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Gator Baseball 2023 Official Roster Tracker/Lineup???

Discussion in 'Diamond Gators' started by Matherly87, Jun 12, 2022.

  1. ocalaman

    ocalaman GC Hall of Fame

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    All great points. Morale will be a big factor, as keeping all this talent happy and contributing when they have opportunity will be a challenge for the coaches as well as the team leaders. Keep it all together and focused as a team and they can accomplish a lot.
     
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  2. paidinfull

    paidinfull GC Hall of Fame

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    I’ve only made it to a few practices, but these guys seem to like each other. I heard numerous guys encouraging their counterparts. Deric and Josh talking, laughing, hugging.. BT is very vocal with the other catchers, encouraging them, calling out nice throws and blocks (sometimes even if they weren’t the best). Hopefully that carries through the season. Right now everyone is pretty much getting to play every day, but that likely won’t be the case when the season starts.

    I haven’t seen Max in the field much. An inning or two and not many opportunities to make any plays. He made a really nice throw home from pretty deep to make a play at the plate much closer than I was expecting. He makes good contact at the plate and he’s quick on the bases. I think it will be hard to work his way to the top of the depth chart, but he would be a solid addition to the roster if we have room, imo.
     
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  3. gatorstevelp

    gatorstevelp Premium Member

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    Always thought the best way for a QB to also play baseball would to be a pitcher. Tough to be a 2 way player and also go thru Spring Football with preparation etc
     
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  4. GatorLegend

    GatorLegend VIP Member

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    From the one day of practice that I watched Max Brown definitely looked like he belonged on the team but it’s hard to say whether he would contribute at all in the outfield rotation this season. He has good size at 6’2” 200 according to the football roster and he looked bigger than that to me. He’s thick looking and athletic looking. As mentioned before he’s had a couple hits in the practices and I saw him go yard with one during BP. If things don’t work out at QB for him, and I think it would be quite a surprise if it does, it wouldn’t completely surprise me to see him give up football and concentrate on baseball next season. If he does, he has to make up for a lot of lost reps in the outfield and time in the batting cage versus our other outfielders.
     
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  5. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    All good points and I'll try to review them each time I head up for practice. Before I do my two cents says the catcher position is still up for grabs because of most the points you bring up. Between Riopelle, Lastres, and Heyman they all have their benefits. Yes it may very well come down to which one meshes best with each pitcher. Riopelle has the most productive bat, Lastres has the best arm and covers the plate well, Heyman has the most accurate arm and also covers the plate well for a freshman. Obviously Sully will start the year with Riopelle but it will be interesting to see who he pairs up the pitcher/catcher combos and who gets to DH or play 1st. I've been to three practices and I must say Heyman has spent the most time behind the plate, mainly because Riopelle and Lastres have been playing 1st and DH as well. My main knock on Riopelle is he doesn't throw out many runners at second. Last practice proved that in the first inning when it was clear they were going to run on him.

    I guess I'll ask a scout or two about Coppola to see what they say. Otherwise Cags is the shoe in for Sunday starter at this point.

    As for Fabes I don't see him anywhere else than backing up SS or 3rd base. Yes he does get time taking ground balls at first on occasion but all his scrimmages as been at SS with the second string infielders.
     
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  6. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    Come to think of it the pitcher/catcher combo might have been the reasoning for the starting pitcher changes on Wednesday. They had Riopelle catching for Waldrep and Heyman with Cags. Perhaps this Sunday I'll see either Waldrep or Sproat and then compare who gets Riopelle.
     
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  7. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    Brown can definitely put bat on ball. None have left the ballpark yet that I have seen but he has been making good connection, just close enough to any outfielders unfortunately. Totally unknown how much he will be able to contribute but I could easily see him as a late inning sub as a pinch runner to steal a base and remain in the game to close out the 9th.
     
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  8. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    I hope Sully doesn't stay too locked in. I could see Thomas spelling Kurland at 2nd once a week and Prevask getting time in RF. You especially have remained a fan of Prevask and agree his bat can be productive. Sully still hasn't shown his cards who he is going with in CF and does Langford end up back in LF. As you know all this does affect team chemistry but I hope all these players enjoy the season no matter how much playing time they get.
     
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  9. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    I think Brown also sees his chance to compete for the NC with Gator Baseball. No matter how much time he gives to football or how little chance he gets to play in baseball games, he'll always be able to keep a ring if they win one. The kid's got wheels and looks like he loves to compete so that should help everybody around him stay supportive as well.
     
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  10. gator1977

    gator1977 GC Legend

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    I'm sure Sully will experiment with a few combinations in the "pre-SEC season" but I would like to see a well-defined depth chart at every position by then plus the battery combinations. (Not discarding that platooning at 1-2 postions--RF comes to mind-- may be the way to go). My take is after Catcher, having the DP combo set and comfortable together is pivotal- "the pither's best friend" as the cliche goes, plus good range in the middle of the diamond.
     
