re: 2020 Pitching Staff

Incoming 2019 grads.

Edit to clarify: RHP only

quote:

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We don't need to go into a third season with a new starting catcher. We will keep seeing the same issues.

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Are you suggesting that a good defensive catcher who can control the running game but is new would be worse than a good defensive catcher who cannot control the running game but has been with us two years?

I'm saying that we will be better on the mound and behind the plate (and at holding runners) due to the experience of the pitchers, the catchers, and the pitchers with the catchers.

Milazzo is supposed to be a fantastic defensive catcher with a cannon. I assume he will play or Torres if he makes it to campus. Travinski I have no clue on.

I just don't like constantly starting from scratch behind the plate.

I'm not saying I'd prefer an inferior experienced catcher over a clearly superior inexperienced one. But that's also not necessarily what we're choosing from. We're more choosing between known, and going with the unknown for a third straight year. And I'm just tired of going with the unknown.

I hope that makes sense, it's harder for me to type and think when posting from my phone.

To expand on my catcher thoughts: I think it's very difficult for a guy to come in and excel at every facet in year one as a catcher at LSU. And that's either from JUCO or from High School. There is so much to learn that something is going to suffer. Usually that's going to be hitting, but it can also be facets of the defensive game.

You can see a pretty big jump in all facets from year one to year two. Look at Scivique's senior year for example vs his junior year.

Lately, we've been churning the hell out of our pitching staff too, and we have a chance to not do that this offseason. That means there is less new information for the catchers already on the roster, meaning they focus on improving other facets of their game.

Also, in general I'm not a big fan of roster churning, so that informs my opinions on this. I'd like to see more program building than year-to-year roster building. Our most successful teams (under Mainieri) have been the ones where we've had a lot of guys with program experience (and also a lot of talent).