Did we weather our first "storm"? Hopefully building

2,373 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 10 mo ago by Capstone
GymBroFisher
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
11:18p, 3/3/25
I do think people on here (sadly me included) and elsewhere have been too negative on this team with all the elements taken into perspective. I kind of hate the excuse to be negative because these kids get paid now. "They asked for it". Eh, if we want to be a good fanbase then we need to be more positive than negative for sure. However, announcers and podcasters that cover the college game have all commented on A&M having a rough start.

But adversity is cemented into the game of baseball, our team was always going to face it at some point this season. We definitely had negative moments last year before the special run to Omaha (LSU series). Hopefully vibes and confidence are building and things start turning the corner with hardwork/changes/etc before we face another bump in the road... Also, hoping the coaches and the team maybe even learned a thing or two during this stretch.


I don't think we've seen this team at it's best yet at all, looking forward to this team getting it rolling soon!
Reply Quote
4
Detmersdislocatedshoulder
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:06a, 3/4/25
sometimes that's just the way baseball go

ron washington
Reply Quote
6
LouisianaCHEN
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:24a, 3/4/25
AG
From what I've seen and heard about Mike Earley working through the struggles of last week, I firmly believe we have the right guy.

HI's interview yesterday where he talks about staying up late with Kash and Schott discussing their approach. How he was telling the team that it's fun when they're on a hot streak but you go on a hot streak because you're having fun.

Seeing those guys actually smiling on Sunday while the lineup is going through changes and despite the early struggles. That tells me he's still got their attention.

This team will be okay. Earley will continue to learn and grow. Growing pains will be involved, but this is our guy.
Reply Quote
13
Wabs
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:52a, 3/4/25
AG
My biggest concerns before the season were (in this order): 1B, C, and coaching. After 9 games, we can all see more concerns than just these three. But I do think as the season goes on, these three areas will continue to be concerns, maybe in a different order.

We don't really have an answer yet at 1B. Maybe this will change when Sorrell returns and if/when Kash moves to 1B?

Appel was huge for us last year at catcher - offensively and defensively. He will be hard to replace. I suppose Galloway has an early lead to take over the position, but time will tell.

Earley is a first-year head coach. I think we all expected growing pains, but hoped just the talent alone on this team would "cover" for him. This obviously hasn't happened as almost the entire team started in a slump. Then they started pressing and you can't succeed at this sport when you're pressing.

Hopefully the Rice game is a confidence kick-starter and the offense can get rolling now.
Reply Quote
1
ag0207
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:06a, 3/4/25
AG
Currently, I think we are also suffering a little from a leadership standpoint. If you look at the players we lost last year I don't know if we have replaced them fully (talent maybe but not necessarily leadership).

Camarillo
Appel
Burton
Montgomery
Aschenback

I bet this aspect will improve as the season continues but is showing up early so far.
Reply Quote
2
LouisianaCHEN
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to ag0207 • 9:24a, 3/4/25
AG
ag0207 said:
Currently, I think we are also suffering a little from a leadership standpoint. If you look at the players we lost last year I don't know if we have replaced them fully (talent maybe but not necessarily leadership).

Camarillo
Appel
Burton
Montgomery
Aschenback

I bet this aspect will improve as the season continues but is showing up early so far.


Maybe it was just me but Kent seemed to show the emotion typically associated with your clubhouse leader. He was fired up. When Kash hit his homerun, Kent met him in the dugout to fire him up some more.
Reply Quote
1
phatty26
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:37a, 3/4/25
Losing Appel was the biggest loss to fill, Montgomery was a great player but an outfielder and we rolled through the NCAA tournament all the way to the finals w/o him. Appel his hitting and defense was so important and currently we are getting neither from Bear or Galloway. I was hoping we wouldve made a push to get the ULL catcher who auditioned for us at the regional Jose Flores. Bear hit over 300 last year so maybe he needs some more ab's to see what hes got.
Reply Quote
themissinglink
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:46a, 3/4/25
AG
Hopefully.

The one consistency during each of Schloss's 3 years was our offense raked and we hired the coach that was in charge of teaching those teams hitting. There are fair complaints about fielding/relief pitching, but if our offense wasn't completely dreadful throughout the first 3 weekends, we probably win at least 3 of those lost games.

An aspect of hitting is mental, which I know Schloss was big on, but I have a hard time imagining Earley completely ignored that. And if he did, I have a hard time believing ignoring it takes us from having a consistently top 5 offense in NCAA baseball to one of the worst. I'm optimistic our offense will turn it around.
Reply Quote
1 edit
Agryan00
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:53a, 3/4/25
Surprised we could not get a better transfer at C. Appel was so consistent last year. Very underrated.

1B we have lots of options. Binderup has been give lots of chances and just not stepped up. Every year everyone waits for him to explode and all he has done as implode. Hoping he turns into what we were all told he can be but it ain't good so far.
Reply Quote
twk
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:10a, 3/4/25
AG
Having everyone struggle at the plate is unusual, but it's not unusual for individual players with high expectations going into their draft year to struggle. The 1989 team got off to a great start, but Chuck Knoblauch started the season really cold (something like 0-23). I think our slow start may partly be attributable to having so many experienced guys feeling the pressure to produce. Hopefully, playing a bunch of games will help everyone to relax and just focus on the next pitch, instead of trying to fulfill expectations.
Reply Quote
Fairview20
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:49a, 3/4/25
AG
The reason I'm still fairly optimistic is because Prager, Lamkin and Parton have all been great to start.

