A sneak peak at Southeast Missouri State

[cajunblast]

- SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE (30-25, 13-9)

2010 RPI: 175

Starters Returning: 8

Weekend Starters: 2

Mid-Week Starters: 2

Key Relievers (20+inns.): 4

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All Conference Candidates:

OF Michael Adamson (.388-6-49)

OF Louie Haseltine (.325-17-56)

SS Kenton Parmley (.380-11-42, 12SBs)

3B Casey Jones (.398-10-66)

LHP Jordan Underwood (6-5, 4.11)

LHP Shae Simmons (3-3, 3.20, 5svs)

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The Good News:

Despite not having a very full cupboard returning to the squad last year, the Redhawks put together a pretty good 30-win season, which included wins over Auburn, Missouri State, Southern Illinois and a series sweep at Jacksonville State. Well now, if SEMO was ever going to make a major move, THIS is the year to do it. The RedHawks are very top-heavy on senior talent and oozing with an amazing amount of experience. Their OVC-leading offense hit .346 as a team last year and returns a hell of a lot of power and, as you’d guess, a lot of seniors, including six four-year starters that hit .311 or better last year. They’ll be led by Michael Adamson, who set the school record for hits in a season last year with 92. And get this, eight of the nine most-used pitchers from 2010 are also back in the fold, with seven of them being seniors as well. Wow! One non-senior to be aware of is Shae Simmons, who was named a Freshman All American last season and was also named a Top 10 pro prospect from the New York Collegiate League last summer.

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The Bad News:

The end to last season was a certifiable bummer, as the Redhawks went 4-10 down the stretch, including a second straight 0-2 finish in the OVC tournament. And if senioritis hits this team, it could be a long, unfulfilling season, so coach Hogan and his staff have to keep a fire lit under their players’ asses and not let any malaise set in. The mound staff will miss Kyle Gumieny, who won eight games last year. The defense was certainly a sticking point last season as the RedHawks fielded at a poor .956 level.

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Schedule Note:

Mid-Major Monsters.

SEMO could be one of the surprise under-the-radar teams in the country for 2011. So it’s kind of too bad they won’t be facing one of those SEC teams they love to pester (the last three years, they’ve beaten the likes of Auburn, Alabama and Vanderbilt). This year, it will be some mid-major teams that they can victimize, led by the season-opener at Louisiana, followed by games at Troy, Arkansas-Little Rock and Missouri State. Not terribly challenging, but it could also help get them 40 wins.

You can view it here:
http://blogs.eastonbaseball.com/collegebaseballtoday/

[jllanclos]

guess we'll see how not terribly challenging their opener is
igeaux.mobi

[CajunRed]

Wow! That was pretty insulting! I would hope Robe saw this and has it hanging in the locker room!!

igeaux.mobi

[cjr3888]

_ Wow! That was pretty insulting! I would hope Robe saw this and has it hanging in the locker room!!

igeaux.mobi _

How is that insulting? The writer just said that they don't have any SEC teams on their schedule to beat. Basically, the Sun Belt teams (including Louisiana) are the best teams on their schedule.

[CajunRed]

"Not terribly challenging"? Are you kidding? Not an insult?


igeaux.mobi

[cajunblast]

@ cjr3888,

I agree with your statement. His predictions are meant to be read by fans of that team and conference. Weather it be the SEC, Sunbelt or Ohio Valley. He posted at an earlier date all of the college baseball teams and their preseason rank. UL was 38 and SEMO was 169. I wanted to post this so our fans could get info from an outside source of what we could look for from our opponent in our season opener.

[cjr3888]

Not an insult until the team proves they will be a challenging opponent. This team lost key players from last years squad. This guy also picked the Cajuns to win the Sun Belt.

[CajunT]

_ @ cjr3888,

I agree with your statement. His predictions are meant to be read by fans of that team and conference. Weather it be the SEC, Sunbelt or Ohio Valley. He posted at an earlier date all of the college baseball teams and their preseason rank. UL was 38 and SEMO was 169. I wanted to post this so our fans could get info from an outside source of what we could look for from our opponent in our season opener. _

Maybe or maybe not. In any case he contradicts himself to note UL's preseason ranking in one breath and states that SEMO's schedule is less then challenging in another leading off with that same UL team. Regardless of whom his thinks his audience was going to be, it was clearly a slight at the SBC and UL.

I don't see it any different either way it is read.

[cajunblast]

@ Cajun T,

I always enjoy readign your post. I can see where you are coming from, but I still have to disagree. Eric has been great for college baseball and he devotes his time so college baseball fiends, like myself, have things to read during offseason. I have read many write-up by him concerning UL and the Sunbelt and he has always given UL and the Sunbelt there props. His Ohio Valley Conference preview is written for that audience. His SEMO preview was written for those that follow SEMO and not for UL fans to go and take it as an insult. You could go to any conference and team preview and it will be written the same way with the same homer optimism.

[CajunT]

_ @ Cajun T,

I always enjoy readign your post. I can see where you are coming from, but I still have to disagree. Eric has been great for college baseball and he devotes his time so college baseball fiends, like myself, have things to read during offseason. I have read many write-up by him concerning UL and the Sunbelt and he has always given UL and the Sunbelt there props. His Ohio Valley Conference preview is written for that audience. His SEMO preview was written for those that follow SEMO and not for UL fans to go and take it as an insult. You could go to any conference and team preview and it will be written the same way with the same homer optimism. _

I'm not knocking Eric Sorensen's work. I've always enjoyed his write-ups on mid-majors and the coverage of the SBC. Having stated that, I reject the idea that he is writing to his audience, which simply defined means you say one thing to SBC fans and another to SEMO State fans. If he is conscousily doing that, then he loses all creditability in my book because he is supposed to an established writer with unbiased analysis. He is not writing for a UL or SEMO State website, but for what is considered a solid college baseball website.

[cajunblast]

@ Cajun T,

We can just agree to disagree. I wish college baseball was to the point where a writer would need to be creditable for a preseason preview. Maybe one day they will be as credible as preseason college football writers?...(LOL)...People like Rick Lawes, Eric Sorenden, Kendall Rogers and Mark Etheridge have been making huge strides to get college baseball to that level. It's a preseason preview that he did (not only for all the conferences) but for all the teams in each conference. Just like the previous article where he ranks all 300 D1 college baseball teams. Again, I think his targets were each viewers' conference and team and a little optimism for the upcoming season. Just my opinion.

[CajunT]

_ @ Cajun T,

We can just agree to disagree. I wish college baseball was to the point where a writer would need to be creditable for a preseason preview. Maybe one day they will be as credible as preseason college football writers?...(LOL)...People like Rick Lawes, Eric Sorenden, Kendall Rogers and Mark Etheridge have been making huge strides to get college baseball to that level. It's a preseason preview that he did (not only for all the conferences) but for all the teams in each conference. Just like the previous article where he ranks all 300 D1 college baseball teams. Again, I think his targets were each viewers' conference and team and a little optimism for the upcoming season. Just my opinion. _

Not much we disagree on here, except the method. I'm old school, at his level simple pandering to each conference doesn't enhance his work, only cheapens it. That is my only complaint, the same as others have pointed out. The site has a lot information, so its worth anyone's time that enjoys college baseball.