Has committed on Instagram.

What is Bennett thinking haha?!?! Must be a walk-on situation. Good for Carter either way.

2019
BA: 2
OBP: 1
Hits: 1
Walks: 1
Doubles: 2
Triples: 1
Home Runs: 1
Slugging: 1
Strikeouts: 1
Total Bases: 1
Runs Scored: 1
RBIs: 1

2021
BA: 2
OBP: 4
Hits: 3
Walks: 4
Doubles: 2
Triples: 1
Home Runs: 4
Slugging: 3
Strikeouts: 1
Total Bases: 2
Runs Scored: 5
RBIs: 5

2022
BA: 4
OBP: 4
Hits: 8
Walks: 5
Doubles: 8
Triples: 2
Home Runs: 9
Slugging: 8
Strikeouts: 9
Total Bases: 8
Runs Scored: 8
RBIs: 9

2023
BA: 10
OBP: 13
Hits: 6
Walks: 11
Doubles: 4
Triples: 7
Home Runs: 13
Slugging: 13
Strikeouts: 10
Total Bases: 9
Runs Scored: 8
RBIs: 8

2024
BA: 6
OBP: 12
Hits: 6
Walks: 13
Doubles: 2
Triples: 3
Home Runs: 13
Slugging: 9
Strikeouts: 7
Total Bases: 8
Runs Scored: 10
RBIs: 8

In 19 and 21 we were one of the best or the best overall hitting teams in the conference. Then they took a step back to middle of the pack in 2022. The last two years they’ve been one of the worst in the conference. The two numbers that stand out to me are the home run numbers and the walk numbers. We’ve talked plenty about the lack of power the last few years, but we’ve also stopped walking which suggests more of a coaching/approach problem too. There are many other issue such as losing kids to the draft, missing on certain kids, not developing some, not using the portal, the type of hitter they are recruiting.

They’re gonna lose a lot of their best bats again. Davis, Austin, and Kozeal are decent contact bats to bring back, but the few guys with power like Holcomb, Ossenfort, and Poteet are all hitting around or under .200. I have no idea what Maldo will look like after he was out all year. That’s a lineup full of unknowns again. They’ve gotta make some sort of change, or multiple different changes.

Not surprisingly, we are ranked 16 out of 16.

The reason that I am posting this at all, is because of what it says about us. Unfortunately, I agree with it 100%. Clark has made some legit additions to his staff, but, well, we just simply don't have many SEC level players. The truth hurts....

So I don’t think he’s retiring anytime soon but who would you think would be a good replacement? Don’t see Dakich as an option he’s got a good gig at Clemson!

Man the CBB world doesn’t seem to think much of Stack’s guys leaving, granted Colin is recovering from a bad injury.

Presley to Texas was a shock to me but the rest of the landin spots been pretty underwhelming

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I do wonder if we lead the conference in different starting lineups this year. Some of it has to do with injuries, but it seems like a lot of it is trying to find some magical combination since we’re having to manufacture runs more than others. It feels like there has been more 1-9 tinkering the last three years than in the past, and I wonder how much the constant shifts in the field and with the order outside of a few guys takes a toll deep into the season. Here’s what I’d like to see with what we’ve got available currently:
Austin CF
Vastine SS
Holcomb 1B
Espinal C/DH
Kozeal 2B
Bulger C/DH
Rogers RF
Polk LF
Diaz 3B

Whatchoo got?

UT is ranked number one in the D1 baseball poll this week, and Vanderbilt dropped out of the top 25 for the first time in years. How the mighty have fallen.

Come on. I know you are thinking the same thing.

@MurrayHarris is back

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@Lukewyatt made a post earlier about bats being shaved, tampered, etc. If that’s actually going on I can’t imagine the liability someone would have if god forbid a pitcher is seriously hurt.

But something is happening with either the bats or the balls. Mid 90’s and pre-99 gorilla ball made sense because of the drop 5’s and 2 3/4 in barrels. But these bbcor bats are supposed to play more like wood and that ain’t happening.

Watch this video at the 10:41ish mark. This should have a been a pop up to shallow left. I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like this before. I don’t “think” the wind was blowing out or at least not in any meaningful way.

This is evidence enough that something’s going on with the bats or balls. And it pains me to say it because I typically view talk like that as weak excuses.

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Beat Wake yesterday in the first round 4-1. We get host Ohio State today at 11:00. Live stats here.

I’ll start by saying you could make the argument that absolutely nothing is wrong, just a tough few weeks. Would be a bad argument either.

I’ll also say these posters that are saying “adapt” or whatever haven’t offered up the first solution…it’s just change and you have to be careful with that considering the long term success which is damn near unmatched.

This UGA series is a good time to make this post. In baseball they’ve been the sleepiest of sleeping giants. I’m not sure if their head guy is the guy but if he is they’ve got the ability to match their run in football and then some. Perno wasn’t a great baseball guy and was National runner up in ‘08, got buzzsawed by Fresno.

Want to know the difference between UGA and VU? Look at their rosters and look at 2 things specifically. Where they’re from and the sizes, particularly the position players. UGA is mostly from the south, particularly GA and are built like tanks. VUs kids are from all over and more slight in size.

Why does this matter? A college baseball season is the most intense season in all of sports. 65 games in 2.5-3 months. You have to be physical, you have to be strong. You have to lift heavy in season to stay strong.

As it relates to where they’re from…those kids have been playing big time baseball since they were 8 in a lot cases. Nothing they haven’t seen once they get to college.

The other thing of note is look at the schools many of those UGA kids went to. Rest assured they could have handled the academics of a VU.

So the biggest issue I see is WHO they’re getting and WHERE they’re from. They could have had a lot of those kids that are in the process of assaulting them on the field. They chose these silly New England or Midwest recruiting connections for some reason?

As it relates to their offensive struggles. Couple of things jump out at me. The first is they’re thinking way, way too much. How do I know…watch how many hittable first pitch fastballs center cut they take. Its unreal. Either they’re getting loads of take signs(can’t imagine this to be the case) or they’re not ready to hit, or they’re guessing, or something. They’ve got to get to “see ball hit ball”, and ready to go on first pitch.

Secondly nearly all of their swings look manufactured. Really concerned with the mechanics of hitting vs old school getting the barrel to the baseball. I mentioned this in response to @DoreFan post the other day….2 strikes they look like hell. They should spread out, no stride and take the knob right to the ball and put it in play. Very few 2 strike adjustments that I’ve seen. At this point as badly as their struggling I’d have that approach every pitch 1 through 9.

Their arms, they have arms. I think as those kids mature it will get better.

But the biggest thing I see is they don’t target or sign the same type kids a UGA, LSU, A&M are signing. Particularly UGA.

Here’s the game thread. I can’t go today but I’ll be there tomorrow.

And what can be done to fix it? Perhaps a change at hitting coach? Our hitters are struggling against very average pitching. Very few balls being squared up with lots of Ks.

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Five commitments for the Commodores in the spring transfer window so far. A look at each and the Commodores' top remaining transfer targets

Vanderbilt is back on the radar after several years. The SEC will now have to contend with Vandy hoops again. Byington is very legit and is a workhorse. His strength coach addition is the real deal and in particular the assistant coach Xavier Joyner can recruit. Jerry was a disaster and all the other coaches knew about the work ethic and Nikki etc. Sleeping giant of a program. It was a great talk.

And I find the comments to be worth a read

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