College Baseball - Opening Weekend
by Jeff Reese on Feb 19, 2010 7:34 PM EST
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PrintI know we had a few of these threads at the beginning of last year and figured I'd throw one up. Andy Seiler was the main contributor (before he started his blog), but hopefully some others are following games tonight.
I came home from work today and watched the last 2 innings of Sonny Gray's start tonight against Niagara via a mediocre webcast, through this site:
http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=cs
I'm actually wondering whether I should purchase a monthly pass or not. I kind of want to see the Rice/Stanford game tonight.
Back to Gray:
His stuff looked pretty impressive, but without a radar gun it was impossible to tell how hard he was throwing. The announcer mentioned in the 8th inning that the fastball was 95 on the radar gun. His curveball looked pretty nasty and around the same time the announcer said it was 82 MPH. From the couple innings that I saw he got quite a few ground balls and worked very efficiently. He threw 93 pitches, 63 for strikes.
Here's his line:
8IP 3H 0ER 1BB 1HBP 8K 10GO 4FO
Has anyone else seen any games today?
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I went to the Georgia Tech-Missouri State game today.
I’ll have a writeup on my blog tonight, and you can see what I wrote on Twitter throughout.
2011 draft...
I know it is way too early, but Sonny Gray and Gerrit Cole are pretty much in a two way race for the number one pick. I would honestly take either of these guys over Bryce Harper if they were available.
Don't forget Rendon
Him and Mooneyham are the two main reasons why I want to see the Rice/Stanford game. A Texas A&M/Seton Hall broadcast is a free event through that site and Barrett Loux is on the mound.
Mooneyham's not pitching tonight.
He’s fighting the flu or something like that. Should pitch Sunday.
Thanks for the correction
The funny thing is that I read the BA college preview and still forgot that Pries was getting the start tonight.
I like both...
and Rendon is getting Pedro Alvarez-esque hype, but these two arms are the best pair of arms that we have ever seen in a draft. I have never seen a draft with TWO arms like this. Next year is going to be one of the better drafts in recent memory and I can’t wait :)
It does look excellent
I’m not ready to give Gray and Cole that kind of hype, but yes they do look like premier arms. I’m also a big Danny Hultzen fan, and there are some other big time pitching prospects eligible in 2011.
I agree with Cole and Gray
But it doesn’t seem like many people mention Matt Purke. I think he could give them a run for their money. Not saying he will be #1 overall, but I could see him right up there with Cole, Gray, Rendon. I was big on Purke last year.
McShay, Todd McShay you hear me boy? It's me TJ and I'm coming for your damn job boy! Oh be scared, be very scared McShay.
by tj.hendricks on Feb 19, 2010 11:54 PM EST up reply actions
Purke...
will probably be in the lead for number one pick the next year after being the highest pick from this draft to not sign.
Why...
is he a draft elgible sophmore? That would be crazy, but I still don’t think he is on the same level as Gray, Cole, or Rendon who are easily 1-2-3 for me so far.
Because he was born 7/17/90
He’s actually older than quite a few sophomores (Cole, Carpenter, Bauer to name a few)
draft eligible sophomores + more
If the guy turns 21 within 45 days of the draft start, he is eligible for selection. You can even have draft eligible freshmen (rare, but KC’s Chris Dwyer is a recent good example).
Assuming good health, I’d be surprised if Purke isn’t in that mix. He’s got good stuff that is sometimes better than that, and solid polish. I think he’ll be a good mix of upside and and safety from the left side, which should be very attractive to lots of teams.
I love Gray’s arm and have since HS, but I want to wait a bit more before calling him a candidate to be one of the first few names off the board next year. The size thing doesn’t bother me because he’s got a solid build and the arm motion to keep up his velocity. Consistency of command and the continued development of his changeup are important to me.
Speaking of Purke
He’s pitching today and the game is being broadcast on the site that I mentioned in my initial post. It’s a free event.
I’m watching it, thanks for that link.
McShay, Todd McShay you hear me boy? It's me TJ and I'm coming for your damn job boy! Oh be scared, be very scared McShay.
by tj.hendricks on Feb 20, 2010 3:43 PM EST up reply actions
From what it sounds like ( I could be wrong) he topped the fastball at 97 but is usually 93-94.
McShay, Todd McShay you hear me boy? It's me TJ and I'm coming for your damn job boy! Oh be scared, be very scared McShay.
by tj.hendricks on Feb 20, 2010 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
Stanford/Rice
Ratterree leads off the game with a lead off HR in his first collegiate AB
Mozingo followed it up with flyout to the CF wall (caught by Jacob Stewart)
Hague grounded out
Rendon lined a ball off the wall for a double
Rice has one hell of an offense
Pries
He got hit pretty hard in the second as well, but settled down to get out of the inning. He has a slow 12-6 curveball that looks like his best pitch.
