LSU Baseball has 3 pre-season All-Americans
- Thread starter permacock70
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Well.......Collegiate Baseball has us preseason ranked #44 with 9 other SEC schools ranked ahead of us.
Think it. How stressed and emotionally worn out ole Ray would be by now if he had remained the baseball HC at Carolina. Those 9th inning rallies will give you ulcers. Ray Tanner did the right think for his health and family . . . not sure about his wallet, though. One thing for sure: the Carolina baseball fans are in agony. When will things get back to the way they used to be? . . . . Ray? Ray? Helloooo . . .
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
We are not in "agony".
Moreso than any other sport, preseason crap in college baseball means absolutely jack. We weren't even preseason #1 in 2011 and 2012.
I think we'll see a lot more small ball this year. Call it the Wingo Effect, if you will. It will be weird seeing a Cromer play a position that isn't middle infield. We're solid behind the plate and in RF. I seriously doubt we'll see much of Jack Mahoney this Spring on the bump. The INF transfers from VT and Mizzou will be interesting to see how that plays out once Spring ball starts.
Moreso than any other sport, preseason crap in college baseball means absolutely jack. We weren't even preseason #1 in 2011 and 2012.
I think we'll see a lot more small ball this year. Call it the Wingo Effect, if you will. It will be weird seeing a Cromer play a position that isn't middle infield. We're solid behind the plate and in RF. I seriously doubt we'll see much of Jack Mahoney this Spring on the bump. The INF transfers from VT and Mizzou will be interesting to see how that plays out once Spring ball starts.
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Not guaranteeing Carolina will be better or worse than 44th, but Collegiate Baseball usually has a few head-scratching choices when compared to other rankings.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Exactly. They had us at #5 a few times last season.
When, exactly, last season were we the 5th best team in the Country? I'll wait.
Pitching, pitching, &more pitching
who throws
strikes, strikes, and more strikes.
who throws
strikes, strikes, and more strikes.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Oh...and there is someone on one of the Gamecock Baseball fan pages posting about "here's your projected starting 1B, CF, 3B, etc". Honestly, there is NO way to know anything other than Burgy behind the plate and Eyester in RF at this point. The Fall is when guys are fighting for a spot on the team. The Spring is when guys nail down their starting positions. Even Aaron Fitt's Fall Report didn't really give "here's your starting lineup", and if anyone would be in the know (besides Me of course 😁) , it's him or Kendall Rogers.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
This. If we don't have the pitching and defense, I don't care how much power have at the plate. We didn't win those trophies with our offense.
Time (for a not related to USC group) to throw some of that NIL money at the baseball recruits. From what I have heard, minor leagues don’t pay much.
I am. This used to be a premier program in the nation.......now we are an after thought. Say what you will, but the program has fallen dramatically.
It was only premier for a few years because of Ray. We weren't elite before or after Ray.
SEC is MUCH better now that it was 20 years ago. Everyone has a nice stadium and most programs can pay coach more money than we can.
SEC is MUCH better now that it was 20 years ago. Everyone has a nice stadium and most programs can pay coach more money than we can.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
No one is saying that the program hasn't fallen. But we were only premier for a minimum number of years. What we're doing now if more reflective of our overall history than anything. We'd have winning seasons, make the postseason, and from there it's a crap shoot. As it is for the majority of the programs. Even hosting Supers is more of a crapshoot than many choose to acknowledge.
I think too many people have built up those three years as being more the rule rather than the exception. Omaha is always a goal, yes. As it is for the other 180 (+/-) ballclubs out there. For a program such as ours, making the postseason, hopefully good enough to host as a 1 seed, is the most realistic and attainable goal we have each year.
After 45 years of watching and studying college baseball, and it's very cyclical nature, I know it all will come back around. Baseball, more than any other sport, depends moreso on when you get hot.
It's also the reason why I won't start a season with a defeatist attitude as many of you do. I'll let the season play out first.
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I understand and hear your thoughts but my statement that the program has dramatically fallen stands true. This was the premier program in the SEC. Today, programs at Florida, Tennessee, Miss State, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and LSU are in a better place than the Gamecocks.
I think one comparison is the Clemson football program. Prior to the run they are on now, they were a dependable 7-5, 8-4, 9-3 team. Their current football run is similar to the run Carolina baseball was on in the later years of the Tanner time. If they exit this run and bounce back to the 7-5, 8-4 team for multiple consecutive years, Dabo won't have a job because they have higher expectations than much of our fanbase.
This was a baseball thread, how in the hell did you get to Clemson football and Dabo? You would think a baseball analogy would be appropriate since the 2 sports are no way comparable.
