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D1Baseball Weekly Chat: March 4

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Adam

1:07

Assuming Miami beats App State in the midweek game & takes 2 of 3 from Georgia Tech, that would put their record at 12 and 3, is that enough to get consideration with the top 25

Kendall Rogers

1:08

Adam -- That would certainly help Miami's case. Right own, I think I have the Hurricanes behind some teams like UC Irvine and Arizona State, but there's no doubt this team is much improved. That's a huge series to kick off ACC play to say the least. Intrigued to see how the Canes look against the Jackets. Love the top of the lineup, the rotation is solid and I think Federman/Keysor, etc, are solid weapons at the back-end.

Aaron Fitt

1:10

Hey guys, sorry I'm late, we had a technical snafu. Let's get to it.

Robert

1:10

It was very encouraging to see A&M beat 3 solid teams in Houston this weekend, but do they have the offense to survive the SEC? They clearly have the pitching...

Kendall Rogers

1:11

Robert -- That is the one holdup I have with the Aggies. I'm still wanting to see if anyone in that lineup steps up and becomes a premier hitter. Shewmake certainly has that kind of potential, but even he struggled at times over the weekend at the Shriners tournament. With that said, the Aggies have one of the top 2-3 one-two punches nationally in the weekend rotation and the bullpen is absolutely loaded. A&M's offense doesn't need to do a ton -- but it needs to do more than it is now, IMO.

Reid Norton

1:11

What’s your early thoughts on this Gamecocks team? Very impressed with the bullpen and hitting but starting pitching still concerns me.

Aaron Fitt

1:12

I don’t think South Carolina ever expected this club to rely on deep outings from its starters — Mark Kingston implied in the fall that the Gamecocks would do a lot of bullpenning, because the strength of their staff is the depth and variety of the bullpen. I think that formula can work just fine in this day and age. Certainly you’d rather have a healthy Mlodzinski, but they’ll be OK without him for a while. That bullpen is legit, and the hitting has been even better than I expected. Kingston really knows how to coach hitters -- his teams always have an aggressive approach, and they always seem to get better at the plate as the year goes on. This hot start with all those new faces in the mix (along with some very good older guys performing well, of course) is awfully encouraging.

Tyler

1:13

Hey guys. How does Texas go 4-1 on the week and move up 10 spots and jump Arkansas, when Arkansas goes 4-0? Just curious, thanks.

Kendall Rogers

1:14

Tyler -- Good question and a pretty simple answer. Texas just swept the No. 2 in the country and made it look pretty easy the first two games of the weekend. Those things happen. I was pretty impressed with the way Eric Kennedy and many of UT's young players performed over the weekend. Duke Ellis also had a huge weekend for the Hors, while Bryce Elder was as advertised on Friday. I thought this was a bridge year for Texas, but this team is pretty dang good right now.

Hunter Bishop

1:15

Spencer Torkelson and I make a pretty fearsome duo in our outstanding offense. How far do you see our Sun Devils progressing this season? Pitching has been great so far - granted it will need to hold up especially with depth concerns - and the offense looks elite. Omaha sleeper?

Aaron Fitt

1:15

Yeah, we all knew Tork was a monster, but it’s great to see Bishop harnessing his huge raw tools early on too — he’s a rising star, clearly. You’re right, that offense is for real; I wrote two weeks ago that it might well wind up being the best offense in the country, and certainly I still feel that way, though the competition will get tougher. And I think the frontline arms there are good enough to win a lot of games, but the depth is indeed a concern, so they need to stay healthy on the mound. If they do, certainly I think they’re a viable Omaha sleeper.

Marc Noland

1:16

Should I be concerned about LSU now especially starting pitching after this weekend performance in Austin?

Kendall Rogers

1:17

Marc - It's way too early for any fan base to press the panic button, but there's no doubt LSU kind of concerned me this past weekend. I didn't feel like the Tigers played with a ton of passion for a big series (Texas did), Hess showed flashes of greatness but was ultimately typical Hess, Marceaux is a freshman in his first start on the road (he'll bless fine), I'll give him a mulligan. And Eric Walker, I'm told was 81-84 mph with his FB. LSU still has some serious questions to answer on the mound IMO.

