Someone in the know with baseball.....

[AUCE05 369]

.......what will our strengths and weaknesses be this season?

[AgentOrange 36]

Yep, practice begins Feb. 1 and we open season Feb. 19 vs. SEMO.  Just heard that JUCO transfer and pitcher Drew Madrigal did not make it into school this semester, dangit...He is supposed to be a good one!  We still should be improved in pitching this year, though. Remember that pitching is Coach Paw's forte.   Stephen Kohlscheen (JUCO RHP from OK) will add depth, though he didn't have his best outing at the JUCO World Series  this year -- he ran into some incredible hitters out there, along with Slade Smith (FR RHP from Fort Payne) who shows great promise, and the return of Soph., LHP Cory Luckie from surgery will help steady the rotation. With a new hitting instructor and a new field assistant, aggressive hitters and fielders like Creede Simpson and Ryan Jenkins (SR C back from broken hand), and the maturation of other returning players, AU should put together one of its better seasons in a while.

Coach P is a good coach.  He is a pitching coach also, so you know that part of our team will improve under his watch.  Since that has been our main problem the last few years I can only see us improving this year and in future years.  I am very optimistic about this staff and the direction we are heading.  They seem to be doing a good job recruiting as well.  Bringing in some JUCO pitchers this year will help a lot in my opinion.  Hopefully this year we make the SEC tourney and a regional.  That will be a good building step for the program as it continues to build to where we all want it to be consistently!   WDE!!

Hope this helps!

[chitowntgr 0]

Glad to see the interest in baseball on this board. I really enjoyed the years that Auburn baseball was on top and look forward to those times again. Maybe this time we want go to FSU for every regional.

[AUfocker13 0]

I appreciate it chitowntgr.  FSU got old for sure!  We couldn't get a break or a call down there for 4 years!!  That place is tough for sure!

Here's looking forward to hopefully hosting regionals from here on out once Coach P. gets things in place and rolling though.  With the facilities we have in place, and our proximity to Atlanta and the East Cobb baseball factory, we should at least be making trips to Omaha every 3-4 years in my opinion.  But, I am a little bias in that regard I guess!!

[AUNaughty7 0]

i think hitting will be a strength as it has been the last few years. starting pitching needs to get better but wasnt bad last year. relief pitching is the biggest concern. last year we had to put up around 8 runs to win and that shouldnt have to be the case

[IManAUBURNlifer 0]

I think our offense will be there. Hopefully Kolscheen and Nelson, our two juco signees, can solidify the weekend rotation. We get Cory Luckie back which will really help and Jon Luke Jacobs has a year of experience so he should only get better. I think our rotation can be pretty dang good. Grant Dayton has been consistent and Hubbard can nail down the game when given the ball with the lead in the 9th. I honestly think this si the year we go on to play postseason ball. We are due!!!!

[AUfocker13 0]

^^^^ I agree.  Pitching can only get better this year.  I think we turn the corner and hopefully get hot around Regional time.  Then anything can happen.  I know we have the bats to carry us through a regional if they catch fire!  We should now have some pitching this year too. 

Here's to counting down the days till first pitch, and hopefully some early warm weather!!  Always makes the beer drinking, pardon me, coca cola drinking in the K-korner all the more enjoyable in warm weather!! 

WDE!!