A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

https://texags.com/forums/8/topics/3533039/replies/69839722

Weird. I'm only seeing Earley criticisms in your post history, not support. But okay.

When he makes bad decisions, I'll be calling him out….Rudis and Darden are not starter worthy pitchers. That's my point….under Earley's watch, I've not seen us land elite pitchers either thru the Portal or via HS recruiting. This has to change if we're going to stay competitive in the SEC….after the 1 and done SEC tournament we dropped from Top 8 consideration to a 12 seed…..
Meanwhile tu has elite pitchers like Volantis, Riojas and Cozart

Now that's funny! Didn't take long for someone to find some dirt!

It's not dirt…..it's deserved criticism for his earlier decision making. It doesn't mean i didn't support his hire or support him now….this is a forum, with the freedom to express opinions…. just because I supported his hire, doesn't mean that I have to agree with every decision he makes during games… Get real.

Just a guess, but I suspect the injury concerns with Sims, Partida, and Hacopian had a lot more to do with it than one and done at Hoover.

Tu's great staff only allowed 20 earned runs to us in 16 innings. So impressive.

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

So you have been a supporter with everything that occurred last season but we are hosting a regional and now you are not a supporter.

Interesting tactics

Which part of his strategy has us entering regionals without four contributors from the end of fall?

I don't believe you're an Earley supporter. There's no evidence in your posting history and this thread certainly doesn't support it.

Gaius Rufus said:

---

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

---

If you believe we have a deep pitching staff filled with elite pitching arm talent, and that we're capable of making a deep run this year in the NCAAs….you don't know our team very good at all. To run deep, you need good hitting AND pitching….

We knew pitching was an issue prior to the season. Why are you freaking out about it now?

Rudis? His last season at A&M was 2025 or are you bringing in last year just to *****?

Gaius Rufus said:

---

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

---

Here's the enigma that is the Aggies under Earley... Preseason #1 to missing it all and being swept by Mizzou. Preseason #13 in the SEC because of the failure that was '25. Then #1 in conference deep into the season only to slip late.

You can't blame him for the failures without recognizing the successes... And you can't glorify the successes without admitting that they seem more impressive because of last year's failures. He was buoyed by as much MLB offensive talent as anyone in the country. But he helped to amass it. But he missed on every pitching transfer.

In short, he's a coach with potential, but no real experience and he's learning on the job. No surprise there. But should a top tier team have to go through those growing pains?

Or maybe we're just not actually a top tier program?

twk said:

---

Just a guess, but I suspect the injury concerns with Sims, Partida, and Hacopian had a lot more to do with it than one and done at Hoover.

---

I blame you for going to Europe in the middle of Fightin' Texas Aggie Baseball season.

Sean98 said:

---

Gaius Rufus said:

---

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

---

Here's the enigma that is the Aggies under Earley... Preseason #1 to missing it all and being swept by Mizzou. Preseason #13 in the SEC because of the failure that was '25. Then #1 in conference deep into the season only to slip late.

You can't blame him for the failures without recognizing the successes... And you can't glorify the successes without admitting that they seem more impressive because of last year's failures. He was buoyed by as much MLB offensive talent as anyone in the country. But he helped to amass it. But he missed on every pitching transfer.

In short, he's a coach with potential, but no real experience and he's learning on the job. No surprise there. But should a top tier team have to go through those growing pains?

Or maybe we're just not actually a top tier program?

---

When were we #1 in the SEC?

jkag89 said:

---

twk said:

---

Just a guess, but I suspect the injury concerns with Sims, Partida, and Hacopian had a lot more to do with it than one and done at Hoover.

---

I blame you for going to Europe in the middle of Fightin' Texas Aggie Baseball season.

---

It's definitely his fault

I think we were tied with Georgia at 1 for a very short time.

dermdoc said:

---

Sean98 said:

---

Gaius Rufus said:

---

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

---

Here's the enigma that is the Aggies under Earley... Preseason #1 to missing it all and being swept by Mizzou. Preseason #13 in the SEC because of the failure that was '25. Then #1 in conference deep into the season only to slip late.

You can't blame him for the failures without recognizing the successes... And you can't glorify the successes without admitting that they seem more impressive because of last year's failures. He was buoyed by as much MLB offensive talent as anyone in the country. But he helped to amass it. But he missed on every pitching transfer.

In short, he's a coach with potential, but no real experience and he's learning on the job. No surprise there. But should a top tier team have to go through those growing pains?

Or maybe we're just not actually a top tier program?

---

When were we #1 in the SEC?

---

Post Texas we were in a virtual tie for several weeks. With rain delays, etc we were see-sawing back and forth day to day, 1/2 game back most of the time.

Sean98 said:

---

Gaius Rufus said:

---

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

---

Here's the enigma that is the Aggies under Earley... Preseason #1 to missing it all and being swept by Mizzou. Preseason #13 in the SEC because of the failure that was '25. Then #1 in conference deep into the season only to slip late.

You can't blame him for the failures without recognizing the successes... And you can't glorify the successes without admitting that they seem more impressive because of last year's failures. He was buoyed by as much MLB offensive talent as anyone in the country. But he helped to amass it. But he missed on every pitching transfer.

In short, he's a coach with potential, but no real experience and he's learning on the job. No surprise there. But should a top tier team have to go through those growing pains?

Or maybe we're just not actually a top tier program?

