2017 Gamecock Baseball Expectations

We ended 2016 on a positive note and the team/Holbrook met my minimum expectations of making Super Regionals. We weren't able to capitalize on hosting the Super Regionals. and that was unfortunate, but we had one of the youngest teams in the Post Season.

I'll go ahead and put out there now, that my minimum expectations for the 2017 season are for this team to make the CWS, and considering the talent returning and incoming, I don't think that expectation is unrealistic. What are your expectations for the Yardcocks in 2017?

- We have 3 of 4 Freshman ALL SEC returning in SP Hill, INF Tolbert, and C Cullen. We have All SEC P Clark Schmidt returning. We have another All SEC P Wil Crowe returning as well. We have Josh Reagan and Tyler Johnson returning. We have one of the best Fr P's incoming in Haire. Plus we'll have Cody Morris back and he was as big of a deal as getting Crowe out of HS. Our Pitching staff was in the Top2 in the SEC this year and we'll be even better/deeper next year. Since all of UF's guys were drafted, we'll have the best/deepest Pitching Staff in the SEC next year.

- We lost 2 of our most clutch hitters in DTW and Cone, but Hopkins, Tolbert. Ross Grosvenor all showed great potential late in the season when they got their chances at the plate. If John Jones can return to early season form and find his swing again this offseason, he, Destino, Stokes, Bride and the other guys listed will have us hitting in the Top4 of the SEC next year.

- We had an overall really solid year in Fielding% in the SEC this year and I would expect it to continue. Replacing Mooney will be key for the INF though, but we have 5 Consecutive Top10 Recruiting Classes and 3 of which were Top5 Recruiting Classes, we have an abundance of talent.

_ I think the coaches know that the team weakness was hitting this year (and even then the hitting wasn't terrible, it just wasn't elite), and they'll address it this offseason and into next year. We may see some turnover on our coaching staff if Espisto leaves for a HC job somewhere, or we may bring in some other volunteer hitting coaches.

Overall, I think it's fair to expect a trip to the CWS for this coming year, and for Holbrook's sake, he really needs to make that happen. After '17 we'll lose Schmidt, Crowe, Reagan and probably Johnson, so we'll be rebuilding the SP weekend rotation in '18 and the chances of a CWS run then won't be as high. I think it's fair to expect 1 trip to the CWS at least every 5 years for a program like SC, especially with all the success we've had this decade, and Holbrook needs to step up and deliver on that expectation. Holbrook did really well this year, winning the SEC East, almost winning the SEC, winning the Regional and getting us to Super Regionals, 6 players on All SEC or All American Lists and many recruits or players MLB drafted. However, we'll never be a program that is satisfied unless we are playing in Omaha with a chance to win it all, at least a few times a decade.