Month: June 2008

Ten more 2008 Cape Leaguers have been drafted so far on the second day.

8th round (Cleveland) – Tim Fedroff – OF – North Carolina – Falmouth
9th round (Florida) – Dan Jennings – LHP – Nebraska – Cotuit
10th round (Washington) – Tom Milone – LHP – USC – Chatham
10th round (Texas) – Kevin Castner – RHP – Cal-Poly – Cotuit
12th round (Milwaukee) – Garrett Sherrill – RHP – App. State – Hyannis
12th round (Florida) – Brandon Turner – 2B – Miss. State – Bourne
13th round (Cleveland) – Adam Abraham – 3B – Michigan – Hyannis
14th round (NYY) – David Phelps – RHP – Notre Dame – Hyannis
19th round (Arizona) – Joseph Gautier – LHP – B. Cookman – Harwich
29th round (Oakland) – Dusty Coleman – SS – Wichita State – Bourne
35th round (Cincinnati) – Matt Fairel – LHP – Florida State – Cotuit

I’ll try to do some digging tomorrow, but my first impression is that a lot of these guys will still be on the Cape. Obviously, the guys at the top would be more likely to sign.

Hyannis has three on this list and Ryan Lavarnway in the first group, so it’s possible they could have four draft picks on the team.

By the way, the Super Regionals between Florida State and Wichita State are on ESPN right now. Dusty Coleman is having a hell of a game, as is ’07 MVP Conor Gillaspie.

Plenty more former Cape Leaguers got drafted on the first day, but a handful of players who are on 2008 rosters also had their names called. Based on how these things usually go, some of them will sign immediately, some will head to the Cape to gain some leverage and some will head to the Cape with the intention of going back to school.

Braeden Schlehuber – C – Southern Nevada – Yarmouth-Dennis
Schlehuber, a JUCO player who’s an Arkansas signee, got picked in the third round by the Braves. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Schlehuber plans to sign.

Catcher Braeden Schlehuber of the College of Southern Nevada said he already has agreed to sign with the Atlanta Braves, who picked him the fourth round. “They’re going to pay for my schooling, and it’s a good opportunity I can’t pass up right now,” Schlehuber said. “When you’re a little kid you always want to be a professional baseball player, especially when you get the kind of opportunity I got today.”

Jason Kipnis – OF – Arizona State – Cotuit
Kipnis was draft-eligibile because he redshirted his first year at Kentucky before transferring to Arizona State. The Padres made him a third-round pick, even though this season was really the first where Kipnis shined.

Greg Miclat – INF – Virginia – Yarmouth-Dennis
Miclat, coming off his junior year, was a fourth-round pick of the Orioles. From The Charlottesville Daily Progress:

“They said they really like me and they know what it is going to take to sign me. They drafted me regardless of my [price tag], and they want to get something worked out as soon as possible.” Miclat has leverage and could report to the Cape Cod League later this month if a deal seems unlikely.

Cole Figueroa – SS – Florida – Orleans
Figueroa was picked in the sixth round by the Padres. He’s only a rising junior, but he’s draft-eligible because he turns 21 this summer. Originally, Figueroa, who played for Harwich last year, wasn’t on a Cape League roster. He was recently added in Orleans. I don’t have any inside info, but I could definitely see Figueroa heading back to school. He thought he might go in the first three rounds. The sixth round isn’t significantly better than the ninth round, which is where he was drafted out of high school.

Ryan Lavarnway – C/OF – Yale – Hyannis
Lavarnway was taken in the sixth round by the Red Sox. He’s a pure hitter who may not be able to stay at catcher. But it sounds like the Cape is in his plans. This, from Baseball America:

Yale catcher Lavarnway could have gone as high as the fourth round if he hadn’t broken his wrist on a play at home plate late in the spring. He’s a hitting machine with power and a big league approach who led the nation in batting as a sophomore (.467). He has a big, physical frame and should have enough mobility and power to man a corner outfield spot if he can’t stay behind the plate. That move is not a foregone conclusion, however; he didn’t start catching until college and shows decent hands and arm strength, but he needs to improve his mobility and transfer. It’s never easy to buy a junior out of an Ivy League school, and it will be even harder with Lavarnway, who could return for his senior year and boost his stock significantly with a healthy spring. But if Lavarnway has a strong, healthy summer in the Cape Cod League, the Red Sox could shell out for him prior to the Aug. 15 signing deadline.