Wall's done after 3
He wasn’t hit very hard, but he had some trouble locating his pitches and gave up some hits. 3-1 Stanford starting the bottom of the 4th inning
Rendon's strikeout was bullshit.
2 called strikes way off the plate. After the first one the catcher set up WAY outside to see what they could get away with. The announcer, following the ump’s lead, called the ball “just off the outside corner.”
That's going to happen
It was really hard to see the plate during the webcast (for me at least), but they did note that the umpire was pretty liberal with the corners.
Notable Players' Lines
Jake Stewart: 1/5 2B 3K
Stephen Priscotty: 3/4
Kenny Diekroeger: 0/3 1BB 1K
Kellen Kiilsgaard: 0/3
Michael Ratterree: 2/5 HR 1K
Rick Hague: 1/4
Anthony Rendon: 1/3 2B 1HBP 1BB 1K
Michael Fuda: 2/3 HR
Jordan Pries: 7.2IP 9H 4R 1ER 2BB 5K 1HBP 2HR
Taylor Wall: 3IP 4H 3ER 2BB 3K
Stewart’s line looks pretty bad, but I really didn’t think he looked that bad at the plate. Pries struggled early and really didn’t look good, but he definitely settled down after about the 4th inning and showed flashes. There was one inning in particular where he was commanding his fastball really well and throwing some very tough breaking balls.
other notable name
Taylor Jungmann: 7 IP 7 H 2 R (1 ER) 1 BB 8 K
Nasty stuff, still refining his command but a very good name to keep in mind for the 2011 draft.
Those were just the players from the Stanford/Rice game that I was watching
Taylor Jungmann is definitely nasty
I'll be seeing UT play this weekend, once if not twice
We have a decent chance of rain in the forecast for Sunday, but tomorrow looks promising. Of course, I believe Workman will be pitching on Sundays as it stands . . .
If Texas's Series Preview is accurate
Workman will get the start tomorrow and Dicharry would be the starter on Sunday.
I believe you're right
I think there’s some oddball stuff going on with the Tuesday game this week.
We’ll see if I make it out this weekend. I was going to head over today, but I’m running a lot of suspiciously flu-like symptons . . .
anyplace have a scoreboard going?
I’m not usually up for watching a whole game online, but i’d like to keep updated on scores.
My GA Tech-Missouri State game report is up.
I have velo readings, graded pitches, etc. on Deck McGuire, Aaron Meade, Kevin Jacob, and Derek Dietrich.
Great Read
Definitely my favorite piece you’ve done so far, Andy. Thanks for sharing.
Hate to be a solicitor.
But if you like what you read, you can donate here towards the purchase of a radar gun, HD video camera, and scouting trips.
On a night where Deck McGuire pitches, finding radar gun readings aren’t hard. However, when I’m out and about, I’ll need a gun for those sort of things.
The video camera is self-explanatory, and I’d be able to get video on all the prospects I see if I can get one.
The scouting trips would be to Florida and either Texas or Florida.
I’ve gotten $60 in about 24 hours so far, and I’m going to need somewhere around $2500 to pay for those things. Any little bit helps.
by Andy Seiler on Feb 19, 2010 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
Good Luck
I’ve personally made the decision to go the self-financed/minimal solicitation route with my own draft site since last February, so, while I can appreciate the time, effort, and expense that goes into maintaining a quality site worth reading, I’m afraid the compliment will have to do rather than cash. Best of luck all the same.
Compliments are just as welcome.
No need to donate, just giving you the chance. Thanks for the kind words.
by Andy Seiler on Feb 19, 2010 11:24 PM EST up reply actions
Arizona State
Blair, Lambson, Barrett, and Swaggerty looked awesome tonight at Packard!
Anyone heard anything
On Chris Sale? I noticed he only threw 22 pitches. Didn’t know if there was an injury or just letting him come along slowly.
McShay, Todd McShay you hear me boy? It's me TJ and I'm coming for your damn job boy! Oh be scared, be very scared McShay.
I'm working on it.
I’ll probably have something for you in the morning. Too late for a response.
by Andy Seiler on Feb 20, 2010 12:24 AM EST up reply actions
Sale
He’s getting the start this upcoming Wednesday at Miami, so the coaching staff just wanted him to get some work in today. Heard from a couple of players from Temple (Florida Gulf Coast’s opponent) and a member of the coaching staff that were all in agreement that Sale made mid-90s heat look easier than anybody they’ve ever seen. Can’t wait to see how he fares on Wednesday.
Ahh...
Completely forgot that was this week. Thanks.
by Andy Seiler on Feb 20, 2010 12:40 AM EST up reply actions
Ah
Ok thanks for the info. I was hoping it wasn’t an injury.
