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Hot-stove action, Hoosier style

iujumbo

Freshman
Dec 6, 2004
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Given that the news out of the basketball camp isn't terribly positive these days and it seems like it's going to be frigid forever, a buddy of mine and I turned our thoughts for a few a minutes today to warmer days ahead - and specifically to IU baseball.

I asked him for a too-early prediction for weekend starters, based on the incomplete roster made available to us at the moment. His response: Stiever, Milto and Saalfrank. I went w/Milto, Stiever and Beauchamp with the hope that Pauly steps up to be our Friday guy (I just like his grit and he seems to have shutout stuff when he's on).

Any other thoughts out there? Any freshmen that you know of that we should watch?

I would love a little more preseason coverage from IU to whet our appetites, but maybe someone out there who knows more about the roster than I do can jump in and feed me a bit.

Cheers - and stay warm out there!
 
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Given that the news out of the basketball camp isn't terribly positive these days and it seems like it's going to be frigid forever, a buddy of mine and I turned our thoughts for a few a minutes today to warmer days ahead - and specifically to IU baseball.

I asked him for a too-early prediction for weekend starters, based on the incomplete roster made available to us at the moment. His response: Stiever, Milto and Saalfrank. I went w/Milto, Stiever and Beauchamp with the hope that Pauly steps up to be our Friday guy (I just like his grit and he seems to have shutout stuff when he's on).

Any other thoughts out there? Any freshmen that you know of that we should watch?

I would love a little more preseason coverage from IU to whet our appetites, but maybe someone out there who knows more about the roster than I do can jump in and feed me a bit.

Cheers - and stay warm out there!

Sounds like Stiever is a lock for Friday night . Velo is up this fall and he pitched real well at The Cape . Logan Kaletha’s not a freshman but a Juco transfer OF and it sounds like he could be a nice addition to the line up .

A few of us started a site for Hoosier Baseball this season , iubase.com , trying to get some hot stove content up there through the next few weeks
 
Given that the news out of the basketball camp isn't terribly positive these days and it seems like it's going to be frigid forever, a buddy of mine and I turned our thoughts for a few a minutes today to warmer days ahead - and specifically to IU baseball.

I asked him for a too-early prediction for weekend starters, based on the incomplete roster made available to us at the moment. His response: Stiever, Milto and Saalfrank. I went w/Milto, Stiever and Beauchamp with the hope that Pauly steps up to be our Friday guy (I just like his grit and he seems to have shutout stuff when he's on).

Any other thoughts out there? Any freshmen that you know of that we should watch?

I would love a little more preseason coverage from IU to whet our appetites, but maybe someone out there who knows more about the roster than I do can jump in and feed me a bit.

Cheers - and stay warm out there!
I like Stiever/Milto/Krueger, certainly Milto and Krueger could be interchangeable. Krueger was really good in the fall, sat 90-92 consistently, and that curve is a true put away pitch now. Saalfrank/Beauchamp mid week. I could also see Lloyd and Mannous in the back end of the bull pen, still some questions to be answered there.

Side note, Kaletha could be a real catalyst at the top of the order, love his energy and toughness this fall and hope it translates to the spring.
 
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I like Stiever/Milto/Krueger, certainly Milto and Krueger could be interchangeable. Krueger was really good in the fall, sat 90-92 consistently, and that curve is a true put away pitch now. Saalfrank/Beauchamp mid week. I could also see Lloyd and Mannous in the back end of the bull pen, still some questions to be answered there.

Side note, Kaletha could be a real catalyst at the top of the order, love his energy and toughness this fall and hope it translates to the spring.

Thanks for the insight. The Stiever and Kaletha news is promising. I'll definitely check out the iu base site.
 
I like Stiever/Milto/Krueger, certainly Milto and Krueger could be interchangeable. Krueger was really good in the fall, sat 90-92 consistently, and that curve is a true put away pitch now. Saalfrank/Beauchamp mid week. I could also see Lloyd and Mannous in the back end of the bull pen, still some questions to be answered there.

Side note, Kaletha could be a real catalyst at the top of the order, love his energy and toughness this fall and hope it translates to the spring.