We knew Prager would be, but seeing Lamkin taking the next step this year would be huge. Having Patton as another stud as a Sunday starter would give us an edge vs almost every team we play in a weekend series.

We dominated last year with essentially 1.5 good starters depending on how Lamkin or Jones were performing at a given time.

Bullpen still has a long ways to go but the talent (Wilson, Moss, Morton, Freshcorn) and experience (Rudis, Stewart, Cunningham) is there. Throw in Jackson who has performed well to start the season and we have the pieces of a solid bullpen. No one will be Ash or Cortez but we have the potential to have more options than we had last season down the stretch.

Bats will be fine IMO. Too much talent, especially when Sorrell is back.
Reply Quote
W
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to themissinglink • 11:11a, 3/4/25
AG
the other side of the coin...

if the coaching staff had not misevaluated Binderup...and not misevaluated George's outfield skills

the Ags would not have lost 4-in-a-row

would have beaten Arizona despite poor offense and possibly swept Cal Poly
Reply Quote
1
W
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
11:17a, 3/4/25
AG
and thinking about the Ags' conference road schedule...

Earley and his coaching staff will be matching wits against Corbin, Van Horn, Schloss, and Vitello

oh boy, the talent will have to step up big time
Reply Quote
Gyles Marrett
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Wabs • 11:22a, 3/4/25
Wabs said:
My biggest concerns before the season were (in this order): 1B, C, and coaching. After 9 games, we can all see more concerns than just these three.
I wouldn't put any of our struggles on coaching. The bullpen wasn't being coached to not throw strikes. Our hitters haven't been coaching guys to have terrible pitch selection....and I'm not a believer in the coach made them tight or nervous.

If anything I think we saw great coaching get them hopefully through that stretch. Baseball is a sport I'd put a lot less on coaching in those slumps unless they're refusing to mix it up and try new lineups.
Reply Quote
1
Gyles Marrett
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to W • 11:23a, 3/4/25
W said:
the other side of the coin...

if the coaching staff had not misevaluated Binderup...and not misevaluated George's outfield skills

the Ags would not have lost 4-in-a-row

would have beaten Arizona despite poor offense and possibly swept Cal Poly
Schloss also had Binderup out there to start the year and all thought it was spectacular his start in first 2-3 games....Rinse and repeat this year. I'm guessing he's great in BP and in practice.
Reply Quote
1
Wabs
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Gyles Marrett • 11:31a, 3/4/25
AG
Gyles Marrett said:
Wabs said:
My biggest concerns before the season were (in this order): 1B, C, and coaching. After 9 games, we can all see more concerns than just these three.
I wouldn't put any of our struggles on coaching. The bullpen wasn't being coached to not throw strikes. Our hitters haven't been coaching guys to have terrible pitch selection....and I'm not a believer in the coach made them tight or nervous.

If anything I think we saw great coaching get them hopefully through that stretch. Baseball is a sport I'd put a lot less on coaching in those slumps unless they're refusing to mix it up and try new lineups.
I didn't mean that coaching has contributed to the slow start. To the contrary, actually. The team hasn't played up to their talent level and has essentially thrown Earley into the fire immediately. I think he's done fine navigating the struggles as best he can. At the end of the day, players have to play and produce.

Now, the "coaching concern" will come when he's coaching against really good, experienced head coaches in the gauntlet that is the SEC. How Earley will do is certainly an unknown.
Reply Quote
kevmiller
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
12:00p, 3/4/25
Fans always get too high with the highs and too low with the lows.
Reality usually sits in the middle

This week Ags will roll to a 5-0 week beating up on bad teams and response on this board will be " we're back"

Reply Quote
themissinglink
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to kevmiller • 12:23p, 3/4/25
AG
That's likely what this team needs. The body language from the hitters was extremely poor Friday/Saturday. Maybe there are some mechanical tweaks that Earley/Longley are working on this week, but it felt more like a confidence issue with Jace/Kash/Schott.
Reply Quote
Critter55
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Wabs • 12:01p, 3/5/25
Wabs said:
My biggest concerns before the season were (in this order): 1B, C, and coaching. After 9 games, we can all see more concerns than just these three. But I do think as the season goes on, these three areas will continue to be concerns, maybe in a different order.

We don't really have an answer yet at 1B. Maybe this will change when Sorrell returns and if/when Kash moves to 1B?

Appel was huge for us last year at catcher - offensively and defensively. He will be hard to replace. I suppose Galloway has an early lead to take over the position, but time will tell.

Earley is a first-year head coach. I think we all expected growing pains, but hoped just the talent alone on this team would "cover" for him. This obviously hasn't happened as almost the entire team started in a slump. Then they started pressing and you can't succeed at this sport when you're pressing.

Hopefully the Rice game is a confidence kick-starter and the offense can get rolling now.
Reply Quote
Critter55
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Wabs • 12:11p, 3/5/25
Reply Quote
2 edits
Capstone
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to W • 12:41p, 3/5/25
AG
Yes and no… we wouldn't have beaten AZ. Our only two runs in that game resulted after a botched pop up between 3rd and home with two outs (Jace). We came closer to being shut out than winning that particular game.

Winning streak begins tonight.
Reply Quote
1 edit
Refresh
Page 1 of 1
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.