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.

2015 Preview: Outfielders

Jake Vickerson, Senior: Will be in the OF rotation. Bats left and has a great arm. Maybe can play center in 2015?
Jacob Robson, Sophomore RS: Injured his elbow early in the 2014 season. Should redshirt. Should be in the OF rotation, depending on left/right match ups. Needs to have a break out 2015.
Cody Brown, Sophomore RS: Started most of the 2014 campaign in left or right field. Will be in the OF rotation in 2015.
Joey Swinarski, Freshman RS: Enrolled a year early last year. So even though he will be 18, he is a redshirt freshman. Brings great hitting ability to the OF. I do expect him to play a lot, either in corner OF or DH.
Brent Rooker, Freshman RS: Rooker is a good hitter. But where does he play? Is listed as a 1B/OF. Looking forward to the fall to see what he can do after being redshirted.

2014 Losses: C.T. Bradford, Demarcus Henderson, Derrick Armstrong

Signees

Michael Smith, Junior JC Transfer: Speedy OF. Hit .331 and stole 29 bases in 2014.
Taylor Stafford, Freshman: Talented youngster from Columbus. Can also pitch. Bats and throws left.
Cole Gordon, Freshman: Can play the corner OF. He is a big guy at 6-6, 240. Can pitch also. I think he will be used as a pinch hitter/DH his first year. Bats left.

* I do expect at least one more signee before the fall. Probably a JC transfer. (AND I was right)
**OF rotation meaning 5 players who can start/pinch hit, etc depending on match up with right/left handed pitcher.

2015 Preview: First Base

Wes Rea, Senior RS: Rea has been here 5 years, so he brings a ton of experience. A very good defender at 1B. He struggled at the plate in 2014. Can he put it all together in his final year? He will start at 1B but there is lots of competition and that will push him.
Daniel Garner, Sophomore RS: Switched from catcher in 2014. When he connects his bat to the baseball, it can go a long way. Will compete at 1B.
Reid Humphreys, Sophomore: A star in the making. His older brother plays 1B in MLB. He will push for playing time at both corner spots.
Dylan Ingram, Freshman RS: So far in summer ball, has shown he can hit. Will compete for playing time.
Brent Rooker, Freshman RS: Another redshirt that will compete for playing time. He can play corner OF also.

2014 Losses: Alex Detz

Signees

Trent Waddell, Junior-JC Transfer: He had an arm problem this past year but still hit. He will get the chance at 1B and at pitcher. He bats and throws left. I can't wait to see him in the fall. He could be a diamond in the rough.
Cole Gordon, Freshman: He bats left, throws right. Another one that will play 1B and pitch. He can really mash the ball from the left side. Has a chance to DH in 2015.

**I expect major competition at this position for starter and backup.

2015 Preview: Middle Infield

Seth Heck, Senior: He is about a solid as a ballplayer as you can get. He rarely makes mistakes in the field and he rarely has a bad at bat. Plus, he had a 4.0 in the classroom. Another All-SEC/American candidate. He will start in the middle infield all year.

2014 Losses: Brett Pirtle, Kyle Hann, signee Dale Burdock to MLB draft.

Signees

John Holland, Junior-JC Transfer: Originally signed with Florida State. He was the POY in junior college in 2014. He is very talented. Should step in right away in either MIF spot.
Ryan Gridley, Freshman: I think he is a lot like Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox. Which is fine with me, this kid can play. I look for him to play a lot in 2015.

2015 Preview: Third Basemen

Matthew Britton, Senior: Mr. Highlight reel. He made some sparkling plays once he settled in at 3B after playing SS to begin the season. If he could be a consistent hitter, he would have been drafted in 2014. But he is in the Cape trying to become a better hitter. Expect stellar defense from him in 2015. He will start a lot in 2015.
Reid Humphreys, Sophomore: Played and started a few games at 3B in 2014. Will play 1B in 2015 also. Hit in the DH spot in 2014 with flashes of smokablility (like that word). In 2015, he will be in the lineup everyday, somewhere, 3B or 1B or DH. Must have his bat. All-SEC/American capability.

2014 Losses: Alex Detz, Kyle Hann

Signees

True freshmen signees Dale Burdick or Ryan Gridley may get some reps here.

2015 Preview: Catchers

Gavin Collins, Sophomore: Should be no surprise, he is the star of this group. He steadily got better during 2014. He should be a lot better in all phases of the game come February 2015. He will start and bat 3rd or 4th in 2015. Collins is an All-SEC/American candidate.

