College Baseball 2006

[colbyjack]

Welcome templeUsox, we're glad you found us.

 

Greg Reynolds just missed my top 30 when I made it last October. I agree that he could be sneaking into the first round, and he's one of several players that were previously unheralded that turned a lot of heads on the Cape last year. These same players have carried that success over to this season, which is always good to see. Reynolds is joined by Evan Longoria, Brad Lincoln, Brandon Morrow and Chris Errecart, none of whom had enjoyed success for their respective teams the year before (I should exclude Lincoln, who has always been a threat as a hitter, and wasn't bad as a pitcher, but really burst out last summer). I always felt last summer's Cape class was interesting in that regard, as it definitely brought a lot more stories to follow this spring.

 

So far, so good, as Longoria is tearing it up, Errecart is showing more power at Cal while Lincoln, Morrow and Reynolds are mowing 'em down.

[Madtown Bomber]

Just got back from Millington, Tennessee and the Service Academy Spring Classic. Navy won the whole dang tourney by beating Notre Dame, Air Force, and Memphis. The 2 teams that were supposed to be good down there were rather suspect in their play in Notre Dame and Oklahoma. Memphis finished 2nd and have some real nice pitching. Here is the breakdown of the talked about players and the players that stood out.

 

Navy:

 

Jared Munde a senior outfielder had a flat out dominate weekend. He hit the ball all over the ball park and from what I heard hit Memphis hard down there today. He was the tourney MVP going 6 for 12 with 2 homeruns. One was an absolute BOMB! I mean it was smashed. At the time was the farthest college homerun I have ever seen.

 

Notre Dame

 

Jeff Samardzija a junior pitcher who is more know for his football skills as a WR on the Irish is a flat out stud on the hill. Watched him pitch against Air Force and he went 6 and gave up only a run. He wasn't on like I expected but threw very hard.

 

Jeff Manship a junior pitcher was near dominate against Oklahoma this afternoon. Pitched beautifully. Only mistake he made was a 2 out fastball up to Aaron Reza with Rohlinger sitting on deck. Had 8 Strike outs in 5 innings. Doesn't throw as hard as Samardzija but has very good stuff.

 

Matt Bransfield a senior outfielder was pretty good. He came into this tourney as one of the more talked about players but really didn't do to much. Hit some solid balls but not really any power.

 

Memphis

 

Memphis doesn't have a lot of draftable talent on roster right now due to the Age limits but they have some young pitchers that are going to cause a lot of problems down the line. Remember the name Scott McGregor who dominated Oklahoma in his first start. He his low to mid 90's from what I was told and had a hammer! He gave up 3 hits in 6 innings.

 

Oklahoma

 

Ryan Rohlinger a senior INF may have only had 1 hit the entire weekend but that one hit was a total smash job! Cleared the big scoreboard in LCF. It was smashed. I hope this reason doesn't hurt Rohlinger...Oklahoma's offense sucks flat out no two ways around it. He doesn't see anything to hit. Friday he didn't see one fastball and he hit everything hard but at people. Saturday, hit the one fastball he saw all weekend over 450 feet, and Sunday he saw 1 strike and he hit it to the wall in dead center. He walked 7 times and was hit with a curve ball in the back. He reached base 9 times for the weekend but he doesn't see anything to hit, nor will he until this team hits for him.

 

Daniel McCutchen a senior pitcher, may have finally found his fastball. He was in the low 90's with great movement. Went the entire game for Oklahoma and in reality should have went only 7 but anyways he pitched awesome. 6 hits and 10 K's.

 

Air Force and Indiana State don't really have real draftable guys. If you guys have any questions on specific guys let me know.

[templeUsox]

Thanks for the welcome Colby. Although I'm a first-time poster, I'm a long-time reader. Do you think I have good justification in having concern about Daniel Bard's future? He did come off a very good CCL, but last college season his performance was really poor. BA even noted that in the CCL his slider was inconsistent. So you have to wonder if the opposing hitters' wood bats put band-aids over some of his flaws. He has had a good start to the 06 season. Although against the same lousy competition Miller has pitched against. I don't have a draft board this early, but I could guarantee he wouldn't be on my top 5 college pitchers list. Right now I would take Miller, Kennedy, Scherzer, Reynolds, and Lincoln over him. You can also make strong arguments for Joba the Hut, Tim Lincecum, and Brandon Morrow.

