Home Baseball CW Baseball and FB recruiting news from NiceBeaver

CW Baseball and FB recruiting news from NiceBeaver

252

Weekend series in Eugene with all games on PAC12 net, odd starting times beginning at 7pm Friday. Top that with breaking recruiting news from Nicebeav and we’ve got plenty for a new thread.

As always, thanks to NiceBeav for his work on recruiting and thanks to Bill for the following:

Obviously a huge series vs Oregon. If they can win the series, it will go a very long ways with the postseason. Oregon has a really high RPI at the moment.

Road wins are valued very high in the RPI calculations. Beavs somehow are suffering their worst losses at home which are compounded in the RPI. The one loss vs Utah dropped them about 10 spots in the RPI. Luckily Gonzaga is playing decently this year.

So a road series win vs a top RPI team could save them in the end if they don’t finish strong.

It’ll be a theme all year but they need to score runs for Abel. And he needs to help by not walking or hitting so many guys.

GO BEAVS

252 COMMENTS

  1. Beavs have a three game lead in the conference standings. Winning at least 2 out of 3 this weekend would be huge.

    • Hopefully they can clean up the pitching and quit hurting themselves. If they cam do that and get the bats going better and more consistently it would go a long way.

  2. Lineups posted, Preston Jones in CF, McDowell in left. Casey sits.
    For quacks I see Kenyon Yovan as DH batting third; guys had some good games and is batting .361. The few times I’ve watched he seems to come to the plate like every third batter!

    • Yovan has also been around for something like 6 years, yet this is only his redshirt Junior season.
      Back when I knew guys on the team and Yovan was a freshman, guys couldnt stand him because he was super cocky and tried to insert himself as a leader of the team from day1.
      He’s talented, but not super well liked

  3. Just Great!! (sarc)……Mark Buchanan is 3B ump tonight!
    He’s the jerk who got Casey suspended for beaking………thought he’d made a career change to burger flipper.

    Fortunately the normal rotation would not lead to him being behind the plate in this series, still could do some damage.

  4. Dukart strikes out looking to end the inning.

    So frustrating to watch when everyone knows that a fastball is coming.

  5. Is clutch hitting a necessary component for a winning program or is it fine to strikeout looking to end big inning situations?

    It is important to swing in order to hit the pitch, right?

  6. I come for an update and these posts give me nothing other than we sound like crap. Good timing, tired it up 1-1. Sounds like a terrible game but a chance to win.

  7. Nicebeaver
    Yes crushed oyster shells would bring up the calcium levels in the soil. I’m sure everyone on here has a different soil type and uses what they know will work for them. My biggest fear is using too much of something and changing the ph of my dirt and ruining my crop fir the year.

    • Use pelletized lime to bring your calcium up. It works almost instantly, oyster shells take a long time to break down to where a plant can take up the calcium. High calcium draw plants like tomatoes and peppers loooove lime. Especially if your getting endrot, you can make lime slurry with pelletized lime and water mixed in a container and poured directly at the base of the plant.

        • Yogurt, tums, eggshells,crushed oyster shells, bone meal, lime pellets. We’re offering up a smorgasboard of calcium for our tomatoes. If I had the room in my garden I’d like to experiment and see wich additive works best with my soil. Maybe I’ll till the whole backyard!

          • I kind of did most of my backyard into garden. It’s almost too much. I struggle to fill all my beds in some years. I need to set up cold frames and do my own starts that might help me.

            I could never get bone meal to work very well, it wasn’t til I used lime that the endrot stopped. Thats why I’m such a big advocate of it.

  8. 3
    1

    Geez. After Mundt left the game, pitching has been terrible. Ducks dont need to earn this win, we’re just gonna walk them home repeatedly

  9. Terrible decision to take out mundt costs the Beavs the game. The pitching was awful after mundt throwing the ball in the dirt left and right.

    • 2
      1

      Dorman has had a pattern of using guys for a single inning, I thought it was only for mid-week games. Big mistake tonight, pitching was supposed to be the strong suit of this team; Salgado and Mully really not theirselves tonight.

  10. 6
    1

    Dorman and MC are handling the bullpen like a pro team, using pitchers for one inning. A stupid plan because you never know when a college pitcher will have the “college pitcher meltdown” and not be able to throw a strike. Mundt had his A game going and they should have rode him out till he was ineffective.
    Lack of execution in the early innings left some runs on the bases. Gave the game away at the end. Duck starter made some great pitches in critical situations.

    • Quack starter slated for Saturday also shut out our Beavs last time around, if that “leaving runs on bases” doesn’t stop ………………well, it’s only some forty miles but this weekend could be going south.

  11. Damian Martinez is set to announce his commitment on Monday. Haven’t seen that much film of his, but like his 220 pound frame since we have been getting smaller RB’s recently with guys like Collins and Lowe.

