2026 Baseball - General

[Eli]

I think it's important to do both. Find value where you can, but also bring in the most proven talent you can. You don't have to do one or the other. We've been pretty successful doing both.

I think the most successful version of this is having 6 guys that are in your program for 2-3 years and then adding 2-3 veterans then you have a expectation of standard and the 2-3 veterans fill their role. I’m still a traditionalist for the most part and it’s why I’ve grown even closer to college baseball over the last 3 years because it feels like the old days where you watched kids grow up in the program. Funny enough a lot of big programs that failed this year said they will not rely on the portal like they have in the past they will go back to developing players from day 1.

 

[Eli]

I’m not sure we’re using the same definition of “project”. Zuckerman hit .295 with an OPS of .937 last year, and played all 55 games as a starter in the ACC. That’s not a project in my opinion.

Patel was injured most of his third year, but he had a 3.47 ERA in his two years + a few games at GSU. 60 innings and 19 appearances. So some risk from a durability perspective, but I don’t think that qualifies as a project. He did throw 6 scoreless innings against us as a freshman!

I’m thinking project when I think of the kid at Kennessaw who platooned and hit like ~.235. That’s a project, IMO. But I agree we’re not going to bring in all of the Top guys available and guys like Zuck are great additions. I do think we’re positioned to get more looks from the Top guys, assuming we make a good post season run.

The two were a different parts of their career FWIW Josh Gibbs would be the highest rated high school player on our roster other than Burress (who was 18th nationally and Gibbs 25th nationally.) I don’t see Gibbs as a “project” anymore than I see any other highly rated guy we get as a freshman on campus. He also hit a bomb off us (just to compare to Patel.)

 

[TechPhi97]

The two were a different parts of their career FWIW Josh Gibbs would be the highest rated high school player on our roster other than Burress (who was 18th nationally and Gibbs 25th nationally.) I don’t see Gibbs as a “project” anymore than I see any other highly rated guy we get as a freshman on campus. He also hit a bomb off us (just to compare to Patel.)

Fair enough, he’s closer to a high school recruit than a replacement for a major part of our roster. If our recruiting class doesn’t fill out perhaps he would be considered for one of those slots. His stats at KSU are not that impressive so I would be surprised to see him here no matter his HS ranking, but you never know what history our staff has with him or their evaluation of his potential.

 

[gtrower]

Purdue up 3-1 on ucla in the 8th. Think we’re the #1 overall regardless of the next 2 days if that score holds.

 

[MWBATL]

Purdue up 3-1 on ucla in the 8th. Think we’re the #1 overall regardless of the next 2 days if that score holds.

UCLA just tied it in bottom of the 8th at 3.

As someone famous used to say, “Not so fast, my friend!”

 

[BonafideJacket]

UCLA just tied it in bottom of the 8th at 3.

As someone famous used to say, “Not so fast, my friend!”

UCLA wins 4-3 in B9. I watched the ninth inning. Small sample size but Purdue looked bad. Like Q4 bad. Booted ground ball to SS to lead off hitter. Dropped throw to 1B on sac bunt attempt. Sac bunt. Intentional walk to load the bases. Walk off sac fly.

 

[DecaturJacket]

UCLA wins 4-3 in B9. I watched the ninth inning. Small sample size but Purdue looked bad. Like Q4 bad. Booted ground ball to SS to lead off hitter. Dropped throw to 1B on sac bunt attempt. Sac bunt. Intentional walk to load the bases. Walk off sac fly.

Womp womp.

 

[gtrower]

Well I should have realized ucla has a clover up their ***. Guy hits one off the top of the wall B8, umps call it a HR before he even hits 2nd. Reviewing show it clearly didn’t leave the park but they award the run and the runner to 3rd anyway. They end up tying it up.

Then Purdue leads of B9 with two defensive errors in a row to gift ucla a runner on 2nd with no outs and they win it 4-3.

