BASEBALL 25 days away from opening day....Let's get this discussion going!

[Matt Dossett]

I'll tag @_ConnerSmith_ in here if you guys have any questions for him. Expectations this season? Strengths? Weaknesses? Where should they finish in league play?

 

[MTBig Blue]

Any idea how we are going to be? If feel like we have been stuck in "bad to mediocre play" for 10+ years.

 

[Shayne_Pickering]

Any idea how we are going to be? If feel like we have been stuck in "bad to mediocre play" for 10+ years.

Always a lot to be determined when you retool a roster but I would think they at least have more potential on the mound this year with just having guys who have legit stuff to throw. Felt like when Trace Phillips or Chandler Alderman were not on the mound last year, MTSU struggled to finish innings with nobody having that gotcha pitch whether it was some high heat or a nice off-speed pitch.

Do have to replace some big name bats like Briggs Rutter, Gabe Jennings, Jackson Galloway however. I do expect some young bats to continue to progress but some of the juco/transfer additions will have to help make up for losing a lot of the middle part of the lineup.

Conner probably has a lot better idea about how the team could perform but there is some potential there to grow as the season goes along. We hinted after last season, but now this will be Jerry Meyers first season of it truly being HIS team. Will be interesting to see how he truly kicks off the next era this year.

 

[_ConnerSmith_]

Any idea how we are going to be? If feel like we have been stuck in "bad to mediocre play" for 10+ years.

That’s a good question, the offense will be good at the bare minimum, but there’s questions about pitching. Trace Phillips and Chandler Alderman are legit starters and then bullpen guys like Colin Kerrigan, Ollie Akens, etc. caught fire at the end of last season.

They brought in some absolute studs on the mound in FSWCC Landen Burch, Walters State’s Jonathan Stevens and Drew Horn, along with a few others.

So, there’s plenty of talent there and the way the schedule lines up, the ceiling for the 2025 Blue Raiders is CUSA champs but the floor is another 20-34 season. At this moment I’d say they’ll go 31-24 but if the pitching pans out like Meyers and Co. are expecting, this is a very dangerous team.

Let’s not forget how many young guys got hot last year in the final 15 games. If those young bucks can take the next step along with the pitching panning out and the veterans doing their job, this is a team that can compete with Dallas Baptist and Sam Houston for the CUSA crown.