 

Right now I think Evan Longoria is in a different class of hitter than everyone in the country. He has used his great CCL season as a trampoline into a junior season where he is making another $100,000 with every weekend that passes. Its early, but he has even quieted the people who questioned his plate discipline over the summer. 13/3 BB/K ratios will do that.

 

What is your opinion of Mike McBryde? I know he is more of a one-pitch reliever right now. But he's got a golden arm and supreme athletic ability. I would imagine he is also pretty raw as a pitcher so I wouldn't discount him from learning another pitch or two. Any chance he goes as high as the 2nd round?

[natedogge7]

hey templeUsox, glad you are posting here.

 

we had a little conversation together about the 2006 draft prospects in the primer BA top 100 thread. (if you rembered).

 

to add, scherzer had a solid start this weekend as well and against a top Florida team as well.

 

7ip 3h 1er 1bb 8k

 

i hear a lot about scherzer but ive never seen him pitch yet. i would love to see some video on him. I know he throws gas but i wonder about his delivery and mechanics and whether that gas is max effort gas.

[colbyjack]

I already noted Scherzer's performance above. LaPorta did not play this weekend due to a strained oblique. That shouldn't keep him out long, but Florida's lineup takes a much different look when he's not playing.

 

Scherzer isn't a max effort pitcher. He's a lot like Justin Verlander in that the ball explodes out of his hand. Like Verlander, Scherzer also has an explosive breaking pitch (a slider) that is also a plus-pitch when it's on. There have been some rumblings that Scherzer could wind up in the bullpen depending on the progression of his changeup, but I don't see why that is a decision that has to be made anytime soon. He commands his fastball so well that there's no reason to see why he couldn't have success as a starter.

 

As for McBryde, I really don't know too much about him, and he hasn't played much this year (and overall he really hasn't pitched that much), but given the interest in college closers in recent years I suppose I could see him sneaking into the 2nd round. After all, it only takes one team to like a player, and as you note there isn't any reason to think he couldn't develop at least one more pitch. His athleticism gives him an interesting package of tools, as a more creative team could use him as a late-inning reliever as well as a pinch runner and possibly even a pinch-hitter. Kevin Whelan now with the Tigers got drafted pretty high last year (4th round) based almost entirely off of the success of his fastball (not to mention his overall athleticism as a converted catcher), and I would project that would be approximate where McBryde would go at this point in time.

 

I will say that because he hasn't been used too much as a pitcher scouts will favor him because his arm is relatively fresh. I know that appealed to the Brewers in particular when they selected Steve Hammond last June (who quickly vaulted up three levels and is now considered a top-20 prospect in a deep Brewers system).

 

BTW, thanks for the first-hand reports Madtown.

[Madtown Bomber]

Colby, do you know what the restrictions are put into place Serviceman? Is it the same as football? Cause if there isn't then that Jared Munde kid is a draftable kid.

[brettac1]

I didn't have a clue that Samardzija was a pitcher. Cool stuff.

[Madtown Bomber]

yeah from what I have heard his future is more in baseball then football.

[templeUsox]

Tim Lincecum might be the most enigmatic pitcher in college. He is frustrating, but there is so much talent there. His strikeout numbers have always been on par with the top talent in the country. Although its early, this year is no exception. BA reports that he has hit as high as 97 on the radar. His awkward motion has always draws question marks from talent evaluators. But you can't look past those gaudy K numbers. Lincecum has always racked walks up at alarmingly high rates. He will have to get his rate down to at least <4 BB/9 to be considered a blue chip prospect. Right now, I can't help but draw comparisons to Scot Shields; because I think his final destination is in the bullpen. Still, Shields is a durable reliever who can close and will rack up strikeouts. That's a valuable commodity. Likewise, I think Lincecum will have a successful pro career. I just don't get that Jason Neighborgall vibe from him.

