2019 Cajuns Baseball Lineup???

[Ray Finkle]

Man wtf happened to this team being the gritty old school throwback type of team before the season started? We're now saying we cannot play another season with the guys we had this past season. So much of this just stinks on ice. I know I know JT should be gone so the guys should get their heads back in the game. But how are we going to turn a few guys from beta males into alpha males? There isn't anything we can do about that. I can already hear the excuses coming out of the press conferences for next year....gunner isn't quite what he used to be so that's why we're losing all these games, we lost pitchers to the draft, we got guys new to D1 pitching, etc etc etc. Wtf happened? Shouldn't we have a bunch of young guys on the roster ready to step up?

[GeauxLouisiana]

Man wtf happened to this team being the gritty old school throwback type of team before the season started? We're now saying we cannot play another season with the guys we had this past season. So much of this just stinks on ice. I know I know JT should be gone so the guys should get their heads back in the game. But how are we going to turn a few guys from beta males into alpha males? There isn't anything we can do about that. I can already hear the excuses coming out of the press conferences for next year....gunner isn't quite what he used to be so that's why we're losing all these games, we lost pitchers to the draft, we got guys new to D1 pitching, etc etc etc. Wtf happened? Shouldn't we have a bunch of young guys on the roster ready to step up?

Trust the process, right? Slow start for 20-30 games. Finish strong. Miss out on postseason.

[CajunVic]

Here are a couple of things I see in our favor:

From the mound. I have no reason to believe Dalton, the transfer from TCU, will not give us good production next year. He had to sit out this year.

The Juco transfer from LSU E also should give us good production next year from the mound. I believe he is a true D1 pitcher that put in his first two years at a good juco program rather than pitch limited innings in D1 as a fresh/soph.

From the Plate: I believe the Cantrell we saw in the second half of the season is the one we will see for a full season next year.

It took kasuls into his third year to figure it out. He had a lot of hard hit balls early in the year that just did not find the holes. He found them in the second half and will continue to hit for more power.

Lott, we know the story there - I believe we will see more of what we saw at the end of the season. I think the success will help to reduce the number of strike outs.

I believe we will get again what we got from LaHare and Bourgeois.

We should have at least 100 points more production from the catching position between Monica and a rested mckinnon.

I truly believe windhan will be much better at the plate next year. That is just a gut feeling. See Kasuls, but hopefully a year earlier for Windhom.

With a change of hitting coach, it will only magnify the Above. Surely there will be some change there even if JT is retained.

This is my glass half full take on things.

[Duggie35]

Anyone with expectations just hate themselves.
We have 1 or 2 proven D1 bats on this roster.

We have very average proven pitching at the D1 level. Even Gunner is an unknown. Jack Burk the same. Dalton the same.

There is literally nothing you can hang your hat on as a club going into 2019.

Every year is a new year, regardless of who is returning or who you lose. There are no guarantees coming off a good season or a bad season. There is too much turnover in baseball and having to deal with the MLB draft every year to be certain of anything, one way or the other. Not to mention injuries that may or may not come into play.

It is my opinion that the Cajuns have as much of a chance to have a great season as they do to have a bad season next year. It all depends on "if" our current players improve in the offseason and how much the incoming new players can contribute and push the returning guys.

[talktomewillis]

We have a bunch of middle relief pitchers, a few 7, 8, 9 hole hitters and a few high school players who still can't believe they are here. Some might be gone and we just don't know it yet.

We will be a lot better on the bump next year. Three or four of the signees are going to be important pieces of the puzzle. Brandon Young IMO will be our Sunday starter. The two Schultz kids are really good and Chance Stone could be one of the late inning guys.

Bourgois and Lahare can play for me if they don't get any better. I'll take a .300 hitter with 15 doubles and 20 stolen bases any day of the week. Lahare is an all-conference player. Cantrelle is a star. I think you're selling some of the guys short.

