How Do We Improve - Who Stays & How Many New Starters

#1
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NashvilleFan

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#1
Anybody care to speculate on our everyday lineup for next year -I now pitching is a Big question mark but the other eight players should be better with experience - Any predictions on the starting eight everyday players ?
 
#2
#2
I have given it some thought, but I'd prefer to wait a few days. As disappointed as I am, I know the team and coaches are hurting more. Without getting into it much, I feel pretty good about the nucleus.
 
#3
#3
vol66 said:
I have given it some thought, but I'd prefer to wait a few days. As disappointed as I am, I know the team and coaches are hurting more. Without getting into it much, I feel pretty good about the nucleus.
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I look forward to your thoughts - Next year is critical for the program & the last thing we need is to have to blow it up and start again - Not sure we would have any fan support left if we start over again - This is a critical offseason and some players need to make improvement and hopefully Serrano fills a few holes with recruits....My goal next season is Win over half the home SEC games - Need to go at least 8-7 at home - That is reasonable and attainable - Here is to a good offseason and improvement of the freshman....
 
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#5
#5
NashvilleFan said:
I look forward to your thoughts - Next year is critical for the program & the last thing we need is to have to blow it up and start again - Not sure we would have any fan support left if we start over again - This is a critical offseason and some players need to make improvement and hopefully Serrano fills a few holes with recruits....My goal next season is Win over half the home SEC games - Need to go at least 8-7 at home - That is reasonable and attainable - Here is to a good offseason and improvement of the freshman....
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Serrano has mostly freshmen playing. Wait until that group of freshmen grow in a couple of seasons. I would say that the end of next season, they will be coming on strong. Then their junior & senior seasons, they will be great.

I saw in Sports Illustrated that a local kid, Carlos Williams, stole 152 bases in his high school career. He committed to play at Ole Piss in Oxford. How can we let a Knoxville kid leave this area??????
 
#6
#6
Thanks to the players and coaches.:rock: Highlights and lowlights this year but I know you guys will be back better than ever. Hang in there.
GO VOLS!
 
#7
#7
Too early to speculate on any particular players or starting spots other than the position players who have already showed they can play.

Serrano will not sit still, and there will be significant turnover again this year. My guess is this freshman class will be trimmed by half, a few more of the remaining Raleigh recruits will move on, Serrano will go back to the JUCO well to find some immediate pitching solutions, and nearly all the returning pitchers will have to earn their roster spots in the fall.
 
#8
#8
ShowmeVols said:
Serrano will go back to the JUCO well to find some immediate pitching solutions, and nearly all the returning pitchers will have to earn their roster spots in the fall.
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I just don't think there are unsigned juco arms out there that can help unless DS is going to poach a few freshman juco arms. That is very "dirty" and risky as far as burning serious bridges.

Does DS have a history of that?
 
#9
#9
BruinVol said:
I just don't think there are unsigned juco arms out there that can help unless DS is going to poach a few freshman juco arms. That is very "dirty" and risky as far as burning serious bridges.

Does DS have a history of that?
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Why is that dirty? To me that's part of being a JUCO. I don't understand why a kid would stay in JUCO for 2 years if he had an opportunity to move to a 4 year school after his freshman year. I'm admittedly not extremely personally familiar with JUCO's so maybe that's just my separated impression. But to me JUCO's are just stepping stones and to me they all totally understand that fact.
 
#10
#10
BruinVol said:
I just don't think there are unsigned juco arms out there that can help unless DS is going to poach a few freshman juco arms. That is very "dirty" and risky as far as burning serious bridges.

Does DS have a history of that?
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I know in Football they require a JUCO graduates before than can transfer into an SEC school - Are there any restrictions in baseball ?- If not we need to find three quality pitchers.....This would make a huge difference in improving the team - A quality bullpen set up & closer would have won us 4-5 more games this year minimum....
 
