re: Future of LSU baseball???

bad coaches don't take Notre Dame to the college world series

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i would venture to guess, at this point in time, Smoke Laval's winning percentage at LSU is better or at least equal to PM's.

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which is pathetic, since Smoke took over the best program in college baseball and drove it into the ground. Smoke's should be higher.

PM had to build the program up and won a NC doing so.

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Cupboards weren't exactly bare when Mainieri got here... Turtle was a hell of a recruiter.

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they kind of where. He was ruthless with the cuts and he had to deal with the NCAA limiting roster sizes

Smoke didn't run the program into the ground, but the next step was the ground.

Not getting out of the regional in 05, SEC tournament in 06... We may have not been above .500 with Smoke in 07.

There has been a lot of talk about good coaching, bad coaching, top rated talent, young players lacking experience, etc, etc, etc. However, if one analyzes the process, it all starts with coaching. Recruiting being the first step in building and maintaining a quality program is the responsibility of the coaching staff; and since the coaching staff is the responsibility of the head coach, the buck stops there.

So, if the talent is being recruited but is failing as it seems to be then they are not being coached properly...again, the responsibility of the head coach. If the talent is not there and therefore coaching the players is difficult then, again, the responsibility lies with the head coach.

If you were to conclude that there are game time issues or problems with the philosophy of the game plan, then, once again, it's the head coach's responsibility.

Here is my point. From a baseball philosophy perspective...this team lacks focus and discipline at the plate as well as simple fundamentals in the defensive aspects of the game...coaching. Small things that all add up like when you have runners on second and third and the pitcher is intentionally walking the batter, no one is backing up the throw back to the pitcher from the catcher. Or, when there is a runner on second, the batter bunts and the ball is fielded by the catcher, the pitcher stands there and watches the play rather than cover home plate. These things have happened. On every play in baseball every player has somewhere to be. A player knowing where to be is simple coaching fundamentals.

With respect to hitting, many may argue, but (I believe it was the Cal St. series...which I understand we won, but to analyze the situation properly you have to look at what's happening during any game, not just the losses) in the first game of the series LSU score a number of runs in the bottom of the 1st...the opposing pitcher threw in excess of 25 pitches (admittedly, I don't remember the exact pitch count). In the 7th inning our pitcher had thrown 109 pitches and the opposing pitcher had thrown 82. What that means is if you take out the first inning, the opposing pitcher threw less than 10 pitches in each of the next six innings...that's unacceptable. This has been going on all year so one must conclude it's a coaching philosophy. Working the count and getting into the opposing teams bullpin just gives your team another bullet to win...it's another small thing that puts a team in position to WIN.

Then look at the Saturday night game against Arkansas...if you watch our catcher he is looking to the dugout on every pitch for the call. Why would our pitching coach call a third straight slider when the first one was hung and hit 400 feet fowl and the second one was hung and barely missed (even the TV announcers said this). Then our pitching coach calls another one...this one is hit 400 feet fair...I couldn't believe this.

All this being said, I still believe our in coach, but after this season, he either needs to get a new pitching and hitting coach or get a new job...period.

Good post. Have you noticed that the bench is thin in regard to position players? Just don't have may people to choose from - and I am not talking about ability, but actual bodies.

I also see a trend of consistently running ourselves out of innings. Seemed like three caught stealing in the first few innings last night, for example. That seems to happen a lot this year.

But all of those issues come back to coaching decisions. Looks to me like changes are being made just for the sake of change - like pushing buttons with no plan, just hope that something works.