HARWICH MARINERS
Manager: Steve Englert
Last Season: 14-28-2

The Harwich Mariners franchise has had its fair share of great players the last few years, from Shaun Marcum and Joe Saunders to Jeff Niemann and Tim Lincecum. But team success hasn’t been there. The Mariners haven’t had a wining season since they went 23-21 in 1998. Their best finish in that span was in 2005, when they took third in the East.

With a trio of perennial powerhouses in the same division, it’s tough for the Mariners to reverse the trend. If things go as planned this year, though, I think Harwich has a legitimate chance to compete.

The offense could be very solid, even if it takes a hit from Team USA. Players like D.J. LeMahieu, Shaver Hansen and Jason Stidham give the Mariners some of the best high-ceiling guys they’ve had in recent years. As for the pitching staff, it looks like there are several potential standouts in Sean Black, Joseph Gautier, Chris Manno and Matt Zielinski.

In all, I think this Harwich team has a lot more potential than last year’s. That squad didn’t have much in the way of pitching depth and it hurt them. They finished with a 14-28-2 record, the worst in the league and the franchise’s worst in the last 10 years.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 1
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 20
Freshmen : 5

Notable

• Harwich’s web site hadn’t been updated for awhile, but of course, right as I was about to post this, I noticed some roster changes. So this is current as of June 5.
• Two of the biggest changes were the losses of Virginia’s Phil Gosselin and Florida State’s John Gast, two pretty highly-touted freshmen. But two big pitchers in Joseph Gautier and Chris Manno were added.
• Only two Harwich players have been invited to Team USA, but they would be two pretty huge losses. Tommy Medica is currently the only catcher listed on the roster (which can’t be right), but even with other catchers in the fold, Medica is a big loss. The other player is Dustin Ackley, who would have a pretty good shot at being the best hitter on the Cape.
• The Mariners should still have a pretty nice little offense, even if Ackley and Medica go with Team USA. D.J. LeMahieu, Brandon Belt, Shaver Hansen, Joe Sanders and Brian Kemp all look like legitimate hitters.
• LeMahieu has the potential to become the top freshman hitter in the league.
• I think Sean Black could have a big summer. He was the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft and just finished a very good spring at Seton Hall. He’ll be looking to raise his stock.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Dustin Ackley
2. D.J. LeMahieu
3. Sean Black
4. Chris Manno
5. Brandon Belt

Pitchers
Billy Bullock – RHP – 6’6 220 – Florida – Sophomore
*Sean Black – RHP – 6’5 195 – Seton Hall – Sophomore
Chad Bell – LHP – 6’4 207 – Memphis – Freshman
Garret Davis – RHP – 6’4 200 – North Carolina – Freshman
Brian Dupra – RHP – 6’3 200 – Notre Dame – Freshman
Joseph Gautier – LHP – 5’10 175 – Bethune Cookman – Junior
Pat Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170 – North Carolina – Freshman
Stave Kalush – RHP – 6’0 180 – Santa Clara – Sophomore
Willie Kempf – RHP – 6’0 200 – Baylor – Sophomore
Chris Manno – LHP – 6’1 160 – Duke – Sophomore
Mike Morrison – RHP – 6’1 195 – Cal State Fullerton – Sophomore
Ryan Quigley – LHP – 6’4 215 – Northeastern – Sophomore
Matt Zielinski – LHP – 6’3 200 – Richmond – Sophomore
* returning player

Billy Bullock – RHP – 6’6 220
Florida
Sophomore
Bullock saw action mostly as a starter in his freshman season and continued in a similar role this season. After posting a 6.31 ERA last year, Bullock went 4-5 this year with a 5.01 ERA. He struck out 63 in 82.2 innings. Bullock was a 20th round pick in the 2006 draft.