FoundersPounders

1:17

Do you think Logan Davidson will go in the Top 10-20 picks in the MLB draft? Gamecock fan here, but he's one of the most polished middle infielders I've seen. Definitely looks the part of a fast track college-MLB prospect.

Aaron Fitt

1:18

Yes, I remain convinced that Davidson will be a first-rounder, maybe a top-10 pick. He is a very good defender who can run, hits for power from both sides, and draws plenty of walks, which makes me feel a little better about his high strikeout rate. Scouts have some concerns about the swing-and-miss, and about his struggles in the Cape, but his tools and his performance against high-level competition in the spring is just too hard to ignore. Interesting though -- I expected a different kind of question about Davidson from SC fans today. Sounds like he provided some bulletin board material in the press last week, and from what I read, the Gamecocks took note.

Brandon

1:18

Jackson Rutledge gets drafted in the top ten picks... what are the chances of that happening?

Kendall Rogers

1:20

Brandon -- gotta love a little JUCO question action. I like it my friend. I saw Rutledge twice in the fall and really liked him. Big, sturdy build and he was up to 98 with his fastball along with that power curve. He was awesome one outing and average the next with his command. I think getting drafted THAT high is a stretch at this point, but I'm never going to rule anything out this early.

Ben

1:20

Who would you list as the top 5 1-2 Starting pitching combos this year? Small/Ginn has to be #1, right?

Aaron Fitt

1:21

In no particular order — it’s too early to split hairs too that finely — I definitely would have Small and Ginn in there, along with A&M’s Doxakis and Lacy. I think UNC’s Dalatri/Bergner/Baum belong in this discussion no matter what order you put them in, they’re all really good. I think Detmers and Bennett at Louisville have played their way into this mix too. And I’ll put Drew Parrish and CJ Van Eyk in the mix as well. Tennessee could be the dark horse, with Stallings and Linginfelter. I think that's a legit duo as well. Vols could have staying power in the rankings.

Aggie Hopeful

1:22

You had John Doxakis as an early 3rd round pick in your preseason prospect report. Still too early, but where do you think he will end up by year end?

Kendall Rogers

1:24

I could see Doxakis being a second-round pick before it's all said and done. The delivery might not be the prettiest in the world, but he's a hard-nosed guy with a really solid slider, the FB is sitting 90-93 this year, and the changeup can be a very solid pitch, too. He looks the part, that's for sure. What's interesting is that Asa Lacy profiles even better for next year IMO.

Spear15

1:25

It is early and the schedule has been weak to this point, but do you believe this is the best lineup we have seen at Florida state in some time?

Aaron Fitt

1:25

I’m not ready to say that — they’ve had so many great lineups, year after year after year… But I do really like the personnel in that lineup. Great to see J.C. Flowers off to a strong start, he’s obviously a talented guy who is figuring it out. Robby Martin is just a straight-up masher, one of those FSU guys who’s gonna put up huge numbers in his career. Mendoza, Cabell, De Sedas and Albert are all high-level prospects. And Matheu Nelson is starting to pick it up after a slow start, also encouraging. Nice role players here too — Cooper Swanson had a big weekend for the Noles. Good depth in that lineup. Like you said, the competition hasn’t been elite so far, and there will be bigger tests ahead, but the early returns are very promising.

HburgGator

1:25

As a Gator, I enjoyed the weekend series over Winthrop, however I'm starting to get real concerned about opening SEC weekend in Gainesville with the Bulldogs coming to town. I know its early, but can you preview this matchup a little bit?

Kendall Rogers

1:27

HBURG -- I wouldn't be worried. Florida will be ready to roll at home and I'm expecting that weekend rotation to be Mace/Leftwich/TBA(Dyson) by that point. Meaning, the Gators still matchup pretty well with the Bulldogs. Granted Winthrop isn't a world beater, but 45 plus runs over the weekend was pretty impressive. MSU is very good and is pitching at an incredibly high level, but I'd be shocked if Sully doesn't have UF ready to go.

Jack

1:27

How concerned are you about Texas Tech after how they played last weekend?