  12. 7
    1

    DB
    Akili Arnold 5’11 193 ( 6 lb)
    Alex Austin 6’1 184 ( 8 lb)
    Jojo Forest 5’10 170 ( 4 lb)
    Jaydon Grant 6′ 190 ( 8 lb)
    Ron Hardge III 6’1 191 ( 4 lb)
    Joe Jenkins Jr. 5’9 191 ( 6 lb)
    Elijah Jones 6’2 188 ( 1″ 8 lb)
    Alton Julian 6’2 203 (-3 lb)
    Arnez Madison 6’1 208 ( 38 lb)
    Brian Nithalangsy 6′ 195 ( 20 lb)
    Kitan Oladapo 6’2 203 (-3 lb)
    Johnathan Riley 6’2 190 ( 7 lb)
    Jaden Robinson 6′ 191 ( 5 lb)
    Russell Wynston 5’9 176 ( 11 lb)
    Rejzohn Wright 6’2 182 ( 0 lb)

    DL
    Cody Anderson 6’3 276 ( 7 lb)
    Evan Bennett 6’1 295 (-1 lb)
    Sebastian Briski 6’3 266 ( 1 lb)
    Omarion Fa’amoe 6’2 276 ( 21 lb)
    Kelsen Hennessy 6’5 280 ( 17 lb)
    Isaac Hodgins 6′ 274 ( 9 lb)
    Sione Lolohea 6’3 253 ( 13 lb)
    James Rawls 6’2 279 ( 11 lb)
    Jeromy Reichner 6’1 256 (-18 lb)
    Simon Sandberg 6’3 287 ( 9 lb)
    Tavis Shippen 6’4 284 lb (-4 lb)
    Jordan Whittley 6’1 358 ( 0 lb)

    ILB
    Jontae Allen 6’1 213 ( 15 lb)
    Jack Colletoo 6’3 239 ( 1 lb)
    Michael Erhart 6′ 227 ( 10 lb)
    Kyrei Fisher 6’1 225 (-5 lb)
    John Miller 6’1 208 ( 7 lb)
    Porter phillips 6’1 244 ( 23 lb)
    Avery Roberts 6’1 233 ( 8 lb)
    Noah Seumalo 6’1 239 (-6 lb)
    Omar Speights 6’1 237 ( 5 lb)
    Junior Walling 6’1 223 ( 7 lb)

    K
    Everett Hayes 6′ 203 ( 4 lb)
    Dante Jackson 5’9 194

    LS
    Dylan Black 6’1 214 ( 11 lb)
    Peyton Hogan 6’1 207 ( 9 lb)
    Cameron Landes 6’3 204

    OL
    Heneli Bloomfield 6’4 303 ( 3lb)
    Marco Brewer 6’4 299 ( 3 lb)
    Cooper Darling 6’4 337 (-13 lb)
    Nathan Eldridge 6’4 292 ( 10 lb)
    Brian Espinoza 6’4 295 ( 0 lb)
    Jacob Ferenczi 6’5 297 ( 8 lb)
    Taliese Fuaga 6’6 327 (-11 lb)
    Joshua Gray 6’4 304 ( 15 lb)
    Nous Keobounnam 6’2 294 ( 19 lb)
    Brandon Kipper 6’6 295 lb (-9 lb)
    Jake Levengood 6’4 294 (-1 lb)
    Tanner Miller 6’1 265 ( 4 lb)
    Tyler Morano 6’5 263 ( 11 lb)
    Dakota Napierkowski 6’4 228 (-21 lb)
    Joe Quillin 6’1 267 (-10 lb)
    Tomoas Sio 6’3 365 ( 18 lb)
    Nick Suing 6’3 309 ( 16 lb)
    Brock Wellsfry 6’5 288 lb (-4 lb)

    OLB
    Cade Brownholtz 6’3 222 lb (-1 lb)
    Ryan Franke 6’3 236 ( 20 lb)
    Addison Gumbs 6’3 246 (-4 lb)
    Andrezj Hughes-Murray 6’2 244 ( 0 lb)
    Shane Kady 6’2 225 ( 11 lb)
    John McCartan 6’5 236 ( 10 lb)
    Semisi Saluni 6’3 270 (-1″ 35 lb)
    Riley Sharp 6’6 246 ( 6 lb)
    Cory Stover 6’6 240 lb (-9 lb)

    P
    Josh Green 6’1 209 ( 7 lb)
    Luke Loecher 6’4 216 ( 10 lb)

    QB
    Tristan Gebbia 6’2 200 (-1 lb)
    Ben Gulbranson 6’3 216 ( 7 lb)
    Chance Nolan 6’3 201 ( 1 lb)
    Sam Vidlak 6’1 185 lb (-1″, 1 lb)

