College Baseball 2016

toonsterwu · February 3, 2016

Figure it was time to start a thread for the College Baseball season, with pre-season rankings and stuff coming on.

D1 Baseball's Top 25

1. Florida

2. Louisville

3. Vanderbilt

4. Texas A&M

5. Oregon State

6. Miami

7. LSU

8. Oklahoma State

9. California

10. NC State

11 UCLA

12 Southern California

13 Virginia

14 Oregon

15 Mississippi State

16 North Carolina

17 South Carolina

18 Louisiana-Lafayette

19 TCU

20 Florida State

21 Cal State Fullerton

22 Houston

23 Texas

24 Coastal Carolina

25 Arkansas

Baseball America Top 25

1. Florida

2. Louisville

3. Texas A&M

4. Virginia

5. Oregon State

6. Miami

7. Vanderbilt

8. California

9. Oklahoma State

10. UCLA

11. Louisiana State

12. Houston

13. Louisiana-Lafayette

14. Oregon

15. Michigan

16. Southern California

17. Florida State

18. Texas Christian

19. North Carolina State

20. Mississippi State

21. Oklahoma

22. Cal State Fullerton

23. Coastal Carolina

24. Mississippi

25. Kentucky

toonsterwu · February 3, 2016

As a UVA fan, I'm cautiously optimistic about this season. I think one can make the argument that this UVA team might be the most well-rounded team in O'Connor's tenure. Sure, there's areas of concern, but that's always the case with college sports, as guys move on.

The lineup should be really good. Pavin Smith looks like a potential top draft pick in two years, with such a sweet lefty swing. With Thaiss/Pinero/Clement/Coman/Haseley, there's a very good core in place. The freshman class of positional assets is supposed to be pretty good and able to fill in key spots. There's power, on base potential, speed. It has the makings of a very good lineup.

The big question is obviously the pitching. The loss of guys like Kirby/Waddell/Sborz hurts any college team. Along with that, two arms with impact potential may be sidelined due to surgery (Derek Casey/Evan Sperling). That said, Kuhn's one of the best pitching coaches out there, and along with O'Connor, I feel confident that they'll get the bullpen in order. I mean, stuff wise, Alec Bettinger is pretty good. Question comes down to the rotation, but with Connor Jones, there's a legitimate staff ace, Friday starter. Adam Haseley worked freshman year in the mid-80's when he started, supposedly is in the upper 80's now. Tommy Doyle's breaking ball might be as good, or better than, Connor Jones, and he can run the fastball in that 91-93 range. There's a few other arms in the mix (Doyle could also be moved to the pen, it's not impossible Bettinger gets another starter look, although I'm not betting on it), but there's enough talent to work with.

At the end of the day, O'Connor is still there, and he's earned enough trust that I think they'll figure out some of the areas of concern, and there's enough talent to work with. For the life of me, still not sure how Kuhn and McMullan haven't gotten offers to run quality programs, but as a UVA fan, glad they are still there. I get the disparity between Baseball America's ranking and D1Baseball's (the former gives a nod to the staff and the talent, the latter is concerned about some of the apparent holes), but I'm cautiously optimistic that this may be a better team overall than last year's.

Hairyducked Idiot · February 8, 2016

http://www.fullertontitans.com/sports/m-basebl/2015-16/files/2016_BSB_Schedule.pdf

I'm just a few minutes down the road from Cal Stae Fullerton. Anything on their schedule I should try to catch in terms of seeing pro prospects?

Hairyducked Idiot · February 8, 2016

http://www.fullertontitans.com/sports/m-basebl/2015-16/files/2016_BSB_Schedule.pdf

I'm just a few minutes down the road from Cal Stae Fullerton. Anything on their schedule I should try to catch in terms of seeing pro prospects?

CaliforniaRaisin · February 8, 2016

http://www.fullertontitans.com/sports/m-basebl/2015-16/files/2016_BSB_Schedule.pdf

I'm just a few minutes down the road from Cal Stae Fullerton. Anything on their schedule I should try to catch in terms of seeing pro prospects?

