Your 2012 Helena / Maryvale Brewers -- Latest: LHP Anthony Banda

[Mass Haas]

Brewers selected a good one in Blaski

Ron Johnston - Sports Editor, The Marietta (Ohio) Times

 

Austin Blaski is dreaming of one day pitching in the major leagues.

 

The Marietta College ace right-hander, who helped the Pioneers repeat as NCAA Division III national champions, has an excellent chance of doing so if Etta Express baseball history is any indication.

 

Of the more than 40 Pioneers who have gone on to play professional baseball, a majority of them have been hurlers. Not all of them reached the Bigs, but guys like Kent Tekulve, Duane Theiss, Terry Mulholland, and Matt DeSalvo did.

 

The 21-year-old Blaski, a recent 21st-round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2012 Major League Baseball draft, naturally is hoping to be the next one, along with Mike DeMark (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Mark Williams (Milwaukee Brewers), who are currently throwing in the minor leagues.

 

Even though Blaski, an All-American and pretty much all-everything, was the 665th overall pick in the draft, he will get an opportunity to show his wares.

 

At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Blaski has the tall, lanky build for a pitcher. And, he also has the arm - and a live one at that.

 

Blaski probably doesn't throw as hard as DeSalvo or even Williams, but he's fast enough as he fanned a team-high 115 in 110 innings in his senior season. He of course also has other pitches in his repertoire.

 

Interestingly, Blaski - who played his prep baseball at Pandora-Gilboa in northwest Ohio - almost didn't enroll at Marietta. He was actually going to Heidelberg University in nearby Tiffin until his high school mentor Larry McCullough intervened and directed him to southeast Ohio.

 

McCullough played for the Don Schaly-coached Pioneers 20-some years ago.

 

When Blaski arrived on the MC campus as a freshman, he was a shortstop, and also playing the position was a guy by the name of Tim Saunders.

 

Well, you know the rest of the story as Blaski was converted into a pitcher by the Pioneer coaching staff, and Saunders...well, he recently was drafted by the Chicago Cubs.

 

Blaski did not become a Pioneer ace overnight. He had to learn and work at it, thanks to the Pioneer coaching staff.

 

In his frosh campaign, he threw in only 15-plus innings, compiling a 1-0 mark with a 6.89 ERA.

 

Better days were ahead as Blaski was 9-4 with a 3.18 ERA in his sophomore season. Last year, he was 12-2 with 1.62 ERA, but more importantly, the Pioneers won the World Series.

 

Guess who was the MVP of that 2011 event in Wisconsin?

 

Blaski of course.

 

Capping off his collegiate career, Blaski became the best D3 pitcher in the land, compiling a sterling 13-1 record with a 1.23 ERA. The Pioneers as a team also won another World Series.

 

As good as Marietta's pitching staff was, it's still hard to imagine the Etta Express repeating as national champions without Blaski on the hill.

 

Anyways, the Milwaukee Brewers were all along apparently keeping notes on Blaski.

 

They, I think, won't regret their decision.

 

Now, Blaski will get his shot.

[Tedaldtada]

I was just searching for this thread. So Clint Coulter will be in the lineup G1 for the Arizona Brewers. Anyone have initial thoughts on that? I really hope he just rips it up.

[battlekow]

I was just searching for this thread. So Clint Coulter will be in the lineup G1 for the Arizona Brewers. Anyone have initial thoughts on that? I really hope he just rips it up.

I think it means they're not sure whether he's actually going to be a catcher.

 

Not to further equate him to Lawrie, since I really don't know enough about Coulter to compare their offensive or defensive capabilities, but I think this is why Lawrie pre-emptively asked to move off catcher--so he could move as fast as his bat would carry him (though of course reviews of his D at 2B were hardly consistent either).

 

It's also worth pointing out that Coulter is going to be 19 in less than two months. You'd like to think a 19-year-old first-rounder, especially one not drafted as a Donavan Tate tools goof, could hack it in the Pioneer League.

[Mass Haas]

Blaski goes to Brewers

Parkersburg News and Sentinel

 

MARIETTA -The Marietta College baseball team had two players from the 2012 club selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

 

Pitcher Austin Blaski was selected in the 21st round, with the 665th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers. Blaski was the 27th pick in the 21st round.

 

"It was exciting to see my name on the screen and get the phone call saying that I was a Brewer," Blaski said. "All of the hard work has paid off."

 

Blaski's teammate and shortstop Tim Saunders was selected in the 32nd round of the draft with the 974th overall pick by the Chicago Cubs. Saunders was the sixth selection in the 32nd round.