I'm bad on the names but I saw several games this Fall and have a relative on the team with whom I talk---Here are my thoughts---

Most people think Kaletha will start in CF, pushing out Eustace, who undoubtedly could see plenty of action as back-up CF and defensive replacement.

Gorski will probably be in LF, Sowers in RF.

Fineman was better this Fall than I've ever seen him.....tremendous on D and hitting with pop. He seems energized. The new 6' 4" JC catcher is talented and will be a very good back-up.

First will probably be Bradley or Durham. Everybody knows Durham has great potential but he is up and down right now. Bradley hit the ball very well in the Fall. Who knows, but I think he could start the season there. Whoever doesn't start as 1st may be the DH if Lloyd plays some 2nd.

The KSU/JC transfer is the likely starter at second. I am under the impression that the Lloyd experiment at 2nd didn't go as well as hoped. He looked shaky there to me. The transfer is very capable defensively and a decent hitter, but without great pop.

Houston will be at SS and is developing into a star. Will he bat first or last? Those seem to be the likely options, because he's fast but Kaletha will be right at the top of the line-up somewhere, as will Gorski, Lloyd, and Miller. Stratten may be back-up, but they are high on the defensive abilities of one of the incoming frosh.

Miller's at 3rd. There is another young kid(true frosh or RS?) who plays some 3rd and is a good hitter....maybe from Southern Indiana/Evansville? Anyway, he looked like a hitter, but would be a liability at present on D.

Don't have much to add on the SP questions....the two tranfsfer/JC types from Florida both throw hard but were pretty wild in the Fall......don't know if Grant Sloan was hurt or what, but never saw him pitch. Of the frosh, I would expect to see Sommers and the little lefty from Cathedral (Eaton?) both get innings, perhaps in long relief, perhaps in limited lefty on lefty situations Neither throw particularly hard.....both are crafty with good control.

Overall, I am very high on this team going into the Spring. Kaletha adds some speed and punch and Houston is likely to be a much improved offensive player, as is Fineman. Durham is a wild card. Bradley is solid. Of special note was Miller's play in the Fall.....he was smashing the ball. SP should be much improved. Biggest question for me is relief pitching, but the sheer volume of possibilities, if nothing else, is very encouraging.
 
This is terrific stuff. Thanks! Now I'm starting to get excited.




I'm bad on the names but I saw several games this Fall and have a relative on the team with whom I talk---Here are my thoughts---

Most people think Kaletha will start in CF, pushing out Eustace, who undoubtedly could see plenty of action as back-up CF and defensive replacement.

Gorski will probably be in LF, Sowers in RF.

Fineman was better this Fall than I've ever seen him.....tremendous on D and hitting with pop. He seems energized. The new 6' 4" JC catcher is talented and will be a very good back-up.

First will probably be Bradley or Durham. Everybody knows Durham has great potential but he is up and down right now. Bradley hit the ball very well in the Fall. Who knows, but I think he could start the season there. Whoever doesn't start as 1st may be the DH if Lloyd plays some 2nd.

The KSU/JC transfer is the likely starter at second. I am under the impression that the Lloyd experiment at 2nd didn't go as well as hoped. He looked shaky there to me. The transfer is very capable defensively and a decent hitter, but without great pop.

Houston will be at SS and is developing into a star. Will he bat first or last? Those seem to be the likely options, because he's fast but Kaletha will be right at the top of the line-up somewhere, as will Gorski, Lloyd, and Miller. Stratten may be back-up, but they are high on the defensive abilities of one of the incoming frosh.

Miller's at 3rd. There is another young kid(true frosh or RS?) who plays some 3rd and is a good hitter....maybe from Southern Indiana/Evansville? Anyway, he looked like a hitter, but would be a liability at present on D.

Don't have much to add on the SP questions....the two tranfsfer/JC types from Florida both throw hard but were pretty wild in the Fall......don't know if Grant Sloan was hurt or what, but never saw him pitch. Of the frosh, I would expect to see Sommers and the little lefty from Cathedral (Eaton?) both get innings, perhaps in long relief, perhaps in limited lefty on lefty situations Neither throw particularly hard.....both are crafty with good control.