No one too interesting this year for Fullerton. Sadly for you, the ASU, UCLA and USC games are midweek so those teams won't start their best pitchers. They do have some interesting prospects: ASU has SS Colby Woodmansee, USC has potential day one pick (and a Cubs draft pick out of HS) C Jeremy Martinez and UCLA has 3B Luke Persico and C Darrell Miller. Maryland's Friday starter, Mike Shawaryn, could be a first or second rounder this June.

Edit: Crap, Miller tore his labrum and is done for the season.

philosophizer75 · February 9, 2016

It's pretty mind blowing to me how much some of you guys know about seemingly every kid older than 14 who has ever playing an inning of baseball.

philosophizer75 · February 9, 2016

Oh I didn't mean it in a negative way at all. I think it's incredible and I appreciate that I can come here and glean some bits of information off you guys.

OleMissCub · February 9, 2016

Will be interested to see Kyle Funkhouser of Louisville when he comes in to play Ole Miss the second week of season. To turn down 1.7 million as a first round pick to come back to college is kinda nutty, imo.

toonsterwu · February 9, 2016

http://www.fullertontitans.com/sports/m-basebl/2015-16/files/2016_BSB_Schedule.pdf

I'm just a few minutes down the road from Cal Stae Fullerton. Anything on their schedule I should try to catch in terms of seeing pro prospects?

No one too interesting this year for Fullerton. Sadly for you, the ASU, UCLA and USC games are midweek so those teams won't start their best pitchers. They do have some interesting prospects: ASU has SS Colby Woodmansee, USC has potential day one pick (and a Cubs draft pick out of HS) C Jeremy Martinez and UCLA has 3B Luke Persico and C Darrell Miller. Maryland's Friday starter, Mike Shawaryn, could be a first or second rounder this June.

Edit: Crap, Miller tore his labrum and is done for the season.

I think Shawaryn can succeed at the next level, but I'd be fairly wary of taking him in the first/2nd as of now. Good slider, fastball is still more high 80's and topping out low 90's. Saw a comp to Aaron Nola, which I don't really see as of now - Nola had a better fastball, arguably a better breaking ball, and a much better changeup. Velocity isn't everything, as Kyle Hendricks would attest to, but gambling on that pitch set in the first/2nd, I'd just be wary.

That said, I do think he probably goes fairly high in this draft. If he fell to the late 3rd, I'd love the idea of the Cubs gambling on him, but barring a really bad year, he probably won't fall that far.

jumbo · February 10, 2016

Nah, didn't think you meant it negative. Thanks

I am equally as amazed as philosopher, but I do mean it negative.

Cubswin11 · February 10, 2016

Over/under 2.5 pages until a pitcher who was a projected first rounder this coming draft goes down with an injury?

philosophizer75 · February 10, 2016

Anyone intriguing I should go see when they come around nebraska this spring?

CaliforniaRaisin · February 10, 2016

Anyone intriguing I should go see when they come around nebraska this spring?

OF Ryan Boldt could be a first rounder.

CaliforniaRaisin · February 10, 2016

Over/under 2.5 pages until a pitcher who was a projected first rounder this coming draft goes down with an injury?

It's already happened....Quantrill and Matt Krook have already had it. Krook's teammate, Cole Irvin, is another top round guy that had the surgery already. I think both Krook and Quantrill have more talent than Erick Fedde, a TJ college arm that went 18th in 2014.

South Carolina's Wil Crowe also had TJS last season though he isn't the prospect Cal Quantrill is.

toonsterwu · February 20, 2016

Well, it's started. I can't say I'm going to follow many teams early besides ... well, UVA.

Connor Jones, by all accounts, was filthy today against Kent State. One game doesn't mean much, but it's a great start for him as he builds a case to be a high first round pick.

A lot of talk about what UVA's OF was going to look like. Aaron Fitt was gushing about UVA's freshman OF's on twitter. Can't say Cameron Simmons was anywhere near the top of my mind in terms of impact freshman for UVA, but then again, several years back, Brandon Waddell was 2nd fiddle entering his freshman year (if that).