Sean Black – RHP – 6’5 195
Seton Hall
Sophomore
Talk about hype. Black was a second-round pick in 2006, and when he opted to stick with Seton Hall, he became the highest unsigned player in the draft. His freshman year wasn’t spectacular, though, as he finished with a 5.66 ERA. He then made three appearances early in the summer for Harwich before heading home. This season, though, Black has shown why he was so highly-though of out of high school. He finished with a 3.44 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 65.1 innings.

Chad Bell – LHP – 6’4 207
Walters State
Freshman
Bell is listed as being from Memphis on Harwich’s roster, and I guess that’s where he was for a while. But he spent this spring at juco powerhouse Walters State Community College in Tennessee. He emerged there as one of the team’s best pitchers, posting a 3.50 ERA with 100 strikeouts and only 33 walks in 100.1 innings. Bell was a 25th-round pick out of high school.

Garret Davis – RHP – 6’4 200
North Carolina
Freshman
Davis was a highly thought-of high school player in North Carolina, but has seen very limited action for the Tar Heels this season because of injury. He didn’t allow an earned run in his two appearances, but he’s not on the Tar Heels’ postseason roster, so he’s clearly done for the season. We’ll see if he makes it to the Cape.

Brian Dupra – RHP – 6’3 200
Notre Dame
Freshman
Notre Dame has a lot of players whose draft stock slipped because of their college commitment, and Dupra is another one. He was ranked among the top 150 draft prospects last year, but fell to the 37th round and naturally stuck with Notre Dame. His ERA this season was 5.44 but his peripheral numbers were good. He struck out 30 and walked 10 in 46.1 innings.

Joseph Gautier – LHP – 5’10 175
Bethune Cookman
Junior
Gautier just got added to the Harwich roster. He was dominant this season for the Wildcats, posting a 6-3 record with a 2.48 ERA. He struck out 74 and walked only 13 in 72.2 innings. He is draft-eligible this year, so in the next day, we’ll have a better idea of whether or not he’ll be in Harwich. If he is, he looks like a major addition to the Mariners’ staff.

Pat Johnson – RHP – 5’10 170
North Carolina
Freshman
Rated ahead of his UNC teammate Davis out of high school, Johnson has been pretty solid in a swing role for the Tar Heels. In 14 appearances – half of them starts – he’s posted a 4.14 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 22 walks in 41.1 innings.

Stave Kalush – RHP – 6’0 180
Santa Clara
Sophomore
Kalush was both a starter and a reliever for the Broncos this spring and finished the year with a 5-3 record and a 5.80 ERA. He struck out 61 in 54 innings, though, which is a pretty nice ratio. Kalush was a West Coast Conference all-freshman pick last year.

Willie Kempf – RHP – 6’0 200
Baylor
Sophomore
After a very good freshman season, Kempf pitched well in the Northwoods League last summer and became one of the Bears’ most reliable pitchers this year. He made 16 appearances – 10 starts – and went 6-2 with a 3.69 ERA. He struck out 48 in 68.1 innings.

Chris Manno – LHP – 6’1 160
Duke
Sophomore
Manno is another late addition and another big addition. He went 6-2 this year with a 3.38 ERA, and he struck out 80 in just 58.2 innings. He also only walked 19. Looks like some serious potential here.

Mike Morrison – RHP – 6’1 195
Cal State Fullerton
Sophomore
Morrison was one of the Titans’ most versatile pitchers last year, excelling in starts and relief appearances. He has focused mostly on relief this year with pretty solid results. He’s posted a 4.33 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched.

