Draft Pick Discussion, Rounds 6-20

[Madtown Bomber]

agreed pitchfan, The majority of the guys they are selecting to have good power arms. Will be interesting where they put everyone coming out of the rookie camp next weekend.

[YostInfection]

This is just amazing. This is going to be one huge influx of pitching into the organization. I just wonder where they will find room for them all.

Based on some of these stats, I can see a need rather quickly in West Virginia:

 

15th out of 16 in ERA

11th out of 16 in WHIP

11th out of 16 in BBA

 

Be interesing to see if any of these draftees head there. Love what Jack Z and his crew are doing thus far. Grab a couple impact bats early, a few HS impact arms, and round it out with college pitchers who can contribute a bit quicker at the upper levels.

[ktown21]

Here's another tidbit I got from a UNC baseball fan in regards to my earlier post on Wooten at the bottom of pg. 1 of this topic:

 

"That was a great summary of Wooten. Would just add that he has a rubber arm and can pitch almost everyday. As far as velocity, his fastball sits right around the 90 mph mark. He has 2 great pitches(slider, split) and 2 or 3 very good ones. It will be interesting to see how the Brewer's utilize his tools. I think he could be a steal in the 13th round."

[jackalope02ca]

I wonder if this is going to make it tough to sign some of these guys in high school or with college eligibility left. I'm speaking of the pitchers. That's a lot of competition. I wouldn't want to make a bad start in Helena this year. There could be 20 guys lined up behind you waiting for an opening.

[MillerParkSouth]

when you get down into the late teens rounds, how signable are these guys? i can't imagine all of them will ink deals, but what % usually will join the organization?

[TheCrew07]

Depends on the money I'm sure, I didn't think Scarpetta would sign last year, and he was an 11 or so. Once the draft hits the upper teens I'm pretty much done following it, with no draft and follow it doesn't seem like those picks here late on day 2 have much of a shot.

[bork]

I don't know about who the Brewers left behind at Extended Spring Training but I sure hope they are position players cause we hardly drafted any so far. 20 rounds to do that but wow we are going pitching nuts so far.

They drafted quite a few young position players last year. I count at least 8 position players from last year's draft, who are in extended spring training. Plus the latin players. Plus the postition players they did draft so far are mainly SS/CF types who are easy to move to other positions. Although it will be different without the usual mashing college hitters at Helena.

[Greg Vaughn]

MillerParkSouth[/b]]when you get down into the late teens rounds, how signable are these guys? i can't imagine all of them will ink deals, but what % usually will join the organization?

 

One of my buddies was drafted into the D-Rays organization as a pitcher, with the 1st pick in the 15th round. He got something around a $40,000 signing bonus and a minor yearly check.

 

He was a 2nd year JUCO pitcher.

 

I think when you get down to these rounds the people you sign REALLY have to want to get thier pro careers going. A $40,000 signing bonus really isn't that large considering we are talking about your future.

[foamboy1]

How is it possible for them to use all these arms? I'm excited that we are making a commitment to pitching...but where do all these guys play?

 

Edit: noticed this question has been asked a couple of times already.

[DHonks]

I just spoke with a former Santa Clara Athletics Dept employee and he says that Willinsky throws gas, but hittable gas. He throws low 90s, maybe harder, but that usually when someone makes contact, it goes a long way. Also, said he was inelligible for his soph season due to a team infraction. Perhaps it was alcohol, perhaps academics. My friend couldn't remember.

[DHonks]

Also, with no DFE, this is interesting to see so many pitchers. Looks like we'll be piggy-backing a lot of guys, and it puts pressure on all of West Virginia's staff.

[BoKnowsBall]

Komatsu just hit a 2 run homerun in the 8th but CSF is still down 1

[Never Outhustled]

BA had Willinsky as there #198th prospect. Inconsistent power reliever.

[Bambis Bombers]

Here's a 2007 article about Erik Komatsu's long path to Cal State - Fullerton. He had a torn labrum in high school. He also played in the Northwoods League in 2006.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Hillcrest duo drafted by Brewers

By Andrew Carroll Sports Writer, Tuscaloosa (AL) News

 

Blake Billings and Wayne Dedrick, who helped Hillcrest High School win the Class 6A baseball championship last year, have been drafted by the same team.

 

The Milwaukee Brewers picked Billings, a 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher, in the 19th round. Dedrick, a 6-2 third baseman, went in the 30th round.

 

Billings has signed to play for Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa. Dedrick has signed to play basketball for Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. Dedrick, a guard, was named the most valuable player in the AHSAA Class 6A Tournament as the Patriots claimed the school's first basketball championship in February.

