Getting going around 10:30 with DVH. Should be an informative presser.
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VIDEO/UPDATES: Dave Van Horn's first offseason press conference
- Thread starter masonchoate
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DVH, on how he's filling needs: It's just a couple. It's not like you're gonna have a lineup of really good runners or run-scorers than producers. You've seen it in the tournament, you got to hit the home run. But you got to have athletes in there, we're working on that. Definitely something we feel like we're addressing. We have to deal with, in some cases, the draft. For the most part it looks like we're going to get these guys.
DVH, on retaining guys: I don't feel like guys wanna leave here. We have a lot going on here that helps kids get better. I feel real good about the guys that are coming back. The guys leaving were expected.
DVH, on getting better at portal recruiting each offseason: College baseball, it's super popular right now. The players get better, older, stronger and it's because you get to jump around. You have this window right now where you can fill in. There's some teams that have a lot more NIL money than other teams. Those teams that have it, are doing really well. We have to deal with that. We want to bring in the players that all aren't about the money. We'd like to get one or two here and there, but you got to get the right one.
DVH, on young pitchers: We say it every year here, we're still gonna try to build this program around younger players. Last year the draft crushed us with position players. If Hunter Dietz and Colin Fisher could have stayed healthy, who knew where we would've been. Bullpen was good. It's good to see Tate McGuire have two good outings in the Cape. Bybee, Wood throwing good. Obviously Gaeckle, he rose to the top. We feel like we have a couple high school arms coming in, some older guys.
DVH, on how many more transfers: We're still pretty active honestly, but I can't put a number on it. Because there's fixing to be a lot more movement, in Texas. You're talking a lot of money, a lot. I don't think people realize what's gone on in the NIL scene. It's never over because of that draft, which should've been last week.
DVH, on own players getting drafted: We start with the young guys. Few of the position players have to make decisions. Two or three of the pitchers for sure. The draft this year is really strong in the first round and then after that, it's not the same as it was last year. Could help some kids get moved up, offered more money. I don't know how it'll affect us. We do the best we can to talk to the young guys to get an idea of what they're looking for.
Obviously Smith is the cream of the crop, he'll go in the top 10 picks. After that, you're talking about a couple starting pitchers, hard to say where they'll go. It's exciting for the draft to get here and then we can finish our roster. I like where we're at right now.
Obviously Smith is the cream of the crop, he'll go in the top 10 picks. After that, you're talking about a couple starting pitchers, hard to say where they'll go. It's exciting for the draft to get here and then we can finish our roster. I like where we're at right now.
It's good to see him course-correct on that statement. Was a super weird one after the tournament.
Impossible. I was reliably informed by the good people of Hawgbert that Dave intended to recreate the 1982 St Louis Cardinals.
Feels more like a clarification of his remarks rather than a course correction, but either way it's good to hear.
DVH, on SEC representation in CWS: I thought Texas A&M was the best team we played all season by far. I thought Florida was great, just wasn't playing well. They got it going late. We didn't play Tennessee. I think Tennessee has the best pro talent. We got sent a survey, I picked Tennessee (to win it). You've got to be a little lucky, injury free. I thought the SEC did a great job. Kentucky was really solid. Hard to beat. Tennessee, incredibly talented. Brought a banging third baseman from Clemson, a few others. The league we play in is amazing. This year, we just didn't play well at the end of the year. No talking around it. It was disappointing the way we finished.
DVH: I wanted to see Tennessee win. Vitello coached here, Elander. Bonfield played here. Happy for those guys.
Yea I’m with you. I don’t think he ever thought HRs weren’t important. Just that they can’t live and die by it.
DVH, on Vitello's comments on him/the program: I really appreciate it. It's bitter sweet because they won it, we didn't. People are happy there, not happy here. We try to develop people. Players into men, and on the coaching side, have these guys go out and be successful. Even Andy Sawyer at SEMO. I appreciate that a lot.
DVH, on Schloss going to Texas: We knew he was buddies with Del Conte at Texas. We knew three weeks ago they were going to let go of their head coach. Turmoil within the program. Am I surprised? Not really. But then again I am. A&M was going to make a lot of commitments to their program. A lot of players to recruit (in Texas). I don't know. It's a tough situation when you jump from one school to another right down the road that hate each other.
DVH, on Foutch/Gaeckle: Just being around USA baseball, it means a lot. Been invovled with them two different times. The guys I got to coach, they're all over the majors now. Gaeckle will be a big leaguer one day, Foutch can be a big leaguer. Foutch had something with his arm, we're gonna rest him. He had an incredible year. Gaeckle, all indications are he'll be a starter for us.
DVH, on summer ball development: It's big, especially if a guy doesn't pitch a lot. I look at Tate McGuire. Things didn't go well in the fall, but we always thought he was going to be good. We all saw two weeks with Nolan Souza where we thought he was going to be the next guy, but then it went away. So him getting at-bats is big.
DVH, on Hagen Smith/draft players and the process: Stay focused, stay in shape. Don't take time off now. If you're a pitcher, throw your bullpens. A guy like Hagen, when they get him and he throws a bullpen in front of them, they're going to go 'wow.' They may just say, 'throw him in the bullpen up there.' Just stay focused and ready to go. Right now, they're having discussions with various scouts. Some went to the combine. Sometimes it helps you, sometimes it doesn't.