Overall, I am very high on this team going into the Spring. Kaletha adds some speed and punch and Houston is likely to be a much improved offensive player, as is Fineman. Durham is a wild card. Bradley is solid. Of special note was Miller's play in the Fall.....he was smashing the ball. SP should be much improved. Biggest question for me is relief pitching, but the sheer volume of possibilities, if nothing else, is very encouraging.
 
I'm bad on the names but I saw several games this Fall and have a relative on the team with whom I talk---Here are my thoughts---

Most people think Kaletha will start in CF, pushing out Eustace, who undoubtedly could see plenty of action as back-up CF and defensive replacement.

Gorski will probably be in LF, Sowers in RF.

Fineman was better this Fall than I've ever seen him.....tremendous on D and hitting with pop. He seems energized. The new 6' 4" JC catcher is talented and will be a very good back-up.

First will probably be Bradley or Durham. Everybody knows Durham has great potential but he is up and down right now. Bradley hit the ball very well in the Fall. Who knows, but I think he could start the season there. Whoever doesn't start as 1st may be the DH if Lloyd plays some 2nd.

The KSU/JC transfer is the likely starter at second. I am under the impression that the Lloyd experiment at 2nd didn't go as well as hoped. He looked shaky there to me. The transfer is very capable defensively and a decent hitter, but without great pop.

Houston will be at SS and is developing into a star. Will he bat first or last? Those seem to be the likely options, because he's fast but Kaletha will be right at the top of the line-up somewhere, as will Gorski, Lloyd, and Miller. Stratten may be back-up, but they are high on the defensive abilities of one of the incoming frosh.

Miller's at 3rd. There is another young kid(true frosh or RS?) who plays some 3rd and is a good hitter....maybe from Southern Indiana/Evansville? Anyway, he looked like a hitter, but would be a liability at present on D.

Don't have much to add on the SP questions....the two tranfsfer/JC types from Florida both throw hard but were pretty wild in the Fall......don't know if Grant Sloan was hurt or what, but never saw him pitch. Of the frosh, I would expect to see Sommers and the little lefty from Cathedral (Eaton?) both get innings, perhaps in long relief, perhaps in limited lefty on lefty situations Neither throw particularly hard.....both are crafty with good control.

Overall, I am very high on this team going into the Spring. Kaletha adds some speed and punch and Houston is likely to be a much improved offensive player, as is Fineman. Durham is a wild card. Bradley is solid. Of special note was Miller's play in the Fall.....he was smashing the ball. SP should be much improved. Biggest question for me is relief pitching, but the sheer volume of possibilities, if nothing else, is very encouraging.

Great Stuff . Thanks

Looks like they were able to get outside today to . Not sure how happy they were but I’m sure the coaches were .
 
Great Stuff . Thanks

Looks like they were able to get outside today to . Not sure how happy they were but I’m sure the coaches were .


Thanks.....I wish IU would update its roster.....season isn't far away.
 
Thanks.....I wish IU would update its roster.....season isn't far away.

Sounds like there a few unexpected spots unavailable due to the draft . I’m sure they’ll have it figured out and sent out soon .
 
Sounds like Stiever is a lock for Friday night . Velo is up this fall and he pitched real well at The Cape . Logan Kaletha’s not a freshman but a Juco transfer OF and it sounds like he could be a nice addition to the line up .

A few of us started a site for Hoosier Baseball this season , iubase.com , trying to get some hot stove content up there through the next few weeks
Great site. I will certainly be a frequent visitor to it.
 
I like Stiever/Milto/Krueger, certainly Milto and Krueger could be interchangeable. Krueger was really good in the fall, sat 90-92 consistently, and that curve is a true put away pitch now. Saalfrank/Beauchamp mid week. I could also see Lloyd and Mannous in the back end of the bull pen, still some questions to be answered there.

Side note, Kaletha could be a real catalyst at the top of the order, love his energy and toughness this fall and hope it translates to the spring.