Billings was eating lunch at a restaurant in Boston when he got the call. He made the trip with his brother, Brett, and Hillcrest teammates Bryant Wilson and J.T. Watkins. The four planned to watch the Red Sox play on Friday night.

 

"I was pretty excited," Billings said. "This is something I worked on and tried to accomplish, and I finally did it. The round really was not a big issue with me. It just means a lot to anybody who wants to make to big leagues. When they get drafted, it's got to be the greatest feeling in the world."

 

Dedrick, who has enrolled in summer school, took his call in Nashville.

 

"I just got through lifting weights, and one of the scouts called me and told me I got drafted," Dedrick said. "I had my mind set on playing college basketball, and this opportunity came along. I really don't know what I'm going to do."

 

Billings knows he has an opportunity to pitch at Shelton State, which made back-to-back trips to the JUCO World Series in Colorado. Shelton State coach Bobby Sprowl lost 16 sophomores off this year's team, and only two freshmen gained experience as pitchers.

 

"Right now it's really too early to tell," Billings said. "If I sign, I think I'll go to Arizona in their rookie ball organization.

 

"The good news is that I got my college out of the way and didn't have to worry about that during the season. I know that I would be going to a good program. Coach Sprowl has won a lot over past two years. I know he'll continue to win.

 

Billings posted a 10-3 record and a 1.52 ERA during his senior year. He struck out 112 batters in 92 1?3 innings and finished with three shutouts and one no-hitter.

 

Billings can throw a fastball, changeup, curveball and split-fingered fastball for strikes, but he said his main attribute is locating his pitches.

 

"Coach (Todd) Agee (head coach) pulled me up when I was a sophomore and gave me the opportunity to pitch for the varsity," Billings said. "Again, that was a big step in my career. Coach (Jeff) Hinton (assistant) and I worked a lot together the last three years. He taught me a lot about pitching."

 

Billings pitched a complete game in five innings when the Patriots beat Russell County 19-4 to close out the 2007 championship series.

 

"Blake received the reward for the work that he put in," Agee said. "We knew he was going to be our workhorse on the mound this year. He had the velocity, but what made him such an effective pitcher was that he could throw four pitches for strikes. He had pinpoint control."

 

Dedrick hit .402 with six home runs, 11 doubles, two triples and 22 RBIs. He also stole 12 bases.

 

Playing for basketball coach Scott Suttles, Dedrick scored 25 points against LeFlore in the AHSAA semifinals. He scored 30 as Hillcrest won the title with a 66-55 victory over Homewood.

 

"Wayne's athleticism is what caught the scouts' eyes," Agee said. "When he's in a big game, he turns it up another gear.

 

"Both of them deserve what they're getting. I wish the best for both of them in the future.

 

Dedrick said he started playing baseball because his dad enjoyed the sport.

 

"To tell you the truth, I didn't really like baseball early on," he said. "I knew my dad loved it. This year I started falling in love with it.

 

"Being at Hillcrest, I felt like the luckiest kid in the world. I've pretty much been around great people and great coaches. They knew what they were doing, and they cared about their players. I'm used to winning now, and I know what it takes to win. The hard work the coaches put us through gave me the opportunities I've had. And my parents being there for me all my life, I couldn't have done it without any of these people."

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Bats rule the night

Keene set to open its 11th NECBL season

Ken Murphy

Keene (NH) Sentinel Staff

 

The Swamp Bats must be the team to beat in this, their 11th New England Collegiate Baseball League season.

Keene opens its season tonight when it hosts the Holyoke Blue Sox at Alumni Field at 7 p.m.

 

How else to explain that Keene's probable opening day starter, Liam Ohlmann, was plucked from the starting rotation by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 20th round of the first-year players' draft Friday, the 608th overall selection.

 

Good enough for Keene. Good enough for the Brewers. Ohlmann, who was at Manchester (Conn.) Community College, went home to Connecticut to mull over Milwaukee's offer, according to Swamp Bats president Kevin Watterson.

 

Not that losing a starter is going to put a crimp in the plans of first-year Coach Marty Testo, who will make his managerial debut tonight as the sixth head coach in Swamp Bats history.

 

"It's a challenge I've looked forward to for a lot of years," Testo, Keene State's associate head coach, said on the eve of his Swamp Bats debut. "I'm going to play what we have, whether it's (a final roster) or not. I'm confident and the players are confident that whatever team we'll have out there can get the job done. We'll play what we have and go to battle with what we have. When I turn in that lineup card I'm going to be 100 percent confident that those guys can win a ballgame for us."