[colbyjack]

Colby, do you know what the restrictions are put into place Serviceman? Is it the same as football? Cause if there isn't then that Jared Munde kid is a draftable kid.

 

I'm pretty sure that they have a two-year commitment once they graduate college, and I believe that commitment has to be spent once they do indeed graduate. There was a draft-eligible player coming out of Navy (I think) two years ago or so in which the same questions arised. There was some debate that the Naval Academy may waive (or delay) the service time to give that player the opportunity to pursue a baseball career, but I don't think that ever came to fruition. Having to honor that commitment is tough because a two-year layoff isn't good for any young baseball player. It's worse for a hitter than a pitcher.

 

More and more people are going to talk about Samardzija this spring. He's one heck of an athlete, especially is baseball. I didn't hear that he was leaning towards baseball, but it would be nice to steal one away from the NFL.

 

I'm surprised Lincecum hasn't had a serious shoulder injury yet. I hate to say it, and I hope I'm wrong, but I believe it's waiting to happen, and according to him he's able to generate the velocity he does because of his unique delivery. I talked briefly about him in a Crack of the Bat column from a year ago, in which I agree that he will best be suited in a bullpen at the pro level:

 

www.perfectgame.org/2005/...losers.cfm

 

If you've never seen him pitch, he has a violent delivery in which he puts a tremendous amount of torque on his pitching shoulder. I just can't see him sustaining a long and healthy career, and I think most scouts agree with that prognosis. His stuff is explosive, but even then, he's still walking way to many batters in his third year at Washington. His bonus demands have been high which doesn't make him any more appealing.

[colbyjack]

Do you think I have good justification in having concern about Daniel Bard's future?

 

Sorry, I missed this comment/question before. I think you have plenty of reason to be concern, as Daniel Bard is probably the one guy that I have in my top 10 that I just don't have that feeling for. I've seen him pitch three or four times, and I agree that his breaking ball is very inconsistent. When watching the Cape All-Star Game last year, I have in my notes that I didn't see a single impressive slider thrown, and on top of that his fastball looked rather straight. He has a very smooth delivery and a live arm, but something about him just doesn't sit right with me.

[natedogge7]

daniel bard is a man possesed.

 

his line against purdue today:

 

9IP 5H 2er 1bb 13k

 

his line for the season:

22IP 14H 6er 2bb 27K 2.45era

 

 

could he have actually figured it out this season?http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/eek.gif

[colbyjack]

Sorry, no updates for this last week. I'm basking in the glow of my new baby boy http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

 

I hope to provide season stats after this weekend's action.

[GagneCY03]

Congratulations ColbyJack! Best wishes to you, Mrs ColbyJack and BabyJack!

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/happy.gif

[JohnBriggs12]

I would like to mention a guy who plays for Purdue who just happened to have 2 of their hits off of Bard on Saturday.

 

His name is Neal Gorka. Neal is a 6'4" 245 lb right fielder. Gorka walked on at Purdue after a nice high school career at Westchester (IL) St. Joseph's, a well known basketball school that produced Isiah Thomas and was featured in the 90's documentary "Hoop Dreams".

 

Gorka did not play as a freshman, but won a spot on the Purdue team during fall tryouts his sophomore year. His first two years, he saw very limited action but last year as a redshirt junior, he won the starting spot in RF and posted a very nice .337 batting average. This was very impressive considering Purdue played a very tough non-conference schedule that included Texas and Mississippi.

 

Gorka went undrafted last year and has returned to Purdue for his final year of eligibilty. As a 5th year senior, he's on the old side but I'd like to see him get an opportunity in pro baseball somewhere though as an excellent student, he has plenty of career options. He's a classic late bloomer.

 

How do I know so much about him? His younger brother was in my daughter's class at our parish's school so I've been following him closely at Purdue.

[colbyjack]

While you're following Purdue JohnBriggs, keep an eye on RHP Jay Buente, who should already be playing pro ball. He's another extremely overlooked prospect.

 

Here's a few games/series/tourneys to follow over the weekend in college baseball...

