re: Starting Baseball Lineup

I think Landry would be great in the 9 spot, especially with Shimpf leading off. I see Shimpf driving in Landry from second quite a number of times after Landry steals second...

Dishon looked pretty good at the end of the year...and Helenihi will be fine going back to 3rd base and having a year under his belt. He started out on fire and fizzled, but he will be fine.

I like the middle infield and the outfield as our clear strengths. The middle infield is smooth and work together great which is essential. Lastly,once the third spot in outfield is settled, I can't imagine many extra basehits with the speed out there.

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and the outfield as our clear strengths

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i personally think Landry and Mitchell are slightly overrated in the OF. They arent liabilities, but they aren't gold glovers either. Watching Landry play in person, he doesn't get the best jumps on the ball. But he has the speed to recover most of the time.

And both have average arms

we're not even sure who the 3rd OF will be either.

Pitching rotation?

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Helenihi has to get alot better than at the end of last year to win the spot. I hear there are freshman playing really well that could take 3rd

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All i know is that I would rather have a great glove and avg bat playing 3rd than the alternative. I was never comfortable with Hollander's defense at third...although he did better there than at SS.

Again, I want my SS and 3rd baseman to be the best at their position as a defender...not best with a bat. Of course Id like both...

1. Mitchell (speed kills)
2. Schimpff (disciplined, high average hitter)
3. Lemaheiu (potential all american)
4. Dean - no explanation needed
5. Gibbs- switch hitter to back up Dean
6. Helenihi- RH better that average hitter
7. Ochinco- looking for a breakout year
8. Outfielder TBD in spring
9. Landry - second leadoff hitter

Note: names may be misspelled....

It's nice to have that speed at the top of the lineup, but Schimpf/Landry at 9, Mitch, Landry/Schimpf, and Dean would be four lefties stacked in the order. I think a righty in the two hole that can handle the bat may be the best thing to do with so many LH hitters.

1) Mitch (LH)
2) DJ (RH)
3) Dean (LH)
4) Gibbs (S)
5) Chink (R)
6) Shimpf (L)has some pop and would clean-up hitting after our middle of the order
7) ??
8) Hellehni? (R)
9)Landry (L)

That is a matchup nightmare for an opposing coach. I'd hate to run up against a staff full of dirty lefties with all of our lefty sticks stacked together. Just my experience over the years.

Your right. But you just have to have enough talent to have both. You can't have a guy at third who doesn't hit. But of course these days in big programs you don't have many guys on the team just for there glove. I hear Nola can flat out pick it, has great hands. But Hanover can do it all is the word from the staff and could move there.

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You can't have a guy at third who doesn't hit.

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In a big time baseball program like LSU...that's certainly true. That's why I want the best defensive 3rd baseman on the team...cause..well...he's probably gonna be good enough with the bat. Im not talking about someone like Pontiff, but Helinihi has a really dependable glove at 3rd and showed for much of last season he had a pretty good bat. Im giving him a little benefit of the doubt that he kind of burned out later in the year. If not...then Im ok with one of the younger studs.

Yep.