(01-21-2019 05:50 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-21-2019 04:43 PM)BeagleUSM Wrote:  USM #21 in Baseball America poll.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings...ll-top-25/

You guys should certainly be conference favorites, but I think Top 25 is a bit of a stretch entering the season, given you lost last year's POY (Reynolds) and Pitcher of the Year (Sundlin), plus a couple others. Your offense should be as potent as always, but I think it's a leap of faith to assume Wallner steps in and excels as a weekend starter. He might, but he's far less certain than Sundlin moving to the weekend rotation last year. Powers and Powell both have experience after quality Freshman years, but not sure either will emerge as a top of the rotation starter. I'm assuming Carroll is earmarked to be your closer?

Brant Blaylock (Mississippi State -> JUCO -> USM) or JC Keys will be our stopper, I think. From what I understand, Keys will be used as a 1-inning guy but not necessarily a closer/stopper. We also have a freshman named Gabe Shepard who could factor in the bullpen eventually. He's rehabbing from TJ and has been mid 90s in bullpens.