 

Speaking of Purdue, they travel to Missouri, and if you have been following the Boilermakers, be sure to see how they fare against Max Scherzer, the Tigers' Friday starter. Scherzer vs. Buente on Friday at 6:30 pm CST will be a well-scouted affair. Here's Mizzou's local ESPN channel that carries the baseball games on the net:

 

www.ktgr.com/

 

Be sure to tune in as Long Beach State travels to Texas. As always, Long Beach's online broadcasts are free of charge. Follow this schedule to tune in this weekend:

 

www.longbeachstate.com/gen/thisweek.html

 

Nebraska's online broadcasts should also be available free of charge, and their Friday tilt vs. Alabama should offer an intriguing pitching matchup between RHP Joba Chamberlain and LHP Wade LeBlanc. Game time is 2:05 pm CST. The link to Nebraska's audio page:

 

www.huskersnside.com/live...OEM_ID=100

 

Another interesting non-conference matchup has Houston facing UC Irvine, who has recently snuck into BA's top 25. Again, the Friday matchup (8:00 pm CST) is the game to tune into here, with RHP Brad Lincoln facing the Anteaters. Link to Houston's audio page (I can't tell if it's free of charge or not):

 

uhcougars.collegesports.c...media.html

 

TV Alert

Sunday's game of the Florida State/Maryland weekend series will be televised on FCSA at 11am. Sunday games don't always offer the greatest pitching matchups, but FSU has a couple of players to keep an eye on, including CF Shane Robinson and 2B/IF Ryne Malone.

[GagneCY03]

According to BA's college weekend preview, Chamberlain wont be pitching this weekend. He experienced some tightness in his arm during a bullpen and is being held out of this weekend's action.

 

On the bright side, Matt LaPorta should return to Florida's lineup after missing 10 games with a strained oblique.

 

www.baseballamerica.com/t...eview.html

[colbyjack]

College player updates for the weekend of 3/10/06

 

As noted just above by Gagne, Nebraska RHP Joba Chamberlain is being rested this weekend as a precautionary measure.

 

Purdue RHP Jay Buente got the better of Missouri and RHP Max Scherzer today.

 

Buente:

8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 9 K, 4 BB

Scherzer:

7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 2 BB

 

Long Beach State RHP Jared Hughes pitched a dandy against Texas at Austin, and pitched into the 9th until Texas just tied up the score at 3 a piece. Hughes' final line:

 

8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 9 K, 3 BB

 

One of the walks and earned runs came as Hughes started the ninth, walked the first batter, and was pulled from the game. It's a shame the Dirtbags' bullpen couldn't hold onto the lead to get Hughes the W. Hughes also had a 10 to 5 groundout to flyout ratio, something that is always something to consider when weighing his effectiveness.

 

Houston RHP Brad Lincoln got fired up after his manager got tossed from Houston's game vs. UC Irvine. After the ejection, Lincoln struck out the side in the 7th, led off the 8th with a absolute moon-shot that gave the Cougars a 1-run lead, and then struck out the side again in the bottom of the 8th. He's at about 105 pitches, so hopefully the Cougars think twice about sending him out to pitch the 9th.

 

It should be noted that Brad Lincoln is not only Houston's Friday starter, but also their cleanup hitter, which includes nights he pitches. He was throwing darts in the 7th & 8th innings with both his low to mid-90s heater and wicked curve.

 

Lincoln pitched himself into some trouble in the 9th, and had runners at 1st & 2nd with no outs, but managed to work himself out of it for the CG victory. His final line:

 

9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 12 K, 3 BB

 

He could really use a day off after that performance, as his pitch count had to be in the 120-125 range at least. The opposing pitcher, Justin Cassel, pitched pretty well for UC Irvine:

 

9 IP, 11 H, 3 R (2 ER), 12 K, 0 BB

 

USC's Ian Kennedy and Stanford's Greg Reynolds are facing off this evening, in what profiles as a battle between potential first-round picks. Stats to come later.