 

"Its every baseball player's dream to get drafted and have the chance to continue their career," Saunders said. "Not every player gets this opportunity and that pushed me to work hard and play my best."

 

The freshman year roommates were happy for each other and the Marietta baseball program. "Austin came in as a shortstop and moved to pitcher," Saunders said. "I know I could never pitch. What he has accomplished is incredible and I am so excited to see him get drafted."

 

"Not a lot of D3 guys get drafted so this shows how strong the Marietta program is," Blaski said. "But now we are all equal. If you can play, you can play. It doesn't matter if you came from D3, you have to play and compete. We have our foot in the door and now we have to perform."

 

Blaski and Saunders will no doubt have trouble finding space for all the awards accumulated while in college, but Thursday the pair earned yet another award. Blaski was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division III Pitcher of the Year and Saunders was named the association's Position Player of the Year, receiving seven of eight first place votes.

 

This award is just the latest in a list of honors for the right-handed throwing Blaski, which includes multiple All-American honors and graduating with a degree in Sports Management. Blaski also was tagged as the D3baseball.com National Pitcher of the Year. Blaski finished the season with a 13-1 mark and a 1.23 earned run average, both tops in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

 

Blaski and Saunders were both integral parts of the Pioneers back-to-back National Championships. Both were named to the 2012 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-American first team. Both players were also named to the Mideast Regional All-Tournament team with Blaski being named Most Outstanding Player. Saunders took home the Most Outstanding Player honors at the National Championship.

 

The Pioneers finished the season with a mark of 48-8 and captured the Pioneers NCAA-record sixth National Championship.

 

Blaski and Saunders will both report to their respective organizations' spring training sites in the next few days. The pair joins several former Pioneers still active in affiliated professional baseball. Jim Tracy is the current manager of the Colorado Rockies, Kent Tekulve represented the Pittsburgh Pirates at the annual draft, Mike DeMark is with the Arizona Diamondbacks AAA Reno Aces and Mark Williams is playing for the Milwaukee Brewers A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

[TheCrew07]

I was just searching for this thread. So Clint Coulter will be in the lineup G1 for the Arizona Brewers. Anyone have initial thoughts on that? I really hope he just rips it up.

 

My thought I'm shocked at how many draft picks around baseball have signed already, including 1st rounders. The slotting has worked way better than I had hoped.

[HiAndTight]

I was just searching for this thread. So Clint Coulter will be in the lineup G1 for the Arizona Brewers. Anyone have initial thoughts on that? I really hope he just rips it up.

I think it means they're not sure whether he's actually going to be a catcher.

 

Not to further equate him to Lawrie, since I really don't know enough about Coulter to compare their offensive or defensive capabilities, but I think this is why Lawrie pre-emptively asked to move off catcher--so he could move as fast as his bat would carry him (though of course reviews of his D at 2B were hardly consistent either).

 

It's also worth pointing out that Coulter is going to be 19 in less than two months. You'd like to think a 19-year-old first-rounder, especially one not drafted as a Donavan Tate tools goof, could hack it in the Pioneer League.

 

 

Lawrie was always short sighted about his future position. I thought from the first time I watched him play in Wisconsin he was a 3rd basemen. Didn't have the great quickness around the bag, but had a very strong arm and soft hands.

 

He just wanted the quickest route to the big leagues. Now if Clint is hitting tearing it up, I would gladly move him to a new position. I'd try and do it as early as possible, and 3rd base would be ideal long term, but with Lucroy signed for 5 more years that should and could line up pretty well with his contract(though we're so far away from that, but if he keeps hitting, he could stay a bit longer).

 

 

I like the mix of talented college bats as well as high upside HS bats. We're well on our way to rebuilding a farm system, but we still lack those 1-2 ELITE prospects. I don't know that we got those out of this group(though the Angels likely didn't think so with Trout either) but they'll certainly help. Profar in a trade for Greinke, as much as it would sting could very easily do just that.

 

Plus some guys like Richardson(who's career was really progressing, so I don't get why he's not playing) Gennett, Garfield and a few others could also help.

 

I expect a top 13 system next time BA comes out and a top 8 if we sell at the deadline.

[Mass Haas]

Clint Coulter pre-game audio interview with Joe Block

 

***

 

VIDEO: The Brewers' Draft picks Clint Coulter and Victor Roache join the broadcast booth after signing their contracts earlier in the day

[DHonks]

Coulter carried himself very well in the interview during the Brewers game. Lawrie never had an idea of the big picture, and never had patience. Coulter seems more mature at 18 than Lawrie at 22. Lawrie wanted to be a catcher until he found he stunk at it and couldn't get to the big leagues fast. So he moved to 2nd base where he played poor defense and found he wasn't going to get to the big leagues fast. The result, he got traded to an organization that let's him do his thing and he got moved to 3b...and promoted to the big leagues.

