Let's Talk Baseball

[J-Dawg]

I'm sure there's a thread somewhere, but I'm so ready for this season let's just make another one.

What's our base defensive lineup? My guess:

C- Logan Tanner
1b- Josh Hatcher
2b- Tanner Leggett
ss- Kamren James
3b- Kellum Clark
LF- Pimentel?
CF- Rowdy
RF- Tanner

Weekend rotation pretty much set in stone? MacCleod, Bednar, Cerantola?

Go-to midweek starters? Set-up and closers?

I don't know much about any of the incoming guys and how they will play into the lineup, so let's hear it from you experts.

 

[Bucksnort_Dawg]

Really hoping Pimentel finds consistency this year. He showed flashes last year and he hit a ball against Oregon St. on that Friday that still hasn’t landed.

 

[missouridawg]

Let me go ahead and warn everyone that I think the world of this baseball team. If our guys on the mound only show marginal improvement from last year, we will have a top5 staff in the country.

All of this means that we are set up to lay a gigantic turd of a season since I think we're going to be really good.

 

[Drebin]

Let me go ahead and warn everyone that I think the world of this baseball team. If our guys on the mound only show marginal improvement from last year, we will have a top5 staff in the country.

All of this means that we are set up to lay a gigantic turd of a season since I think we're going to be really good.

I am with you but I keep telling myself that everyone else is bringing back a stacked roster too. That helps me keep my expectations appropriately tempered.

As much as it pains me to say it....Ole Miss is going to have a helluva good team this year too.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

I'm sure there's a thread somewhere, but I'm so ready for this season let's just make another one.

What's our base defensive lineup? My guess:

C- Logan Tanner
1b- Josh Hatcher
2b- Tanner Leggett
ss- Kamren James
3b- Kellum Clark
LF- Pimentel?
CF- Rowdy
RF- Tanner

Weekend rotation pretty much set in stone? MacCleod, Bednar, Cerantola?

Go-to midweek starters? Set-up and closers?

I don't know much about any of the incoming guys and how they will play into the lineup, so let's hear it from you experts.

I'm not worried about offense. Not to the level of pitching, but if you had told me in 2018 that we'd see Rowdy Jordan, Tanner Allen and Josh Hatcher as 4th year players, I'd say you were crazy. Those guys are going to ball.

James and Tanner will be good too. That's enough, with the pitching we have.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

If pimentel can work it out he could be the 4 hole.

 

[TheDawgSaint]

3B should have a lot of competition. I’m anxious to see who takes that spot.

 

[Russ Wheeler]

3B should have a lot of competition. I’m anxious to see who takes that spot.

Landon Jordan will have something to say about 2B/3B. I know people like to write folks off because they aren't all-world as a freshman or sophomore, but watch watch I say, he'll be a solid contributor at worst this year.

 

[vandaldawg]

Leading the league in Tanner's.

 

[ronpolk]

I thought we got a pretty good transfer in at 2B...

ETA: his name is Dubrule... came from Jacksonville university. Can’t imagine he transferred to sit behind leggett

 

[WrapItDog]

Set-up and closers?

Spencer Price and Riley Self should be good to go if they can get their Phd dissertation done before SEC play**



College baseball's top 100 draft prospects for 2021, ranked by d1baseball.com

Vandy 4 (3 pitchers - ranked 1, 2, 51 in draft)
State 4 (3 pitchers - ranked 20, 26, 28 )
FL 4 (3 pitchers - ranked 7, 12, 51)
OM 2 (2 pitchers - ranked 22, 91)
SC 2 (2 pitchers - ranked 68 & 7)

https://wwwcache.ncaa.com/news/base...ollege-baseballs-top-100-draft-prospects-2021

 

[MSUDC11]

Scotty Dubrule is a lock to be our opening weekend second baseman and he may be our leadoff hitter. Grad transfer from Jacksonville that hit .350 in 2019 and was hitting over .420 when the season ended last year.

Lemonis has been quoted as saying he feels great about 1 thru 6 in our lineup (I would assume that's some combo of Dubrule, Rowdey, Hatcher, Tanner Allen, Logan Tanner, and Kamren James). The other three spots will be the key. Left field is probably my biggest question mark on the whole roster. I also have concerns that Westburg and Foscue are going to be really hard to replace, as we weren't a great hitting team outside of those two in the little bit we played last season. Hopefully some guys have taken steps forward.

Pitching should be very good though, this is one of the deepest staffs in school history in my opinion.

 

[MSUDC11]

I thought we got a pretty good transfer in at 2B...

ETA: his name is Dubrule... came from Jacksonville university. Can’t imagine he transferred to sit behind leggett

Yeah he is second nationally in career hits among active players. He will be in the starting lineup, and quite possibly a huge part of it.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

I am with you but I keep telling myself that everyone else is bringing back a stacked roster too. That helps me keep my expectations appropriately tempered.

As much as it pains me to say it....Ole Miss is going to have a helluva good team this year too.

State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Florida could sincerely be the 4 best teams in the country.

