IPS LIVE: NC State Baseball Talk

Preston Bonn is currently batting .172 in summer ball. I think we're going to get the UTK at catcher whether we like it or not (unless Decarlo is a stud). Also Head has to stay in the lineup the dude makes espn top 10 plays every series. I view Head as untouchable and I'm kinda surprised he's not playing in the sec this year.

McHugh is going to get that first crack at LF, especially after his summer ball reps in the OF.

IMO Bargo is going to start in the IF (3B) or C to start the year...

Agreed that if Bargo can play C that would be a deadly lineup 1-9

Hm

5thyear said:

---

Preston Bonn is currently batting .172 in summer ball. I think we're going to get the UTK at catcher whether we like it or not (unless Decarlo is a stud). Also Head has to stay in the lineup the dude makes espn top 10 plays every series. I view Head as untouchable and I'm kinda surprised he's not playing in the sec this year.

---

Don't even think Bonn was listed on the pod. It was Lanphere or Bargo.

I don't see how a dude who has barely caught in 3 years could be even below average back there, but if he is.... that lineup would be serious if he could catch.

Mandras said:

---

Nixon (2B)
Mchugh (LF)
Wiggins (DH) (plz hit the ball in the air)
Bargo (C) (plz be decent at catching)
Novy (1B)
Head (CF)
Fraasman/Mitchell (RF) --> Fraasman could still transfer after fall ball unfortunately. Hope he doesn't
Peifer (3B)
Johnson/Ryan (SS)

Mitchell, Lanphere, Ryan, DeCarlo off the bench...

Omaha?

---

This the correct take.

Still a few things that have to go right but there's potential there.

Hm

I remember Avent talking up Lamphere last year before the season. You can tell they love him. Personally, I don't see it, but I'd bet my next paycheck it's Lamphere back there the majority of the year.

I don't hate McHugh or Fraasman, but if those two are both batting top 5 in the lineup next season like James says then I think we missed on a few of these transfers. Also, I like Ty Head a lot. He brings energy.

Nixon
Head
Wiggins
Bargo
McHugh
Pfeiffer
Mitchell/Fraasman
Novy
Johnson

Yes drew should be the number 1 Catcher on the depth chart

He will be batting 3th lol

Yes. Don't get me wrong. Good player. Absolutley should be in the lineup, but if we're hoping for Omaha (I am) then I don't think he should be the 3 hole hitter in that lineup. Where would you rank him as a hitter with this group that led us to Omaha:

Cozart
Amak
Pennington
Serrano
Butterworth

Personally, I'd have all of those guys ahead of McHugh in the lineup.

DJncsu13 said:

---

Yes. Don't get me wrong. Good player. Absolutley should be in the lineup, but if we're hoping for Omaha (I am) then I don't think he should be the 3 hole hitter in that lineup. Where would you rank him as a hitter with this group that led us to Omaha:

Cozart
Amak
Pennington
Serrano
Butterworth

Personally, I'd have all of those guys ahead of McHugh in the lineup.

---

McHugh is absolutely a better hitter than Serrano and Butterworth and it's not even particularly close. Sophomore McHugh had a .995 OPS, soph Cozart had .938 OPS and 1.038 OPS as a junior, so he is ahead of Cozart at the same stage

Those dudes were all upperclassmen, and all saw a pretty big jump in production in their third or forth years. I'm looking forward to seeing what a junior year looks like from McHugh.

Man I hope you're right…I didn't see that this year. Those other guys are stars/possible big leaguers. You see that with McHugh? Like irreplaceable in the lineup? What about Fraasman?

No doubt. It feels like I'm dumping on McHugh. I'm not. James had him as the 3 hitter and first lineup pick in the podcast and I'm just responding to that. Maybe I'm old school, but the three hitter used to be the best hitter on the team. Hoping for a 20HR hitter hitting .375 for the 3 hole.

I think people forget how good Butters was, especially second half of the season. There was a stretch where I'd have rather had him at the plate than anybody else on the team. He was dialed in. And he brought great energy to the team.

DJncsu13 said:

---

No doubt. It feels like I'm dumping on McHugh. I'm not. James had him as the 3 hitter and first lineup pick in the podcast and I'm just responding to that. Maybe I'm old school, but the three hitter used to be the best hitter on the team. Hoping for a 20HR hitter somewhere in the lineup hitting .375 for the 3 hole.

---

2 hole is now where you put your best hitter for the most part.

That was Gino in '22 and '23, Garrett Pennington in '24 and McHugh in '25. I wouldn't be surprised to see McHugh stay in that spot to start the year next year.

You want a guy that could hit 15-20 bombs, well that's Fraasman. He's got some big time pop and if he's around in '26, I'd expect a much better approach at the plate from him in year two facing ACC pitching.

Brayden and Bargo bring some pop to the lineup.

DJncsu13 said:

---

I think people forget how good Butters was, especially second half of the season. There was a stretch where I'd have rather had him at the plate than anybody else on the team. He was dialed in. And he brought great energy to the team.

---

Butters was a very good college SS, but (and I mean this as nicely as I possibly can mean it) I think you're romanticizing his ability at the plate just a lil bit.

I'm not trying to knock Butters and I'm loving the success he's having on the pro level so far.

CLTWolf said:

---

DJncsu13 said:

---

I think people forget how good Butters was, especially second half of the season. There was a stretch where I'd have rather had him at the plate than anybody else on the team. He was dialed in. And he brought great energy to the team.

---

Butters was a very good college SS, but (and I mean this as nicely as I possibly can mean it) I think you're romanticizing his ability at the plate just a lil bit.

I'm not trying to knock Butters and I'm loving the success he's having on the pro level so far.

---

It's easy to forget that that team reached the CWS in part because some of those dudes really hit their strides at the end of the year, not because they were dominant all year. In particular the emergence of Serrano and Cozart. I was watching those super regional games just the other day thinking about how much Eli contributed that series and how important he was. Hell, even as good as AMac was, he didn't reach the 20 HR mark until the post season.