

Our starting catcher Gavin Collins should be much, much improved from 2014. The problem is backup. We need to find a good backup.

Offense:

The sticking point with us fans from 2014. College baseball is getting a new ball this year. One that with lower seams should benefit the hitter. Our #2 ranked 2014 recruiting class will be one year older and we will see them in 2015. Humphreys, Collins and Swinarski are the big bats. New comer Holland comes with great hitting credentials. Can Britton become a better hitter in his 4th year? Can Rea get it going in his senior year? Can Kyle Hann and Robson come back from injury and give us offense? Can Daniel Garner do the same?

Our offense is the big question.

Pitching:

Simple fact: we need 3 stud starting pitchers. We need those 3 to give us 90 plus innings each. We have lots of candidates. My wish list to choose from: Trevor Fitts, Preston Brown, Paul Young, Austin Sexton, Dakota Hudson, Vance Tatum. I would love for it to be Hudson, Young and Brown. That would free up Mitchell and Laster for middle relief.  I am very, very excited about the LHP staff. We have more than usual and they have talent. I think the staff will be better than it was in 2014.


Overall:

Heading into 2015, I think defense and pitching will be fine. We have plenty of candidates on the pitching staff. These guys will compete and the rotation should take shape by November. Hitting is the biggest question heading into fall.

2015 Preview: (Way too early) Lineup

1--Michael Smith, Junior-JC Transfer  CF
2--John Holland, Junior-JC Transfer  MIF
3--Reid Humphreys, Sophomore  DH
4--Gavin Collins, Sophomore  C
5--Seth Heck, Senior  MIF
6--Wes Rea, Senior RS  1B
7--Cody Brown, Sophomore RS  RF
8--Matthew Britton, Senior  3B
9--Jake Vickerson, Senior  LF

*Of course, I will update this on a continuous basis..

2015 Preview: Schedule

This hasn't been released yet but I have gleaned some teams and dates. I have heard we will open with Cincinnati but don't know for sure. We do have Arizona coming in late February probably with another team to make it a small tournament.

The biggest preseason games that I know about will be the Houston College Classic at MinuteMaid park. We play Baylor, Houston and Nebraska. Dates are March 6-8, 2015. That is set in stone because they invite teams and post it in advance. Just like the Dodgertown Classic in 2016, we will be going to.

I think we will continue to play the local good teams, Memphis, South Alabama, etc.

For the SEC schedule, I do know we play LSU at home the first weekend in May. The SEC schedule should be released in early fall.

I would think we will play non-conference teams with fairly low RPI's since that hurt us this year.

2015 Preview: Right Handed Pitchers

Trevor Fitts, Senior: A solid starter the last 2 years. Can he do it again his senior year? Can he pitch longer in games?
Will Cox, Senior: Cox will be a senior unless they redshirt him after he hurt his arm this past spring. A relief specialist who throws sidearm. We need this veteran to come back strong.
Preston Brown, Junior RS: He had a couple of really good starts before shoulder soreness sidelined him. Hopefully, he will be healthy and ready to go in the fall. Will compete for a weekend starting spot.
Ben Hudspeth, Junior RS: Redshirted after transferring from JC. Will compete for a reliever role.
Myles Gentry, Junior: A side armer who can induce ground balls with the best of them. Will compete for fire man role and maybe closer. (Fireman role-someone comes in and puts out a big inning by the other team)
John Marc Shelly, Sophomore RS: Another one that got hurt this past spring. Will compete for fireman role and closer this next year.
Paul Young, Sophomore RS: The one guy I though could be a difference maker in 2014. Never fully recovered from JC ball in which he pitched a lot in the playoffs. Had Tommy John surgery in March. Hope to get him back fully healthy by spring. He is an impact player when healthy.
Austin Sexton, Sophomore: Got his feet wet this past spring. Did show flashes of dominance. He will compete for starting role this spring, either mid-week or weekend.
Dakota Hudson, Sophomore: Big guy with a big arm. Again showed flashes of dominance. Should win a SEC spot on the weekends.
Zac Houston, Sophomore: Came in late in games and did well. Just needs experience and seasoning. Could be in line for a closer role next spring. He is 6-5 230ish.
Avery Geyer, Freshman RS: A small in stature guy but can put it low in the zone for strikeouts and ground balls. He will compete for time in the bullpen.
Jacob Billingsley, Freshman RS: He throws hard and has a wipeout breaking pitch. In line to come out of the bullpen possibly in the closer role in 2015.
Levi Mintz, Freshman RS: He will compete for starter and reliever role.

2014 Lossess: Ben Bracewell, Brandon Woodruff, Jonathan Holder

Signees

Cole Barlow, Junior-JC Transfer: Seasoned veteran that pitches side arm. Will compete for reliever and closer roles.
Logan Elliot, Sophomore-JC Transfer: Another side armer. Was a closer and reliever in JC. Throws harder than "normal" sidearmers. I can't wait to see him pitch.
Aaron Dominguez, Freshman: From California. I can't wait to see him pitch too.
Jesse McCord, Freshman: Was a star pitcher in HS Alabama ranks. His older brother pitched at Auburn. Should see him in spots next spring.
Cole Gordon, Freshman: Also plays 1B and corner OF. Bats left but pitches right.

2015 Preview: Left Handed Pitchers

Ross Mitchell, Senior RS: He has done it all, relief and starting. Has been extremely effective in either role. I hope he goes back to being a middle reliever, coming in 2 or 3 times a weekend to put an end to a rally by the other team. He is so effective doing this.
Lucas Laster, Senior: Boy, came on strong at the end of the season. Was in the School of Butch for the first 2 months of the season and graduated with honors. I believe he just started and not relieved his first year out of JC. Will have a chance to start in 2015 but I would think middle reliever.
Vance Tatum, Sophomore: Really showed flashes in 2014. I think he will have a large impact in 2015 in both roles, start and relief.
Glenn Irby, Freshman RS: I really haven't seen him pitch, so I don't know much. We shall see what he does in the fall. Older brother did play at Samford and now in pro baseball as a pitcher.

2014 Losses: Jacob Lindgren

Signees

Trent Waddell, Junior-JC Transfer: Coached in JC by former player Jarrod Parks who gave Waddell high praise as a hitter and pitcher. Didn't pitch much in 2014 because of arm issues but is supposed to be healthy for the fall. Could be a diamond in the rough.
Daniel Brown, Sophomore-JC Transfer: Finally, after all these years the coaches have signed a Jon Hardin clone. A small, crafty lefty that strikes out a lot of batters. He will be the first one out of pen when there is trouble.
Paxton Stover, Freshman: I think he had 2 or 3 no hitters his senior year. Another small in stature lefty that carves up hitters. Looking forward to seeing him in the fall.
Andrew Mahoney, Freshman: Speaking of diamonds in the rough. Mahoney sat out his senior year because of Tommy John surgery. But is healthy now and is ready to go.A big kid that throws hard from the left side.
Taylor Stafford, Freshman: Plays OF also. Threw hard during his HS run in the postseason. I really don't know which position he is better at. Maybe a CT Bradford clone.

*I am pumped about this position. First time in John Cohen/Butch Thompson era that we have this many LHP's. And let me tell you, this will make a great impression in 2015. We have 9 LHP's, double the usual amount. And from now on, we will have that many. LHP's make a distinct difference in ballgames.