    RB
    Mikey Alfieri 6′ 202 ( 8lb)
    BJ Baylor 5’11 208 (-1 lb)
    Deshaun Fenwick 6’2 226 ( 1 in, 6 lb)
    Logan Horton 6’1 223 (-13 lb)
    Trey Lowe 5’9 189 ( 4 lb)
    Ta’Ron Madison 6’1 208 ( 7 lb)
    Isaiah Newell 6’1 223 ( 12 lb)
    Kanoa Shannon 5’8 185 ( 1 lb)

    TE
    Malik Kelley 6’2 248 ( 15 lb)
    Luke Musgrave 6’6 248 (-4 lb)
    Jake Overman 6’4 244 ( 9 lb)
    Teagan Quitoriano 6’6 256 (-9 lb)
    Tommy Spencer 6’5 263 ( 4 lb)
    Ralph Taufa’asau 6’4 243 (-2 lb)

    WR
    Zeriah Beason 6′ 198 ( 1 lb)
    Silas Bolden 5’8 150 ( 2 lb)
    Trevon Bradford 6′ 185 ( 3 lb)
    Champ Flemings 5’5 144 ( 3 lb)
    Anthony Gould 5’8 163 (-8 lb)
    Tre’Shaun Harrison 6’1 189 (-2 lb)
    Jesiah Irish 5’11 174 ( 1 lb)
    Tyjon Lindsey 5’9 170 (-12 lb)
    Rweha Munyagi Jr 6’2 189 (-9 lb)
    Trevor Pope 6’2 171 ( 8 lb)
    Makiya Tongue 6’2 225 lb ( 9 lb)

    DB: Lots of good weight gains. I expect them to be pretty decent in jamming and run support.
    DL: Big changes. We now have 10 players in the target weight range of 270-330 lb. The only head scratcher is Reichner losing 18 lbs.
    ILB: Lots of big weight gains. Looks like playing weight for the group is 220-240, shouldn’t get pushed around.
    K: Golden toes Hayes gained 4 lbs.
    LS: This group ate their wheaties!
    OL: Have a good shot at fielding a 1500 lb o-line. Lots of good weight gains and loses, looks like a group getting in shape. Eldridge gaining 10 lbs will be a big deal.
    OLB: These dudes are big. Idk what to make of Saluni gaining 35 lbs and being the size of a DE now.
    P: Pretty big gains for these guys, hope it was all in the legs.
    QB: Not much to say, Gulbranson is getting beefy at 216.
    RB: interesting mix of big guys and small guys. If Newell kept his speed hes going to be a monster at 223 lb.
    TE: Looks like the goal was to get lean and fast, well see if the bulk up over the summer.
    WR: All over the place. Big one is Lindsey losing 12 lbs, might mean he has more speed? Tongue looks like he could really make an impact.

  13. The TE’s apparently looked good in practice. JS also singled out Sio at guard (I think he’s at the strongest guy on the team IIRC) and the new CB from Kansas, Jones.

  14. @nb, any rumors of Ryan Otton having interest in the Beavs? I’m guessing we wouldn’t get two highly ranked tight ends in 2022 with the kid from Idaho having interest.

    • I miss Casey more. .administration fucked Casey and the beavers during Luke’s issues in 2017 otherwise Casey would most likely still be the coach.

  15. Agree with the comments up above. This year’s team represents a significant fall-off from the 2016-2019 teams. This is especially true at the plate, but the pitching and fielding are frequently quirky as well. Looking at tonight’s line up compared with the 2018 championship team, and employing the “star system” normally applied to football players, here’s what I come up with, comparatively:

    Second Base, Madrigal, 5 stars. Ryan Ober, 2 stars
    Shortstop, Grenier, 4 stars. Andy Armstrong, 3 stars
    RF, Larnach, 5 stars. Meckler, 1 star
    Catcher, Rutschman, 5 stars. Claunch, 3 stars.
    DH, Malone, 3 star. Forrester, 3 stars.
    Third Base, Gretler, 3 stars. Dukart, 2 stars
    Left Field, Anderson, 2 stars. Casey, 2 stars
    Center Field, Kwan, 3 stars. Jones/McDowell 1 star
    First Base, Taylor, 2 stars, Melton, 2 stars

  16. That 8th inning captures this team perfectly. Oregon pumping fastballs down the middle and they can’t put it in play. This team can’t compete with the upper echelon of the conference right now and it’s hard to watch.

  17. 9
    1

    This team other than a couple hitters are not aggressive at the plate. They look like they are hoping to walk. They
    constantly have two strikes and they haven’t swung yet. Forrester goes up and is aggressive, Armstrong usually has good
    at bats and Melton was looking good until tonight. All other players look over matched. This is amazing how far Beavers baseball
    has dropped off. A couple years ago the ucks would no way have taken 4 out of 5 from us. Also no way a Casey coached team
    would have given up 2 runs on a bunt, that’s a high school play that the ucks pulled on the beavs. EMBARRASSING!!!
    And beavs struck out 15 times tonight

  18. 11

    4 runs in 5 games with ducks making their staff look like the best staff in the country. Beavers can’t hit worth crap.