 

I think Clint understands this is a long process and should do better at catcher because of the attitude.

[Mass Haas]

19-year-old INF (SS) Chris McFarland, who was drafted in the 18th round in 2011 out of a Texas high school, and then signed away from Rice University to an over-slot $315,000 bonus (plus a promise given to many other high school signees, that the Brewers will pay for his college education, as Adam McCalvy noted last fall), has tweeted that he'll be debuting in Helena (so not Maryvale).

 

Last year, Bruce Seid called the McFarland signing "a bonus." "He wanted to play," Seid said.

 

***

 

On a side note, it seems to me that even if Orlando Arcia hadn't fractured his ankle, Arcia was destined for Maryvale and a monitored introduction to stateside life. A big factor there would have been McFarland's presence in the organization.

[Tedaldtada]

That is fantastic news on McFarland. His scouting report reads just like Gennett's did, except this dude has a body that can scouts love.

[Mass Haas]

Audio: Victor Roache with Joe Block on Brewers Pre-Game

[And That]

In addition to McFarland, fellow infielders Kevin Berard and Mike Nemeth are also heading to Helena, as are pitchers Elliot Glynn and Michael Schaub. I believe pitchers Jorge Lopez, Danny Keller, Manny Ruiz, Mike Francisco and Jeffrey Saba, and infielder Jalen Harris, are headed there as well, but I can't confirm those guys.

[paul253]

It's been awhile since awhile since I've been this excited about Helena. I'm really looking forward to following McFarland and Lopez.

[Mass Haas]

Brewers select Mayville State pitcher Nick Anderson in MLB draft

By Greg DeVillers / Fargo-Moorhead (ND) Forum via the Grand Forks Herald

 

MAYVILLE, N.D. – Nick Anderson had his own baseball backup plan. The right-handed pitcher completed his college eligibility at Mayville State last month. He had professional baseball aspirations. If Major League Baseball organizations showed no interest in him, Anderson planned to try out with independent teams such as the St. Paul Saints or Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

 

“I was looking at my options in case the draft didn’t work out,” the 21-year-old Anderson said. “You just never know what will happen. But I thought I had a shot at being taken in the draft.”

 

That chance became reality Wednesday. On the third day of baseball’s amateur draft, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Anderson. He was selected in the 32nd round, the 995th player to be chosen in the three-day, 40-round draft.

 

Now Anderson is waiting at his family’s home in Brainerd, Minn., for details to be worked out on a contract. As a senior and a low-round selection, Anderson doesn’t anticipate a big signing bonus. What he’s thankful for is the opportunity.

 

“Being a senior, you don’t have any (negotiating) leverage,” Anderson said. “They offer you a contract and you can take it or leave it. I just want the opportunity to play. Then the sky can be the limit.

 

“Milwaukee was the team that showed me the most attention. The week before the draft, they had me come to Milwaukee and throw in front of a lot of their scouts. I was hoping I was going to get picked up by them.”

 

The draft is the start of Anderson’s pro career. It also capped a whirlwind road to the pros.

 

After graduating from Brainerd in 2008, Anderson played at St. Cloud State for three years. Anderson said things didn’t work out for him in St. Cloud. So he decided to transfer to Mayville and reunite with Comets assistant Pete Pratt, who was the pitching coach during Anderson’s freshman and sophomore seasons.

 

Mayville State coach Scott Berry estimates it’s been approximately 12 years since a Comets player last was selected in the Major League Baseball draft. He says he can’t remember the last time a Comet garnered the interest the pros showed in Anderson, a 6-foot-5, 190-pounder.

 

This spring, Anderson had a 1.95 earned run average, striking out 70 batters in 60 innings while walking only nine.

 

“That’s almost unheard of, a kid who throws that hard and pounds the strike zone like that,” Berry said. “He has the whole package — the highest I heard was he hit 96 (mph) on the radar gun, and he has a good curve and change to go with his outstanding fastball. He ranks up there with the best I’ve had.

 

“It’s not a surprise Nick was drafted, not at all. When it comes to the draft, you never know what’s going to happen. But Nick is a very talented young man.”

 

Scouts frequented Comets games when Anderson pitched. He occasionally saw the radar guns fixed on him. For the most part, however, Anderson was oblivious to the talent scouts.