 

[Drebin]

State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Florida could sincerely be the 4 best teams in the country.

We can count on Ole Miss to come out of the gates strong and maintain a top five ranking through most of the year, before losing to Southeastern Central Missouri State University Teachers College in their regional.

 

[missouridawg]

We can count on Ole Miss to come out of the gates strong and maintain a top five ranking through most of the year, before losing to Southeastern Central Missouri State University Teachers College in their regional.

Almost attended school there**

 

[PartTimeGenius]

If '21 Self is anything like '18-'19 Self, I'd just assume have him stay in the 1st base coaches box.

 

[MSUDC11]

We can count on Ole Miss to come out of the gates strong and maintain a top five ranking through most of the year, before losing to Southeastern Central Missouri State University Teachers College in their regional.

The 2018 postseason may never be topped. Our totally out of nowhere Omaha run combined with OM’s total meltdown against Tennessee Tech. After we had so much turmoil that season and they talked like they invented the game of baseball all year. I don’t think I have ever laughed as hard as I did that Monday of the Regionals.

 

[AlCoDog]

Yeah, i had one stop me in Kroger last week to tell me they had the best starting rotation in the country. I said yeah, you and 6 or 7 other teams in the SEC.

 

[MSUDC11]

On paper State and Ole Miss have incredibly similar rosters. Stacked on the mound, lots of talent in the field, but some key hitters that have to be replaced.

I do think some of the hype about their team last year was overblown. They were very good, but their fans are convinced that COVID cost them a national title just because they won a series against Louisville and then beat a bunch of lower conference teams. I have no reason to believe they are any different now than they've ever been under Bianco (with the exception of one team that got to Omaha): good, but will struggle when it really counts.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

We can count on Ole Miss to come out of the gates strong and maintain a top five ranking through most of the year, before losing to Southeastern Central Missouri State University Teachers College in their regional.

Haha I knew this was coming, and it’s fair. We’ve done it many times.

 

[oxfordrebel22]

The 2018 postseason may never be topped. Our totally out of nowhere Omaha run combined with OM’s total meltdown against Tennessee Tech. After we had so much turmoil that season and they talked like they invented the game of baseball all year. I don’t think I have ever laughed as hard as I did that Monday of the Regionals.

HEY THAT TENNESSEE TECH TEAM WAS REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!! You respect them!

 

[oxfordrebel22]

On paper State and Ole Miss have incredibly similar rosters. Stacked on the mound, lots of talent in the field, but some key hitters that have to be replaced.

I do think some of the hype about their team last year was overblown. They were very good, but their fans are convinced that COVID cost them a national title just because they won a series against Louisville and then beat a bunch of lower conference teams. I have no reason to believe they are any different now than they've ever been under Bianco (with the exception of one team that got to Omaha): good, but will struggle when it really counts.

Hard to argue with this, truly. As an Ole Miss fan my only push back would be that we played I believe the 1st or 2nd toughest schedule in the country, including East Carolina, Indiana, and Southern Miss. On top of the 3 games against Louisville that’s about as much as you can ask for in 17 games.

However, the realist in me would acknowledge that you’re very much right that many Ole Miss fans have completely overplayed that 16-1 start, which in the grand scheme of things doesn’t mean anything at all. Not with 30 SEC games left unplayed.

I’m not overly familiar with what MSU has on their roster. Here’s what I think I know - I think I know MacLeod is special. Maybe very special. I think Cerantola has elite stuff, but don’t know if he can control it. And I know MSU recruits at an elite level and is very well coached.

I also know Ole Miss only lost two players, BUT - those two players were their best bats, and top 3-4 gloves. One of them was an all-timer (Keenan). So to assume they’re automatically replaced is fandom, not reality. My hope, as a fan, is that some other guys step up to make up for the production we will miss from their replacements.

I also know I’ve watched Ole Miss and MSU baseball for a long time and fast starts don’t mean anything. Great regular seasons often don’t mean anything. And the teams we are most excited about are often mediocre. But, we will all enjoy the **** out of the season regardless.

I’ll also close by saying that I’m thankful for Ron Polk and the MSU fan base for embracing college baseball like they did. Because without that, Ole Miss would have never invested in it like they have. And that means me and my Dad would have missed out on a LOT of fun memories (and also a lot of major letdowns).

 

[Russ Wheeler]

Scotty Dubrule is a lock to be our opening weekend second baseman.

Untrue

 

[jdbulldog]

We need more right hand hitters who can give us some solid matchups vs LH pitchers. Dumbest may help as the season progresses. No way will Leggett start over Dubrule in my opinion. Another no so prominent player who will contribute is Luke Hancock (I think and hope he is back). Also, I hope Clark can be a good enough defender at 3B because I think he is going to be a solid hitter if given early AB’s. Pimental could be a huge difference maker. KJ will have a lot of pressure to deliver at SS. I think he will. We know Jordan is going to have something to say about playing time as well. Hopefully our left hitting lineup will be able to hit some of the strong southpaws they will be facing. It all makes for a very interesting and exciting season. Covid-19 can go to hell.