Texas State Baseball Prospect Update: 7/16

Kyle Finnegan (2013, 6th Round)–Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics Class A)–RHP

 

Photo: Scout.com

• 6-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 16 appearances (16 starts)

• 45 K’s and 35 BB’s in 91.2 innings pitched

• Has allowed just 8 HR’s and a .236 batting average (RH:  .236  LH: .235)

• 4-4, 3.72 ERA in his last 10 starts

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett Mattlage–(2014, 12th Round)–Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers Short Season Class A)–SS

Photo: Twitter

• AVG: .263 (.211 vs. LHP, .281 vs. RHP) in 22 games (76 AB’s)
• HR: 0
• RBI: 3
• BB: 23
• SO: 19
• 2B: 5
• 3B: 1
• OBP: .440

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor Black (2014, 26th Round)–Grand Junction Rockies (Colorado Rockies Rookie)–RHP

Photo: Twitter

• 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in 9 appearances (1 start)
• Black has issued just 4 walks while striking out 9 in 18.1 innings pitched
• Has yet to surrender a HR while allowing a .292 batting average (RH: .294  LH:.289)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carson Smith (2011, 8th Round)–Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners Triple-A)

Photo: Seattle Times

• 1-2 with a 3.25 ERA and 5 saves in 26 appearances
• 9 of last 10 appearances have been scoreless outings
• 25 K/8 BB in 27.2 innings pitched
• Has allowed just a .174 batting average in his last 10 outings.
• Has allowed 1 HR and a .274 batting average (RH: .327  LH: .222) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle Kubitza (2011, 3rd Round)–Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves Double-A)–3B

Photo: milb.com

• AVG: .311 (.358 vs. LHP, .300 vs. RHP)
• HR: 4
• RBI: 33
• 2B: 25
• 3B: 7
• BB: 49
• SO: 86
• OBP: .414

 

 

 

 

Louis Head (2012, 18th Round)–Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland Indians Double-A)–RHP

Photo: milb.com & Akron RubberDucks

• 0-0 with a 4.32 ERA and 3 saves in 15 appearances
• Has been on a roll of late, posting a 2.92 ERA over his last 10 appearances. The run includes scoreless outings in 4 straight and 7 of his last 10.
• 16 K/11 BB in 16.2 innings pitched
• Has allowed 2 HR’s and a .292 batting average (RH:  .257  LH: .333) against him

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff McVaney (2012, 8th Round)–Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers Class A Advanced)-OF

Photo: Scout.com

• AVG: .264 (.239 vs. LHP, .273 vs. RHP) in 87 games (333 AB’s)
• HR: 7 (6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP)
• RBI: 51
• 2B: 20
• 3B: 4
• BB: 33
• SO: 62 (46 vs. RHP, 16 vs. LHP)
• OBP: .341
• SB-SBA: 11-13

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travis Ballew (2012, 23rd Round)–Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros Double-A)–RHP

Photo: milb.com and Corpus Christi Hooks

• 4-3 with a 6.05 ERA and 4 saves in 30 appearances
• Has struggled as of late, allowing 7 earned runs over his last 3 outings and posting an ERA of 11.70 over his last 10 appearances.
• 31 K/26 BB in 38.2 innings pitched
• Has allowed 4 homers and a .307 batting average (RH: .267  LH: .359) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

Donnie Hart (2013, 27th Round)–Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles Class A)–LHP

Photo: Flickr

• 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 1 save in 9 appearances
• Scoreless outings in 5 of his last 6 games
• 14 K/4 BB in 11.1 innings pitched
• Has allowed 1 HR and a .262 batting average (RH:  .250  LH: .286) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Austen Williams (2014, 6th Round)–Auburn Doubledays (Washington Nationals Short Season Class A)–RHP

Photo: kcmsports.com

• 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 2 appearances (2 starts)
• 7 K/3 BB in 8.2 innings pitched
• Has allowed 1 HR and a .294 batting average (RH: .222  LH: .375) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler Pearson (2014, 28th Round)–Arizona League Cubs (Chicago Cubs Rookie)–C