Surely the committee is actually watching these games. UCLA better hope they don’t get anybody from the east coast or they might be getting sent home early.

 

[The Doddfather]

Just my prediction, which is only a WAG at this point, is that the Jackets bruins matchup we all hope for never materializes this year. Lots of baseball and lots of good teams that will come between that matchup happening. Fingers crossed that they are the ones watching on tv in June.

 

[DecaturJacket]

Just my prediction, which is only a WAG at this point, is that the Jackets bruins matchup we all hope for never materializes this year. Lots of baseball and lots of good teams that will come between that matchup happening. Fingers crossed that they are the ones watching on tv in June.

I mean we wouldn't meet them until the finals in Omaha if we're the #1 and #2 seeds, so yeah VERY unlikely.

 

[gtbeak]

Just my prediction, which is only a WAG at this point, is that the Jackets bruins matchup we all hope for never materializes this year. Lots of baseball and lots of good teams that will come between that matchup happening. Fingers crossed that they are the ones watching on tv in June.

Oh, almost certainly we won't play. I can't think of any season ever where #1 and #2 met in the final.

 

[The Doddfather]

Exactly

 

[BennyWheels]

UCLA lucks their way to another win. I feel like we win a series against them.

 

[DecaturJacket]

Oh, almost certainly we won't play. I can't think of any season ever where #1 and #2 met in the final.

According to AI, which has already let me down once today, #1 Miami and #2 FSU met in the finals in 1999.

 

[gtbeak]

According to AI, which has already let me down once today, #1 Miami and #2 FSU met in the finals in 1999.

I remember that series. I know for sure that Miami was #1, and suspect you are correct that FSU was #2.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

I’d just as soon be #2. Don’t want the target on our back. Tough enough as it is.

 

[JacketFan27]

Depending on what Hernandez does we will need to add another OF.

C: Rogers
1B: Schmidt
2nd: Baker/Brown
SS: Galason/Dee/Baker
3B: Most likely the JUCO kid forgot his name
LF: Lewis
CF: Daniel
RF: Baker then ?
DH: Baker/Brown/Coupet

On the outfield side, don't forget the Ezekiel Lara recruit coming in from California. Very fast, plays centerfield for a big time HS team out there, Mater Dei.

 

[Eli]

On the outfield side, don't forget the Ezekiel Lara recruit coming in from California. Very fast, plays centerfield for a big time HS team out there, Mater Dei.

Feel like he’s getting overlooked because it’s nearly impossible to find any clips of west coast kids online. California is a top baseball state yet they hardly publish anything for high school baseball. Every time I look it’s 15 second clips of him either hitting or fielding a ground ball.

 

[4shotB]

Feel like he’s getting overlooked because it’s nearly impossible to find any clips of west coast kids online. California is a top baseball state yet they hardly publish anything for high school baseball. Every time I look it’s 15 second clips of him either hitting or fielding a ground ball.

I don't follow pro baseball much at all but clips from Pete Crow-Armstrong, a centerfielder for the Cubs, keep popping into my YouTube videos. I love looking at them. Young guy from Cali who signed with Vandy but got picked in the fitsrt round by the Mets just a few years ago and got traded to the Cubs. This kid is unreal fast and just makes amazing plays. Any of you pro baseball guys know who I am talking about and/or seen this kid play? It's worth checking out if you like seeing great baseball plays in the field.

 

[MWBATL]

Well I should have realized ucla has a clover up their ***. Guy hits one off the top of the wall B8, umps call it a HR before he even hits 2nd. Reviewing show it clearly didn’t leave the park but they award the run and the runner to 3rd anyway. They end up tying it up.

Then Purdue leads of B9 with two defensive errors in a row to gift ucla a runner on 2nd with no outs and they win it 4-3.

Surely the committee is actually watching these games. UCLA better hope they don’t get anybody from the east coast or they might be getting sent home early.

Still, UCLA is 8-4 when trailing after 7 innings. That’s pretty incredible…