Ryan Quigley – LHP – 6’4 215
Northeastern
Sophomore
Quigley pitched mostly as a starter this spring and struggled to a 2-4 record and an 8.06 ERA. He did, however, strike out 62 in 51.1 innings. Quigley was a closer last season and excelled in that role.

Matt Zielinski – LHP – 6’3 200
Richmond
Sophomore
Zielinski was the best pitcher on a staff that had its struggles this year. The sophomore went 5-2 with a 4.71 ERA and flashed great control, striking out 45 and walking only 14. Zielinski had a 3.30 ERA as a freshman and was named the A-10’s Freshman of the Year.

Position Players
Mark Fleury – C – 6’1 200 – North Carolina – Sophomore
Tommy Medica – C – 6’1 190 – Santa Clara – Sophomore
Brandon Belt – INF – 6’5 205 – Texas – Sophomore
Jeff Cusick – INF – 6’2 205 – UC Irvine – Sophomore
Shaver Hansen – INF – 6’0 185 – Baylor – Sophomore
D.J. LeMahieu – INF – 6’4 196 – LSU – Freshman
Joe Sanders – INF – 6’1 195 – Auburn – Sophomore
Tim Smalling – INF – 6’3 207 – Arkansas – Sophomore
Jason Stidham – INF – 5’11 173 – Florida State – Sophomore
Dustin Ackley – OF – 6’1 182 – North Carolina – Sophomore
D.J. Belfonte – OF – 5’10 180 – Nebraska – Sophomore
Brian Kemp – OF – 5’10 180 – St. John’s – Sophomore
Ross Smith – OF – 6’2 192 – Auburn – Sophomore

Mark Fleury – C – 6’1 200
North Carolina
Sophomore
The heir apparent to Tim Federowicz, Fleury hasn’t exactly been buried on the depth chart. He’s played in 57 games, some as the DH and some at catcher, with a lot of pinch-hitting mixed in. He has hit .286 with three home runs. Fleury played in the NECBL last summer.

Tommy Medica – C – 6’1 190
Santa Clara
Sophomore
Medica was a standout freshman last year and played for Team USA last summer. He’s again a Team USA invite this year, so we’ll see what happens there. This season for Santa Clara, Medica hit .342 with six home runs and 44 RBI.

Brandon Belt – INF – 6’5 205
Texas
Sophomore
A power-hitting first baseman who occasionally pitches, Belt made a pretty big impact after transferring to Texas from San Jacinto junior college. He hit .319, good for fourth on the team, and hit six home runs. He led the team with 65 RBI. In 16 appearances on the mound, he had a 4.08 ERA with 16 strikeouts and five walks in 17.2 innings.

Jeff Cusick – INF – 6’2 205
UC Irvine
Sophomore
Cusick hasn’t hit for much power this season, but his average and on-base percentage make up for it. He’s hit a team-best .347 with a .446 on-base percentage. His UC-Irvine team is still alive in the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament.

Shaver Hansen – INF – 6’0 185
Baylor
Sophomore
Hansen was named Baylor’s co-MVP this year, sharing the award with former Wareham player Beamer Weems. Hansen led the team with a .326 average and hit six home runs with 47 RBI. He played mostly at third base.

D.J. LeMahieu – INF – 6’4 196
LSU
Freshman
LeMahieu was a two-time winner of Michigan’s Gatorade Player of the Year award and headed south as a highly-touted shortstop. He hasn’t disappointed in his freshman season with the Tigers. He has started 61 games and has put up a .336 average to go with five home runs and 38 RBI.

Joe Sanders – INF – 6’1 195
Auburn
Sophomore
Sanders hit .333 as a freshman and stayed ahead of that pace as a sophomore, finishing with a .348 average, good for second on the team. He also hit six home runs and drove in a team-best 52 runs. Sanders played second base for the Tigers.

Tim Smalling – INF – 6’3 207
Arkansas
Sophomore
Smalling hit .288 in his freshman year after grabbing the starting shortstop gig. His average dipped this year to .250 but he still hit nine home runs. Smalling can also play second base and third base.