I'm bad on the names but I saw several games this Fall and have a relative on the team with whom I talk---Here are my thoughts---

Most people think Kaletha will start in CF, pushing out Eustace, who undoubtedly could see plenty of action as back-up CF and defensive replacement.

Gorski will probably be in LF, Sowers in RF.

Fineman was better this Fall than I've ever seen him.....tremendous on D and hitting with pop. He seems energized. The new 6' 4" JC catcher is talented and will be a very good back-up.

First will probably be Bradley or Durham. Everybody knows Durham has great potential but he is up and down right now. Bradley hit the ball very well in the Fall. Who knows, but I think he could start the season there. Whoever doesn't start as 1st may be the DH if Lloyd plays some 2nd.

The KSU/JC transfer is the likely starter at second. I am under the impression that the Lloyd experiment at 2nd didn't go as well as hoped. He looked shaky there to me. The transfer is very capable defensively and a decent hitter, but without great pop.

Houston will be at SS and is developing into a star. Will he bat first or last? Those seem to be the likely options, because he's fast but Kaletha will be right at the top of the line-up somewhere, as will Gorski, Lloyd, and Miller. Stratten may be back-up, but they are high on the defensive abilities of one of the incoming frosh.

Miller's at 3rd. There is another young kid(true frosh or RS?) who plays some 3rd and is a good hitter....maybe from Southern Indiana/Evansville? Anyway, he looked like a hitter, but would be a liability at present on D.

Don't have much to add on the SP questions....the two tranfsfer/JC types from Florida both throw hard but were pretty wild in the Fall......don't know if Grant Sloan was hurt or what, but never saw him pitch. Of the frosh, I would expect to see Sommers and the little lefty from Cathedral (Eaton?) both get innings, perhaps in long relief, perhaps in limited lefty on lefty situations Neither throw particularly hard.....both are crafty with good control.

Overall, I am very high on this team going into the Spring. Kaletha adds some speed and punch and Houston is likely to be a much improved offensive player, as is Fineman. Durham is a wild card. Bradley is solid. Of special note was Miller's play in the Fall.....he was smashing the ball. SP should be much improved. Biggest question for me is relief pitching, but the sheer volume of possibilities, if nothing else, is very encouraging.

Justin Walker will see time at 2nd, as well as Cade Bunnell, Cade can also play all Inf positions. First base is still largely TBD. Whoever can make the routine plays and not strike out will garner the most playing time at first. Houston is a bottom of the order guy at the moment.
 
Justin Walker will see time at 2nd, as well as Cade Bunnell, Cade can also play all Inf positions. First base is still largely TBD. Whoever can make the routine plays and not strike out will garner the most playing time at first. Houston is a bottom of the order guy at the moment.

I liked the KSU transfer at 2nd.....can't recall his name.

I think its Bradley or Dunham at first.....that's what they were doing in the Fall (although Gorski might have been nicked up?) and it makes sense. You can move Gorski to LF and get another bat in the line-up.
 
I liked the KSU transfer at 2nd.....can't recall his name.

I think its Bradley or Dunham at first.....that's what they were doing in the Fall (although Gorski might have been nicked up?) and it makes sense. You can move Gorski to LF and get another bat in the line-up.

OK, I can match some new names to some of the new faces.....

Cade Bunnell is the K State transfer I was thinking of. Justin Walker is a red-shirt freshman(?) who I saw playing SS in a couple of games. I think Houston was nicked up at the time, so it makes sense that he could be looked at at 2nd as well. As between the two of them, I'd be very surprised if Bunnell isn't the starter. He played 1 year at KSU and a second at a JC, and looks very steady. He probably won't hit .300 ( I believe he started quite a bit at KSU as a frosh9?) but only hit like .230(?)). I do think he looks like a .270-.280 guy now, with just a little pop. Walker certainly flashed potential....very smooth at SS. Thin, but wasn't overwhelmed at the plate...however, I would expect him to struggle average -wise if he played significant playing time as a frosh----I don't think he plays a lot if Houston is healthy.