McShay, Todd McShay you hear me boy? It's me TJ and I'm coming for your damn job boy! Oh be scared, be very scared McShay.
by tj.hendricks on Feb 20, 2010 3:19 PM EST up reply actions
Arizona St
Pitching looked good (grain of salt, it was Northern Illinois). Seth Blair struckout 5 and only allowed 3 hits over 5 innings. Was clocked as high as 94mph and his slider looked nice. One to watch is freshman Jake Barrett (unsigned 3rd rnd pick). He’s a monster (6’4", 235 pounds) and came in throwing smoke, mid 90s.
Our offense looked ho-hum outside of Matt Newman and Zack Wilson (who could be one to watch)
I remember Barrett
One of my personal favorite prep arms beyond the top tier in last year’s draft. Very surprised that he didn’t get signed, although I think there might have been some signability issues.
barrett
barrett stated it would take seven figures to get him to budge. the blue jays offered over slot, something like 700,000 (slot is 350,000), but barrett wouldnt have it.
thats the nice thing about having a program as prestigious as ours. we get guys like barrett almost every year because these kids know that if they hold up their end of it while in college, they can make even more money. leake is an example of that. he was a high school top 100 guy drafted by the A’s
Sam Dyson
3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Still making his way back after starting throwing late following surgery. Looked good today though. Stay in the low 90s, should keep getting more velocity back.
looking over Andy Seiler's Friday list
One name jumped out to me . . .Alex Meyer, eligible in 2011. I imagine most of us remember Meyer from a couple of years ago when he was one of the top rated prep pitchers in 2008. Drafted by the Red Sox, turned down $2M to go to Kentucky.
He doesn’t seem to get much talk these days, though, and it seems that for 2011 a bunch of other names are getting much more buzz than him. What’s he throwing these days, and any clue on what kind of caliber of prospect he’s looking like for next year’s draft?
He's still a first-round prospect.
But most of the hype is based on his freakish size. Still has quality stuff, though.
I think he's still elite
He’s a bit less heralded than Gray, Jungmann and Cole, but he’s definitely on the next tier with Hultzen, Carpenter, Armstrong, et al.
Actually, BA ranked him the 5th best college Sophomore (behind Rendon, Cole, Jungmann and Gray). The 2011 class just looks loaded
yeah, after doing some looking around
Sounds like he’s still an excellent prospect. A couple of nice pitches, and he’s somehow even bigger than when he was drafted (he’s now 6’9"). Just a little harder to gauge Meyer’s performance because IIRC, Kentucky plays in a terrible park for pitchers. He struck out oodles of guys last year.
Like I said...
you won’t even need to have a top ten pick to get a potential star. There are going to be guys who would go top 5 next year falling until late in the draft because of the depth and quality of the players next year. I still think Cole goes one with Rendon going two and Gray going 3.
Mooneyham
I just caught the third inning of his start.
If his 1st and 2nd inning was like his 3rd then he’s not quite as wild as his numbers make it seem. He wasn’t missing by too much in the third. He would occasionally miss completely, but most were around the zone. The fastball seems to really jump out of his hand and his curve had a rolling type of action (if that makes sense).
Georgia v. Duke
Sophomore Zach Cone, a potential 5-tool outfielder who many have pegged as a major breakout candidate this year, hit for the cycle today against Duke, going 4-5.
I'm seeing Georgia next Friday.
Justin Grimm is their best 2010 draft prospect, and I’m looking forward to seeing Cone.
I also like Jonathan Taylor a speedy outfielder for Georgia as an under the radar guy (at least I haven’t heard alot about him).
Is Michael Palazzone a draft eligible soph?
McShay, Todd McShay you hear me boy? It's me TJ and I'm coming for your damn job boy! Oh be scared, be very scared McShay.
by tj.hendricks on Feb 21, 2010 4:37 PM EST up reply actions
Updating Cone...
On Sunday, Georgia played 2 games: one against Duke and one against Baylor.
Against Baylor, Cone went 4-4 with a 2B. Against Duke, a more mortal line of 1-3 with a BB, a K and a sacrifice fly.
That’s a damn good opening weekend.
Next weekend
Would it be a waste of my time going to the Maryland vs. Deleware next weekend?
I’m waiting for UNC, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia, and NC State to come through. Anyone worth seeing from Old Dominion, VCU, Navy, George Mason, or James Madison?
All of those teams will be coming through College Park this year.
My first priority is to see Deck McGuire on March 19th. I assume he’ll be starting on that day? It’s a Friday night. Should McGuire be my first priority or is it someone else?
IMO
It’s never a waste of time going to see ball, even if there really isn’t anybody notable out on the field. Sometimes, the best way to practice the recognizance of real pro baseball caliber talent is to watch a bunch of guys who definitely aren’t of that caliber. Benchmarking is never a bad thing.
Delaware has some...
under rated talent. They have scored a lot of runs these first couple of games.
Cuneo.
He’s the name to watch for Delaware. Good senior sign possibility a la Nate Freiman of Duke in ’09.
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