 

You mention one of the better matchups of the weekend, and the two pitchers provide a stinker. Kennedy started strong through two innings, while Reynolds started poorly through the first two and got mildly better.

 

Kennedy:

6.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 K, 1 BB

Reynolds:

6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K, 4 BB

 

Kennedy has been touched a few times this season now, seemingly more as of late.

 

A couple of names I haven't brought up this year had good starts today.

 

Wade LeBlanc, a lefty at Alabama (and the player I asked Jim Callis about AskBA that led to some kind comments from him about Brewerfan.net), is having a fine season, rebounding from a tough sophomore year. His line against Nebraska (too bad Chamberlain didn't pitch, as this would have been a stellar matchup):

 

8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 6 K, 1 BB

 

Brooks Brown is a RHP for Georgia with good stuff and a strong build. Here's his line from today:

 

8 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 8 K, 1 BB

 

Cal RHP Brandon Morrow with a rather good outing against UNLV. The 8 and 9 inning affairs are piling up tonight:

 

9 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K, 3 BB

 

UNC RHP Daniel Bard with another absolutely stellar outing, today against Wake Forest. He certainly is proving his worth so far this season:

 

6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 8 K, 2 BB

 

Andrew Miller probably goes Sunday.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

An update on my two Northwest pitchers .. . .

 

Oregon State's Dallas Buck has been somewhat wild and yet in his first 4 starts, no one has beaten him . . .

 

In 4 Starts

 

2.35 ERA 3-0 23.0 IP 14 H 13/25 BB/K

 

http://xostech.cache.streamos.com/pics16/400/SO/SOWQVQBJFXAHRTJ.20051214194402.jpg

 

Washington's Tim Linecum's stock HAS to be rising during his Junior season and after being a Cape Cod League All-Star

 

Also in 4 starts

 

3.38 3-0 24.0 IP 14 H 14/41 BB/K .169 BA Against

 

http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wash/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/49912.jpeg

[colbyjack]

I was going to provide the season stats for both of those guys once the weekend was over. I don't mean to upset you, and I can say it's not a bias against the Northwest, but I'm not a big fan of either pitcher. Both of them walk to much, and both have extremely unconventional deliveries. Lincecum is a pure fire-baller, without a doubt, with a wicked curve, but I fear he just puts way too much pressure on his throwing shoulder. Buck's delivery is more herky-jerky, and speaking of jerky, I've heard his character is in question, and I wasn't a big fan of the way he carried himself in the CWS last year when he got roughed up. To say he lost his composure is an understatement. And now reports are that his velocity has dipped into the 88-90 mph range. That dip in velocity amidst character questions despite having success are quite similar to Wade Townsend at Rice during his junior year.

 

Unless they slide to a later pick, I wouldn't nab either one in the first round, and even immediately after that is questionable.

[JohnBriggs12]

Purdue behind Buente has now beaten two ranked teams on consecutive Fridays, first North Carolina and now Missouri.

 

Another Purdue player worth mentioning is shortstop Mitch Hillegoss. An all Big Ten performer last year as a sophomore, he batted over .400 with a solid .967 fielding average, and 25 steals in 28 attempts.

[EdgarDiazRocks]

Unless they slide to a later pick, I wouldn't nab either one in the first round, and even immediately after that is questionable.

 

I would be shocked if Linecum went in the first round after falling to, what the 42rd round last year and being all of 6'0" 165lbs would guarentee his being a 4-8th round guy at best . . .

 

Buck on the other hand I'm sure will go to someone in the 1st round. I understand your reluctance about him and even share some of it, but as we saw with another Northwest product, Bobby Jenks, makeup ain't all it's cracked up to be sometimes.

 

In other Husky notes, is Matt Lane's hot start getting any sort of notice? He seems like a decent Catcher and former Alaska Goldpanner.

 

Here's a recent Q&A with him . . .

