Afternoon Notes, May 25, 2010
**I have been busy with personal and family obligations the last couple of days, but should be back in a full writing grove tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.
**I saw KU and Oklahoma play over the weekend. One player who caught my eye but hasn't received much attention is Sooner third baseman Garrett Buechele, a redshirt sophomore. He's not super-toolsy, but he looked quite polished both offensively and defensively, didn't chase junk offerings out of the strike zone, and hit one 91 MPH fastball about 385 feet for home run to straight left field. He's a right-handed hitter with a slight uppercut. He is the son of former major league third baseman Steve Buechele, and he reminds me somewhat of his dad. Buechele is being projected as a possible pick in the 10th round range, and I can see that being a nice choice for someone. He leads OU in most offensive categories, hitting .387/.457/.660 with 13 homers. He showed good discipline when I saw him, although his overall 14/33 BB/K ratio is unimpressive in 212 at-bats.
**KU third baseman Tony Thompson looked good with the bat, but his mobility and defense are still not what they were a year ago, likely impacted by his fractured kneecap earlier in the season. Any hope that he could go in the first round is gone, but I could see him as a nice third or fourth round pick for someone looking for a power bat.
**OU reliever Jeremy Erben showed a 91-94 MPH fastball and a tight slider. A senior, he has a 3.99 ERA and a 65/24 K/BB in 59 innings, 53 hits allowed. His command can wobble when he overthrows, but the arm strength for success here. I can see him in the 10th round range for someone looking for a cheap senior bullpen arm.
**Another senior of interested was KU starting pitcher Cameron Selik. He's a big guy at 6-3, 240 pounds, a "strong legs" type. His numbers are so-so this year, 4.66 ERA with a 68/30 K/BB in 85 innings, 86 hits. But he has a decent fastball at 88-92 MPH, and got some nasty break on his slider at times, in addition to mixing in a few changeups. He would profile as a bullpen back-ender at the higher levels, but someone in the later rounds could pick him up. Guys with worse arms have been successful pitchers.
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