---

This is the right mindset on Earley right now. For the record we've had five head coaches in the past 70-ish years and four of them had no head coaching experience when we hired them. You might argue we aren't the same program we were when the other three were hired and we can debate that but still that's our history. We're hosting our 14th regional all time and that's just not a crazy number suggesting we're some juggernaut. We're a good program with a lot of money but historically we aren't top 10, probably about top 20. That's what made Schloss leaving so frustrating, he could have turned us into that based on the early results. Now we have to see if Earley has that ability or not. The recruiting has been really good on offense while pitching leaves a lot to be desired. We need to see that fixed this offseason to really feel good about the future. We can slug our way through this regional and maybe to Omaha this year but that's not sustainable in the long run.

jkag89 said:

---

twk said:

---

Just a guess, but I suspect the injury concerns with Sims, Partida, and Hacopian had a lot more to do with it than one and done at Hoover.

---

I blame you for going to Europe in the middle of Fightin' Texas Aggie Baseball season.

---

2007, I go to the UK, we go to a super regional.

2011, I go to France, we go to Omaha.

2016, I go to Switzerland, we go to a super regional

2022, I go to Normandy, we go to Omaha

2026, I go to Italy, we…

Sean98 said:

---

dermdoc said:

---

Sean98 said:

---

Gaius Rufus said:

---

Bring n WOOD said:

---

A top 8 Seed…..I've been an Earley backer from day 1…..
Now….i'm starting to second guess……

---

Picked, what, 13th in the SEC pre-season poll…finished the #12 seed in the country.

But sure, this is where you draw line.

---

Here's the enigma that is the Aggies under Earley... Preseason #1 to missing it all and being swept by Mizzou. Preseason #13 in the SEC because of the failure that was '25. Then #1 in conference deep into the season only to slip late.

You can't blame him for the failures without recognizing the successes... And you can't glorify the successes without admitting that they seem more impressive because of last year's failures. He was buoyed by as much MLB offensive talent as anyone in the country. But he helped to amass it. But he missed on every pitching transfer.

In short, he's a coach with potential, but no real experience and he's learning on the job. No surprise there. But should a top tier team have to go through those growing pains?

Or maybe we're just not actually a top tier program?

---

When were we #1 in the SEC?

---

Post Texas we were in a virtual tie for several weeks. With rain delays, etc we were see-sawing back and forth day to day, 1/2 game back most of the time.

---

I like our draw. We shall see.
BTHO the regional!

The things that cost us a national seed, in no particular order...

• Terrible non-conference opponents - UCLA was our only marquee non-conference opponent and they blew our doors off.
• Injuries - Sims, Partida, and Hacopian are all limited.
• SEC tournament flame out - we didn't have to win the whole thing, but absorbing a 2-hit shutout loss did not help our cause
• Key players in massive slumps right now - Wilson, Kellner, and Duer are going to have to improve greatly, STAT

twk said:

---

jkag89 said:

---

twk said:

---

Just a guess, but I suspect the injury concerns with Sims, Partida, and Hacopian had a lot more to do with it than one and done at Hoover.

---

I blame you for going to Europe in the middle of Fightin' Texas Aggie Baseball season.

---

2007, I go to the UK, we go to a super regional.

2011, I go to France, we go to Omaha.

2016, I go to Switzerland, we go to a super regional

2022, I go to Normandy, we go to Omaha

2026, I go to Italy, we…

---

I like it.
BTHO the regional!

I also like our draw. I still don't know how we magically find pitching in the next 4 days, but stuff happens sometimes.

Include losing 2 of the last 3 series, which in part was a result of those injuries.

Regional host in his second year is apositive indicator more so than if he had hosted in his first year and not this year.

This is his team and he we are pointed in the right direction

twk said:

---

jkag89 said:

---

twk said:

---

Just a guess, but I suspect the injury concerns with Sims, Partida, and Hacopian had a lot more to do with it than one and done at Hoover.

---

I blame you for going to Europe in the middle of Fightin' Texas Aggie Baseball season.

---

2007, I go to the UK, we go to a super regional.

2011, I go to France, we go to Omaha.

2016, I go to Switzerland, we go to a super regional

2022, I go to Normandy, we go to Omaha

2026, I go to Italy, we…

---

The question now is why you don't take more trips to Europe during baseball season?

What'd you do in '24?

Sean98 said:

---

Include losing 2 of the last 3 series, which in part was a result of those injuries.

---

Correct...also a factor.

And keep in mind, two of the of the SEC teams who got national seeds ahead of A&M - Florida and Alabama - did not pad their SEC win total by playing Missouri.

LB12MEEN said:

---

We knew pitching was an issue prior to the season. Why are you freaking out about it now?

---

It doesn't appear that pitching got any better throughout the year. In fact, it's a hot mess. The players were not developed. And we still don't have a set, reliable, consistent rotation. That's on the coach.

LB12MEEN said:

---

I think we were tied with Georgia at 1 for a very short time.

---

Most recognized at that time it would be a feat to keep up given our last 3 series versus the last 3 of both UGA. Please understand, this is not an excuse, but Ole Miss, Auburn, and Mississippi State are not the same as Missouri, LSU, and Auburn (UGA's schedule).

TexasAggie81 said:

---

LB12MEEN said:

---

We knew pitching was an issue prior to the season. Why are you freaking out about it now?

---

It doesn't appear that pitching got any better throughout the year. In fact, it's a hot mess. The players were not developed. And we still don't have a set, reliable, consistent rotation. Thai's on the coach.

---

I'm no fan of Kelly, but injuries were a much bigger story this year than lack of development. Granted, some of that can be laid at the feet of Kelly's methods and/or coaching style, but it's hard to develop a staff that can't stay healthy.