Cody Walker, Senior: Started a couple of games and backed up more as the 2014 progressed. Will compete for the back up role.

Zach Randolph, Senior RS: Randolph started some early on, then mainly a backup to Collins. Will compete for the back up role.

2014 Losses:  Signee Chase Vallot to MLB draft

Signees

Josh Lovelady, Junior-JC Transfer: As long as John Cohen is coach, expect this most every year. Cohen will bring in JC catcher's to add depth and experience to a very important position. Lovelady will compete for a back up role. 

**Note: one position that we may have another signee before school starts. 

2015 Preview (Summer of 2014 Edition)

I know this is a bit early but lots of you want to know what to expect in 2015. I will do my best to explain it. First and foremost, I do expect more signees before school starts and I may not know about them. For instance, in 2013 I didn't know about Seth Heck until school started and look what he did! He is All-SEC. So expect another preview during the fall (maybe) but definitely after fall ball.

A few notes: July 1 is the first day schools can offer players officially. So for 2015 signees and beyond, there will be some commits coming for those years. The 2013 CWS run still has an affect on recruiting. July 18th is the last day players can sign with the MLB club that drafted him. We only have one that is unaccounted for, SS Dale Burdick who is unsigned and as of this writing hasn't said publicly what is intentions are.

So the following posts, I will break down per position.

2014 Season--What happened?

Whenever you have such a successful season like we did in 2013, the next season puts even more expectations on the team. We lost a few players but they were big contributors in so many ways. We returned 3 of 5 infielders, all the OF's and most of the pitching staff. We could not duplicate what we lost, a consistent starting pitcher who pitched past the 7 inning (Graveman), a hitting machine who got on base when no one else did (Frazier) and someone who struck fear into the opposing pitcher when he hit (Renfroe). We are not to the point where our recruiting just churns out great players like these guys. We are almost there.

The preseason as I put it (non-conference games) started off bad. We were supposed to play a lesser team in Hofstra but played Western Carolina and lost our first game. We lost to Memphis who was seemingly good at the time but they tanked later on. Then we lose 2 games to Holy Cross. These 4 losses have a theme, lack of hitting with runners in scoring position. Then we buckle down and win 7 straight.

Our first road trip of the year didn't go well at all. We lost 3 of 4 games in Arizona. At this point we are 13-7 and we lose 1 game to weather (snow), and didn't make it up. This affects RPI along with losing to Holy Cross, etc. I could tell at this time, we were behind in regional hosting scenerio. The only way we could host is by doing really well in the SEC.

And we did do well in conference play winning 18 games but came in 2nd in the West. We were swept by our biggest rival in LSU. And on the biggest weekend of the year, Ole Miss came in and won 2 of 3. We lost another very winnable non-conference game to Jacksonville State again by leaving too many runners on base.

We finish the season 35-20. Again, at this point those non-conference losses loom big. A 40-15 record looks better to the committee handing out regionals. And those five more wins, would have bumped up the RPI. This is why every season we need to win 20 non-conference games out of 26. We finished 17-8 with one not made up.

Entering the spring, I knew we needed a SEC starter that would pitch 7 innings on the weekend. I was hoping it would be JC transfer Paul Young but his elbow never did feel right and he surgery. Then the domino affect set in and Will Cox and John Marc Shelley went down as well. Losing Kyle Hann and Jacob Robson hurt also. These guys would have added depth and maybe gotten better by the end of the season.

One of the things, that did shock me this season is some hitters never got hot at the plate. Usually with 9 guys batting you will have 3 batters consistently hit well, then they cool off, 3 other guys get hot. This is what eventually led to our season being ended so early, we could not get the big hit in key situations.

In 2014, we did win 18 SEC games, go to another SEC tournament and play in a NCAA regional tournament. We were expected to do better but yet with the lack of hitting, injuries and still lack of dominating starting pitching, we did rather well under the circumstances.

I will post what I expect to happen in 2015. I can't wait until next year.

