re: how does LSU baseball look next year?

If that's the case, put Ray in the mix in left field or at DH.

Barrios is going to start somewhere in the infield. From what I've been told, he's scary-good and if he doesn't get drafted high he's going to be an impact player.

Cajun, I agree on the talent. But Mainieri had better go find replacements for Grewe and Sanchez - not only were they hideous position coaches but they were problems for team chemistry as I understand it. It wasn't until Mainieri pulled both of those guys off the players late in the season that LSU started playing halfway well.

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But Mainieri had better go find replacements for Grewe and Sanchez

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I've said this years ago about Sanchez.. I've seen this guy make lots of mistakes and I have seen him get lucky on some of his mistakes at the box. This guy hasn't changed til this day.

I don't think there's an overabundance of pitching at all. I think there are three good-looking freshmen in Gausman, McCune and Eades. Beyond that, Rumbelow might develop into something worthwhile with a better pitching coach. And everybody else is so-so at best.

That ain't an overabundance. And while I'm optimistic about the signees, we need to see what the draft will do to us before we'll even know whether we're going to get any of them here much less get performance out of them.

But so much of these assessments comes out of the staff's inability to develop players over the last two years - hiring coaches to replace Grewe and Sanchez will determine whether those concerns will continue. If either of those guys are still here next year (which I can't imagine will be the case), this team is going to underachieve again.

I'm hoping Forrestt Garrett is given enough time this off season to properly rest his arm for next year. He could be huge.

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He didn't play well enough to warrant a high draft pick. He will be back.

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Nola has shown he has all the tools to play at the next level. Kid was just complacent this year imo.

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The starting pitching will be pretty good.

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One would think so, but recent history doesn't bare that out. Arguably, our three best pitchers were freshman and, normally, that would bode well. But, can anyone point to any other pitchers who have gotten better during their tenure under Grewe? Maybe, Coleman, but he wasn't really with Grewe long enough for the coach to have a negative influence and Coleman just had that fire in his soul.

I hope I'm wrong and Grewe will help these guys improve, but I'm just saying that recent history does not suggest that this will happen. Let me just remind everyone that Grewe, who calls every pitch, called a third slider in the bottom of the ninth against Arkansas after the first two were left hanging over the plate with one being hit 400' fowl and the second being barely missed...then, the third straight slider, which hung over the strike zone, was hit 400' fair for a walk-off homer. I watched that sequence in total amazement and said out loud after the second slider, maybe we shouldn't throw that pitch again.

This is just a simple, yet, spot on example of the ineptitude of our pitching coach and, therefore, the head coach for not look over and saying "hey, David, maybe you shouldn't call that pitch for a 3rd straight time".

I hope you're right...common sense would say you are, but I actually would have thought the same thing last year. Maybe the heat is just to high for changes not to be made this year.

Talented and pissed off, I hope! As for the starters, I think we have far fewer question marks than we did coming into this season. Remember, there was a reason they had so many freshman starting this year. We really missed Micah behind the plate and in the line-up, but the thing that eluded this team all season was the timely base hit. And while I don't agree with the "fire the coach" crowd, coaching decisions can be directly cited for the losses on Friday night against Florida, Friday night against Arkansas and the Saturdy game against Miss St. Somee assistant changes could definately be in order.

Mahtook will be missed, but overall this will be a better team.