 

“I tried to block them out,” Anderson said. “I wanted to focus on the game. I get locked in when I’m out there. The mound is almost like a happy place for me. All you’re thinking about out there is the game, just throwing the ball.”

[Mass Haas]

BrewCrewBall -- An Interview With Brewers 12th Round Pick, Eric Semmelhack

[Mass Haas]

Brewers back in town, eager to begin 2012 campaign

By Amber Kuehn, Helena Independent Record

 

College baseball has been over for a month now for Georgetown University’s Michael Garza and British Columbia’s David Otterman.

 

So it’s no surprise that the recent Milwaukee Brewers draft picks were eager to get back on the field Monday.

 

With Opening Day just a week away, 22 members of the 2012 edition of the Helena Brewers took to the field at Kindrick Legion Field for the season’s first workout. A handful of players fresh out of college were still awaiting their physicals; approximately 15 just wrapped up extended spring training less than a week ago in Arizona.

 

After an introductory meeting in the clubhouse, the first day was to consist of conditioning, fielding ground balls, cage time and batting practice beneath sunny skies.

 

Although he worked with two-thirds of the athletes at spring training, it was new manager Jeff Isom’s first look at many of the young men.

 

“I remember my first few days, and it was a whirlwind,” said Isom, who played in the Pirates and Padres organizations and is back in Helena for the first time since managing Milwaukee’s rookie affiliate in 2007. “You’ve got physicals, paperwork, you don’t know anybody here — it’s not easy for these guys.”

 

Otterman, who was selected in the seventh round of last week’s draft, said he had to look on Google Maps to see where Helena even was when he found out his destination.

 

“It was a whirlwind of a week to put it lightly,” Otterman said. “The turnaround with the draft Tuesday, you have to let that sink in, then the next day I’m getting told by my scout that I’m flying out to Helena, Montana, on Sunday ... I’m certainly happy to be here now.”

 

It’s a far cry from his home some 500 miles away in Coquitlam, British Columia, a 126,000-population suburb of Vancouver.

 

“This is awesome. This is middle of summer where I come from,” Otterman said of Monday’s temperatures, in the high 60s. “(Helena’s) got a really good small-town feel I’m not used to.”

 

It’s Garza’s first time in Montana, and although he’s mostly just seen the inside of the Red Lion Colonial Hotel — where he’s staying until hopefully placed with a host family — and the ballpark, he thinks it’s a place he could get used to.

 

Garza wasn’t accustomed to the cooler temperatures when he went to Georgetown in Washington D.C. after growing up in San Antonio, Texas. It was 98 degrees when he flew out of Texas on Sunday, but he too was happy to be in Helena, anxious to jump start his professional baseball career.

 

“Leading up to the draft is always stressful, you’re anxious about it and you anticipate certain things,” the 22-year-old infielder said. “Then once you finally hear your name called, it’s surreal. It’s exciting and it’s almost like a relief, too.

 

“It’s always a dream come true, and I know it’s a cliche but that’s what it is. I don’t know what the percentage is, but I know there’s not very many kids that play when they’re younger and get this opportunity now.”

 

Approximately 10 percent of senior NCAA baseball players get drafted, according to hsbaseballweb.com.

 

“Motivation comes from within, and when you get the opportunity it’s just a blessing,” Garza said.

 

Garza hopes that playing in the Cape Cod summer league last year has prepared him for the day-in, day-out grind that comes with an 80-plus game schedule with few days off. In that league, he said he played 40-50 straight games before getting a day off.

 

The taxing schedule in professional baseball can often be the biggest adjustment for rookies after playing just four games a week in college.

 

Garza was taken in the 20th round and said he had no expectation of where he would go while watching the draft with his family.

 

“Whether you’re a first rounder or a 40th-rounder, once you get out here you’ve just gotta prove what you can do on the field,” he said.

 

Unlike Garza, Otterman couldn’t even bring himself to watch the draft. He was out getting a cup of coffee when he got a call from the Philadelphia Phillies that they were going to try to take him with their next pick. By the time he arrived home, he was getting a call from his agent that the Brewers were interested, and Milwaukee drafted him just two picks later.

 

He wasn’t overly surprised by the selection, since he worked out in Milwaukee in late May.

 

“I thought I pitched well there so I knew I’d be on their radar, and I know how they like Canadian players, so I was hoping they’d take me,” he said. “They have a long history with Canadians.”

 

After throwing 77 innings during the college season, the left-hander said the month off was probably much-needed rest. Still, he can’t wait to get throwing again.