Jason Stidham – INF – 5’11 173
Florida State
Sophomore
Stidham was a first-team all-conference pick as a freshman when he hit .366. As the Seminoles’ starting second baseman this season, his average has dipped to .308, but he had hit 10 home runs, the third-highest total on the team. Stidham was a 43rd-round pick out of high school.

Dustin Ackley – OF – 6’1 182
North Carolina
Sophomore
Ackley was the top freshman hitter in the country last year and was slated to play for Chatham last summer. He never made it, and as a Team USA invitee, he might not make it to Harwich this year. If he does, you can be sure he’ll hit. After batting .402 last year, he has hit .407 this year with seven home runs.

D.J. Belfonte – OF – 5’10 180
Nebraska
Sophomore
Belfonte was one of Nebraska’s offensive leaders as a freshman, hitting .307 and leading the team in several categories. But he hit the dreaded sophomore slump this year, batting just .241. He still brought speed to the table, stealing 14 bases in 17 attempts.

Brian Kemp – OF – 5’10 180
St. John’s
Sophomore
Kemp emerged this season as one of the best hitters for average in the Big East. He finished the year with a .359 batting average and also notched a .449 on-base percentage.

Ross Smith – OF – 6’2 192
Auburn
Sophomore
Smith had a very good freshman season after coming in as a highly-touted recruit, but from what I can gather, he redshirted this season due to injury. He isn’t actually on the Auburn roster right now, so I’m not sure what that means. You can get to his bio from a Google search.

The first round and supplemental round of the 2008 MLB draft just finished up, and 19 Cape Leaguers have had their names called. That’s 19 out of 46 picks.

First Round

5. San Francisco – Buster Posey – C – Florida State – Y-D ’06 & ’07
7. Cincinnati – Yonder Alonso – 1B – Miami – Brewster ’07
8. Chi White Sox – Gordon Beckham – SS – Georgia – Y-D ’07
9. Washington – Aaron Crow – RHP – Missouri – Falmouth ’07
10. Houston – Jason Castro – C – Stanford – Y-D ’07
11. Texas – Justin Smoak – 1B – South Carolina – Cotuit ’06
13. St. Louis – Brett Wallace 1B/3B – Arizona State – Falmouth ’06
17. Toronto – David Cooper – 1B – California – Brewster ’07
18. NY Mets – Ike Davis – 1B – Arizona State – Wareham ’07
20. Seattle – Josh Fields – RHP – Georgia – Y-D ’06
21. Detroit – Ryan Perry – RHP – Arizona – Orleans ’07
22. NY Mets – Reese Havens – SS – South Carolina – Cotuit ’07
23. San Diego – Allan Dykstra – 1B – Wake Forest – Chatham ’06 & ’07
25. Colorado – Christian Friedrich – LHP – E. Kentucky – Falmouth ’07

Supplemental First Round

31. Minnesota – Shooter Hunt – RHP – Tulane – Falmouth ’06 & ’07
37. San Francisco – Conor Gillaspie – 3B – Wichita St. – Falmouth ’07
41. Chi Cubs – Ryan Flaherty – SS -Vanderbilt – Hyannis ’06
43. Arizona – Wade Miley – LHP – SE Lousiana – Wareham ’07
44. NY Yankees – Jeremy Bleich – LHP – Stanford – Wareham ’06 & ’07

I watched most of the coverage on ESPN2, and the Cape League got dozens of mentions. Peter Gammons, of course, had a lot of insight and mentioned that Crow, Friedrich and Hunt were all on the same Falmouth pitching staff. He also said that the Cape League is essentially professional-caliber baseball.

The best mention of the Cape came from Christian Friedrich. Karl Ravech was interviewing him over the phone and asked him about the Cape League playoff game where he struck out Buster Posey, Gordon Beckham and Jason Castro in succession. Ravech asked if Friedrich thought about it much. Friedrich said, “About once a day.” He went on to say it was one of the best moments in baseball he’s ever had. Pretty cool to hear that.