 

Testo found out about the Ohlmann draft news after Friday's practice, and was not prepared to name an opening day starter until after this morning's team meeting after he had the opportunity to speak with possible replacements.

 

Finding a pitcher will not be an issue, as the Swamp Bats, minus Ohlmann, will have 12 pitchers in uniform tonight.

[splitterpfj]

10th round pick, Greg Miller of Seton Hall, is very eager to sign and expects to be in Helena very soon.

[Bambis Bombers]

Brewers take Kemp with 14th-round pick

 

Link (while active)

 

By The Daily Reflector

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Corey Kemp has a brand new goal in baseball, just a few days removed from the end of his college career.

Now he wants to make it in the major leagues as a Milwaukee Brewer.

Kemp grew to love his time at East Carolina University, but he admits it was tough to be 10 hours away from family and friends in his hometown of Franklin in the outskirts of Nashville, Tenn. After being named Conference USA Player of the Year for his monster season with the Pirates, Kemp was drafted Friday by the Brewers in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

One quick glance at the Brewers' organizational ladder gave Kemp reason to set his sights high - the Nashville Sounds are the Class AAA affiliate of Milwaukee, meaning if Kemp can scale the organization, he'll get the chance to play in his own backyard for the first time since he starred at Centennial High School.

Kemp said he feels lucky it was the Brewers who came calling Friday.

"You can get drafted by some organizations that might not stay committed to you, but from day one, the Brewers said they would take care of me and give the opportunity to be a major league baseball player," Kemp said. "Today was the first step toward that."

Also selected Friday from the ECU team were senior pitcher T.J. Hose (36th round, pick 1,098) and junior infielder Ryan Wood (Milwaukee, 42nd, 1,268). They joined junior starting pitcher Justin Bristow, who was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round.

East Carolina signee Paul Clemens (Louisburg College) was selected by the Atlanta Braves (7th, 220), and fellow signee Shawn Armstrong (West Craven High School) was selected in the 33rd round by the Houston Astros.

Kemp said he felt he owed it to ECU to not worry about his draft status during the season, and it showed as Kemp cashed in team highs in home runs (18) and RBIs (72), while also establishing career highs in batting average (.341), hits (77), runs (62) and slugging percentage (.628).

"I tried not to think about it, I was just focused on the Pirates and where they were going," Kemp said of the draft. "I felt like I owed them, and coach (Billy) Godwin. I felt like I owed them a good year and my leadership and my best effort. They told me to worry about taking care of business on the field and let the draft work itself out. They proved to be right."

 

 

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/00/02/55/image_7155020.jpg

[battlekow]

18th-rounder Nick Bucci signed.

[Chio151]

18th-rounder Nick Bucci signed.

 

Good deal, maybe there will be some Canadian pressure on Stosh once Lawrie signs.

[battlekow]

18th-rounder Nick Bucci signed.

Good deal, maybe there will be some Canadian pressure on Stosh once Lawrie signs.

Check out Stosh's comments on possibly signing in the interview I did with him. I'm optimistic after talking to him.

 

[jjfanec]

Check out Stosh's comments on possibly signing in the interview I did with him. I'm optimistic after talking to him.

 

I was encouraged by the line when he said pro ball player is something he really wants to pursue in regard to if FIU is still on the table. If they can get him in the fold that will be exciting. Maybe we can get the rest of the Canada guys to sign and just start another rookie team full of Canadians. In all seriousness, I am pretty excited by some guys who seemed like tougher signs signing right away.

 

[battlekow]

Kemp Named NCBWA Third-Team All-American

[Bambis Bombers]

Komatsu Named All-American by Baseball America and NCBWA

Becomes the fifth Titan in 2008 to achieve All-American status

Link (while active)

June 12, 2008

Fullerton, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton outfielder Erik Komatsu earned third-team All-American honors as Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association announced their three-team fields of the nation's best college baseball players this week.

The heavy hitting right fielder from Camarillo, Calif., led the Titans in batting average (.355), triples (6), RBI (54), slugging (.593), on-base percentage (.459), and tied for the team-lead in home runs (9) and was one of two Titans named to the All-Big West Conference First Team as well.

The Milwaukee Brewers selected the transfer from Oxnard College in the 8th round of last week's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Komatsu is the fifth different Titan to earn All-American status this season, and first to garner multiple awards. He joins Jeff Kaplan (Collegiate Baseball Third Team);Daniel Renken, Christian Colon and Gary Brown (Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American). Komatsu is the 75th Cal State Fullerton All-American in 34 seasons at the Div. I level.