#11
#11
Nothing dirty about signing freshman JUCO players. JUCO coaches know nearly everybody on their roster is either trying to go pro or get to D1. It's part of their life that some of their players take their next step after the freshman year.

In baseball, the main JUCO-related restrictions are for players who weren't academic qualifiers out of high school and for players who started at a 4-year school, transferred to a JUCO, and then go to another 4-year school (like Jared Allen and Zajac). These 4-2-4 players do have to graduate JUCO. Regular 2-4 players who were qualifiers out of high school do not.
 
#12
#12
Back to original question. Here are my thoughts:

--Need a center fielder. Signee Jammer Strickland can step in today defensively.
--Need a second baseman: Hopefully, they can find a JUCO SS to fill that position.
--Need at least one power hitter for the middle of the line up. DH or corner infielder w/Price or Maddox moving to OF.
--Pitching, pitching, and more pitching. Nick Williams needs to stay in Sat role, so a couple of weekend guys need to be recruited or developed. Quillen needs to get stronger and add velo (tough to do at this age) but he and Ownby are best choices from current staff. Should be good with long relief from developing current staff but a closer and one more LHP needed in pen.

The returning players better take their summer workouts very seriously. It would not be good for their futures in the program if they fail to meet the times set by the coaches when fall workouts begin.
 
#13
#13
BigOrange51 said:
Why is that dirty? To me that's part of being a JUCO. I don't understand why a kid would stay in JUCO for 2 years if he had an opportunity to move to a 4 year school after his freshman year. I'm admittedly not extremely personally familiar with JUCO's so maybe that's just my separated impression. But to me JUCO's are just stepping stones and to me they all totally understand that fact.
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Because you don't necessarily have to go to a big program to get noticed in college baseball.

Plus you can be drafted after years 1 and 2 in the Juco ranks. You can't in D1 baseball unless you're age eligible after that second year.
 
#14
#14
Backwards K said:
Back to original question. Here are my thoughts:

--Need a center fielder. Signee Jammer Strickland can step in today defensively.
--Need a second baseman: Hopefully, they can find a JUCO SS to fill that position.
--Need at least one power hitter for the middle of the line up. DH or corner infielder w/Price or Maddox moving to OF.
--Pitching, pitching, and more pitching. Nick Williams needs to stay in Sat role, so a couple of weekend guys need to be recruited or developed. Quillen needs to get stronger and add velo (tough to do at this age) but he and Ownby are best choices from current staff. Should be good with long relief from developing current staff but a closer and one more LHP needed in pen.

The returning players better take their summer workouts very seriously. It would not be good for their futures in the program if they fail to meet the times set by the coaches when fall workouts begin.
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I agree with your thoughts - All good teams are strong up the middle defensively- Recruit Pitching & great defensive players and we will win a lot of games- That is the best way to see a quick improvement....
 
#15
#15
StallingsBaldSpot said:
Because you don't necessarily have to go to a big program to get noticed in college baseball.

Plus you can be drafted after years 1 and 2 in the Juco ranks. You can't in D1 baseball unless you're age eligible after that second year.
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What in the world are you talking about? Does that even remotely answer my question?
 
#16
#16
There is nothing rule wise that can stop a D1 school from recruiting a juco freshman as long as they are full qualifiers out of high school. The graduating part is required if they aren't qualifiers.


Dirty might have been a poor word to use to describe the practice but it certainly burns bridges at jucos if a D1 takes one of their freshman. It certainly doesn't come without consequences if the school ever wants to recruit a kid from there again.
 
#17
#17
BruinVol said:
There is nothing rule wise that can stop a D1 school from recruiting a juco freshman as long as they are full qualifiers out of high school. The graduating part is required if they aren't qualifiers.


Dirty might have been a poor word to use to describe the practice but it certainly burns bridges at jucos if a D1 takes one of their freshman. It certainly doesn't come without consequences if the school ever wants to recruit a kid from there again.
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I'm surprised that is considered bad taste.
I figured a JUCO coach's main goal, besides winning games, would be to help get his players to a D-1 school or a pro team. It seems like losing a freshman to a D-1 school would help them get more good players.
 