The draft continues today and tomorrow. Hundreds more Cape Leaguers will get the call, so I’ll try to keep up with some of the notables.

BREWSTER WHITECAPS
Manager: Bob Macaluso
Last Season: 22-19-3

Two hitters from last year’s Brewster team will likely be first-round picks in this year’s draft, but only one of them was an all-star. That’s Miami’s Yonder Alonso, who hit .338 with four home runs and 25 RBI. The other is Cal’s David Cooper, whose .284 average was solid but not spectacular.

But both have put up huge numbers this spring. The fact that only one of them did last summer was fitting, considering how things went for the Whitecaps. On paper, they had one of the best offenses in the league with Alonso, Cooper, Charlie Cutler, Blake Tekotte and Jacob Priday leading the way. But none of those players had great summers, which left the Whitecaps on the outside of the playoff picture. In a way, they were the anti-Y-D Red Sox. Y-D had a group of talented players all perform at or above expectations. Brewster had the talent, but not the success.

As the Whitecaps head into the summer of ’08, they’ll be hoping another talented offensive team can deliver. They don’t have anybody returning, but several players in their lineup had huge springs, including James Meador and Connor Powers. At this point, they’ve also only had one player – closer A.J. Griffin – invited to Team USA.

All of that points to the Whitecaps emerging as contenders, but in what’s shaping up to be an extremely difficult Eastern division, they’ll need a big summer to do it.

Roster Rundown

Returning players: 0
Juniors: 1
Sophomores: 19
Freshmen : 4

Notable

• The Whitecaps don’t have as many juniors as Hyannis, probably the oldest team in the league, but they have a lot fewer freshmen. Of the four on the roster, two are redshirts, leaving Brewster with only two true freshmen. That’s probably not a bad thing, considering how few freshmen succeed on the Cape.
• On paper, the Whitecaps look like they might be a little short in the starting rotation. Most of their pitchers have come out of the bullpen this spring, with only two players – Vanderbilt’s Caleb Coltham and Missouri State’s Buddy Bauman – in weekend rotations. Several players will have to be stretched out for Brewster to have enough.
• California’s Blake Smith is one of the top two-way players in the country, and he’ll bring his game to Brewster this summer. A lot of times, two-way players focus on one thing when they’re on the Cape, but Smith has been so good at both, that he’ll probably get a chance to show what he can do.
• Brewster has three catchers and two are from powerhouse programs Arizona and Miami. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the third catcher, the one from the small school, makes the biggest impact. Southeast Missouri’s Jim Klocke was a legit Freshman All-American last year, and he hit .357 this year.
• The Whitecaps have the makings of a powerful lineup. Smith had nine home runs this year, Southeast Missouri’s Jim Klocke had six, Mississippi State’s Connor Powers had 11, Loyola Marymount’s Ryan Wheeler had six and Florida’s Matt den Dekker had nine.
• When you plug in projected starters, Brewster’s lineup looks about as good as anybody’s from top to bottom, with the above players joining San Diego’s James Meador and Clemson’s Mike Freeman as potential standouts.

Five Players I’m Excited to See
1. Blake Smith
2. Caleb Coltham
3. Connor Powers
4. Jim Klocke
5. James Meador

Pitchers
Buddy Bauman – LHP – 5’10 175 – Missouri State – Sophomore
Wade Broyles – RHP – 6’2 200 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Garrett Claypool – RHP – 6’2 175 – UCLA – Sophomore
Caleb Coltham – RHP – 6’3 210 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Rob Gilliam – RHP – 6’1 195 – UNC Greensboro – Sophomore
A.J. Griffin – RHP – 6’5 215 – San Diego – Sophomore
Chris LaGrow – LHP – 6’3 185 – South Alabama – Sophomore
Mark Lamm – RHP – 6’4 215 – Vanderbilt – Freshman
Rory McKean – RHP – 6’3 210 – Ole Miss – Sophomore
Iden Nazario – LHP – 6’0 192 – Miami – Freshman
Matt Packer – LHP – 6’0 190 – Virginia – Sophomore
Blake Smith – RHP/OF – 6’2 220 – California – Sophomore
Ryan Woolley – RHP – 6’1 190 – Georgia – Sophomore