  19. 7
    6

    That doesn’t make sense, you’d say you want a change if we’re 2-0 because we’re more competitive? You can’t make a coaching call on 2 games, especially in baseball.

  20. Hopefully the beavers are due for the bats to break out and can avoid the sweep. I think it’s time for players like Jones that aren’t getting it done to be replaced by younger guys. I practically called his at bat last night with the bases loaded. Watch a couple strikes go by down the pipe and then swing at one in the dirt.

  21. How many wins does baseball need to make the post season? They are practically at 3-1 win-loss this year and it’s like they have zero chance on this board. The ducks are beating the crap out of them cause they are currently a better team. We are getting tons of pitchers involved early which to me looks like prepping for post season by spreading experi nice and reducing pitch counts. This isn’t football or even basketball. 1 loss or even series losses are not a huge deal, it happens. Getting beat by a more experienced and more talented team shouldn’t be a big surprise and isn’t really a harbinger for the season being scrapped.

    • The complete lack of offense against quality pitching is the biggest concern. They have the most difficult part of the schedule ahead of them still, and they’ve struggled against good competition. Pitching has been good, sometimes great, but you won’t win many games if you’re only scoring 1 run.

    • I think we’re all aware that one game or series make a season. It’s more that everyone sees this team struggle against mediocre teams and pitching and are looking at the upcoming schedule. Looking ahead it doesn’t look good for the beavs the way they’re playing. I don’t think the pitching rotations are trying to set them up for post season play. They would be better off winning more games and hosting a regional than trying to limit guys pitches for post season play. IMHO

  22. Giles Jackson transfers to the Huskies today. Thought the Beavs had a shot there till UW had several WR transfer out this offseason

  23. Anyone gonna watch the game today? Forrester playing 1b, Melton to RF. Casey already has K’d.
    As expected, Buchanan ready for mischief at 1b.

  24. Need the bullpen to close things out now.

    Some stats that surprised me and which prove we’ll live or die by the bats: we’re 2nd in the country in fielding percentage and 5th in WHIP.

  25. I have no idea what just happened? They took the Beav run off the board. Was it batter interference? I didn’t know that was a thing? Canham didn’t argue much. I hope having a runner on 2nd and 3rd with no outs doesn’t come back to bite them. 2 strikeouts and a ground ball back to the pitcher. They needed to get a least one run across.

  26. 5
    1

    This has got to be hard for Casey to watch. This team is so undisciplined and can’t make a play to win games. They play
    with little emotion and show no heart or guts, When the going gets tough they fold. The Ducks are playing with emotion and heart. We look like we
    want this over and want to go home. Oh how the program has declined.

    • concur. You can just see the light in the life of the program fading.

      Dorman waited too long to bring Mundt in, and then left him in too long. Poor bullpen management cost two games. And people say it’s all on the players. not entirely.

      • not in the slightest. he puts up with nonsense like players running into the locker room while the batter gets an inside the park homer. Dorman doesn’t look like a good hire either. He was bragging to Parker before the game about all the arms he had to use today and completely mismanaged when to pull the relievers. Mulholland came in TWO batters too late.

        • The HBP tsunami is amazing. I don’t remember Jake M ever hitting anyone. I’m sure he did, now it seems like no big deal. PC and Yeskie did not tolerate walks and HBPs. Free bags= losing baseball.

  27. Duck pitcher mouthing off to the Beavs after more runners are stranded. Ducks know the Beavs are toast. That’s the problem with Canham right there. team doesn’t play with confidence. no swagger. cant hit in the clutch.

  28. and that’s another thing: the post Casey Beavs never get the breaks. like that hard bounce off the backstop right there, for example.

  29. 7
    6

    You guys are nuts. We had a legend (some people nit picked him and pointed out his warts). Some people enjoyed the ride. Which camp were you in?

    If you understood a legend moved on, then you probably aren’t trying to compare Canham to him as it’s unfair and will break your heart. That said Canham built a reputation in pro ball on his own and I still think he’s a good coach.

    • 2
      1

      Casey was a legend. If he had any warts, I never saw them.

      making comparisons is what fans do, A@A, and there is little redeeming in the way this coaching staff manages what they inherited.

    • 9
      1

      The Ducks’ celebration bullshit throughout the game was a little over the top, but the Beavs got what they deserved for shitty execution all the way through.

  30. 8
    3

    The Ducks played with heart and emotion. They simply wanted it more than the Beavs, That is a reflection on coach, I am afraid
    Canham wants to be the players friend and worries about them liking him. This team needs an ass chewing and someone to light
    a fire under their asses. The sr. leadership is not showing up. Armstrong in this series at the plate was awful and then he boots a routine grounder
    that cost us the game. If you look at our line up there is no player that consistently has good at bats. I wish this team would
    show some kind of emotion, get pissed off, argue a call or something.