Aaron Fitt

1:28

I’m not really concerned about the Red Raiders. It was weird to see that offense go AWOL this weekend, just seven hits in two games is very uncharacteristic — but chalk it up to a bad weekend in awful weather conditions against good pitching. The Raiders are going to hit, you can bank on it — there’s too much talent and experience there, and they’re too well coached. The pitching staff will probably wind up mixing and matchup a lot, because there’s plenty of depth, but Erikson Lanning is a nice reliable veteran strike thrower who can eat innings in the rotation, and I still think good things are ahead for Caleb Kilian, who battled through the flu this weekend. Lots of power arms in that bullpen; they’ll be fine on the mound too.

JoeBruin

1:28

Hey guys, loving the coverage through the first three weeks of the season so far. I wanted to get your thoughts on the Bruins? The pitching has been great, even without ace Ryan Garcia, but the bats have been somewhat dormant (especially Strumpf and Toglia). When you look around the PAC-12, it seems like everyone is scoring A LOT. Bruins going to be fine?

Kendall Rogers

1:29

Joe -- I tend to think so. Strumpf and Toglia are supremely talented players, so conventional wisdom would suggest those two will get it going at some point. With that said, the Bruins have pitched at such a high level, they have some flexibility with the offense. I'm not worried at all about UCLA against some of those offense-heavy clubs out there.

Aaron Fitt

1:31

Well shoot, I didn't know Kendall was answering this one, but I have an answer too (which is mostly the same), but I'll put it here anyway! This is another one of those “small sample size” things — I still believe UCLA’s offense will be elite, because the offensive talent might be as good as any team’s in the country. It’s a long season, players go through little funks, and it just happens that Toglia and Strumpf have come out of the gate cold, but they have great track records and high-end talent; they’re going to hit. So will McLain and Kendall and Ydens. Lots of really good players in that lineup; just be patient with them, an offensive explosion is coming. In the meantime, it’s been good to see Jake Pries and Ryan Kreidler and Garrett Mitchell take steps forward with the bats.

Clemson

1:33

How concerned should Clemson be about the lack of reliable starting pitching right now? Their "best" start this past weekend was Freshman Davis Sharpe's 3.2IP 4ER outing.

Kendall Rogers

1:34

I think I have some concerns, and I'm sure Aaron does, too. Frankly, Spencer Strider's potential is one of a few reasons we ranked Clemson in the preseason. So, when the Tigers lost him for the year, that knocked them down a notch in terms of our expectation level. So, yes, I would consider CU's rotation a concern at this point

Sammy

1:35

What do you guys think of UNCW’s unfortunate start? Are their at-large hopes already dashed?

Aaron Fitt

1:37

Definitely not a great start for the Seahawks, and they probably did need to win more of those preconference games in order to put themselves in good at-large position — but they’re still 6-6, so it’s not like they’re completely buried. They’re capable of getting hot and making a run in conference, and I think there’s certainly still a shot for an at-large. I think the way Luke Gesell and Gage Herring and Landen Roupp have pitched is encouraging — that rotation should e competitive in conference, and they’ve got solid depth on the mound too. We knew the offense would be a work in progress because they lost a lot from last year, but the Seahawks usually figure out how to hit, it’s in their DNA. They need Kep Brown and Gret Jones to get hot, those guys have impact talent obviously.

William

1:38

Is JT Ginn the early front runner for Freshman of the Year? And what lengths does Mississippi State go to when managing him in terms of keeping him sharp come June? Simply keep a low pitch count or maybe give him a few weekends off? Curious just how cautions Lemonis & co. will be. Thanks fellas!

Aaron Fitt

1:39

For me he is — he’s just so polished for a freshman, in addition to having great stuff. I love a freshman with the maturity to pitch to contact early in counts, knowing that that heavy sinker will get plenty of ground balls, and he can put really good hitters away with that nasty slider. I like how MSU has managed him so far, keeping him in that 80-90 pitch count range. I’m sure he’ll get built up a little bit more, but as long as they don’t ride him too hard, there’s no need to give him any weeks off.

