Some good news after a disappointing season

[Charlesroast]

In hindsight I got caught up in the great expectations for the 24 season. I set aside questions about pitching and defense up the middle focusing on offense. These are cardinal sins in baseball. I went to Conway and have accommodations & tix in Omaha. I didn’t get them hoping to see Kentucky.


Nonetheless IMO this program is in the best shape it has ever been. Admittedly my time at IU started in McNutt right across Fee Lane from Sembower Field. There is some from IU base twitter post* including honors for two kids Denny & Hanley (IN & OH player of the year honors) from what is probably the best incoming recruiting class in IU history if we survive the MLB draft.

* link challenged

 

[kraft cheese+macaroni]

In hindsight I got caught up in the great expectations for the 24 season. I set aside questions about pitching and defense up the middle focusing on offense. These are cardinal sins in baseball. I went to Conway and have accommodations & tix in Omaha. I didn’t get them hoping to see Kentucky.


Nonetheless IMO this program is in the best shape it has ever been. Admittedly my time at IU started in McNutt right across Fee Lane from Sembower Field. There is some from IU base twitter post* including honors for two kids Denny & Hanley (IN & OH player of the year honors) from what is probably the best incoming recruiting class in IU history if we survive the MLB draft.

* link challenged

While we are positioned to potentially have a lot back next year and good HS talent headed our way, I'm hopeful that NIL doesn't decimate that level of talent and see some of our key guys playing in the SEC next year.

 

[Bucket Getter]

In hindsight I got caught up in the great expectations for the 24 season. I set aside questions about pitching and defense up the middle focusing on offense. These are cardinal sins in baseball. I went to Conway and have accommodations & tix in Omaha. I didn’t get them hoping to see Kentucky.


Nonetheless IMO this program is in the best shape it has ever been. Admittedly my time at IU started in McNutt right across Fee Lane from Sembower Field. There is some from IU base twitter post* including honors for two kids Denny & Hanley (IN & OH player of the year honors) from what is probably the best incoming recruiting class in IU history if we survive the MLB draft.

* link challenged

I wish I could share your optimism. Feels like (to me) we are simply spinning our wheels. Until Mercer makes the staff and overall philosophy changes needed to guarantee improvement in the areas that have bitten us, I don’t see how adding a couple of good HS kids changes much.

Spin rate at the expense of control, swing path at the expense of situational hitting, and whatever has caused good fielding to become below average fielding needs to be addressed before we’ll see anything much better than we saw this year.

Obviously all this is just my opinion and I’ll still be watching and hoping next February.

 

[Next time]

I have to agree with buckets and I’ve been very consistent in my concerns. Recruiting and getting talent isn’t the issue. Simon’s is an absolute stud when it comes to this and when he exits for a head coaching job, which should happen, IU is in really big trouble. You will not convince me this years team had the most returning upperclassmen, best returning sophomores both with Taylor and pitching, and impact freshman a team could dream of in the B10 & we were extremely lucking to make a regional(thanks AD), but we grossly under performed in the same areas the team has struggled with since Mercer took over. I’m not a Mercer hater, but as Bucket mentioned at some point he needs to realize maybe he’s not the hitting guru he thinks he is and we really need to find a pitching coach and director of OPs who can translate all that data into progress.
I really hope I’m wrong, but not gonna get sucked into the ‘next years’ the year hope and dream stuff. Mercer needs to prove himself better than a coach fighting for 2 or 3rd in the B10 and then the last team in for a regional bid.

 

[Bucket Getter]

I have to agree with buckets and I’ve been very consistent in my concerns. Recruiting and getting talent isn’t the issue. Simon’s is an absolute stud when it comes to this and when he exits for a head coaching job, which should happen, IU is in really big trouble. You will not convince me this years team had the most returning upperclassmen, best returning sophomores both with Taylor and pitching, and impact freshman a team could dream of in the B10 & we were extremely lucking to make a regional(thanks AD), but we grossly under performed in the same areas the team has struggled with since Mercer took over. I’m not a Mercer hater, but as Bucket mentioned at some point he needs to realize maybe he’s not the hitting guru he thinks he is and we really need to find a pitching coach and director of OPs who can translate all that data into progress.
I really hope I’m wrong, but not gonna get sucked into the ‘next years’ the year hope and dream stuff. Mercer needs to prove himself better than a coach fighting for 2 or 3rd in the B10 and then the last team in for a regional bid.

I stand by my statement too. But I will say Hogan Denny very well could be a difference maker. Assuming we don’t screw him up with crazy swing thoughts, I believe he’s got a great chance to be a 3-year starting catcher. He’s not very big, but damn is he a gamer. Good arm, good power, very good speed, and a smart game manager. He’ll be really fun to watch. And for those who haven’t seen him play yet, his Mooresville team will be playing in the state finals next Saturday at Victory Field.

 

[Charlesroast]

I wish I could share your optimism. Feels like (to me) we are simply spinning our wheels. Until Mercer makes the staff and overall philosophy changes needed to guarantee improvement in the areas that have bitten us, I don’t see how adding a couple of good HS kids changes much.

Spin rate at the expense of control, swing path at the expense of situational hitting, and whatever has caused good fielding to become below average fielding needs to be addressed before we’ll see anything much better than we saw this year.

Obviously all this is just my opinion and I’ll still be watching and hoping next February.

For obvious reasons this year’s offense was tilted toward generating crooked numbers. This translated into not running the bases aggressively and seldom sacrificing an at bat to advance runners. Nonetheless a hitting approach based on fastball timing and head high line drives produced stats that tell me we hit pretty well: Team batting average - .295, (top 9 hitters, .301), & 140 doubles.

