AUBURN BASEBALL HAS NEW LOOK AS FALL PRACTICE BEGINS

[augolf1716 21,096]

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http://www.auburntig.../090914aaa.html

AUBURN, Ala. -- Jordan Ebert could have tried his hand in pro ball, being draft eligible and all. Instead, he's returning to Auburn to play the outfield again, this time as the Southeastern Conference top returning hitter.

"I love the university. I feel like I have not given this university what I needed to," he said Tuesday, the first day of fall baseball practice.

"I wanted to come back a winner. I want to get to Omaha."

Making it to the College World Series was Auburn's mantra last year, too, though the Tigers finished with a 28-28 record and missed tournament play. Coach Sunny Golloway will try again this year with a mix of veterans and 22 newcomers that come from a deep pool of 13 junior college transfers, seven high school signees and two transfers.

Ebert hit .353 last season. He'll return looking for more power and to drive in more runs.

"I led off a lot last year, just trying to get on base, hit singles," Ebert said. "I think I'll have a different role this year. But the confidence level, yes.

"I'm working on being a new player... a guy I was more like in high school and summer ball, more free swinging, trying to go gap to gap. Hit some home runs. Drive some guys in, because I think that's what this team is going to need."

Golloway began fall workouts upbeat.

"A lot of our guys went out and played during the summer and had tremendous success," he said.

Golloway said he'll lean on his veterans "for some of the routines we go through with our practice. I think they're excited to get on the yard. They will be a lot of teaching going on, needless to say. But when you look, there's a large percentage of that group that is junior college players. A lot of these guys have a lot of playing experience. They're not coming in as young freshmen that we don't know what to expect from them. They're experienced baseball players."

Golloway said he signed so many junior college players because "we really felt like there were some specific needs we needed to meet. We needed some real talented guys up the middle. We needed to add some depth at those positions, at second and short, and also third."

Also, they'll help in the outfield and with left-handed pitching," Golloway said.

Those junior college players, Golloway said, "come in ready to go."

[WarAJEagle 5]

We'll see how these JUCO guys are, we have pretty good luck with JUCO's in another sport at this University....

[autigeremt 6,569]

I spoke to Sunny for about 30 minutes two Saturdays ago before the Arkansas Game. I honestly believe the issues that happened last season are over with and he can move forward with getting this program where it needs to be. I'm not sharing everything we talked about but I got the sense he learned a few things and is ready to get this thing done. We will see.

[80Tiger 899]

22 newcomers? Is that normal for baseball? How many can you carry on an SEC roster?

[Mikey 16,550]

22 newcomers? Is that normal for baseball? How many can you carry on an SEC roster?

The limit is 11.25 scholarships. These can be cut up into as little as 20% or so to each player. I'm not sure about the roster limit but I think the travel squad can have only 26? Unlike football and basketball, recruited players on academic scholarships can play baseball, so good students that are also good baseball players are at a premium.

I think 22 newcomers is an unusually large number, but how many of them actually make the team is a good question.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,225]

22 newcomers? Is that normal for baseball? How many can you carry on an SEC roster?

The limit is 11.25 scholarships. These can be cut up into as little as 20% or so to each player. I'm not sure about the roster limit but I think the travel squad can have only 26? Unlike football and basketball, recruited players on academic scholarships can play baseball, so good students that are also good baseball players are at a premium.

I think 22 newcomers is an unusually large number, but how many of them actually make the team is a good question.

27 "counters", 35 is the maximum roster limit and must be reached prior to the first game of the season.

Anybody know what happened to Rucker? EDIT: Just found out he transferred to Seminole State.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,287]

Love reading this. I believe in coach G. Bring it home

[AU64 10,122]

Indeed 22 is a big number which shows us where things stood at the end of last season.

But Sunny should have no problem integrating the JUCOs...baseball is not really a team game the same way football is. MLB teams add and delete players all season long with out negative effect as long as the individual players have the talent to field their position and hit major league pitching....and of course, keep the other guys from hitting their pitching.

Therefore....IF....these incoming players can field their positions and hit SEC pitching.....they team will be just fine. JMO

[PowerOfDixieland 3,225]

But Sunny should have no problem integrating the JUCOs...baseball is not really a team game the same way football is. MLB teams add and delete players all season long with out negative effect as long as the individual players have the talent to field their position and hit major league pitching....and of course, keep the other guys from hitting their pitching.

The Oakland A's would disagree.

"Autopsies will abound once it's over. But from this view, the demise of the A's has everything to do with the evaporation of esprit de corps that made the team special and dangerous for 2 1/2 years. There was something substantive to Oakland being greater than the sum of its parts, that everybody got along so well, and the Bob Melvin mantra of 'play for today' was a genuine rallying cry to their success."

http://www.mercuryne...spedes-departed

And when you have a head coach who was specifically charged with changing the culture, such as Golloway at Auburn, it's even more important to get the "right" guys. Pretty sure that's why there was so much wailing and gnashing of teeth this past spring AND why that huge number of new players.

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,287]

But Sunny should have no problem integrating the JUCOs...baseball is not really a team game the same way football is. MLB teams add and delete players all season long with out negative effect as long as the individual players have the talent to field their position and hit major league pitching....and of course, keep the other guys from hitting their pitching.

The Oakland A's would disagree.

"Autopsies will abound once it's over. But from this view, the demise of the A's has everything to do with the evaporation of esprit de corps that made the team special and dangerous for 2 1/2 years. There was something substantive to Oakland being greater than the sum of its parts, that everybody got along so well, and the Bob Melvin mantra of 'play for today' was a genuine rallying cry to their success."

http://www.mercuryne...spedes-departed

And when you have a head coach who was specifically charged with changing the culture, such as Golloway at Auburn, it's even more important to get the "right" guys. Pretty sure that's why there was so much wailing and gnashing of teeth this past spring AND why that huge number of new players.

What's interesting in that my Cardinals did the exact same thing and it's paid off. 50/50 odds That the deal goes well, hopefully it does in Auburns case.

[AU64 10,122]

But Sunny should have no problem integrating the JUCOs...baseball is not really a team game the same way football is. MLB teams add and delete players all season long with out negative effect as long as the individual players have the talent to field their position and hit major league pitching....and of course, keep the other guys from hitting their pitching.

The Oakland A's would disagree.

"Autopsies will abound once it's over. But from this view, the demise of the A's has everything to do with the evaporation of esprit de corps that made the team special and dangerous for 2 1/2 years. There was something substantive to Oakland being greater than the sum of its parts, that everybody got along so well, and the Bob Melvin mantra of 'play for today' was a genuine rallying cry to their success."

http://www.mercuryne...spedes-departed

And when you have a head coach who was specifically charged with changing the culture, such as Golloway at Auburn, it's even more important to get the "right" guys. Pretty sure that's why there was so much wailing and gnashing of teeth this past spring AND why that huge number of new players.

Re Oakland...looks to me like they traded one guy to Boston (Cespedes) for reasons nobody ever explained and the offense fell apart....and all of sudden they could not score.

As for AU, JMO but it's pretty likely that a major change in personnel will shake things up and I do like Ebert's attitude about why he came back. Sounds like the ones that were OK with the SG approach are back....and only an idiot would sign with AU after last season without understanding what they were getting into. I'm looking for less crying and more production....