Photo: Twitter

• AVG: .235 (.250 vs. LHP, .231 vs. RHP) in 8 games (17 AB’s)
• HR: 0
• RBI: 2
• 3B: 1
• BB: 1
• SO: 6 (1 vs. LHP, 5 vs. RHP)
• OBP: .350

Texas State Baseball Prospect Update: 7/3/2014

 

Kyle Finnegan (2013)–Beloit Snappers (Oakland Athletics Class A)–RHP

Photo: Scout.com

• 6-5 with a 3.18 ERA in 15 appearances (15 starts)
• 43 K’s and 33 BB’s in 87.2 innings pitched
• The young right-hander has done relatively well keeping the ball in the ballpark, allowing just 7 HR’s and a .226 batting average (RH: .220 LH:  .234) against him in those 87.2 innings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Garrett Mattlage (2014)–Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers Class A Short Season)–SS

Photo: Twitter

• AVG: .286 (.286 vs. LHP, .286 vs. RHP) in 12 games (42 AB’s)
• HR: 0
• RBI:  1
• BB:  14
• SO:  8
• 2B:  4
• OBP: .474

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor Black (2014)–Grand Junction Rockies (Colorado Rockies Rookie)–RHP

Photo: Twitter

• 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 6 appearances (1 start)
• Black has shown his trademark control, walking just 4 batters and striking out 7 in 12.0 innings pitched
• The right-hander has yet to surrender a homer while allowing a .267 batting average (RH:  .263 LH:  .269) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carson Smith (2011)–Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners AAA)–RHP

Photo: Seattle Times

• 0-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 23 appearances (including a 1.54 ERA in his last 10 appearances)
• 20 K’s/8 BB’s in 23.2 innings pitched
• Has surrendered just 1 HR, but has also allowed a .293 (27 hits in 23.2 IP) batting average (RH: .341  LH:  .250) against him

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle Kubitza (2011)–Mississippi  Braves (Atlanta Braves AA)–3B

Photo: milb.com

• AVG: .306 (.378 vs. LHP, .291 vs. RHP) in 77 games (258 AB’s)
• HR: 4
• RBI: 26
• 2B:  21
• 3B:  6
• BB:  41
• SO:  72
• OBP: .403
• SB-SBA: 15-16

 

 

 

Louis Head (2012)–Akron RubberDucks (Cleveland Indians AA)–RHP

Photo: milb.com & Akron RubberDucks

Overall, Head has gone 0-3 with a 3.45 ERA and 10 saves in 27 games between Class A Carolina and AA Akron this season. The stats listed here are his numbers since being promoted to AA several weeks ago.

• Head has yet to register a decision while posting a 5.73 ERA and 1 save in 10 appearances
• 10 K’s/8 BB’s in 11 innings pitched
• Has allowed 2 HR’s and a .311 batting average (RH:  .280  LH:  .350) against him

 

 

Jeff McVaney (2012)–Lakeland Flying Tigers (Detroit Tigers Class A Advanced)–OF

Photo: Scout.com

• AVG: .271 (.241 vs. LHP, .282 vs. RHP) in 76 games (299 AB’s)
• HR:  7 (6 vs. RHP, 1 vs. LHP)
• RBI: 49
• 2B: 19
• 3B: 3
• BB: 27
• SO: 52 (37 vs. RHP, 15 vs. LHP)
• OBP: .343

McVaney has also showcased some of his ability on the basepaths, having gone 9-11 on stolen bases so far this season

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travis Ballew (2012)–Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros AA)–RHP

Photo: milb.com and Corpus Christi Hooks

 

