Didn't 11-12 2016 players get drafted and leave?

2,580 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by RafterAg223
Muy
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AG
While this team is clearly not last year's team, as an average fan isn't it safe to say that we are truly in a rebuilding season? I'm about as disinterested as I've been in a long time, so someone tell me I'm crazy.
TheChameleon
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AG
It's more of a transition I would say, but yes, they was clearly going to be a dropoff from last season. It was a special offensive group, there's no question. However, the pitching staff should have been relatively strong this year and that largely hasn't been the case. With all the freshmen in the lineup, growing pains were to be expected offensively, but no matter how you slice it 0-5 in conference is underachieving. Especially when in the biggest game of the year to that date, when you're 0-4 in conference and desperately need a win, you get slaughtered 17-3.

Childress should not be immune to criticism by any stretch either, his teams seem to wilt in big games, as evidenced by the meltdown to TCU at the Shriners tournament. In addition, his in game strategy can leave something to be desired at times. Bunting on the road in the 8th inning, down by a run, as he did against Vandy is not prudent. You don't play for the tie there on the road. That is something you do at home. Needless to say, it didn't work out, although with the way the team is playing in general those small decisions might not even matter right now anyhow.

In any case, hopefully they can pull it together soon and start crawling back towards the .500 mark in conference. At least making the SEC tourney, getting hot and going on a run there is potentially an option. The talent is there to still make some noise, they just have to snap out of the funk that they're in.
Schrute
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Haven't you heard? None of this matters. Maroon Dawn said the season is already over.
W
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AG
the coaching staff gambled heavily on the senior class...that they would all take a step forward or worst-case stay at the same level as last year. That hasn't happened and the seniors have frankly been beyond awful vs. SEC competition.

here are the numbers of the 5 seniors:

2 for 17
2 for 20
1 for 14
1 for 11
1 for 6

with a grand total of 2 RBI in 68 at-bats
Luke The Drifter
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AG
Pretty sure everyone knew this years team would be a step down from the 2016 team. However, I don't think anyone believed the team would be this fragile and mentally weak, leading to a total collapse by the season's mid-point.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
TAMU1990
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There is practically zero contribution from the soph and Jr classes. Hard to win without actual bodies - what happened?
W
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the more I look at it...it appears the coaching staff went all-in for the 2015 & 2016 seasons by accepting 3 D1 transfers in Boomer, Barash, and Pennington. I think the coaches got into a scholarship jam because so many were committed to juniors & seniors on last year's team (plus the 25% requirement). There were not as many to give to the current sophomore & juniors classes --- position players --- when they came out of high school 2 and 3 years ago.

of course that plan almost worked...almost
Goose06
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Wendy 1990 said:

There is practically zero contribution from the soph and Jr classes. Hard to win without actual bodies - what happened?


And this is the reason I struggle to fathom that next year we will all of a sudden be good again. We will still have a major talent gap in the upperclassman ranks. And this freshman class is over rated as well. The banks/birk/Gideon/Choruby/Ecker/Hendrix/Stubblefield class was better all around and the class 1 year before that one was really good as well. And when the banks/birk class were sophomores you had senior leaders like Allemand and Nau to go along with Juniors like Melton, Taylor, Moss, Long, Kent, etc. We don't have this type of talent a year and 2 years ahead of this freshman class so we are still 2 years away from being good again unless we get some phenoms in our next class or we see drastic improvement from guys on campus.
W
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AG
that's the fear...this might be a 2-year rebuilding job
safety guy
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AG
What was the story on Ivey. He would have been the projected Friday night starter but left at the end of last year.
Tex100
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Saw one of our signees threw a no-hitter followed by a perfect game. SIAP here. In fact, I can't remember if I read here or from the 12th Man
Amazing Moves
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W said:

that's the fear...this might be a 2-year rebuilding job
Yep. I still believe we can make a regional next year.
Aggies2009
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AG
After some rough outings, he was sat down for a little while last year. Didn't like that coach seemingly "ignored" him, so instead of approaching anyone, he saw it better to leave. His father posted here last year.
Bondag
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AG

We knew we weren't going to get all of the Jrs back, but what really hurt was that every one that had the potential to leave was drafted high enough that they basically had their decision made for them. We had 3 or 4 that werent great and needed the leverage to get the signing bonus because they would not have a good enough year to make up for it. How much better would you feel with the bolded players back for one more year?
Jace Vines - Drafted on potential. Thought he would be back

Ryne Birk - Took advantage of a decent year and legerage. Was not expected to go

Nick Banks - Wasn't going to be here

Boomer White - Played so well he had no choice. Was expected to be here this year

Walker Pennington - Starting the year

Joel Davis - Starting this year

Nick Chorbury - Starting this year

Austin Homan - Starting this year

Ryan Hendrix - Big League stuff. Wasn't coming back

Mark Ecker - 95 MPH fastball. Wasn't coming back

Ronnie Gideon - Miss his power

Lee May Gonzalez - Did he play last year?

W
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AG
an infield of Boomer-Shewmake-Birk-Gideon would have had the Ags no worse than 4-2 in league play at this moment
W
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AG
and continuing the anti-senior theme...

the 6 runs scored yesterday vs. Vanderbilt were driven in by Shewmake (fish), Coleman (fish), and Janca (soph)
Goose06
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AG
W said:

an infield of Boomer-Shewmake-Birk-Gideon would have had the Ags no worse than 4-2 in league play at this moment
If If If... that being said, this would be a pretty solid lineup:

Shewmake - SS
Birk - 2B
Boomer - 3B
Gideon - 1B
Davis - DH
Foster - RF
Kopetsky/Pennington/Blake - LF
Coleman/Bedford - C
Choruby - CF

to make it more defensive oriented you could role with Birk as your DH and keep Homan/Shewmake as they are now. Or maybe run Janca out there at 3B and move Boomer to 2B?
W
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AG
it would also help the other players (namely the other seniors) to relax and go back to being solid contributors and role players. Not have to hit in the top half of the order and feel pressure to produce
Aggieangler93
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AG
Somebody needs a better than average chance of being on base anytime Shewmake comes up. Who is the best fit for that?
Aggieangler93
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AG
I guess I don't see any truth to Sophomores and Junior's not contributing. Here is the list from the current roster of all of each class.....

Current Sophs:
Kolek
Kilkenny
Andritsos
Janca
Bedford

Current Juniors:
Tim Lichty
Corbin Martin
Brigham Hill
Sherrod
Larkins
Chafin

Seems like that is 100% of our starting pitching and 50% of our active bullpen. Now...if we are talking about in the field, then I guess I see some of that argument, but you also have to account for a few Freshman standouts taking innings from Seniors (ie...Shewmake).
Class of '93 - proud Dad of a '22 grad and a '26 student!
W
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AG
the program needs position players from those classes contributing at a high-level. Like an all-conference level. Janca flashed the potential vs. Vandy

RafterAg223
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Jace Vines and Boomer White were already at an age where both were moving on barring something weird happening. Ryne Birk was always going to sign for a bus fare. He just wanted to play baseball all day every day and get started on that as soon as he could. None of those guys were expected back and counted on to help this year.
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