I was at the Bart for game 1 and 2 innings of game 2........I think this is an excellent article as far as it goes, but it does not address the elephant in the room......catching. very odd, because it is a glaring weakness.
How bad?? Well, my brother, who was also there, said "Don't you feel bad about putting down Wyatt Cross so much?", and I had to say "yes", because WC would be a
very welcome returning player indeed, if he was eligible.
Hunter Combs caught the 1st game......I was hoping for big things from Hunter, but was pretty concerned about his base stealing #s at JL. And I have to tell you....he is nowhere near being a BT catcher when it comes to throwing out runners. JL's runners ran at will, and we did not come close to throwing any out. Weak arm, off target, slow release. In his defense, he is an athletic looking kid, who is pretty quick and skilled in the other aspects of catching, esp. blocking pitches. But....and I'm not being a troll or alarmist here....
just keeping it real.....I think he WILL be our starting C next Spring, and we will be in big trouble at that position unless he can dramatically improve his throwing.
Hopkins, the WKU transfer, caught the second game. His arm is no better that that of Combs, and he's not as athletic. He is, very simply, not a BT level baseball player.
I did not see Voth, the freshman from California. After watching the other guys, I was hoping to see him. However, from reports, I don't think he is the answer.
I noticed we added a last-minute recruit to this Fall's incoming class. I do not think he is highly regarded, and do not expect him to be the answer either.
Based on what I saw, I wonder whether we are done looking for help for next year at the catching position. I hope not. I feel that this is an unusual for IU baseball because, in the last 4-5 years, if there were obvious holes in the team, like SPing, there were also possible solutions. I don't see that here, other than dramatic improvement from Combs.
With regard to the other matters the author addresses.....SPing may be an issue. Tommy S. got hit pretty good & was not sharp. Gabe B. was not dominant. But everyone I have talked to is impressed by the sheer # of talented arms in the program now, including 3-4 true freshmen. So...I think SPing is a solvable problem, and pitching overall should be a strength.
In terms of position players......Jesse playing over Vecumba? I asked about it.....and, don't kill the messenger, was told that while Vecrumba is a freak athlete, at this point in time he is not all that skilled as a baseball player. He played at a small school. Jesse is a kid that looks very comfortable defensively, as does Trinkle at 2nd. I don't know if JM is trying to send a message or not, but the line-up he went with looked like the best defensive line-up we have, including the Samford transfer, Fucci, at 1st, who started both games.over Jack Skrine. JM seems to very fond of his veteran transfers, Fucci, Trinkle, Macciocchi. Right now. I'm not as excited about them. Fucci is a guy who hit over.300 last year, but struck out more often than Cole Barr, and didn't hit much for power. He is a huge target to throw to at 1st, however. Macciocchi has played at 2 SEC schools and a JC and never really has stood out. I did not see him play...my brother, who did, was not all that impressed. Trinkle is from Columbus, my hometown. Apparently he went off against the Canadians, who were a glorified HS team. I think he'll be solid defensively, limited offensively. Those guys are all guys who will play some, maybe a lot in CT's case, but they are glue guys not stars.
What I AM excited about is this freshman class, especially the pitchers. Platt & Hacker look like two of the best, but the others looked the part as well. Stahl is a kid who will be interesting to watch......will he end up as a position player or pitcher, or both? Reading about him, I thought his ceiling was higher as a 3rd baseball, but everyone was impressed by his pitching. As far as position players go, Jesse, Vecrumba, Stahl, Toetz all look like prospects.