• Owns a 4-3 record with a 5.46 ERA and 3 saves in 24 appearances
• Ballew has showcased his well-documented ability to put batters away with 28 strikeouts in 31.1 innings, but control has been a problem for the young right-hander, as he has also issued 20 walks in those 31.1 innings
• The right-hander has allowed 4 HR’s and a .289 batting average (RH:  .258  LH: .327) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donnie Hart (2013)–Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles Class A)–LHP

Photo: Flickr

• Currently owns a record of 0-2 with an ERA of 4.50 in 6 appearances
• Hart has shown an ability to put away hitters thus far, striking out 9 while issuing just 2 walks in 8.0 innings pitched.
• Hart has been hit around a fair amount, allowing 11 hits and a .344 batting average (RH:  .333  LH:  .364) against him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Austen Williams (2014)–Auburn Doubledays (Washington Nationals Class A Short Season)–RHP

Photo: kcmsports.com

• Does not yet have a decision while posting an ERA of 1.93 in just 2 appearances (2 starts)
• Has registered 1 strikeout while walking 2 hitters in just 4.2 innings pitched
• Has allowed 5 hits and a .263 batting average (RH:.231  LH: .333) against him

 

 

 

 

Tyler Pearson (2014)–Arizona League Cubs (Chicago Cubs Rookie)–C

Photo: Twitter

AVG: .273 (.000 vs. LHP, .333 vs. RHP) in 4 games (11 AB’s)

HR: 0

RBI: 2

2B: 0

3B: 1

BB: 1

SO: 3

OBP: .429

Early runs hold up as Astros beat D-Backs

Jose Altuve racked up three hits and Jarred Cosart threw six quality innings as the Astros beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 Monday night in the opener of their four-game series.

The Astros (29-36) scored four runs in the first two innings of off Diamondbacks starter Josh Collmenter before holding off a ninth-inning Arizona rally to preserve their 12th win in 16 games.

Tonight also reminded Astros fans how fun National League games can be.

In the eighth inning, with his team clinging to a one-run lead, Bo Porter was up to his old tricks again. Left hander Tony Sipp retired left-handed hitting Gerardo Parra for the first out. Then, with Paul Goldschmidt coming up, not wanting Sipp to face him, Porter brought in right hander Jerome Williams. But here’s the catch–with Darin Downs unavailable, Porter needed Sipp to then face left-hand hitting Miguel Montero, who was on deck after Goldschmidt. So Sipp moved to right field, moving Alex Presley to left field and removing Robbie Grossman from the game. After Williams walked Goldschmidt, he was removed and Sipp was brought back in to face Montero, who he struck out. Presley then moved back to right, and Marwin Gonzlaez was brought into the game in left field. After retiring Montero, Sipp was then removed for Kyle Farnsworth, who struck out Martin Prado to end the inning.

Altuve added to his league-leading hit total with three more, and Dexter Fowler continued his torrid pace with three hits of his own to pace the Astros’  11-hit attack. Matt Dominguez added two hits and and RBI while Jason Castro chipped in with an RBI double.

Cosart (5-5) allowed three runs on five hits, walking two and tying a career high with eight strikeouts while working himself out of several jams to preserve the early lead.

Goldschmidt doubled in a run for the Diamondbacks (28-38), while Gerardo Parra and Montero added run-scoring singles.

Chad Qualls pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his eighth save of the season, working around a two-out double.

The teams will be back at it tomorrow, with Brad Peacock (2-4, 4.82) getting the ball for the Astros, while Bronson Arroyo (5-4, 4.50) will take the hill for Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 2:40 p.m.