Small ball is great, but someone has to drive in runs. Holbrook's teams played a lot of small ball and look where that got them.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
I didn't say all we would see is small ball. I said we'd see MORE. HRs are great, but when they're all solo shots, it doesn't do much to win games. We need a healthy balance of both. Like we had in 2010, 2011, 2012. String together solid base hits, you'll score more runs than you will with a moon shot with no one on. Sprinkle in the moon shot with men on, even better.
I hope this is Kingston's last chance to get it right. If we don't have a solid season he needs to be at the unemployment office. 10 years straight of not making it to Omaha is too many for a program like ours.
We gonna let this statement go by?
Someone older than me will have to fill in more, but I know we went to Omaha multiple times in 70s and 80s including finishing runner up. Don't think Carolina baseball as a power started with Ray.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
It's been a strong program since Coach Richardson took it over. There was also a 17 year span where we didn't make it to Omaha, but were still making the postseason. It probably has more to do with what people view as being "premier", and that is very subjective, especially to the casual observer. IMO, we were the premier program when we hoisted the trophy. But even then, after those years, we weren't viewed as the premier program when the preseason rolled around. We weren't preseason #1. I don't think we were even picked to win the SEC East nor SEC those years.
And btw...comparing it to football is very much apples to oranges. It's much easier to stay on top in football than it ever has been or ever will be in college baseball. There is far too much parity. There aren't really the Haves and Have Nots in baseball that you have in college football (don't come at me with the Vandy BS either - NIL will take care of that). College baseball also far too cyclical.
Making it to Omaha is not a "given" for ANY program. I don't care who you are. It takes skill, and a whole helluva lotta LUCK.
I'll start worrying about CMK's longevity here when I see how the season goes. It's only his 4th season (2020 doesn't count). He's made the post season twice in 4 seasons. If things start going downhill this season with no adjustments, I'll start looking to see who might be a suitable replacement. (Hell...I mentioned Chris Lemonis 5 years ago, but got shot down because he wasn't a "big enough name". What do I know. 🤷♀️) I know one thing though...we need to get back to playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back. What I've seen in the Fall, I have a gut feeling having Wingo on the field again is going to bring an intangible we haven't seen in a LONG time. (Of course, he'll also teach guys how to take a low and away pitch in the middle of the back.)
And Damn y'all...it could be worse. We could be on this list.
Most appearances without a CWS championship[edit]
Top 10
| Rank | School | Appearances | Wins | CWS Winning % | Runner-up | Wins Per Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida State | 23 | 30 | .387 | 3 | 1.30 |
| 2 | Clemson | 12 | 12 | .333 | 0 | 1.00 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 11 | 18 | .439 | 2 | 1.64 |
| 4 | Northern Colorado | 10 | 3 | .130 | 0 | 0.30 |
| 4 | Arkansas | 10 | 15 | .429 | 2 | 1.50 |
| 6 | Maine | 7 | 7 | .333 | 0 | 1.00 |
| 7 | Western Michigan | 6 | 9 | .429 | 1 | 1.50 |
| 7 | St. John's (NY) | 6 | 6 | .333 | 0 | 1.00 |
| 7 | Texas A&M | 6 | 2 | .143 | 0 | 0.33 |
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USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
"Submitted for your approval" I’ll propose a long ball every 3 innings. Ha
RT has stated time and again that getting to Omaha is not an easy thing.
IMO, we were the premier program when we hoisted the trophy. But even then, after those years, we weren't viewed as the premier program when the preseason rolled around.
I dont agree with this. You can be considered a premier (or whatever other word you want to use) and not win the CWS every year. In that really good 5 year stretch under RT, we were preseason ranked in the top 5 every year. And consistently one of the highest ranked teams in the SEC.
Vanderbilt is a premier program right now. Arkansas is a premier program right now. We are far behind them.
You can have the greatest team in collegiate history, but a bit of bad luck in the regionals and you are out.
What list has them with 3? Baseball News just has OF Dylan Crews and DH/3B Jacob Berry. Who is third on your list
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Remember when the narrative on our 2010 team was "scrappy overachievers, not big leaguers"?
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Whit Merrifield
Christian Walker
Sam Dyson
Michael Roth
Tyler Webb
All play/played in the big leagues. Might even be missing someone, not sure if Marzili etc ever made it up:
gamecocksonline.com
Jackie Bradley Jr.
Whit Merrifield
Christian Walker
Sam Dyson
Michael Roth
Tyler Webb
All play/played in the big leagues. Might even be missing someone, not sure if Marzili etc ever made it up:
2010 Baseball Roster - University of South Carolina Athletics
The official 2010 Baseball Roster for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks
gamecocksonline.com
Unless you have Speedy Gonzales tagging up from first and then making it home from second, that may be a stretch.
Which makes some sense. Arkansas was an extremely deep team. Which helps win a lot of games. In a three game regional, that depth isn't as important. Instead having two dominant starting pitchers and a good closer are what is important.