Buddy Bauman – LHP – 5’10 175
Missouri State
Sophomore
Bauman was solid as a freshman when he posted a 4.85 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 39 innings. After an all-star campaign in the Northwoods League, Bauman grabbed a spot in the weekend rotation this year and closed out the regular season with a 6-4 record and a 4.66 ERA. He struck out 71 in 75 innings.

Wade Broyles – RHP – 6’2 200
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Broyles red-shirted his first year at Ole Miss then saw limited action last season. He still hasn’t see much action this year, making just six appearances. He’s put up good numbers while he’s been in there, though, with a 2.70 ERA and nine strikeouts.

Garrett Claypool – RHP – 6’2 175
UCLA
Sophomore
Claypool pitched in a swing role as a freshman and finished with a 3.54 ERA, good enough to earn him Freshman All-American honors from several publications. He has been in a similar role this year, making a few starts and pitching out of the bullpen the rest of the time. He has posted a 4.13 ERA, though he has walked 30 batters and struck out only 24.

Caleb Coltham – RHP – 6’3 210
Vanderbilt
Freshman
Coltham redshirted last year but he has made a major splash this season. Pitching in Vandy’s weekend rotation, Coltham has put up similar numbers to those of teammate Mike Minor, one of the more highly-touted hurlers in the country. Coltham has gone 7-5 with a 4.26 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 80.1 innings.

Rob Gilliam – RHP – 6’1 195
UNC Greensboro
Sophomore
Gilliam had a high ERA as a freshman but then went to the Valley League and led the league in ERA. This spring, his ERA is back up around six but he has struck out 54 in 56.1 innings.

A.J. Griffin – RHP – 6’5 215
San Diego
Sophomore
Griffin was one of the initial invitees to Team USA, so he may not wear a Brewster uniform this summer. If he does, the Whitecaps will have themselves one of the premier closers in college baseball. Griffin has 13 saves this year, a 2.04 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

Chris LaGrow – LHP – 6’3 185
South Alabama
Sophomore
LaGrow put up great numbers as a freshman, stepping into the closer’s role and notching eight saves with a 3.03 ERA. He has moved out of the closer’s role this season, and out of his 10 appearances, seven have been starts. His ERA has jumped up to 5.62.

Mark Lamm – RHP – 6’4 215
Vanderbilt
Freshman
Like Coltham, Lamm redshirted in his first season with the Commodores but has made a good impression this year. In 14 appearances, mostly out of the bullpen, Lamm has put up a 3.30 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 30 innings.

Rory McKean – RHP – 6’3 210
Ole Miss
Sophomore
Another former redshirt, McKean has gotten his feet under him this year after seeing limited action last season. In 22 appearances, McKean has a 2.40 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 16 walks in 45 innings of work.

Iden Nazario – LHP – 6’0 192
Miami
Freshman
One of several impact freshman playing for Miami this year, Nazario was expected to play big roles on offense and on the mound. He has seen action both ways, but he has had his biggest success with the ball in his hands. In 10 appearances out of the bullpen, he’s posted a .84 ERA with 15 strikeouts.

Matt Packer – LHP – 6’0 190
Virginia
Sophomore
Packer has been an absolute workhorse this season for the Cavaliers. He has made 22 appearances and all but four have been out of the bullpen. Still, he’s fourth on the team in innings pitched and leads the team with a 1.19 ERA. He has struck out 53 and walked only 15 in 60.2 innings.