Fort Worth Super Regional Preview

TCU

The Horned Frogs (45-15) swept their way through the regional round, beating Siena (2-1) and Sam Houston State (3-2, 6-1) twice. The 3-2 win over SHSU was notable because it was the second-longest game (innings-wise) in NCAA Tournament history. Only a Texas-Boston College regional match-up back in 2009 (25 innings) has ever lasted longer. The Horned Frogs have a clear advantage here with their pitching staff, which sports an NCAA-best 2.14 ERA. All weekend that staff strength was on display, most notably in the marathon game against Sam Houston State. It started with a great performance by Preston Morrison (7 1/3 IP, 2 R), and then morphed into a clinic on damage control and great relief pitching. Trey Teakell (6 1/3 IP, 0 R) and Brian Howard (4 IP, 0 R) shined, while Brian Trieglaff pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win. There was also the terrific complete-game performance by freshman Tyler Alexander in the regional clincher against the Bearkats. The offense, which pounded out 32 hits in three games, was led by Boomer White, who had seven hits and also drove in four runs.

Pepperdine

The Waves (41-16) will always be a tough draw for any team because of their pitching, toughness and grit. This is their first Super Regional appearance since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1999. They swept their way right through the San Luis Obispo Regional, beating Arizona State (3-2) and host Cal Poly (2-1, 10-6) twice. We talked about the pitching for the Horned Frogs, but the Waves boast the 10th-best ERA in the country themselves, with a mark of 2.52 They sport a .284 team batting average, led by Aaron Barnett’s .373. They bring a fair amount of pop to Fort Worth, hitting 33 homers as a team. They are led there by senior Aaron Brown, who has hit 12 bombs to go along with a team-leading 47 RBI and a .310 batting average. Brown is also the team’s ace on the mound with 12-1 record and 2.07 ERA, including an eight-inning, one-run performance against Cal Poly. He was held relatively in check at the plate though, going 2-13 with two RBI over the weekend. The offense was led in the regional by sophomore Hutton Moyer with five hits, while redshirt junior outfielder Bryan Langlois drove in five runs.

Pick: Pepperdine

I’m gonna go with the upset pick here. The Waves come in on a bit of a hot streak. They won the West Coast Conference regular season title, and then nabbed the conference tournament title before sweeping their way through San Luis Obispo. Aaron Brown will give a dominant pitching performance to lead the pitching staff and will also wake up at the plate to lead the Waves through to Omaha.

 

 

Lubbock Super Regional Preview

Texas Tech

The Red Raiders (43-19) is coming off of its first-ever regional victory in the Coral Gables Regional.They went 3-1 in the regional, knocking off Columbia (3-2) and host Miami (3-0, 4-0) twice. What sticks out to me is how well they hit in all counts. No strikes, two strikes, it doesn’t matter. Six players on the team have walked more than they’ve struck out, so their plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone is a big reason why the offense can be so dangerous. But the Raiders’ powerful bats were stymied for the better part of the weekend, as they scored just 11 runs and collected just 27 hits in the four games, a far cry from their averages of 6.4 runs and nearly 10 hits per game during the regular season and conference tournament. But more impressive was the pitching staff, which allowed a TOTAL of four runs in four games. And it was thanks in large part to the starters–Freshman Dylan Dusek (8 IP, 0 R), freshman Ryan Moseley (6 IP, 0 ER) and junior Cameron Smith coming through with incredible performances, Smith’s being a complete-game three-hit shutout of Miami in the regional clincher. It may be their first time, but the Red Raiders are as dangerous as any team left in the field right now with their firepower and ability to not shoot themselves in the foot (.981 fielding percentage.)

College of Charleston

The Cougars (44-17) are making their second-ever Super Regional appearance, and their first since 2006 by virtue of sweeping  the Gainesville Regional, defeating host Florida (3-2) and Long Beach State (6-3, 4-2) twice. They may not look scary, as they scored just 13 runs on 18 hits in the three games, but what’s dangerous about this team is this–with a team ERA of 2.78 and a .972 fielding percentage, this team isn’t going to beat itself. The offense may not be potent, but they are opportunistic and capitalize on the mistakes you make. Case in point was their first win over Long Beach State. They scored six runs on just FOUR hits. How? The 49ers committed two errors in the game, and the Cougars didn’t miss the chance. And in their 4-2 regional final win, another error paved the way for a huge unearned run during the middle innings, and forced the LBSU starter from the game. And as has been the theme throughout these previews, the Cougars got great performances on the mound all weekend, none better than freshman Tyler Thornton’s complete-game performance in the regional final against Long Beach. Thornton was later named the Regional MVP