 

[Charlesroast]

I have to agree with buckets and I’ve been very consistent in my concerns. Recruiting and getting talent isn’t the issue. Simon’s is an absolute stud when it comes to this and when he exits for a head coaching job, which should happen, IU is in really big trouble. You will not convince me this years team had the most returning upperclassmen, best returning sophomores both with Taylor and pitching, and impact freshman a team could dream of in the B10 & we were extremely lucking to make a regional(thanks AD), but we grossly under performed in the same areas the team has struggled with since Mercer took over. I’m not a Mercer hater, but as Bucket mentioned at some point he needs to realize maybe he’s not the hitting guru he thinks he is and we really need to find a pitching coach and director of OPs who can translate all that data into progress.
I really hope I’m wrong, but not gonna get sucked into the ‘next years’ the year hope and dream stuff. Mercer needs to prove himself better than a coach fighting for 2 or 3rd in the B10 and then the last team in for a regional bid.

I stand by my statement that the IU baseball program is in the best place it has ever been. Is it where I would like to see it no, but it is trending in the right direction. That opinion is not a slight at Coach Smith, who clearly started the program on an upward path, nor Coach Lemonis who maintained it.

Coach Mercer has had the most consistent success in the B1G of any team during his tenure, strengthened our non-conference schedule, had the most kids go to the next level, and attracted the most highly rated recruits to IU of any coach we have had. We had never gotten a 2 digit Perfectgame rated recruit to campus before he landed Taylor and Wiggins and just missed on Montgomery. Of course we hope they will stay in this day of NIL which further tilts the college baseball landscape to the SEC ACC.

Also we have had many kids in Perfectgame’s 500-1000 grouping that have developed at IU to the point they got opportunities at the professional level. I believe, but haven’t found the link, that over the last few years (32 over last 10 years I believe). This year for example, Mathison at 404 was the only high school kid of our draft eligible kids rated better than the 500-1000 group. Tibbitts, Pyne, Cerny, Stadler, & Sinnard were in the 500-1000 group and Foley and Mitchell were in the 1000+ group. Mitchell had made his mark at Western Illinois. On the other hand Stadler not only caught almost every inning after March, he had more hits in some games than he had in his last season at Purdue, reminding us of Serruto and his 1 year advance after 3 years at Rutgers.

I understand this was a disappointing year and yet we went as far as we ever had save two magical years. The easiest thing to do, especially in baseball where ever play can be second guessed, is blame the coach. Aside from the folk(s) who wanted a landing spot for a buddy who looked to be in danger at high profile job, I wonder who people think would do better at IU.

 

[Orford]

I stand by my statement that the IU baseball program is in the best place it has ever been. Is it where I would like to see it no, but it is trending in the right direction. That opinion is not a slight at Coach Smith, who clearly started the program on an upward path, nor Coach Lemonis who maintained it.

Coach Mercer has had the most consistent success in the B1G of any team during his tenure, strengthened our non-conference schedule, had the most kids go to the next level, and attracted the most highly rated recruits to IU of any coach we have had. We had never gotten a 2 digit Perfectgame rated recruit to campus before he landed Taylor and Wiggins and just missed on Montgomery. Of course we hope they will stay in this day of NIL which further tilts the college baseball landscape to the SEC ACC.

Also we have had many kids in Perfectgame’s 500-1000 grouping that have developed at IU to the point they got opportunities at the professional level. I believe, but haven’t found the link, that over the last few years (32 over last 10 years I believe). This year for example, Mathison at 404 was the only high school kid of our draft eligible kids rated better than the 500-1000 group. Tibbitts, Pyne, Cerny, Stadler, & Sinnard were in the 500-1000 group and Foley and Mitchell were in the 1000+ group. Mitchell had made his mark at Western Illinois. On the other hand Stadler not only caught almost every inning after March, he had more hits in some games than he had in his last season at Purdue, reminding us of Serruto and his 1 year advance after 3 years at Rutgers.

I understand this was a disappointing year and yet we went as far as we ever had save two magical years. The easiest thing to do, especially in baseball where ever play can be second guessed, is blame the coach. Aside from the folk(s) who wanted a landing spot for a buddy who looked to be in danger at high profile job, I wonder who people think would do better at IU.

Just want some quality pitchers and development which I think is lagging

 

[Charlesroast]

There is no question pitching has he

Just want some quality pitchers and development which I think is lagging

Don’t we all. There has been some bad luck, but no question pitching held these last 2 teams back.

 

[Shuski]

I have to agree with buckets and I’ve been very consistent in my concerns. Recruiting and getting talent isn’t the issue. Simon’s is an absolute stud when it comes to this and when he exits for a head coaching job, which should happen, IU is in really big trouble. You will not convince me this years team had the most returning upperclassmen, best returning sophomores both with Taylor and pitching, and impact freshman a team could dream of in the B10 & we were extremely lucking to make a regional(thanks AD), but we grossly under performed in the same areas the team has struggled with since Mercer took over. I’m not a Mercer hater, but as Bucket mentioned at some point he needs to realize maybe he’s not the hitting guru he thinks he is and we really need to find a pitching coach and director of OPs who can translate all that data into progress.
I really hope I’m wrong, but not gonna get sucked into the ‘next years’ the year hope and dream stuff. Mercer needs to prove himself better than a coach fighting for 2 or 3rd in the B10 and then the last team in for a regional bid.

We should hire ISU assistant coach and pitching coach. Justin Hancock did a great job the last two years. HIs wife is Terre Haute based so might be difficult but good young coach and family. ISU admin screwed up when they did not host in 2023 and cost them head coach Hannahs. Justin retired from MLB and Japan due to Tommy John too many times.