DVH, on Gaeckle moving to rotation: We were building him up. He was our best bullpen arm, can field his position as well as anybody. If we would have got through the regional, he might've been in the rotation for the super. With Team USA, the most they'll throw is 2 or 3 innings. When he gets back here, start training and get ready for fall. Fall will be big this year for our team. We're going to start early and finish early. There's a reason for that. The last couple of days we're going to play out of state against some teams.
Foutch is being shut down with some soreness.
DVH, on Nolan Souza's ideal position: He's a good fielder. Playing 3B this summer, played some 2B. We had him working in the outfield. With his speed, he can really run. Right there with Wilmsmeyer last year. Ideally, maybe in the infield. He looks like a big league right fielder, maybe a big league third baseman as well. He's out working on the dirt so to speak.
DVH, on what schools portal kids come from: I would have to say 9/10 times it's huge. Not where they play, but their character. Are they a good teammate? We do call the coach from the school they're leaving. We try to get as much feedback to know what we're getting. It's a big part of it.
DVH, on Peyton Stovall, Hudson White: Peyton had a great year offensively. He did almost all his hitting from conference on. He did a great job. Played outstanding second base, arm still isn't 100% back. His better days are in front of him. When he gets older, stronger, really healthy, he can play for a long time. I thought White down the stretch, he was really swinging the bat well. Catching well, throwing the ball better than ever. He hit like that in the fall. Team ranked him as the No. 1 hitter. I think White will be drafted.
To be a fly on the wall when he called Tadlock...
DVH, on Molina and Tygart: I think they'll both be drafted, I just don't know where. I think someone will draft them. We have them mentally signing, on our mind they're signing.
DVH, on Diggs and Faherty: I feel like somebody is gonna draft Faherty, what a great arm. Super low ERA. We knew this was going to happen for him. When he walked in the door, big arm, really raw. Just baseball. But as far as baseball, no one has ever really hit him here. He's hit people. But he did what we thought he was gonna do.
You look at Kendall's year, first 14 games he's hitting upper .300's. When he slid head first on a wet field and he hurt that shoulder, we all groaned in the dugout. It's a complete tear in the labrum. He's in the process of getting lined up to get surgery. He can still sign, still be drafted and I think somebody might draft him. We'd love to have him back, he'd miss all fall. Non-throwing shoulder. How tough was he to play all year with that injury? He just played through it. It really hurt his offense, altered his swing, took away some quickness. I got to give credit to him. I hope we have an opportunity to coach him again. I think if he comes back, he'll have a chance to play outfield, DH, who's to say he can't play infield? I'll talk to him in the next day or two about some things.
You look at Kendall's year, first 14 games he's hitting upper .300's. When he slid head first on a wet field and he hurt that shoulder, we all groaned in the dugout. It's a complete tear in the labrum. He's in the process of getting lined up to get surgery. He can still sign, still be drafted and I think somebody might draft him. We'd love to have him back, he'd miss all fall. Non-throwing shoulder. How tough was he to play all year with that injury? He just played through it. It really hurt his offense, altered his swing, took away some quickness. I got to give credit to him. I hope we have an opportunity to coach him again. I think if he comes back, he'll have a chance to play outfield, DH, who's to say he can't play infield? I'll talk to him in the next day or two about some things.
Again, Van Horn reiterates that Colin Fisher did not tear his UCL. It's been reported by others that he did, which is incorrect and irresponsible.
So Kendall had a torn labrum? After this happening with Stovall last year, why didn't they know it was torn, and to shut him down.
It does give you hope that if he comes back, he would be a completely different player. Stovall, in 2023 before and after the injury was a 180. Same as Diggs. And obviously Stovall was a much, much better hitter this season.
It does give you hope that if he comes back, he would be a completely different player. Stovall, in 2023 before and after the injury was a 180. Same as Diggs. And obviously Stovall was a much, much better hitter this season.
DVH, on Dossett, Dietz and Hachman: With Dietz, letting that bone heal around that screw. Staying in shape, he's back home in Florida. Not quite sure if he's started throwin again. We got to get him healthy and he pitched so good a little while last fall.
Hachman, really hard thrower, needs to be a pitcher. We're still figuring that one out. In the next month, we should know where that one's at. Dossett, he's here. No surgery. He's just to get strong. He was really scared when it happened. I think mentally he's okay now. If he stays healthy, he's going to be really good. Works extremely hard.
DVH also says Colin Fisher is here, working out and ahead of schedule. Every indication is that the arm looks good. All goes good he should be pitching in the spring.
Hachman, really hard thrower, needs to be a pitcher. We're still figuring that one out. In the next month, we should know where that one's at. Dossett, he's here. No surgery. He's just to get strong. He was really scared when it happened. I think mentally he's okay now. If he stays healthy, he's going to be really good. Works extremely hard.
DVH also says Colin Fisher is here, working out and ahead of schedule. Every indication is that the arm looks good. All goes good he should be pitching in the spring.
I’ll take a healthy Diggs back. Worst case can be your DH and play some 1B.
There is actually some really good info in here. Thank you for transcribing so I can read at my leisure!
if we can pull in top-5 portal classes year after year, and are poor, then we have the best recruiters on the planet.
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