Pick: Texas Tech

What happened for the Cougars in the Gainesville Regional was that they took advantage of opponents’ mistakes. They really haven’t shown much of an ability to string hits together this season, with a .258 team batting average. And I simply don’t see Texas Tech, sporting that .981 fielding percentage, making enough mistakes or giving the Cougars enough opportunities to outscore the Red Raiders’ powerful offense. Now, Charleston is one of the hotter teams in college baseball, coming off their CAA championship before sweeping through Gainesville, and they have a big equalizer in their pitching staff with that 2.78 ERA. But ultimately I see the Raiders moving on to Omaha and ending the Cougars’ run. Then again, after those regionals we just saw, would any upset result REALLY shock anyone?

Nashville Super Regional Preview

Stanford

The Cardinal (34-24) join Pepperdine and Kennesaw State as third-seeded teams who knocked out national seeds to make Super Regional play. They beat Indiana 10-7 to extend their season, and then defeated the Hoosiers the following night 5-4 on walk-off two-run homer by Tommy Edman to win the Bloomington Regional. What really stunned fans was the offensive show put on by the Cardinal, who scored 37 runs in five games. Coming into Bloomington, the Cardinal were averaging just 4.5 runs per game, and having shown nothing to indicate they would break out like this, especially against a Hoosiers’ pitching staff which was among the nation’s best all season long. There were some nice pitching performances here too, such as Cal Quantrill (CG, 1 ER vs. Indiana State), Brett Hanewich (7 IP, 2 R vs. Youngstown State) and Marcus Brakeman (4 2/3 IP 1 ER in relief vs. Indiana). That pitching is gonna have to be on point again this weekend, because the offense will be tough to come by again against another one of the nation’s best pitching staffs.

Vanderbilt

The Commdores (44-18) made quick work of their regional, posting an 11-0 victory over Xavier and victories of 7-2 and 3-2 over Oregon. Their pitching prowess was on display all weekend, allowing just four runs over the course of three games. Tyler Beede (8 IP, 0 ER), Carson Fulmer (8 IP, 0 ER) and Walker Buehler (CG, 2 ER) continued their dominant seasons. And while it wasn’t used much last weekend, there are four relievers behind that trio in the bullpen who have ERAs lower than 2.00, so runs will be at a premium against this staff. On the offensive side, the Commodores were led by Bryan Reynolds, Rhett Wiseman and John Norwood with five hits apiece. Reynolds also drove in four runs over the weekend.

Pick: Vanderbilt

There’s no doubt that Stanford is one of the hottest teams in college baseball, having won 10 of their last 12 games, and they also just beat up on a top-10 pitching staff last weekend. But I wouldn’t count on them being able to keep it up for much longer. The Commodores’ pitching staff will be too strong and will send the Cardinal home.

Louisville Super Regional Preview

Louisville

The Cardinals (48-15) swept right through their regional, winning by scores of 5-0, 6-3 and 4-1 over Kent State, Kansas and Kentucky respectively. The bats were held pretty much in check, as the Cardinals scored just 15 runs in three games, well below their season average of 6.4 runs per game coming in, while leading hitter Jeff Gardner was held to just one hit in 12 at bats over the weekend. But you don’t necessarily need that many runs when you pitch the way the Cardinals do with their 2.78 team ERA, tied for the 15th-best mark in the country. They got outstanding outings over the weekend from sophomore Kyle Funkhouser (8 shutout innings vs. Kent State) and sophomore Anthony Kidston (2 ER over 7 innings vs. Kansas) as well as freshman Josh Rodgers, who gave up just two runs over six innings of work against Kentucky in the regional clincher. Kyle McGrath was his usual dominant self as well, throwing three scoreless innings over the course of the weekend. If the Cardinals are going to make it to Omaha, it’s going to be on the backs of their hurlers.

