Portal News 2024

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Tech players that are in the portal:
RHP Nick Fraginals
RHP Will Melby
LHP Haydan Toal
C Karson Evans

I don’t think there are any huge surprises so far as the pitchers listed never really played. As for Evans, he just didn’t seem to get a chance this year except for when Corona was physically unable. Even when Jorge was probably too tired to really play his position well Burroughs still wouldn’t put Evans in. I wonder though if he’s leaving by choice or if he was told he should. Tech has a lot of big shoes to fill.

[techman05]

Can we check to see if anyone from LSU-Eunice has eligibility left?

[PawDawg]

My guess is that Evans has his Summer Ball thing planned and is hoping he can catch on with somebody who needs a catcher and can get some consistent plate appearances.

He makes the third catcher we've lost (not all to the portal) who were solid behind the plate.

It's impossible to beat out a guy who hits for power, averages in the upper .200s, and has a cannon arm for four years.

That position will be a normal rotation for at least a couple of years.

[dawg80]

Yep, Evans should have seen more playing time. Corona could have used some breaks during the season. As I have posted Big Jorge was my favorite player. Game after game, inning after inning, steady, dependable, a true warrior. Of course he wanted to play all the time, but LB should have acted as head coach and inserted Evans, sometimes around the 6th or 7th inning of a game, and Evans should have gotten some starts too.

Gonna be a brand new team next year. This is where LB demonstrates he should keep his job, can he build a winning squad practically from scratch?

Gavin Nix (or Nicks?) from Rummel is still a Tech commit the last I heard. He played 3rd base in high school and usually hit 5th in the lineup. Wish we could have signed one of Rummel's top pitchers, but Tulane signed them both. Tulane will be in Omaha in the next couple of years with those two on their staff.

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Tech could probably recruit better pitchers and keep the ones that do come here if the team was known to a have a pitching coach capable of furthering the development of its pitchers. Everyone knows Fouts isn’t that guy and he’s not going to be that guy. He’s already proven that with years under his belt. It’s time for a change. Burroughs has to get full on serious about managing his team at a higher level of coaching performance which would make his recruiting job somewhat less critical. Generally speaking Tech has way too many players sitting on the bench getting moldy instead of learning how to play the game better.

[sportdawg]

@BleedTechBlue · 17h


The #DiamondDogs landed their first transfer portal commitment of the off-season when Baylor C/1B Zach Mazoch (@ZacharyMazoch2) committed to the program on Monday.


Mazoch hit .299 with 2 HR and 17 RBI for the Bears in 2024.

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

I saw that. I like that he’s a C/1st base option because right now both of those positions are wide open for whoever proves to be competent. Thankfully at this point Berch, Drost and Safford haven’t attempted to lay claim to those spots, but who knows, they may yet.

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Add our 2 year bench sitter pitcher Porche as an another guy portaling out. That makes 4 of Fouts’ prior years pitching recruits who never made it into much of an actual on the field pitching role. Fouts simply isn’t doing the job he’s paid to do at a level needed for Tech.

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

Some info from BTB…
Unfortunately after checking the Tech player stats from the summer league teams that are actually playing nobody is doing particularly well except of course for Comeaux, who at last look was batting .500. In some cases I don’t even see that our players have actually reported to their respective teams to play.

Jake Smith - Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators - Texas Collegiate League

Hayden Harmon - Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators - Texas Collegiate League

Jake LaRocca - Acadiana Cane Cutters - Texas Collegiate League

Reid Snider - Acadiana Cane Cutters - Texas Collegiate League

CJ Sturiale - Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators - Texas Collegiate League

Nick Alonso - Minot Hot Tots - Northwoods League

Luke Nichols - Hyannis Harbor Hawks - Cape Cod Baseball League

Matt Houston - Jackson Rockabillys - Prospect League

Blake Hooks - Upper Valley Nighthawks - New England Collegiate League

Mike Ballard - Upper Valley Nighthawks - New England Collegiate League

Nate Crider - Upper Valley Nighthawks - New England Collegiate League

Reece Tarini - Greenville Yard Gnomes - Coastal Plains League

Connor Nation - Holly Springs Salamanders - Coastal Plains League

Colton Coates - Danville Dans - Prospect League

Jacob Havern - Danville Dans - Prospect League

Grant Comeaux - Danville Dans - Prospect League

Hutson Guinn - Orlando Snappers - Florida Collegiate League

Zach Mazoch - Waterloo Bucks - Northwoods League

[revf]

There’s a reason why neither of our assistant coaches have offers and it’s not because they “love Ruston”

[Dwayne From Minden]

Gaspard is retiring - has sold his in Ruston

Fouts is basically moving into his role and still in charge of recruiting

Miller is taking on pitchers and catchers after splitting it with Fouts last year

McLeod has been added to the staff

[techman05]

How do you feel about that?

[Bone_afide_Dawg]

It sounds like Tech is maintaining its thinking small mentality which means that for years now it seems like Tech’s players are better than their coaches. I don’t have a problem with former players coaching at Tech as long as they’re learning to coach somewhere else in the offseason.

[techman05]

Perfect opportunity blown to get a pitching coach.

[Dwayne From Minden]

How do you feel about that?

When you take a couple of steps back and view it through unbiased lenses, it is hard to argue with the results given his track record the last 3 of 4 years (and I think if McConnell is eligible in 2023 that record is a lot different)

I remember in 2021 folks wanted to run Silva out of town on here as pitching coach

LB ain't changing after 8 years