There was also some question on who would get third base, and freshman Andy Weber got the first look, despite a lot of pre-season focus on Ryan Karstetter, who was one of the big name freshman signings. Karstetter did come in at DH eventually. My hunch is that, over the long haul (namely, 2017), Karstetter may end up moving to first, with Pavin Smith sliding to the OF, but that's for another year.

___

Only other thing I noticed was Sharawyn losing to Alabama. One game doesn't mean much, but I'm very curious how Shawaryn looks this year.

That said, looks like that was just a tough luck loss for him.

CaliforniaRaisin · February 21, 2016

Robert Tyler was electric yesterday. Kyle Cody fantastic today.

Not that either of them matter for the Cubs, barring injury.

As a side note, I love Corey Ray.

CubinNY · February 22, 2016

Bukauskas better name than Funkhauser, yea or nea?

toonsterwu · February 23, 2016

Disappointing final loss for UVA. Bright spot is that the rotation looks like it may be alright with Tommy Doyle's stuff looking real sharp. The offense also looks like it could really dominate, and they should be solid defensively.

That said, 2 bad games from the pen. If the guys there don't step it up, hard to see who's coming to the rescue. It's possible late in the year, someone like Derek Casey may be available, but they really need Alec Bettinger to step it up.

weis21 · February 23, 2016

Disappointing final loss for UVA. Bright spot is that the rotation looks like it may be alright with Tommy Doyle's stuff looking real sharp. The offense also looks like it could really dominate, and they should be solid defensively.

That said, 2 bad games from the pen. If the guys there don't step it up, hard to see who's coming to the rescue. It's possible late in the year, someone like Derek Casey may be available, but they really need Alec Bettinger to step it up.

ECU will be visiting y'all this weekend. Haven't checked to see if it's on TV, but will definitely have to listen in on radio if not. I have probably a half dozen baseball players as advisees and they all seem to be really nice and down to earth guys. I've also been really impressed with what I've heard from Coach Godwin.

Hopefully they can steal a game or two from UVA this weekend.

OleMissCub · March 13, 2016

A kid from Wright State threw a perfect game against Dayton on Friday. Only the 25th one ever in Division I

OleMissCub · April 16, 2016

This kid at Auburn is killing it:

Anfernee Grier: .421/.508/.632, 35 games, 7 HR, 7 2b, 2 3b, 16 sb

toonsterwu · April 26, 2016

Virginia is slowly turning it around.

I still don't know why they waited so long to get Haseley into the weekend rotation. He was clearly one of their top 3 arms. The Doyle-Bettinger swap was interesting. Doyle is probably a better closer than starter (where his 2 pitch arsenal can play up more), whereas Bettinger is pretty much the same inconsistent guy in the pen and the rotation.

The lineup's good, and with Connor Jones and Adam Haseley, if they get in (and barring a collapse, they should), they'll be dangerous, but it's hard to see there being enough pitching this year for some sort of surprise run. They really need another arm to take a big jump to really think that.

toonsterwu · May 3, 2016

Such a weird year for UVA, but they do seem like they are turning the corner. Still don't think they get a national seed (Teddy Cahill over at BA made a comment about how if UVA finished strong, and had a good ACC tournament, he thought they could surprise and perhaps snag 8). Just seems like UVA is short 1 pitcher, a 3rd starter (this is assuming Tommy Doyle settles down in the pen).

That said, NCAA tournament time and regionals ... you can make a run with 2 good starters, and in Connor Jones and Adam Haseley, they've got two guys that are really good. They've got a disciplined offense with a rock solid middle of the order, and they are a solid defensive unit. You just hope to piece together a 3rd game with the pen.

Going to be interesting - I wouldn't bet on them, but wouldn't bet against them.

CaliforniaRaisin · May 26, 2016

LSU and Florida are headed to the 13th in their SEC Tourney game.

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toonsterwu · May 26, 2016

Huge win for LSU. Gotta think that this might solidify a national seed for them, although hard to see SEC get 5. I guess if Virginia falters in the ACC tournament, they could get 5.

I much prefer the SEC tournament than the ACC tournament. Hate this whole pool play thing to decide a conference champion.

College Baseball 2016

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