The guy who I thought might back-up Miller at 3rd is named Cole Barr. He's a red-shirt freshman from Yorktown. He was recruited as a SS, but unless I'm confused was playing some 3rd in the Fall. He's not a big guy but he looks like a hitter. As between Walker and Barr, Walker looks like the better fielder and Barr the better hitter. (?)

Finally, the JC catcher is named Wyatt Cross. He was very highly regarded coming out of HS...in fact, he might be the highest ranked recruit we've ever seen at IU(#3 catcher, #66 overall in the 2015 class). He went to North Carolina and for whatever reason didn't do much there. He's a 6'4" left handed hiiter (might be a switch-hitter????), throws right.He looked pretty good to me--not quite as good on D as Fineman, who was tremendous on D in the Spring, but looked very adequate. Sure seemed to have power possibilities at the plate.
 
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Gorski or Lloyd can play first also. There are many different lineup combinations that will occur throughout the year. As I said, first base is TBD.
 
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Gorski or Lloyd can play first also. There are many different lineup combinations that will occur throughout the year. As I said, first base is TBD.


Yes....thing is Gorski can play outfield at a high level....not sure if Bradley & Durham can. I think Gorski will play left to get the most bats in the line-up, but that's just a guess. I know there had been talk to Gorski in CF, but I think Logan's the guy there(?).

Wasn't there also some talk at one point about Gorski playing 2nd? I know they've looked at Lloyd there.

I will interested to see if Lemonis tries to get Lloyd more field time to enhance his pro prospects......do you think he can play outfield?
 
Here’s a Hoosier Baseball Hot Stove Podcast we did for iubase.com

https://t.co/mpWTH4NVvt
Interesting podcast fellas, one thing I might note is that while I know Cole Barr’s name has been thrown around, I don’t see him earning playing time right away. He’s a perfect redshirt candidate imo. While I like him as a prospect, I certainly see better options ahead of him in Loeffler, Bunnell, and Walker at this moment. Unless some significant injuries happen, then he could step in and fill a need. But with the turnover happening next year, he could really elevate his game to a starting spot.
 
When i listened to the podcast i cringed when i said that for 2b! Said the wrong new CB! I knew what i meant, but didn't say it
 
Interesting podcast fellas, one thing I might note is that while I know Cole Barr’s name has been thrown around, I don’t see him earning playing time right away. He’s a perfect redshirt candidate imo. While I like him as a prospect, I certainly see better options ahead of him in Loeffler, Bunnell, and Walker at this moment. Unless some significant injuries happen, then he could step in and fill a need. But with the turnover happening next year, he could really elevate his game to a starting spot.

Could be.....I really see Bunnell playing there if the Lloyd experiment is over.........Do you know if Lloyd is still being considered at 2nd?
 
Well, they get rolling officially on Friday, and the weather is cooperating. I'm excited with the amount of experience and depth IU has at most every position. I liked the comments in the podcast regarding the pitching depth, and how many of the weekend pitchers can possibly be rested for the weekend games due to this deep staff. I saw some of the fall scrimmages, and there is a ton of talent all around. Should be a fun ride. Go Hoosiers!
 
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Could be.....I really see Bunnell playing there if the Lloyd experiment is over.........Do you know if Lloyd is still being considered at 2nd?
My guess he will mostly be used as DH like last year so that he can warm up to pitch in the later innings, if need be.
 
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I'm amazed by the lack of preseason notice for Luke Miller. I think he'll have a huge year for the Hoosiers.
Well, he was picked 3rd team all-American by college baseball daily, 1st team all Big Ten by perfect game, #3 top prospect in the Big Ten by baseball America.....just to name a few. I think he is getting a lot of preseason attention, myself.
 
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Well, he was picked 3rd team all-American by college baseball daily, 1st team all Big Ten by perfect game, #3 top prospect in the Big Ten by baseball America.....just to name a few. I think he is getting a lot of preseason attention, myself.
Yep, I guess you're right about that. I didn't see him mentioned in some of the others. PLUS, I was able to see him absolutely MASH this fall. Fineman and Houston look much improved at the plate. I like their chances.
 
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