[CajunT]

We will be a lot better on the bump next year. Three or four of the signees are going to be important pieces of the puzzle. Brandon Young IMO will be our Sunday starter. The two Schultz kids are really good and Chance Stone could be one of the late inning guys.

Brandon Young and the JC Schultz did not have good years by anyone's standards in junior college. While both are said to have good stuff, they will need work in the fall to be weekend starters.

Three HS arms, Black, Stone and the other Schultz are a better group of arms than our HS class this past season. We shall see what happens.

[talktomewillis]

Brandon Young and the JC Schultz did not have good years by anyone's standards in junior college. While both are said to have good stuff, they will need work in the fall to be weekend starters.

Three HS arms, Black, Stone and the other Schultz are a better group of arms than our HS class this past season. We shall see what happens.

Young was never going to have good numbers pitching in the JUCO ball park he was in. Very hitter friendly. JC Schultz was a JUCO freshman this year. He's coming in as a soph.

[CrazyCajun]

If they have the stuff they should improve once in Robes system.

[CajunT]

Young was never going to have good numbers pitching in the JUCO ball park he was in. Very hitter friendly. JC Schultz was a JUCO freshman this year. He's coming in as a soph.

His road splits weren't much better, look at that stats from the games pitched on the road. Both are going to have to step up to pitch better at this level.

[ConfusedFan]

Now granted I am a glass half full guy, but I like at least 1/2 of what we return next year hitting wise.

Lahare and Bourgeois are both plus .300 hitters coming back with some pop. Neither had huge HR power but both were very capable doubles plus hitters. Combined they had 26 doubles, they were 1st and 3rd on the team in that category and combined 7 HR's. I know that sucks but they were 3rd and 6th on the team there, Lahare had 4 triples which led the team. They were the most consistent hitters throughout the year and both have great speed. Lahare has to get better at stealing bases, but is very good on the base path from 1st to 3rd and 2nd to home. Gavin was our best base stealing threat. Add to that what I believe is the best upside player on the team in Cantrelle, who finished with a BA of .287 and that is only because he had such a horrendous 1st half. That gives you three proven .300 hitters, all with speed and pop in their bats. At least double to the gap power, and they all handle the bat well and run very well. They are all three better than average in the field and remember their is a good chance that we are moving Gavin out of CF to his natural LF position.

Kasuls is very good at 2nd base and only hit .250, but I perceive him as a .275 hitter with some pop and decent speed and SS range at 2nd base. So that gives you 4 solid players on the field from last year.

I believe at catcher we will be very good. McKinnon will hit better that .188 and gained tremendous experience this year, plus will not be expected to play every day which I think hurt is offense and defense, getting Monica back and adding the other catcher and we will have some good options.

So worse case senario we are as good last year at the top as we were this year and we won 37 games.

The X factors are these on offense:

Todd Lott, he has to hit like he did late in the year all year next year, he gives us options at 1B and DH. If he hits .260 all year, it is better than what we had from him this year. He was awful and could not get on the field to hit or play D. I think that changes next year. So that is 6 positions that we are either better or the same as last year, all of which were strong accept C this year. The difference will be DH/1B. We lose Kennon, who was very good for us and showed what he can do at 1B late in the year. I am hoping that Templet fixes that situation and we at least have similar production there.

I believe Dexter Jordan will be on campus and will be very good very quickly, similar to Cantrelle, struggle early and get it together once he sees D1 pitching for a while.

So while not in any order of hitting because this should change:

SS Cantrelle
LF Bourgois
RF Lahare
2B Kasuls
DH or 1B Lott
3B Templet/Windham
C Monica/McKinnon
CF Jordan
DH Breaux/Lochridge/Windham/Lott and others

My biggest question will not be the offense but pitching. Let's say that Gunner comes back and is Gunner. My assumption is that Dalton is the Saturday guy and we will figure out Sunday, possibly a health Burke. But we have nothing in the pen that I love, we do have a lot of young quality arms that pitched alot this year but have to get better.

Laumont
Batty
Perrin
Cox
Williams

Am I missing something? Why is everyone so high on Breaux?