Duck dad

1:39

Which conferences have surprised you most in these first few weeks? (Positively or negatively)

Kendall Rogers

1:41

Duck -- I thought the Pac 12 would be deeper than last season, but I'm beginning to really like some of those "middle tier" teams in that league. I've actually heard good reviews on Arizona, Arizona State is clearly better and Oregon swept LMU this past weekend and has accrued some really impressive wins already this season. I'm comfortable saying I think UO is a regional quality club at this juncture. Then you have those other Pac 12 teams at the top. The SEC is also deeper than I thought. Tennessee is looking very balanced and strong right now, and Alabama is sneaky. The Tide sweeping South Al on the road surprised the heck out of me with Brock Love tossing a gem. Missouri is the only team in that league not looking so hot at the moment.

Matt

1:42

Arkansas??? Come on guys why aren't my OmaHogs getting any love?!?! Yea I know winning fixes everything. i also know we lost some grade A talent last year. But i also know we got some guys that have stepped up and showed out! It is like DVH just reloaded.

Aaron Fitt

1:42

The Hogs have faced OK but not great competition so far, so they got jumped by Texas (which swept the No. 2 team in the country). Most of those teams at the top keep on winning, so there’s just not room to move Arkansas up more, unless we hammered LSU and Texas Tech even more than we already did — and it’s too early to hit them that hard (11 spots is harsh enough). Anyway — you’re right, Arkansas has reloaded very well, and it’s not like they didn’t have excellent talent returning already. Great start for the Hogs, definitely a bona fide contender in the SEC.

Connecting…

KLucas

4:26

With Mlodzinski out w/ a broken foot, how do you think South Carolina should manage the pitching rotation. Morgan has been the only consistent starter all year, but if it's not broke do you fix it and move him from Sunday?

Sam

4:31

Despite the early season losses, is ECU still in a position to host a regional?

Kevin

4:45

Well Kendall, I'd say LSU fell flat on their face and completely failed their first test of their season. That was not encouraging, to say the least. What worries you more about the team going forward: the 22 walks issued and 2 HBP (1 phantom HBP) by the pitching staff (24 free passes!), or the fact that hitters 5 - 9 went a combined 5/50 on the weekend? Maybe this is the wake-up call this team needed? I hope...

4:47

Thoughts on KY so far? They were competitive in 2 of 3 games vs. Texas Tech but couldn't finish and prob wont know much till SEC play. Thompson is looking good as expected but can rest of pitching hold up? Offense looks like it will be fine.

HawkTalk

5:04

Gents, as a Commodore fan, I'm pretty biased toward my guys, and they've showed out in several ways; however, the pitching staff looks a little more 2018 than 2011 (which was the depth I was hoping for), when it comes to a depth of trust perspective. To my question, if you could turn back the clock and base your Top 25 purely on what you've seen in the first three weekends, rather than the totality of the circumstances, how would you break your top 5 down?

mklein2020

5:05

How close is Miami to entering your top 25? Their biggest question mark appears to be closer and Defense. Offense and Starting pitching as good as most if not all teams in the country.

Steve

5:06

Tulane is off to a hot start, going 9-3 with two losses to a very good Ole Miss team. Obviously a top 25 ranking is far, far from this Green Wave club, but what does this team need to do in the rest of non-conference to get more Regional/Top 25 buzz?

5:08

The huskers had a great win Friday night down in Frisco and a disappointing lose on Saturday do you think this young team can do some damage in the B10?

Hogfandan

5:08

I don’t like to put too much stock into non-con schedules but with the way LSU has started, do you think Arkansas with Isaiah Campbell pitching well has more of a chance to win the SEC than previously thought? Even with ole miss and msu have playing well, I feel like the Hogs have more depth.

Reed

5:57

Reason to worry about the Sam Houston State pitching staff? Seem inconsistent so far other than Wesneski.

Hunter G

6:22

What were your takeaways from the Palmetto Series this weekend and the strength of the SEC overall this year?

Peter

6:39

Northwestern travelled to the Flats this weekend and managed to win one game over Georgia Tech. This comes a week after almost winning a series at Duke. What are your feelings on the Wildcats this year?

