re: 2021 Baseball and Softball Thread:

Back half of the bullpen really struggled

It’s it on FloBaseball again, then you have to pay for a subscription. I love Auburn baseball, but I’m not paying for another service when I can just follow along with game tracker or listen.

Got worked pretty hard today by Baylor. Not good.

I didn't watch yesterday, but every year since Sisson left (ex-AU Hitting Coach) I wonder if Gross is the right guy for this level of baseball. He teaches a very advanced, cerebral approach to hitting, working counts, waiting late in the strike zone to pull the trigger, etc... With Sisson it was all about hunting fastballs, and a lot simpler. If you get a fastball, attack it. I wonder how many college baseball players are best served with a more cerebral approach? Frankly, I don't think most players at this level will ever be advanced enough hitters to benefit. We weren't very good as a baseball team when Sisson was here, but it wasn't because of our hitting or approach. IIRC we were in the top third of the league offensively. We didn't have many HR's of course, but that was because everyone on those AU teams was small.


(edit) I'm watching the aTm game and I stand by what I'm saying. I think Bliss is a heady and talented guy and can benefit, Brodie Moore too, Woley as well but he tends to step in the bucket and bail. I don't know, but if 75% of what you're seeing at this level is gas, then lets go hunt some gas!

Maybe CorchJay can comment because I think he coaches baseball.

I do coach baseball but don’t make it a habit of commenting on AU’s baseball coaches because I hope to have players recruited there. However I will say I think Gabe is a good hitting coach but agree sometimes with at least your standard RBI guys you need to let them loose on the early fastballs.

High school depending on your team and if they are a power or speed team. Mine are generally speed teams we play small ball steal bases and try to have less then 3 K’s per game. If we do that we think we can score 3 runs on small ball innings and manufacture 2-3 more runs on innings when a first batter doesn’t reach base or a double isn’t hit. So speed and a little analysis. Plus I usually have 3 good pitchers and a catcher. So when I have that combo and I have a strong SS, 2B, and CF. Then I feel like we can easily make the playoffs and compete for the region. Once there just depends on the pitchers you have to go up against but that’s kind of how I build my teams starting down in the 7th grade. I always take the best 10 each year and 2 project players maybe a big kid or extremely fast kid someone like that, that possibly doesn’t have the level of skill as the others and see what I can develop them into.

Hate to keep harping on this but AU and Bama both can get decent pitching. It’s on offense and defense where we start getting behind on the upper level teams. Both squads are at a huge disadvantage because we don’t have a program like the HOPE program in Ga for example. I think the staff is great and if you are a top tier pitcher I would go play for Butch in a heartbeat. Not making excuses just stating the facts. So making the ncaa tournament should always be the goal and I expect this team will be a tourney team probably a 2-3 seed. It’s a long way to go and still early for the bats to be cranked up for college. Let the Saturday’s temps get in the mid 70s consistently like this weekend and you’ll see some better hitting. Gotta find a couple guys in the bullpen that can close games out and a middle reliever and I think we will be fine.

We have a really good instate class coming up next year with many commits to AU already. We gotta hold on. Problems come up like this years class where Pico Kohn goes to MSU and Samuel Dutton to LSU. Last year Mikey Fowler to LSU. Pico is the most dominant high school pitcher I think I may have ever saw. I think he gave up 1 earned run last year and only 3 runs total. We have a good hitter coming in Wes Helms son. And like I said some really good players for next years class already committed.

We have arms, and we are figuring out who's a gamer pitching-wise. I really wish Fuller had more command because he has nasty stuff. If he could figure it out he'd be a great long reliever and could potentially pitch twice during an SEC weekend. Anyway, we have good arms and hopefully good pitching so we have a chance to make some noise.

See my other comments on hitting. I think we think too much.

Fuller is filthy but I think he knows his stuff is nasty and tries to strike to many people out. If that makes sense. Every pitch isn't a strike out pitch. Work ahead in the count and make some of the guys hit your pitch. Can't strike out everyone

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Butch Thompson is the absolute perfect coach for AU baseball. At some point he'll have something like Corbin at Vanderbilt. Top recruits will just flow into his program.

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I don’t see it unless something changes with scholarships in Alabama.

I’d say we’re likely at the ceiling right now in our competitiveness with other programs in the conference. Full credit goes to Butch for getting us here because we’re talented enough to go to Omaha if the seeding falls in our favor in the regional rounds.

But top talent that doesn’t have the grades to earn an academic scholarship at Auburn will continue to default to other schools where there’s another avenue for having tuition paid.

We will always bring in good pitching as long as Butch is here. We need power hitters and base runners with elite defensive skills at the positional players.

When we have 11.7 scholarships to spread over 25-28 players the balance is never going to be there. Sure we can get players that afford in state tuition but out of state tuition is crazy high.

Just an example of filling your program. Georgia can go to North Cobb and grab 5-6 D1 SEC ready players every year. Kids all over the south move to North Cobb to play with and against that competition. Therefore a B average gets you an academic scholarship and offers UGA an opportunity to go grab an elite pitcher or short stop from any state and give a full ride.

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Baseballer families can usually pay the freight as far as tuition.

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Yeah but if given the choice, they won’t.