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  11. ocalaman

    ocalaman GC Hall of Fame

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    If Caglionone starts out the season as the Sunday starter, does he play 1st base for other games? Will O'Sullivan let him hit on the days he pitches (meaning no DH that day) and could he rest him from the field on Saturdays and just have him DH that day? Will Riopelle play 1st when Cags pitches, giving Lastres and/or Heyman a chance to start behind the plate? My guess is we want Cags' bat in the lineup every day, but that's just my speculation.
     
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  12. paidinfull

    paidinfull GC Hall of Fame

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    I think BT will be playing a lot of first, simply because Heyman and Lastres are that good, and they will both be playing a lot behind the plate. I don’t know what that does to Cags. Guessing the two of them do a lot of rotating between first and dh.
     
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  13. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    So far on days Cags pitches, he does not hit while on the mound but as soon as he is done (3 innings only) he goes grabs a bat to hit in the lineup and sometimes plays first even after pitching. That's what I saw in the Fall and the one day I saw him pitch this Spring. I expect Riopelle to play first on a Cags day to give him a break from catching on the weekends. BT could also be a DH if Sully has other ideas for first but Cags and Riopelle at first are my most likely. For a guy like Cags Sunday pitching makes the most sense with a day off on Monday before the Tuesday midweek. If Cags goes 5 innings or more then he could easily DH the Tuesday game and be ready to play first on Fri/Sat every weekend.
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2023
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  14. 74nole

    74nole GC Hall of Fame

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    If Cags ends up being the Sunday starter then IMHO you can go ahead and pencil him in on the DH slot on Saturdays—I don’t see him in the field the day before his start.
     
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  15. bigigator15

    bigigator15 VIP Member

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    love the info shared on the baseball team, you guys and gals are awesome
     
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  16. ocalaman

    ocalaman GC Hall of Fame

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  17. gator1977

    gator1977 GC Legend

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    Scrimmage observations: I watched 5 innings of 6 inn. scrimmage.
    It was a bit sloppy.
    Ficc/Lastres for Blue (Lastres caught the whole way)
    Tejeda/Heyman for Orange (Heyman moved to 1st after 3 innings , Alvarez C)
    Blue infield proj. starters?: Cags, Kurland, Rivera, Halter
    Orange OF possible starters: Langford, Robertson, Evans.

    Ficc was not sharp. 2 innings, 2 hits, 4 walks, 4 Ks, WP.
    Big hit a Langford single plating 2.
    My view, Tejeda was the victim of poor/sloppy fielding. Error by Fabian extended 1st inning which Tejeda escaped and then a PB by Heyman in second allowed run to scored.
    Big hit in 2nd was a Lastres blast off the leftfield wall double.
    Cags hit a bomb into RF bullpen in the 3rd off Tejada but overall not a bad performance by Tejeda-- 3 innings, 3 runs (2 earned) 2 hits, 1 walk.

    Before that- there were fireworks in top of 3rd with Hartzog (Blue) roughed up and inning called after only recording one out... hits from Thomas, Heyman (2B) (RBI), Fabian sigle (2 RBI) with a misplayed bloop hit to Center and a WP in the mix.
    Hartzog settled down in the 4th and had a clean ining but his line was ugly: 1.1, 4 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk 1 K and WP.

    On a positive note, Purnell and Finnvold both looked good in the innings I watched. Both with good movement, location and mixing up pitches.

    Overall not a stellar performance today although Blue infield played well. Cags continues to impress both at the plate and in the field.
    Both young catchers pounded the ball every at bat but both had less than stellar moments on D- Heyman PB allowed a run to score on third stike that would have ended the inning and on another play he double clutched allowing uncontested stolen base. Lastres, short hopped a throw on a stolen base attempt that bounced away and allowed Fabian to take 3rd. Plus, I thought Lastre could have blocked a pitch that bounced off the plate and skipped away.
    And, surprisingly Langford broke poorly on a hard hit line drive that sailed over his head and could have been caught. Not the most elegant of scrimmages but hey that is why you practice and scrimmage.
     
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  18. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    Well done 1977 and very glad you were there. My key take aways are Robertson at center and Langford in left. Sounds like Sully has hit the two week to go mark and ready to dial them in. I hope to see the same again tomorrow thinking OF starters on one team and infield starters on the other. I hope I see Sproat take the mound as well. Hartzog has not been doing much to impress. Sully must still be wondering who will be his closer.
     
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  19. ocalaman

    ocalaman GC Hall of Fame

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    What about Neely?
     
  20. Matherly87

    Matherly87 GC Hall of Fame

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    Neely was on the mound Wednesday trying to close it out and gave up the Riopelle bomb with 2 outs. I think it landed in the parking lot driveway. I'm hoping these next 10 days will show someone stepping up with some consistency in late innings. Right now I have no idea who that will be.