 

“I tried to treat it like a mini-offseason, working out a lot, training a lot, making sure my arm’s good to go for a whole other season,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll get even more innings here.”

 

More players are expected to arrive in the Capital City throughout the week. So far, the roster consists of just two players who spent any time in Helena last summer: infielder Mike Nemeth and outfielder Ruben Ozuna.

 

Opening Day is Monday at 7:05 p.m. (8:05 Central), with the Brewers hosting Great Falls.

[Mass Haas]

No captions, but hey, it's baseball in Montana.

 

Meanwhile in Maryvale, little has changed -- must get used to it, newcomers.

[Mass Haas]

Audio interview with Canadian 7th round RHP David Otterman (just after the draft, has since signed)

[Mass Haas]

Nice update from Adam McCalvy:

 

The Brewers expect to announce a number of additional signings from last week's First-Year Player Draft by the end of the week, including a deal with second-round pick Tyrone Taylor, a center fielder from Torrance (Calif.) High School, who had a scholarship offer from Cal-State Fullerton. Club officials cannot comment on any of the pending signings until the players pass physical exams.

[Mass Haas]

Honors for Georgetown Shortstop Mike Garza (20th round draft pick / signee)

[Mass Haas]

Here are former Dominican Summer League Brewers currently working out in Helena. While one imagines there's always a possibility one or more could be transferred back to Maryvale at the last minute, that seems unlikely. It's also possible that others could arrive this weekend prior to Monday's opener.

 

Players scheduled to make their stateside debut in Helena (career stats at link):

 

RHP Leonard Lorenzo, 20

OF Yonki Hernandez, 21

OF Raul Mondesi, Jr., 19

 

Other former DSL'ers in Helena currently, who had previously seen action state-side, are:

 

LHP Manuel Ruiz, 23

Of Ruben Ozuna, 20

[TooLiveBrew]

Hmm, I guess I wasn't expecting to see Mondesi, Jr. pushed after a very mediocre (stats-wise) 2011 in the DSL. Interesting to see how high the Brewers apparently are on him.

 

Hernandez (via his stats) appears to be a real speed merchant, but hasn't really yet shown a strong ability to hit. Also, I don't recall him playing much OF last season while covering the DSL link reports -- Mass, is that a typo on your part (his position on his player page is listed as 2B, which is where I remember him playing regularly last season), or have the Brewers moved Yonki?

[Mass Haas]

Yonki was strictly a CF in 2011

 

Gotta love Baseball Reference...

[TooLiveBrew]

Clearly B-Ref & actual facts are no match for my infallible human memory

[Mass Haas]

Following up on the DSL - Helena connection (see post above), here is a list of additional players currently at workouts in Montana. Expect these names, barring unforeseen late adjustments, to begin the season with the H-Crew. Several others will likely formally be added this weekend. Career stats at links.

 

Pitchers:

 

RHP Rodolfo Fernandez, a Cuban signing brought to your attention in our Transaction Thread today

 

LHP Mike Francisco, 48th round pick out of Villanova in 2011

 

RHP Ryan Gibbard, 14th round 2012 pick out of Lynn (FL) University

 

LHP Elliott Glynn, 39th round pick out of UConn in 2011

 

LHP David Otterman, 7th round 2012 pick out of the University of British Columbia

 

RHP Joel Pierce, 7th round high school pick in 2010 out of Ontario, Canada

 

RHP Mike Schaub, 38th round high school pick in 2010 out of Anaheim, California

 

RHP Eric Semmelhack, 12th round 2012 pick out of UW-Milwaukee

 

LHP Connor Whalen, a 2011 non-drafted free agent out of UC-Santa Barbara; saw action with Brevard County earlier this season

 

RHP Mike White, 13th round 2010 pick out of Walters State (TN) Community College

 

Catchers:

 

Emmanuel Quiles, former Padres farmhand

 

Mike Turay, 24th round 2012 pick out of Cal State-Stanislaus

 

Infielders:

 

Kevin Berard, 22nd round high school pick in 2010 out of Louisiana

 

Michael Garza, 20th round 2012 pick out of Georgetown

 

Adam Giacalone, 16th round 2012 pick out of Neosho (KS) Community College

 

Chris McFarland, 18th round high school pick in 2011 out of Texas

 

Mike Nemeth, 21st round pick out of UConn in 2011

 

Alfredo Rodriguez, 17th round 2012 pick out of the University of Maryland

 

Outfielder:

 

Lance Roenicke, 25th round 2012 pick out of UC-Santa Barbara