    • 2
      1

      Heart and emotion, yes. They also looked a lot like the kind of group Casey developed; small-ball, fundamentals, fill the strike zone, stay engaged.

      Earlier, I considered asking for y’all’s guess as to when Canham/Wong/Barney would argue a call just to get thrown out in an effort to light a fire.

      After this series I’m not sure that is in the cards. If one of them makes that move it’ll probably turn out to be on a call that, upon replay, really wasn’t close.

  31. 4
    1

    Jones, Armstrong, Mulholland, Abel should be the leader son this team and they each have been failures in big situations.

    Canham may need to remember what it was like as a college player rather than pretending he is still managing in the minor leagues. The recruiting pull and aura of the OSU program is quickly fading and it will not be easy to recapture with these kinds of efforts.

    Sad. I am glad I got to watch those championship teams at Goss though.

    • Not to mention the long recruiting cycles in baseball can easily be disrupted. We have some good commitments for future classes, but if they see the program headed downhill, they can easily change course.

      Hopefully Mitch sees what’s happening and he’s getting input from Casey on what the problem is. We’ve seen Tinkle turn a low point into a turning point, so it’s certainly possible.

  32. MBB pursuing Melik Martin, a transfer from Monmouth. Shot 40% from 3pt last year and averaged 12 pts, 6 rebs. Looks like a Reichle replacement at the 3 position.

    • I mean he got them the last practice but nolan had them before I wouldn’t call it getting them over him. They are just giving them both opportunities with the first team which is pretty common unless there is a clear cut starter.

  33. Are people really big on Yeskie? Guy always struck me as a total douche. Someone that you can get away with as an assistant but that risks turning this game toxic as a head coach. I don’t follow the baseball quite close enough to be too strong in my Canham support but it sure feels like he was left a bare cupboard (by OSU Casey era standards. How has his recruiting been? I mean baseball is kind of an upper class men sport so his guys aren’t exactly all the ones playing. Trying to get a better grasp on the situation cause most the anti Canham comments are more of the one liner type, would really love to here the arguments in more depth.

    • Great question, I’ll leave it to angry to decide if it’s worth a thread of it’s own.

      As a wise fellow ab said up above, “making comparisons is what fans do…”
      So, we compare the differences in coaching approach and team behavior along with the results.
      Now, the results however disappointing, are subject to the “small sample” caveat so it seems reasonable to look at other factors.

      Coaching Demeanor: Casey often made it known that he hated losing even more than he enjoyed winning; he also said that he only became friends with players after they moved on from college baseball. Canham’s approach to players mistakes (let a day or two go by and then ask “what was going through your mind?) and his lack of emotional demonstration when confronting umps both seem far from the Casey model.

      Team Behavior: From what is shown on TV there appears to be little fire in the dugout and not much enthusiasm shown by batters/baserunners/etc.

      You’re probably right about the cupboard not being stocked as well as many of Casey’s classes.
      A drubbing by the quacks magnifies concern with the W/L record, but more serious is the fact that the hard(er) part of the schedule is yet to come.

      Still, Casey seemed to support the selection of Canham, that has some value. Just my thoughts, I know I didn’t address all your points, hopefully others will chime in. Again, good question, thanks.

    • Well the big question right now is, what’s the issue? The coaches or players?

      When losing is happening and especially to Oregon, everything is a problem. Team lacks fire, players don’t execute, coaches make dumb decisions, etc.

      Yeskie is the “grass is greener on the other side” fallacy. No one is going to replicate Casey’s way ever again.

      To me the biggest thing holding the team back is pure talent. I wrote in my preseason preview, this team lacks the talent of the prior years. Other than Abel, there’s no real top tier talent. Main reason why the super seniors are back. They weren’t going to make it in pro ball.

      On the coaches end, talent development on the offensive end seems to have been minimal. They can play well against lesser teams but up against better pitching, they are much less consistent. Pitching, I don’t think there’s as much of an issue. When the offense falters, the pitcher look like they are trying to squeeze water out of stones.

    • One thing that I think I’ve noticed is the lack of small ball. I haven’t seen many bunt attempts and I don’t think I’ve seen a steal attempt in the games I’ve watched. You would think with the trouble they’ve had scoring runs that they might try some of that.

      Is moving players positions around so much been a thing in Casey’s teams? Also the batting order hasn’t really been set at all really either. The latter I get with the offense struggling so bad.

      • It wasn’t too long ago that the majority of the starters were all either drafted or graduated when they won it in 2018. Good reminder of that. How did the team do after the back to back WS? I can’t remember but I’m sure Casey had some down seasons as well.

