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How will the baseball team be next year?
Posted on 6/18/19 at 7:45 am
Posted on 6/18/19 at 7:45 am
I don't really follow baseball until the regionals start, but I've been hearing everyone say that "next year is the year" and "we're a year ahead of schedule." Any standout freshman coming in? Pitching? Will they learn to hit breaking balls?
Posted on 6/18/19 at 7:48 am to hogSS
If we progress we should be really good next year. Bring back martin goodheart Franklin Nesbit opitz kjerstad and bring in a former freshman all American in Colby bouleware to play 2nd plus wicklander and Noland will be back.
Posted on 6/18/19 at 8:53 am to Hawgnsincebirth55
Sorry for the TLDR, but...
We'll probably be ranked top 10 to start the season and will have Omaha expectations. When its get to post season and if we still have the same issues from this year (ie...still chasing balls in the dirt and not able to hit a breaking ball, at least a hanging one), this team will struggle once again.
I'm hoping Martin in particular really takes this off season personally to learn pitch recognition and patience at the plate.
I'm also hoping Franklin and Nesbit take huge steps forward offensively as far as batting average. Power improvement would be nice as well.
We will definitely miss Trevor Ezell and even Jack Kenley. They were the unsung heroes this year. Coby Boulware should take over nicely at 2B. Although, he seems to be struggling early in the Cape Cod league this summer.
We will someone to take over at 1B. I'm thinking that will be Goodheart or new incoming freshman Jason Hodges. And then the other will be DH. Hodges is supposedly a 1st round talent offensively, but has struggles defensively. His arm is weak for the outfield, so 1B could suit him if he has to be on the field.
There are some other incoming guys that will contribute as well, like the juco guys Braydon Webb and Chet Allison. Other incoming freshmen you may/should see make the roster include Blake Adams, Nate Stevens, Evan Gray, and Cason Tollett.
Adams has the potential to take over as the Sunday starter, but I see him probably starting in middle relief or midweek starter at first. Nate Stevens will probably be an outfielder. He was a catcher in HS, but project to outfield. Tollett will be the next great catcher after Opitz. He was the catcher for Arkansas Sticks travel team. Gray has big time arm and Stevens has a good arm and a good bat.
We also get Caleb Bolden back from TJ. He has potential to be Sunday starter as well. Kopps returns to give us a reliable middle relief arm. Ramage may return. I'm not too big on him, as I'm sure most aren't. Denton and Vermilion return as well as Evan Taylor and Liam Henry. Henry and Taylor are guys I'm hoping take a huge step forward. We need some more LHP in our pen.
We will also need to find a closer. Jacob Burton and Elijah Trest are the two early favorites for that role.
Soem names to keep an eye on from the redshirts are Dillon Lifrieri, Caleb Denney, Zach Gregory. Many were expecting Lifrieri to make the roster this year. Gregory is having a good summer in the Northwood League.
We may be getting a grad transfer in from Southern Miss who was their no. 3 starter. His name is Walker Powell. He's originally from Fayetteville and could bring some needed leadership to the pitching staff.
Some notable names that may not be returning are Jordan Macfarland, 6'7" redshirt freshman LHP, Steve Sanchez, Collin Taylor, Trey Harris, and others.
All in all there is a lot of potential for next year. We need the veterans to be veterans and take their huge steps forward in their weak areas. We'll need a couple of guys to show up out of nowhere like Ezell and Kenley did this year.
As fall ball starts, it will be interesting to see what names start to pop up that could potentially make the roster in February. Lots of great options.
We'll probably be ranked top 10 to start the season and will have Omaha expectations. When its get to post season and if we still have the same issues from this year (ie...still chasing balls in the dirt and not able to hit a breaking ball, at least a hanging one), this team will struggle once again.
I'm hoping Martin in particular really takes this off season personally to learn pitch recognition and patience at the plate.
I'm also hoping Franklin and Nesbit take huge steps forward offensively as far as batting average. Power improvement would be nice as well.
We will definitely miss Trevor Ezell and even Jack Kenley. They were the unsung heroes this year. Coby Boulware should take over nicely at 2B. Although, he seems to be struggling early in the Cape Cod league this summer.
We will someone to take over at 1B. I'm thinking that will be Goodheart or new incoming freshman Jason Hodges. And then the other will be DH. Hodges is supposedly a 1st round talent offensively, but has struggles defensively. His arm is weak for the outfield, so 1B could suit him if he has to be on the field.
There are some other incoming guys that will contribute as well, like the juco guys Braydon Webb and Chet Allison. Other incoming freshmen you may/should see make the roster include Blake Adams, Nate Stevens, Evan Gray, and Cason Tollett.
Adams has the potential to take over as the Sunday starter, but I see him probably starting in middle relief or midweek starter at first. Nate Stevens will probably be an outfielder. He was a catcher in HS, but project to outfield. Tollett will be the next great catcher after Opitz. He was the catcher for Arkansas Sticks travel team. Gray has big time arm and Stevens has a good arm and a good bat.
We also get Caleb Bolden back from TJ. He has potential to be Sunday starter as well. Kopps returns to give us a reliable middle relief arm. Ramage may return. I'm not too big on him, as I'm sure most aren't. Denton and Vermilion return as well as Evan Taylor and Liam Henry. Henry and Taylor are guys I'm hoping take a huge step forward. We need some more LHP in our pen.
We will also need to find a closer. Jacob Burton and Elijah Trest are the two early favorites for that role.
Soem names to keep an eye on from the redshirts are Dillon Lifrieri, Caleb Denney, Zach Gregory. Many were expecting Lifrieri to make the roster this year. Gregory is having a good summer in the Northwood League.
We may be getting a grad transfer in from Southern Miss who was their no. 3 starter. His name is Walker Powell. He's originally from Fayetteville and could bring some needed leadership to the pitching staff.
Some notable names that may not be returning are Jordan Macfarland, 6'7" redshirt freshman LHP, Steve Sanchez, Collin Taylor, Trey Harris, and others.
All in all there is a lot of potential for next year. We need the veterans to be veterans and take their huge steps forward in their weak areas. We'll need a couple of guys to show up out of nowhere like Ezell and Kenley did this year.
As fall ball starts, it will be interesting to see what names start to pop up that could potentially make the roster in February. Lots of great options.
This post was edited on 6/18/19 at 9:10 am
Posted on 6/18/19 at 6:09 pm to Pygthagorean Theorem
Is Powell graduating early? Was a Jr this year.
Posted on 6/18/19 at 7:39 pm to UltimateHog
I dont know. Its the rumor going around
Posted on 6/22/19 at 5:39 pm to Pygthagorean Theorem
I'm extremely excited about Trest going forward. His stuff is nasty.
Posted on 6/22/19 at 11:34 pm to hogSS
If Nate Thompson is fired in the off season and DVH hires a legit coach we'll be back in OmaHog to do damage.
Nate has made questionable calls on 3rd based and has cost us runs. He's not an SEC caliber coach.
#FireNateThompson
Nate has made questionable calls on 3rd based and has cost us runs. He's not an SEC caliber coach.
#FireNateThompson
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