ClassofClyde wrote: We really are not that young of a team.  That being said, Conde and Harrell will have to improve dramatically at the plate.  We need Harrell to recapture his Omaha form.  Would like to see Tony Kemp return to left field, although he was certainly a defensive star at second last year.  Would be nice to be able to clone him.

The issue is really not youth, but quality.  Pec, Beede and Ziomek are solid, but must yet prove they are Omaha-class on the mound.  We'll need to find a stopper in the 'pen.  Must hope we get some help from newcomers and...

stay injury-free.

All that being said, it's hard to escape the feeling that the shy's the limit.

Merry Christmas to all.

I agree.  Although the staff has been solid, it hasn't been spectacular.  For several years previously we became spoiled and got accustomed to spectacular (Price, Minor, Gray), we'd go in to Friday night with the confidence that we'd get a shutout or only give up a run or two and we'd win most of those games which, of course, sets a nice pattern for the rest of the weekend. 

Maybe Pec will be back in the prime form he was a couple years ago now that he's had more than a year to recover from his surgery.  He started looking sharp towards the end of the season last year and that was encouraging, but had to take the summer off.  Some people come back stronger than before, but sometimes they don't (Casey Weathers in the Pros, for example).  Will we get spectacular from our weekend pitchers? 

There's also a large number of great prospects who are sophomores and freshmen, I wonder if any of the young arms might come through as a dominant pitcher this year or maybe next...for the sophomores, this is the year to start showing signs of spectacular.