Game 1: Tennessee Vols @ UNLV Rebels Game Thread

#401
#401
It's way too early to judge this team on the first series of the year. They are young and will develop over the year. Mid level college baseball is much different than other sports. These teams can beat you on any given day. Austin Peay took 2 out of 3 from Iowa this weekend. I have confidence CDS will have this team playing their best ball at the end of the year. This bunch is talented and scrappy, just young and inexperienced.
 
#402
#402
I don"t think we should judge this team at all.

When Serrano was hired in June, 2011, nearly all the SEC-caliber prospects graduating high school in 2012 had already verbally committed. Even so, he put together a pretty good class of late commits and JUCO transfers. To do this, he had to settle for some below-the-radar pitching prospects and a few athletic but raw position players. He also had to assume more draft risk than he probably wanted, and unfortunately that cost him when he lost his two most game-ready pitching prospects to the pros.

The good news is he did bring in some guys who have tools worth developing. The bad news is they have to compete right away in a conference that will expose everyone who isn't ready now.

I think it is setting everyone up for disappointment to expect their in-season improvement to reflect in conference wins and losses this year. Very few of our players could win the same role they have on the Vols with any team in the top half of the conference. In most conference games, there will be a 5 mph difference between the pitches our guys have to hit and pitches their guys will see. Serrano will work such magic as he can by improving everyone's change-up but he can't change the fact that it's easier to adjust to a change-up off an 85-88 fastball than one set up by 90-93. These differences will take their toll over the long haul.

I wish Serrano talked a little less about the character, toughness, and relentlessness of this team. I'm glad he likes his guys, but I worry that he's creating unrealistic expectations of what is likely to happen this year.

I have said from day one we won't know what CDS can do until 2015. That's when his crop of 2013 high school graduates play as sophomores and we'll get a realistic sense of whether he can get this team to the upper half of the conference.

It would be great if we can finish ahead of Mizzou this year. It would be awesome if somebody else unexpectedly stumbles (like Georgia, maybe) and lets us sneak in to Hoover. But I think we're probably going to need two years of patience before it will be time to get excited.
 
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#403
#403
ShowmeVols said:
I don"t think we should judge this team at all.

When Serrano was hired in June, 2011, nearly all the SEC-caliber prospects graduating high school in 2012 had already verbally committed. Even so, he put together a pretty good class of late commits and JUCO transfers. To do this, he had to settle for some below-the-radar pitching prospects and a few athletic but raw position players. He also had to assume more draft risk than he probably wanted, and unfortunately that cost him when he lost his two most game-ready pitching prospects to the pros.

The good news is he did bring in some guys who have tools worth developing. The bad news is they have to compete right away in a conference that will expose everyone who isn't ready now.

I think it is setting everyone up for disappointment to expect their in-season improvement to reflect in conference wins and losses this year. Very few of our players could win the same role they have on the Vols with any team in the top half of the conference. In most conference games, there will be a 5 mph difference between the pitches our guys have to hit and pitches their guys will see. Serrano will work such magic as he can by improving everyone's change-up but he can't change the fact that it's easier to adjust to a change-up off an 85-88 fastball than one set up by 90-93. These differences will take their toll over the long haul.

I wish Serrano talked a little less about the character, toughness, and relentlessness of this team. I'm glad he likes his guys, but I worry that he's creating unrealistic expectations of what is likely to happen this year.

I have said from day one we won't know what CDS can do until 2015. That's when his crop of 2013 high school graduates play as sophomores and we'll get a realistic sense of whether he can get this team to the upper half of the conference.

It would be great if we can finish ahead of Mizzou this year. It would be awesome if somebody else unexpectedly stumbles (like Georgia, maybe) and lets us sneak in to Hoover. But I think we're probably going to need two years of patience before it will be time to get excited.
Click to expand...

Very good post. I agree with everything except I think next year is fair to judge DS. This season will tell us next to nothing about where this program is heading
 
#404
#404
ShowmeVols said:
I don"t think we should judge this team at all.

When Serrano was hired in June, 2011, nearly all the SEC-caliber prospects graduating high school in 2012 had already verbally committed. Even so, he put together a pretty good class of late commits and JUCO transfers. To do this, he had to settle for some below-the-radar pitching prospects and a few athletic but raw position players. He also had to assume more draft risk than he probably wanted, and unfortunatel that cost him when he lost his two most game-ready pitching prospects to the pros.

The good news is he did bring in some guys who have tools worth developing. The bad news is they have to compete right away in a conference that will expose everyone who isn't ready now.

I think it is setting everyone up for disappointment to expect their in-season improvement to reflect in conference wins and losses this year. Very few of our players could win the same role they have on the Vols with any team in the top half of the conference. In most conference games, there will be a 5 mph difference between the pitches our guys have to hit and pitches their guys will see. Serrano will work such magic as he can by improving everyone's change-up but he can't change the fact that it's easier to adjust to a change-up off an 85-88 fastball than one set up by 90-93. These differences will take their toll over the long haul.

I wish Serrano talked a little less about the character, toughness, and relentlessness of this team. I'm glad he likes his guys, but I worry that he's creating unrealistic expectations of what is likely to happen this year.

I have said from day one we won't know what CDS can do until 2015. That's when his crop of 2013 high school graduates play as sophomores and we'll get a realistic sense of whether he can get this team to the upper half of the conference.

It would be great if we can finish ahead of Mizzou this year. It would be awesome if somebody else unexpectedly stumbles (like Georgia, maybe) and lets us sneak in to Hoover. But I think we're probably going to need two years of patience before it will be time to get excited.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think most rational people understand that the whole face of the program needed changing. I believe CDS, given time will be successful. It does take time and I actually like the young mixture of freshmen and juco's he brought in this year. It's not an overnight fix and we will definitely take some lumps this year.
 
#407
#407
No...his tweet is the only info that confirms something was even wrong with his arm. It would be nice for the beat writer to ask this most obvious question.
 
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