How Would You Change the Baseball Program?

[BLUE collar]

Well, whatever we're doing it's not working. I know that if I had to throw all summer and during fall/winter workouts my arm's going to feel like a wet noodle too. Something's got to give.

The problem is that when these kids go to their respective summer teams, they get out of a routine, and often become overworked. Believe it or not, Tech watches the amount of stress that pitchers in particular put on their arms through the school year. They aren't allowed to bench using a bar, but rather they do it using dumbells, to reduce the stress on the interior muscles and ligaments of the shoulder and arms. Pitchers are watched strenuously during throwing to maintain that arms are not being over-used. However, for kids coming out of high school or coming back from summer, there is no way of truly knowing the stress put on a guy's shoulder. For instance, take a guy that is signed out of a smaller high school, 2A even 3A and down, in some instances their high school coach may rely on them to throw every game or every other game, which can mean anywhere from 2 days rest to 4 days rest. Without the right kind of conditioning and throwing program, a kid can likely begin damaging their arm long before they reach Tech, add summer programs where kids are not only pitching, but often-times throwing as a position player, and arms are not in that great of shape when the rigors of a 50+ game schedule hit in college. Now you may ask yourself, "Why does it seem like the likes of LSU/Florida/CSF/ UCLA doesn't run into this problem?" Well to be blunt, they ususally get guys that are out of higher level high schools, schools that operate on a level more closely comparable to a college, or they sign kids that have had a "pitching coach" for the better part of their lives. I am open to any other explainations or expansions on this theory... just giving my insight.

[PawDawg]

The problem is that when these kids go to their respective summer teams, they get out of a routine, and often become overworked. Believe it or not, Tech watches the amount of stress that pitchers in particular put on their arms through the school year. They aren't allowed to bench using a bar, but rather they do it using dumbells, to reduce the stress on the interior muscles and ligaments of the shoulder and arms. Pitchers are watched strenuously during throwing to maintain that arms are not being over-used. However, for kids coming out of high school or coming back from summer, there is no way of truly knowing the stress put on a guy's shoulder. For instance, take a guy that is signed out of a smaller high school, 2A even 3A and down, in some instances their high school coach may rely on them to throw every game or every other game, which can mean anywhere from 2 days rest to 4 days rest. Without the right kind of conditioning and throwing program, a kid can likely begin damaging their arm long before they reach Tech, add summer programs where kids are not only pitching, but often-times throwing as a position player, and arms are not in that great of shape when the rigors of a 50+ game schedule hit in college. Now you may ask yourself, "Why does it seem like the likes of LSU/Florida/CSF/ UCLA doesn't run into this problem?" Well to be blunt, they ususally get guys that are out of higher level high schools, schools that operate on a level more closely comparable to a college, or they sign kids that have had a "pitching coach" for the better part of their lives. I am open to any other explainations or expansions on this theory... just giving my insight.

Look a little closer at when our injuries have occured.

[DawgFight71]

For instance, take a guy that is signed out of a smaller high school, 2A even 3A and down, in some instances their high school coach may rely on them to throw every game or every other game, which can mean anywhere from 2 days rest to 4 days rest. Without the right kind of conditioning and throwing program, a kid can likely begin damaging their arm long before they reach Tech, add summer programs where kids are not only pitching, but often-times throwing as a position player, and arms are not in that great of shape when the rigors of a 50+ game schedule hit in college.

I think this is the major reason we always have arm problems. Most of the guys we recruit are probably over worked before they even walk on campus and then when you factor in some bad breaks and resulting injuries you get a very depleted pitching staff that has to work overtime to make up the difference. It's kind of a vicious cycle.

[PawDawg]

I think this is the major reason we always have arm problems. Most of the guys we recruit are probably over worked before they even walk on campus and then when you factor in some bad breaks and resulting injuries you get a very depleted pitching staff that has to work overtime to make up the difference. It's kind of a vicious cycle.

Sounds good though.

[mentechsters]

4 game series doesn't help.

[Rooster]

I think this is the major reason we always have arm problems. Most of the guys we recruit are probably over worked before they even walk on campus and then when you factor in some bad breaks and resulting injuries you get a very depleted pitching staff that has to work overtime to make up the difference. It's kind of a vicious cycle.

We aren't the only college recruiting high school kids...it seems that last 5-6 years we have had more than the average amount of injuries for pitchers. Every college deals with arm issues

[Designated Hitter]

Don't do a road trip like the one they just finished with 4 games at Baylor before 3 games at Rice. Play only one of them a season and no more than 3 games or go play U. Houston. Keep trying to schedule ULL, Southern Miss, etc. home and away series over every 2 years.

[Designated Hitter]

Be able to generate some runs and hit for better average against above average teams. I don't care what they can score against Alcorn, Grambling, Nichols, etc. This offense is struggling big time whe outside short fences at home.

[Woods Dawg]

Be able to generate some runs and hit for better average against above average teams. I don't care what they can score against Alcorn, Grambling, Nichols, etc. This offense is struggling big time whe outside short fences at home.

Its seems like everyone, except for maybe Trelkeld, is having a worse year this year than last year. Can the new bats be making that much difference?

[mentechsters]

Its seems like everyone, except for maybe Trelkeld, is having a worse year this year than last year. Can the new bats be making that much difference?

Yes. The new bats have made a drastic change to college baseball.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=6232833

[PawDawg]

Old news, but nlulm and lafayette won't play us. We should be able to win one of 3 or 4 on the road against Baylor or Rice. We got smoked.

[Rooster]

Old news, but nlulm and lafayette won't play us. We should be able to win one of 3 or 4 on the road against Baylor or Rice. We got smoked.

Should be able to win at least 1

[WonderDawg]

It is good to hear that the new bats are part of our problem. If Rice had the old bats we wouold have lost by 40. Our problem is one of two things. Poor recuiting or Poor coaching. Or possibly some of each.

[Ktulu7]

It is good to hear that the new bats are part of our problem. If Rice had the old bats we wouold have lost by 40. Our problem is one of two things. Poor recuiting or Poor coaching. Or possibly some of each.

This can be part of the arm problem as well. I play baseball and manage a team, and can tell you that some guys create their own arm problems for sure, throwing even though they're not supposed to. We could be recruiting immature guys or those that are poorly coached in high school, as has previously been alluded to. There's no excuse for most of our starters ruining their arms over the summer. If they knew what they were doing in the first place, they wouldn't be out there throwing like maniacs all summer. It's simply irresponsible. Recruiting is as much about physical athletics as it is about how smart a kid is. Those are just my two cents anyway...

[hachiman]

There is no exact formula to prevent arm injuries. I know guys that had bad bodies and did not take care of themselves that never had arm problems, I also know guys that worked hard and took care of their arms only to have TJ or other injuries. I personally did not take good care of my arm, one summer while in college i took the mound without stretching and only throwing a few as hard as I could in the bullpen(dumb I know) and I never had any kind of injury to my throwing arm. Most arm injuries of guys that I played with were not anybody's fault. Shit happens when you fling a ball as hard as you can in a unnatural movement time after time again.