      • FWIW, a look at steals:
        Year/Attempts per game: 2017/1.3……2018/1.0………2021/0.7
        Year/success rate: 2017/.78……….2018/.75…………2021/.86

        Looks like Canham’s approach is more cautious.
        Casey had Madrigal/Kwan/Grenier
        Canham has Melton and Jones

  34. I have no idea what the other schools’ remaining scholarship numbers look like for the 2021 class, but DT Victory Vaka has decided OSU, Penn St and BYU are the final 3 schools he’s considering. He was a former Texas A&M commit, followed by Colorado. No idea which way he’ll go, but considering he has his BYU offer tweet pinned, I’m guessing it will be BYU.

    https://twitter.com/No7oriou2/status/1381820238803562497?s=20

    • These coaches need to close a DT this is getting ridiculous. They might need to start doing the grayshirt path with some high school kids like they did with Joshua Gray. Get some guys with the frame and athleticism needed and let them spend a few years developing their bodies and adding weight. Maybe even overload on it to hedge your bets hoping a few will become Pac 12 caliber starting DTs.

      • Vaka was originally a 4* DT when he was a sophomore in HS, but more recently, teams gave pulled their offers. Not sure if it is work ethic, or just being general in bad shape physically. He’s listed at 350lbs, but I’ve read he is closer to 400 now.
        It also sounds like the BYU offer is a PWO offer.
        I dont know that OSU’s offer is any different, if it even exists. His stock has plummeted.

        • Yeah…looking at junior film he is already too big at 350. If he could get in a good weight and nutrition program he could be really good at 320-350. I’d say it’s worth a scholarship too give it a go!

          • I’d guess solely based on what he posts on Twitter, he has some emotional/depression challenges. I hope he gets those things right. Might be why the weight increased so much. Seems to like attention and is still trying to give the impression he is in high demand. Maybe the family vibe of coaches at osu would be just what he needs.

  35. 1
    1

    Who’s the hitting coach? None of the assistant coaches were standout hitters in their own careers. Maybe that has something to do with the lack of offensive development.

    It’s also weird that McMahan has dropped off so much from the shortened 2020 season. He went from our best hitter to our worst hitter.

  36. Had a chance to look at Martinez Junior video. I’m pretty excited!

    Positives:
    – Great size
    – Patient, very good at picking his moment. Good vision.
    – Good acceleration
    – Hard to tackle, he absolutely punishes poor or arm tackles.
    – Keeps knees forward, stops those heel grab tackles.
    – Good hands

    Negatives:
    – Doesn’t currently have the speed to breakaway in P5 games. That said he seems like a guy with better pad speed than speed trial.
    – He hangs the ball out on his cuts sometimes.

    • 1
      2

      He reminds of JJ, maybe less explosive. Seems to do everything well without having any standout tools. He’s definitely proven himself in high level HS ball with 8.5 YPC.

      BUT keep in mind, no one thought JJ had breakaway speed going into college, either. Martinez also has an inch or two on JJ, so, in theory, he should have a longer stride for slightly better open field speed.

      • He has plenty of room for growth in his sprint mechanics. I’ll take any player that is 50%-120% JJ!

        He has a listed 40 time of 4.48 and a 11.37 100 m. I am guessing those are hand times. JJ had a 4.55 on his pro day.

  37. I’m thinking the transfer portal activity could pick up quite a bit after April 15th. The NCAA D-I council is supposed to meet that day and will likely approve the blanket 1-time transfer waiver for all athletes, so long as they entered the portal by May 1st.
    The portal has already been pretty well utilized, but after the 15th, any athlete that was hesitant of risking losing 1 year of eligibility will no longer have that risk if they move quickly.

    In other news, the Beavs still won’t be able to find a transfer DT.

  38. 1
    1

    Getting swept by the ducks sucks. That said, this team still has potential and I expect them to improve as the year progresses. Pitching is solid. I expect Abel to get better towards end of the year. Hitting is their weakness and will need to improve if this team is to make postseason. More small ball and situational hitting is needed. Dukart needs to be more aggressive with 2 strikes. I expected more from him this weekend. The ducks are good. Give them credit. We could have easily won 2 of 3 with some minor improvements in key situations. The next series against Cal is critical to get back on track.

  39. Out of the MBB transfer portal possibilities mentioned, here’s my ranking in descending order of interest:

    Darrion Trammell- little PG with big numbers at Seattle U. 20 PPG, 5 APG, 2 SPG, 87% FT. 1st team All-WAC. Interest from USC, Georgetown, Colorado, and others.
    Bryce Hamilton- legit drive to the basket scorer and good defender. Not a fantastic shooter, but he’s a type of guy we don’t really have on the roster. 18 PPG in the MWC. LOTS of big name schools are interested.
    Oumar Ballo- Former top 100 recruit with massive size and potential. I’m a bit skeptical wondering why Gonzaga didn’t see him in their future plans, unless this was purely a personal move for him.
    Melik Martin- A legit small-conference (3rd team All-MAAC) talent at a position of need for us. Statistically, looks similar to Reichle. We appear to be his only big conference suitor at this point.
    Alex Merkviladze- Interesting combination of size and shooting ability. Leading rebounder at CSN who can also hit 3’s. Probably not a starter, but would be solid depth.
    Caleb Huffman- decent MAC numbers, but nothing stands out. Looks like SG depth.
    Musa Aziz Jallo- reserve at Ohio State who battled injuries the last few years. Doesn’t look like a high impact transfer.
    Otto Taylor- JC benchwarmer…okay…

    • Every day there will be more to add to that list.
      A few more OSU has attempted to or made contact with this week.

