Fall baseball scrimmage #5 10-2-15

Lange and Poche taking us to the promise land! Fraley, yes yes yes!!!

Lack of depth and all these Ks are concerning.... Pap seemingly can't hit water falling out of a boat, Dawson has had multiple stike outs in like 3 of the scrimmages, and K-Rob gone K-Rob. I hope a couple of these young guys adjust fast. If not, I'm feeling a 2 seed in regionals and might not even make it to Supers....

Sorry if this is a stupid question but why do they only have 8 batting for each team?

Next scrimmage is scheduled for Sunday @ 7:00 pm. Times vary on coaches whim.

Dawson has 8 straight strike outs if these numbers have been accurate. Ouch

I was at the scrimmage today as well. Here is my take:

Cole Freeman looks like a real player. He hit a hard liner in his first at bat, stole a base, turned a 6-3 double play nicely, and made the Jeter-esque play in the hole that Scuba referenced. It looks like he has been producing in the other scrimmages as well, just by looking at the boxscores (thanks Scuba!). He doesn't look like the freshmen physically either as he has a little build to him, even for a quick guy. I think that he will be in the lineup, whether it be at 2nd, SS, or 3rd.

Kramer made an error on a routine double play ball and still can't seem to get a hit either. He just doesn't look like one of the 9 best position players on the team. I would be surprised if he sat the bench for another year either. I'll be interested to see if he transfers after the fall like was rumored during the summer.

I can't see Deichmann being a regular in the lineup at this point either. He definitely crushes the ball when he hits it but he swings at too many bad pitches and swings and misses too much. I guess he's kind of like JaCoby Jones as a hitter but he's not the defender that JaCoby was. Even though Deichmann is apparently fast, he has never struck me as athletic looking. He certainly doesn't look like a 2B/3B. He looks more like a 1B/LF to me, which means there is even more pressure on his offensive production which is already lacking.

I like some combination of Freeman, Dawson, and Lochridge at 2nd/SS/3rd.

Bryce Adams can mash. The triple he hit today was a rocket. It was a line drive over the center fielder's head that one hopped the wall with no wind helping and maybe even hurting a tad. Also, even for a big guy, he looks lean. I can't really speak to his athletic ability but he looks like he would be more than a statue, unlike Zardon who looked fat and moved like a turtle, even though he could mash too. I would be surprised if Adams isn't a mainstay at 1st base this year.

At catcher, I see it being a platoon situation with Papierski being in there against righties and Romero getting the nod against lefties and in the midweek. Both of them seem like they have a ways to go.

Ducote can rake. He looks like Raph Rhymes in that he just has a knack for barreling up the ball and hitting line drives. He will be in the lineup.

Fraley is Fraley. I am skeptical about him in center though because he has always only looked okay to me in left. I'm sure he will start the year in center but I wouldn't be shocked if Duplantis or Breaux didn't move to center at some point with Fraley going to left and Beau Jordan going to right (I'll be surprised if Beau doesn't start in left... I really like him as a ball player).

I think Ducote will start the year in right but if Duplantis or Breaux takes over in center, I think Ducote will move to DH.

This is my projection for the lineup if opening night were tonight:

1. Cole Freeman SS
2. Cody Ducote RF
3. Jake Fraley CF
4. Bryce Adams 1B
5. Beau Jordan LF
6. Greg Deichmann/Bryce Jordan DH (RHP/LHP platoon)
7. Mike Papierski/Jordan Romero C
8. O'Neal Lochridge 3B
9. Trey Dawson 2B

I will also add that, unfortunately, I think this is going to be one of those years where every time the bottom of the order comes up you are just waiting for the top of the order to come back up. It was extremely nice to be so dominate 1-9 last year but that just isn't the norm in baseball. At this point, I have a lot of confidence in Freeman, Ducote, Fraley, and Adams at 1-4. I can't say I'm too confident about 5-9. It's a good thing we have a great pitching staff so we won't be forced to outscore people.

quote:

---

quote: unlike Zardon who looked fat and moved like a turtleover the line, frisbee boy

---

Is it? I wasn't trying to be mean. I always liked Zardon, especially as a hitter. I just always thought he looked out of shape and severly lacked mobility. He certainly couldn't play third base-- maybe first base. That's the reason Mainieri never put him in the lineup. He was a one trick wonder.

By the way, what do you mean by Frisbee boy?

I have to meet your expectations!

quote:

---

I have a history of knighting for Zardon here... just had to get that one jab in.

---

Oh okay. I wasn't aware. Zardon could definitely hit. That's just all he could do.

Excited for this year, just so many unknowns outside of Lange/Poche. Lineup could go so many directions.