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#18
#18
Bruin,
Check out the rosters for schools like Ole Miss and LSU. There are a number of guys on each roster who played just one year at established feeder JUCO's like Delgado and LSU-Eunice.

JUCO coaches can't prevent D1 coaches from contacting/recruiting their freshman players, and they get too much out of their relationships with D1 coaches to want to interfere if they could. The river flows both ways (e.g., Raph Rhymes) for the benefit of both schools. Even the players they lose early help them recruit other guys.
 
#19
#19
In this sport black uniforms should really be considered for recruiting purposes
 
#20
#20
ShowmeVols said:
Bruin,
Check out the rosters for schools like Ole Miss and LSU. There are a number of guys on each roster who played just one year at established feeder JUCO's like Delgado and LSU-Eunice.

JUCO coaches can't prevent D1 coaches from contacting/recruiting their freshman players, and they get too much out of their relationships with D1 coaches to want to interfere if they could. The river flows both ways (e.g., Raph Rhymes) for the benefit of both schools. Even the players they lose early help them recruit other guys.
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I hear you but if taking juco fresh is the way to survive things are bad IMO. It's a sign other signees have failed or signed
 
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#21
#21
Didn't take Serrano long to whip out the ole ax last year. Seems like half the team was gone 1-2 days after the season's end. IIRC, he started meeting with players immediately after the last game. Point being, it might not take long for us to find out who won't be back.
 
#22
#22
RichRollin said:
Didn't take Serrano long to whip out the ole ax last year. Seems like half the team was gone 1-2 days after the season's end. IIRC, he started meeting with players immediately after the last game. Point being, it might not take long for us to find out who won't be back.
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Promises made, promises broken. Let's not forget these are young students with hopes and dreams under those uniforms. I venture to guess that each and every one of them worked their butts off to be the best they could for UT. imho, each has given far more to the school than has Serrano. As was so patently obvious from the product on the field the last few years, this is not professional baseball and it strikes me as unfortunate when we start talking about throwing kids to the side of the road because the coaching staff either did not evaluate properly or did not help them reach their potential this year. I hope and expect things to improve, but I would much rather see us build with what we have than to start over each year.
 
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#24
#24
State of the Vols said:
Promises made, promises broken. Let's not forget there are young students with hopes and dreams under those uniforms. I venture to guess that each and every one of them worked their butts off to be the best they could for UT. imho, each has given far more to the school than has Serrano. As was so patently obvious from the product on the field the last few years, this is not professional baseball and it strikes me as unfortunate when we start talking about throwing kids to the side of the road because the coaching staff either did not evaluate properly or did not help them reach their potential this year. I hope and expect things to improve, but I would much rather see us build with what we have than to start over each year.
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I agree - The most significant improvement most players make is between there freshman & sophmore years so cutting a bunch of freshman and resigning more may not be the best solution- Players need to work hard in the offseason to develope physically and this team needs a mental overhaul to gain confidence that they can Win- I am afraid 6 years of losing has taken its toll on the mental aspect of the game- Lack of expectations may have leaked over to allowing the program to miss the SEC Tourney six years in a row - That first hurdle has to fall next year......
 
#25
#25
I believe Serrano was disappointed in the lack of "toughness" by some of his young pitchers. You can teach the guys how to throw a new pitch, throw with accuracy or more velocity; however, it is very difficult to teach toughness.

Too many of our young pitchers simply freaked the hell out whne presented with tough situations. They were usually the stud kid on their team or in their high school district and faced such situations rarely.

I believe Serrano will look at his pitchers and have to decide who is coachable and who will ever toughen up and be an SEC-caliber pitcher.

As for offense, We have some guys who will be future All-SEC players. Tweek them a little and keep them growing.
 
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