Blake Smith – RHP/OF – 6’2 220
California
Sophomore
Smith has been a valuable two-way player for the Bears this spring. He has started 50 games in the outfield and has posted a .290 batting average with nine home runs. On the mound, he has a 2.70 ERA in 14 relief appearances. He has struck out 29 in just 16.2 innings.

Ryan Woolley – RHP – 6’1 190
Georgia
Sophomore
Woolley was tremendous out of the bullpen as a freshman, posting a 3.14 ERA in 19 appearances. This season, Woolley has only made three appearances, but I can’t find anything that explains why that is.

Position Players
Dwight Childs – C – 6’3 178 – Arizona – Sophomore
Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210 – Miami – Freshman
Jim Klocke – C – 6’0 195 – Southeast Missouri – Sophomore
Mike Freeman – INF – 5’11 185 – Clemson – Sophomore
Garrett Gore – INF – 5’10 176 – North Carolina – Junior
James Meador – INF/OF – 6’1 205 – San Diego – Sophomore
Derek Poppert – INF – 6’2 185 – San Francisco – Sophomore
Connor Powers – INF – 6’2 230 – Mississippi State – Sophomore
Ryan Wheeler – INF – 6’4 220 – Loyola Marymount – Sophomore
Matt den Dekker – OF – 6’1 205 – Florida – Sophomore

Dwight Childs – C – 6’3 178
Arizona
Sophomore
Childs saw a lot of time last year for the Wildcats and finished with a .232 batting average. He has struggled a bit more this year, with a .214 average in 47 games.

Yasmani Grandal – C – 6’2 210
Miami
Freshman
Grandal was a 27th-round pick out of high school and has made an immediate impact for the Hurricanes. Splitting time at catcher with sophomore Jason Hagerty, Grandal has hit .244 with five home runs and 19 RBI to go with a .358 on-base percentage.

Jim Klocke – C – 6’0 195
Southeast Missouri
Sophomore
Klocke hit .324 last year as a freshman and didn’t miss a beat this season. He closed out the year with a team-best .357 batting average, to go with six home runs and 40 RBI. He also had a .469 on-base percentage and struck out just 21 times in 185 at-bats.

Mike Freeman – INF – 5’11 185
Clemson
Sophomore
Freeman played for Georgia last year then transferred to Clemson. He’s been a big addition for the Tigers this year, leading the team with a .332 batting average. Freeman played last summer in the NECBL and was solid, finishing with a .297 average.

Garrett Gore – INF – 5’10 176
North Carolina
Junior
Gore emerged as the Tar Heels’ starter at second base last year and finished the year with a .324 average. He has moved to shortstop this season and has hit .278. Last summer in the Coastal Plain League, Gore hit .400.

James Meador – INF/OF – 6’1 205
San Diego
Sophomore
Meador played in roughly half of San Diego’s games last year as a freshman and never really got his feet under him. But this year, he has been the team’s best hitter, posting a .385 batting average with six home runs and 51 RBI.

Derek Poppert – INF – 6’2 185
San Francisco
Sophomore
Poppert played in 47 games and got 30 starts as a freshman, finishing his first campaign with a .297 batting average. He’s had a rough go of it this year, though, with a .226 average.

Connor Powers – INF – 6’2 230
Mississippi State
Sophomore
Powers started hitting from day one in Starkville and hasn’t stopped. After batting .306 with eight home runs as a freshman, Powers has been one of the SEC’s most fearsome hitters this year, despite missing a third of the season with injury. He leads the team with a .348 batting average and has also belted 11 home runs.

Ryan Wheeler – INF – 6’4 220
Loyola Marymount
Sophomore
A powerful left-handed hitter, Wheeler was one of the top players in the West Coast Conference this season. He hit .345 with six home runs, 45 RBI and 27 extra-base hits, good enough to earn an all-conference nod.

Matt den Dekker – OF – 6’1 205
Florida
Sophomore
After being named to the SEC’s all-freshman team last season, den Dekker has taken big steps forward this year. Starting nearly every day, den Dekker has hit .332 with eight home runs and 47 RBI.