2015 Roster--UNOFFICIAL

Right Handed Pitcher

Trevor Fitts   6-2, 223
Senior 
Helena, AL
Will Cox   6-4, 231
Senior  
Amory, MS
Ben Hudspeth   6-0, 225
Junior-RS
Tupelo, MS
Preston Brown   6-0, 190
Junior-RS
Germantown, TN
John Marc Shelly   5-11, 195
Junior 
Germantown, TN
Myles Gentry   5-11, 190
Junior 
Gulfport, MS
Cole Barlow  6-2 190
Junior-JC Transfer
Madison, MS
Paul Young   6-2, 196
Sophomore-RS
Milton, FL
Austin Sexton   6-2, 173
Sophomore
Madison, AL
Dakota Hudson   6-5, 207
Sophomore
Dunlap, TN
Zac Houston   6-6, 234
Sophomore
Poplarville, MS
Jacob Billingsley   6-1, 182
Freshman-RS
Senatobia, MS
Levi Mintz   6-3, 210
Freshman-RS
Centre, AL
Avery Geyer   5-10, 203
Freshman-RS
Navarre, FL
Aaron Dominguez  6-0 190
Freshman-HS
Chino Hills, Ca
Jesse McCord  6-2 190
Freshman-HS
Spanish Fort, Al
Cole Gordon  6-6 230
Freshman-HS
Lutz, FL


Left Handed Pitcher 

Ross Mitchell   6-1, 162
Senior-RS 
Smyrna, TN
Lucas Laster   5-11, 178
Senior
Lewisburg, TN
Trent Waddell  6-3 210
Junior-JC Transfer
Tuscaloosa, AL
Daniel Brown  5-11 175
Sophomore-JC Transfer
Tyler, TX
Vance Tatum   6-4, 194
Sophomore
Olive Branch, MS
Glenn Irby   6-1, 196
Freshman-RS
Florence, AL
Paxton Stover  5-11 180
Freshman-HS
Newbern, TN
Andrew Mahoney  6-2 210
Freshman-HS
Daphne, AL
Taylor Stafford  5-9 170
Freshman-HS
Columbus, MS



First Base

Wes Rea   6-5, 275
Senior-RS 
Gulfport, MS
Trent Waddell  6-3 210
Junior-JC Transfer
Tuscaloosa, AL
Daniel Garner   6-0, 214
Sophomore-RS 
Madison, AL
Reid Humphreys 6-2, 201
Sophomore 
Brandon, MS
Brent Rooker 6-3, 202
Freshman-RS
Cordova, TN
Dylan Ingram  6-3, 214
Freshman-RS 
Pike Road, AL
Cole Gordon  6-6 230
Freshman-HS
Lutz, FL


Second Base
  
Seth Heck 5-10, 168
Senior
Edmonds, WA
Kyle Hann   5-8, 174
Junior
Oakville, Ontario, CN
John Holland  5-11 175
Junior-JC Transfer
GA
Dale Burdick  6-0 175
Freshman-HS
Spring Hill, TN
Ryan Gridley  5-9 170
Freshman-HS
Milton, GA

Short Stop

Seth Heck  5-10, 168
Senior
Edmonds, WA
Kyle Hann  5-8, 174 
Junior  
Oakville, Ontario, CN
John Holland  5-11 175
Junior-JC Transfer
GA
Dale Burdick  6-0 175
Freshman-HS
Spring Hill, TN
Ryan Gridley  5-9 170
Freshman-HS
Milton, GA

Third Base

Matthew Britton  6-0, 195
Senior   
Cullman, AL
Kyle Hann  5-8, 174
Junior 
Oakville, Ontario, CN
Reid Humphreys  6-2, 201  
Sophomore 
Brandon, MS
 
Catcher

Zach Randolph   6-1, 196
Senior-RS
Amory, MS
Cody Walker  5-11, 204
Senior
Columbus, GA
Josh Lovelady  6-0, 190
Junior-JC Transfer
Prattville, AL
Gavin Collins  5-11, 200
Sophomore
Lake Forest, CA

Out Fielder

Jake Vickerson  5-10, 184
Senior
Tuscaloosa, AL
Jacob Robson   5-9, 172
Junior 
Windsor, Ontario, CN
Cody Brown  5-10, 184
Sophomore-RS
Biloxi, MS
Brent Rooker  6-3, 202
Freshman-RS
Cordova, TN
Joey Swinarski  6-2, 188
Freshman-RS
Winter Park, FL
Taylor Stafford  5-9 170
Freshman-HS
Columbus, MS

 
UNDERLINE are returning starters.

Seniors--10
Juniors--
Sophomores--
Freshmen Redshirt--7
Freshmen--

Returners--
New--