      Zach Cooks- Guard out of NJIT who recently declared for the NBA draft but didnt hire an agent and is open to returning for another year as a grad transfer.

      Daejon Davis- Guard out of Stanford

      Ty Groce – Forward out of Eastern Mich.

    • Ballo seems to be the best fit. Need help on the interior most. Silva can’t go for extended minutes. Ballo would help immediately with depth and start after Silva leaves. Tucker really is more of a PF so they could use another center type.

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    I think the baseball program might be missing pat Bailey as much as Casey. As far as I know, Bailey was the lead recruiter and by the looks of.it, talent on this team appears to be average to good but not great. Dorman leaves his pitchers in too long when they can’t throw strikes. This team is going nowhere and getting there fast. No better than. 500 in conference if they’re lucky.

  41. In the Mike Riley days there was a lot of chatter on here about the lack of mental focus and the need for a sports psychologist. At the time, it was noted that Pat Casey’s baseball team was very strong in that. I wasn’t sure at the time but I could very much see that as an issue for this team. If you watched guys in the runs to the CWS plate presence they always seemed to have a very specific and deliberate routine as they got in the box. Gretler stands out to me as I specifically remember him focusing on his bat just above the handle and taking a very deliberate deep breath – every pitch he would do the same thing.

    The team did not hit that poorly against the Ducks, they just were not able to get those timely hits to bring in the runs. Even worse, they consistently strike out with guys on third and less than 2 outs. Look at that last run, those teams were clutch and I just don’t think that was a coincidence. Also, look at the bullpens. How many times this year have guys come out of the pen to walk someone or hit the first batter? Many of the times they were able to battle and not get hurt by those free passes and overall they have done a strong job.

    I don’t have an issue like many of you about Mitch as the coach. I think it is less about X and O and much more about execution. I do think Mitch is going to have to make a change in his approach to coaching, either get someone to work on the player’s approach or take that on himself (which I don’t think works as well as a “players coach”).

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      My main concern with Mitch from the start is that he’s a “player’s coach”…very rarely turns out well. Herm Edwards comes to mind as a guy who made that work. Maybe Pete Carroll, but he’s also super intense and demanding (“tough love” type thing)…

    • The only player I’ve noticed with a consistent routine is Armstrong (who has had good streaks). He “double taps” his helmet with his right hand before every pitch. Other than that the rituals seem pretty random, maybe I’ve missed some but that’s what I’ve noticed.

      We occasionally read of individual sessions with a sports psychologist but I don’t think there are any on staff. A continuing missed opportunity in my opinion.

      I hope MonkeyLuven is still around, always had well informed input in this area.

    • Monster get. Silva, Tucker, and Andela all showed progress over the season which gives me hope they can do the same here. Also love that Silva has someone bigger to go against in practice. Seems like not as many teams utilize big men anymore so this could be a WT recruiting opportunity for future players if he can develop Marial.

    • Injury history could be a concern. #58 overall recruit in 2019 looks really good on paper. I think that makes him our highest rated player ever.

      Now we need to go out and get a 3 to replace Reichle.

      • Looks like he’s struggled with leg injuries dating back to HS, but managed to stay healthy in 2021. Seems like a guy with a lot of potential who hasn’t had the stability needed to develop. Bounced around a lot in HS and struggled with injuries.

        Here’s a scouting report: https://nbadraftroom.com/p/chol-marial/

        You can’t teach a 7-2 frame or a 7-9 wingspan. These measurements set Marial apart from almost every other prospect, but he’s much more than just a tall player. He’s got good mobility and shows surprising athleticism and coordination for a such a tall player. He’s got good bounce which, combined with his length, allow him to play way above the rim. He can dunk the ball from outside of the paint and he’s a menace on the defensive end.

        Seems to have his head screwed on straight, shows good competitiveness and his a hard worker with a desire to be great.

        Very thin and light (just over 200lbs) and has a long way to go to get his body NBA ready (although he’s already gained a good amount of upper body strength/muscle).

        Is still very raw on the offensive end and is still learning the game and getting a feel for spacing and timing.

        • Some trivia:
          Father is an elder in hometown village of thousands, some call him “king”; … cousin of Detroit Pistons center Thon Maker and top prospect Makur Maker … has 16 brothers and sisters, but he is the only one to come to the United States … looks up to fellow Sudanese basketball player and former NBA All-Star Luol Deng, who he regularly talks to for advice.