Theo

6:59

Fast-forwarding to SEC play, which team(s) do you see being the more dominant one(s) and holding the top few spots in the conference standings? An interesting field this year, especially with the recent surges of TAMU, SC and Tennessee possibly competing with the perennial "big dogs."

Guest

7:01

How is Georgia not drop from the top 10 and they have lost 2 games to 2 horrible teams(GSU/LIU) and have only played cupcakes? SEC bias?

Ray Tanner

7:02

Did you catch the "Our State" armband that Jordan Greene wore in the Palmetto Series? Good kid, but surprised Monte let it off the bus. (Or in Clemson's case, off the horse-drawn carriage.)

Cam

7:02

Do you think this FSU team has the makeup to make this a special final year for Mike Martin? See any major weaknesses?

Bill

7:11

Thoughts on Louisville’s starting pitching and pitching depth as a whole?

Tony

7:11

Do you guys see Dallas Baptist being ranked in the top 25 anytime soon? What do they need to do? Thanks

4th Street

7:13

What’s up with USM? Can they get it together and get in the at-large mid

Peyton

7:13

Do ya'll believe that Ole miss has solved its pitching it's woes or do ya'll believe they have a little more work to do

John

7:14

What are your thoughts on Ole Miss

4th Street

7:14

What is wrong with USM? Can they get in the tourney mix or does it look like a lost year?

Jake

7:14

If you had to pick 1 team from each power 5 conference to make it to Omaha, who you taking? I know it’s week 3..

Peyton

7:15

Hey guys: do ya'll believe Ole Miss has solved its pitching woes or is more work needed

EagsBy10

7:19

Golden Eagles have been very disappointing this year all around. Do you still see them as CUSA favorite?

Adam

7:23

Highlight of my week, and only a Monday! Big Gators fan here and was wondering what the long term draft potential looks like for Kendrick Calilao? I comp him to a Giancarlo Stanton. Also, could this be one of the best frosh classes ever with Calilao, Crisp, Young and others?! Thanks for all you do with NCAA Baseball!

Kevin

7:24

How do you see Dalton Feeney panning out? At his best, he's got the stuff to be an ace; obviously he's been used in the bullpen to control his pitch count coming off TJ surgery. Not sure he has his full velocity back, but he's hitting his spots and the slider looks great. Think he gets into the rotation at some point?

Scott

7:24

Did FULLERTON just have a bad weekend? Or...is Stanford legit? It took some last inning heroics for CSF to pull one out at their home field.

Steve

7:35

Best odds to make a regional: Tulane or Rice?

Keith

7:39

I'm curious about Texas Tech falling 11 spots. It was definitely a bad showing, but with the specifics Fitt mentioned above (weather, health, out of character, etc.) why the big drop? That's a 2-1 week shutting out a solid NMSU offense and two close losses in Frisco, including against another top team.

Bob

7:41

Are the Ducks for real this year?

Bob

7:42

I'm still worried about the Beaver

Mark

7:43

You guys had Burgmann from UW in the 7th round, has his early numbers bumped him up at all?

wave

7:57

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

7:58

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:01

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:01

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

Joe

8:03

Thoughts on Ole Miss through the first 3 weekends?

Hunter

8:04

What are your thoughts on Coastal Carolina? Could they play their way into a national top 8 seed this year?

Duck dad

8:07

It's too bad they weren't able to stay in the NW, but Kade Mechals (GCU) and Willie Weiss (UM) seam to be off to a good start. What are your thoughts on then going forward?

Grayma

8:08

Guys, you said earlier that you wanted to see more consistent pitching from Isiah Campbell of the Hogs..Did you take notice of his game this week against Stoney Brook?

wave

8:10

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:10

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:11

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:13

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:13

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

wave

8:13

What does Tulane need to do to get into the top 25?

packfanatic

8:17

What is going on in Greenville that has East Carolina so messed up? Do you think the Pirates can right the ship in conference play?

Rob

8:18

Who would y'all like to see as the 6th team for next year's Shriners Classic? I think a strong mid-major from the region would be a great piece to round out the field, like a LA Tech, DBU, Tulane, or Missouri State.

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