 

gohuskies.collegesports.c...06aab.html

[colbyjack]

Season statistics for notable draft-eligible prospects, as of games through 3/12/06:

 

PITCHERS

 

Andrew Miller-LHP-UNC

4-0, 0.64 ERA, 4 games (all starts), 28 IP, 14 H, 33 K, 7 BB, 0 HR, .152 BAA

Miller is solidifying his status as the favorite to go first overall

 

Daniel Bard-RHP-UNC

3-0, 1.93 ERA, 4 games (all starts), 28 IP, 15 H, 35 K, 4 BB, 1 HR, .153 BAA

Nearly identical stats for draft-eligible teammates Miller & Bard

 

Ian Kennedy-RHP-USC

2-3, 3.02 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 41.2 IP, 34 H, 48 K, 11 BB, 1 HR, .228 BAA

Has been roughed up more than usual in a couple of starts

 

Max Scherzer-RHP-Mizzou

3-1, 2.88 ERA, 4 games (all starts), 25 IP, 18 H, 31 K, 7 BB, 1 HR, .209 BAA

Scherzer has come out firing this season, changeup is reportedly looking very good

 

Jared Hughes-RHP-LBSU

4-0, 3.40 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 39.2 IP, 31 H, 28 K, 13 BB, 2 HR, .212 BAA

A little inconsistent, but Hughes has looked better his last few starts

 

Andrew Carpenter-RHP-LBSU

3-1, 2.28 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 43.1 IP, 32 H, 30 K, 8 BB, 2 HR, .209 BAA

Carpenter has been a pleasant surprise this season, very good slider & splitter

 

Greg Reynolds-RHP-Stanford

1-1, 3.11 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 37.2 IP, 38 H, 35 K, 8 BB, 1 HR, .266 BAA

Still pitching inconsistently, but the best season so far of his college career

 

Brandon Morrow-RHP-Cal

3-0, 1.34 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 33.2 IP, 22 H, 36 K, 17 BB, 0 HR, .195 BAA

Morrow has continued his success from last summer into this spring

 

Josh Butler-RHP-San Diego

3-2, 1.07 ERA, 6 games (5 starts), 33.2 IP, 20 H, 27 K, 10 BB, 0 HR, .171 BAA

A very nice start for Butler, as stats show, he should be better than 3-2

 

Brad Lincoln-RHP-Houston

4-1, 2.18 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 41.1 IP, 28 H, 54 K, 10 BB, 3 HR, .189 BAA

Not only enjoying a very good season on the mound, Lincoln is UH's best hitter

 

Joba Chamberlain-RHP-Nebraska

2-1, 1.29 ERA, 3 games (all starts), 21 IP, 11 H, 28 K, 6 BB, 1 HR, .157 BAA

Missed his last start, but is following up a fine soph. season very well

 

Kyle McCulloch-RHP-Texas

1-3, 4.37 ERA, 7 games (6 starts), 35 IP, 35 H, 29 K, 14 BB, 1 HR, .265 BAA

Has been getting hit around quite a bit for a player that is a potential 1st-round pick

 

David Huff-LHP-UCLA

2-2, 3.00 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 45 IP, 42 H, 45 K, 14 BB, 5 HR, .255 BAA

Roughed up last start, but soft stuff could be better as a pro

 

Wade LeBlanc-LHP-Alabama

3-0, 1.75 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 36 IP, 20 H, 44 K, 6 BB, 3 HR, .161 BAA

Bouncing back after a disappointing soph. year which followed a great frosh. season

 

Tim Lincecum-RHP-Washington

3-1, 3.72 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 29 IP, 22 H, 49 K, 18 BB, 3 HR, .208 BAA

Shorter righty still blowing batters away despite walking too many

 

Dallas Buck-RHP-Oregon St.