      • Corey Benjamin was up there among the tops in his class(like top 10?)when we landed him, although I dont know what ratings were available at that time. Probably the Sporting News.
        Wasnt there a kid a few years later from in state who was highly regarded? Big white kid? Forgetting his name

      • I thought Silver could replace Reichle and be an upgrade. That’s why it’s weird that he left. Wonder what the conversations were?

    • Awesome! Fits well into the grind it out games. Dump it into the post and work off the double teams. Tinkle is the greatest!!! Can we start that thread? Lol

      • It seems that Marlin Stewart brings a new level of effort to our recruiting lately. Did he replace Gottlieb? Not really sure when he came on board but he’s pretty active with recruiting transfers and we’ve had some pretty productive ones recently

        • Stewart certainly has opened doors recruiting wise and with the team success, the coaches can get in the door quickly now. What I think Stewart brings is he is able to cast a wider net. Maybe it’s the generational thing and he knows how to make connections faster than the previous generation of coaches. Tech savvy. Tinkle isn’t known as the social media guy.

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    I just don’t get all the baseball sadness. We have lost 10 games this year and won 21. 5 of our losses are against the ducks which sucks but they are a legitimately good team, maybe their best yet. Our first loss was to one of the best pitchers in the country (Kansas State). The most any team has scored on us is 10 (Santa Clara) Most teams can’t get more than 3 runs on us. It took Pat Casey 5 years to finish ranked and 9 years to create the standards we are used to. Giving Mitch 45 games (which he has a record of 26-19) as our head coach before calling for his head is ridiculous. Seems like people are also assuming we lose a ton of games in the coming schedule, maybe wait and see? Not to mention our roster is not exactly impressive right now. Our upperclassmen leadership on defense with over 100 games in college are Andy Armstrong, Preston Jones, Joe Casey, Kyler McMahan, Many of those guys either didn’t or would not consistently make the roster on talent as a freshman or sophomore. I think our pitching is actually pretty damn good though.

    Other things to think about. Oregon State baseball is NOT a job that many people are seeking out. If they were Bailey never would have been at the helm at all and Mitch would not have been hired. We are in a crappy location (weather), with a small budget athletic department in a sleepy town in a state that barely cares about baseball in general. If we start firing people after 1 full season who do you think is going to be interested in the job? Super high pressure for low perks and worse rewards, nah.

    Mitch has some issues but most of them are something he can adjust and learn from.

    • I think there are a few with unrealistic expectations that are really vocal so it seems there is a lot of sadness. Lots of season left. They could win the conference tourney and make it to Omaha. Right???!

  43. Watched a bit of video on Chol Marial.

    Quick scouting report,

    The goods: Athletic center who can elevate, elite rim protector, wingspan allows him to rise up over defenders and to alter shots around the rim, will put back everything around the rim. He’ll be able to recover on defense to the weakside cuts with his quickness and length.

    The ok: Good rebounder, not great. Jump shot out to the foul line or so. Not the most physical player.

    The bad: injury history. Not a good FT shooter, but normal for a C.

    Unknown – Does he have a post game?

    His profile is closer to Kylor Kelley than Silva. This is the low risk, high reward type of player. Assuming no long term injuries, the worst he’d be is Kelley. His ceiling is high if he can get become more physical in the rebounding game and get a jump shot going, only so much to clean up around the rim. A 15pt, 8-9 rebound avg type. Could be a elite pick and roll guy. Unlikely to be a 30+ min guy but would be efficient in his time. Tinkle must have sold him on developing Kelley and Eubanks.

    Overall this is a good sign that Tinkle is capitalizing on the tourney run.

    • 7’8” wingspan. He can certainly help in a 2-3 zone and might be able to secure those rebounds that we have trouble getting when we play zone on defense.

  44. I think there is one spot left on the roster? Maybe 2? Had 13 to start last year. Potts is a walk on.

    Lose five – Hollins (remember him?), Thompson, Silver, Franklin and Reichle are gone.

    Add four – in Marial, Davis, Rand, Key.

    Does Silva count against the limit? if not, then there are two spots open.

    If one, ideally one is a grad transfer who is a 3pt specialist. If two, I wonder if there are any high school prospects out there who could develop. It’s going to be a veteran team next year. Might not have any true freshman.

    • Davis and Key-Malone are both solid 3 pt shooters, but it would be nice to have someone that will shoot closer to 40% like Lucas. From the transfer names we’ve been connected with, it sounds like they’re going after more of a combo guard type.

      We need Isaiah Johnson to step up next year. Depth at the 3 position is going to be thin.

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    Bitcoiners…rising wedge forming. Beware. Especially with the oversupply (coinbase, etc) being provided by Wall St and/or corporations. We’re still bullish but caution needed. I trimmed a little.

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