4-0, 2.40 ERA, 5 games (all starts), 30 IP, 18 H, 30 K, 16 BB, 3 HR, .176 BAA

Fastball has lost a tick, but he's still racking up the W's

 

Brooks Brown-RHP-Georgia

2-0, 2.62 ERA, 4 games (all starts), 24 IP, 18 H, 28 K, 9 BB, 0 HR, .209 BAA

A solid start for a solid pitcher proving his worth as a Friday starter

 

Steven Wright-RHP-Hawaii

4-1, 2.40 ERA, 6 games (all starts), 45 IP, 29 H, 49 K, 8 BB, 0 HR, .182 BAA

Wright has beaten some pretty good opponents in a breakout season

 

Chris Perez-RHP-Miami

0-0, 1.59 ERA, 11 games (all in relief), 4 saves, 17 IP, 10 H, 20 K, 7 BB, 0 HR, .172 BAA

Very good numbers for one of the nation's best closers

 

Blair Erickson-RHP-UC Irvine

1-0, 2.25 ERA, 10 games (all in relief), 6 saves, 12 IP, 9 H, 14 K, 5 BB, 0 HR, .225 BAA

Has been a saves machine since his freshman year

 

HITTERS

 

Evan Longoria-SS/3B/2B-LBSU

.382/.527/.588 in 68 AB, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 19 BB, 5 K, 3 for 4 SBs, 1 E

Has supplanted Drew Stubbs as the top college hitter

 

Drew Stubbs-CF-Texas

.338/.449/.563 in 80 AB, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 16 BB, 21 K, 9 for 11 SBs, 3 Es

Still strikes out way too much, but is an amazing athlete

 

Matt LaPorta-1B-Florida

.308/.513/.638 in 26 AB, 2 HR, 10 BB, 5 K, 2 Es

Has missed the last two weeks with a strained oblique muscle, pitched around when healthy

 

Wes Hodges-3B-Georgia Tech

.375/.481/.516 in 64 AB, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 BB, 17 K, 4 Es

Great natural hitter in a lethal lineup

 

Matt Antonelli-3B-Wake Forest

.314/.435/.600 in 70 AB, 2 2B, 6 HR, 15 BB, 10 K, 6 for 6 SBs, 1 E

Off to a quick start in the HR dep't., still showing patient eye & speed

 

Shane Robinson-CF-Florida State

.438/.533/.635 in 73 AB, 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 16 BB, 6 K, 11 for 12 SBs, 1 E

Another good start for Robinson, my preseason fave for POY

 

Jon Jay-CF-Miami

.319/.457/.528 in 72 AB, 6 2B, 3 HR, 11 BB, 6 K, 4 for 6 SBs, 1 E

Jay keeps on hitting, although you'd like to see his BA higher

 

Chad Tracy-C-Pepperdine

.326/.390/.438 in 89 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 BB, 9 K, 3 for 3 SBs, 2 Es

Has started to heat up, is a consistent contact hitter

[EdgarDiazRocks]

USS Mariners' Dave Cameron caught the Wake Forrest/NC matchup this weekend and did a nice writeup on Daniel Bard and Andrew Miller

 

Quote:

---

Bard is listed at 6

[EdgarDiazRocks]

I thought this blurb in Kevin Goldstein's latest column was intersting . . .

 

Quote:

---

Whither Luke Hochevar? The Dodgers' top pick (second round) in the 2005 draft, Hochevar was one of the best college pitchers available last year, but fell because of perceived bonus demands from agent Scott Boras. Negotiations between the Dodgers and Hochevar were slow to start, and quickly became acrimonious when Hochevar switched agents last September. The former Tennessee star?s new representative, Matt Sosnick, quickly worked out a deal with the Dodgers for a $2.98 million bonus, but Hochevar then returned to Boras and did not sign. The Dodgers have not negotiated with Hochevar or Boras since, and all indications are that Hochevar will re-enter the draft. Yes, six months later, teams seem to have no idea what last year?s Roger Clemens Award winner as the nation?s best college pitcher is up to. ?Nobody with our organization has heard anything at all,? said one team executive, from his team?s spring training office in Florida. ?It?s weird,? added a scouting director. ?Last year at this time we were being notified about [2004 unsigned first-round pick] Wade Townsend having public workouts and throwing in simulated games, but with Hochevar, nobody has said anything to us.?

---

 

Also this from a scout about Linecum . . .

 

Quote:

---

?I?m not sure I?d risk a first-round pick on him because of the mechanics and control,? said a scout with a National League team. ?He could get big league hitters out right now, but he might walk in three runs before he does it.?

---

 

www.baseballprospectus.co...cleid=4855