Kennesaw State

I don’t think anyone outside of Kennesaw, Georgia expected the Owls to be able to win a game in Tallahassee, let alone make it through to Super Regional play in their first-ever NCAA appearance. But postseason success in general is no strange concept to the Owls, as they have both an NAIA national championship (1994) and a Division II national championship (1996) to their name, both under current head coach Mike Sansing. The Owls became the first team since Kansas in 1993 to make a Super Regional in its first NCAA tournament appearance. Everyone knows this team can score some runs, as they showed in 13-5 win over Georgia Southern. But their pitching staff was the real pleasant surprise of the weekend, as they gave up just 11 runs over four games. They got an incredible performance Friday night from Travis Bergen, who blanked Alabama over 8 2/3 innings, while closer Justin McCalvin was magnificent as usual on the back end, throwing four shutout innings over the weekend, picking up a win and two saves. And you know the offense centers around junior Max Pentecost, who currently sits at a .423 average with an NCAA-leading 110 hits to go along with nine homers and 58 RB. And if for some reason he’s not producing, Alex Liquori (.366, 42 RBI), Bo Way (.358/2 HR/31 RBI), Chris McGowan (.271/4/44) and Brennan Morgan (.291/4/40) are there to pick up the slack for a team averaging almost 6.1 runs per game. But if the Owls are to have any chance of pulling off yet another shocker and making it to Omaha, the pitching staff is going to have to step up again against a powerful Louisville offensive attack.

Pick: Louisville

I love a good underdog story as much as the next person. I loved when Fresno State made their title run back in 2008 and when Stony Brook captured the nation’s attention by making it to Omaha in 2012. But I simply don’t see Kennesaw State being able to hold up against the Cardinals, though I certainly think they’ll give them all they can handle. And if the pitching staff steps up its game as they did in Tallahassee, then you might well be looking at another Cinderella making it to Omaha.

Austin Super Regional Preview

Texas

The Longhorns (41-19) are back in the Super Regionals, making their ninth appearance in school history. They went into the Houston regional and knocked off host Rice and rival Texas A&M twice, including a 4-1 victory in the winner-take-all game. The Longhorns got great pitching performances all weekend, beginning with starters Nathan Thornhill (1 ER over 7 innings vs. A&M Game 1), Parker French (2 ER over 6 2/3 innings vs. Rice) and Chad Hollingsworth, who threw a complete game against A&M in the regional championship game. Oh and by the way, that was his first start all season long. And on the back end, Travis Duke (1 ER over 4 innings) and John Curtiss (4 shutout innings) were as magnificent as they’ve been all season long. On the offensive side, C.J. Hinojosa and Brooks Marlow led the Longhorns with six hits apiece. Mark Payton also extended his on-base streak to 99 consecutive games dating back to last season, which is the longest streak in the nation and a Big 12 record.

Houston

The Cougars (48-16) are making their fourth Super Regional appearance in school history and their first since 2003. The Cougars went into Baton Rouge and knocked off No. 8 national seed LSU in back-to-back games after coming out of the loser’s bracket. First it was a thrilling 5-4 comeback victory to extend their season, and then it was a 12-2 beat-down of one of the best teams in the nation and a popular pick to make it to Omaha. Kyle Survance was a force at the plate with eight hits in the regional, while they also got strong pitching performances from junior ace Aaron Garza (two runs over 6 innings vs. SE Louisiana) and junior Jared Robinson. Robinson allowed just one run over 6 2/3 innings in their opening-game win against Bryant, and then came back two days later to throw 6 1/3 shutout innings against LSU in the regional championship.

Pick: Texas

I do have some apprehension about the Longhorns’ ability to drive runs in, as they left countless runners on base during the Houston Regional. But I think they’ll squeeze out just enough runs, and the pitching staff (even without the services of Dillon Peters) will contain the Cougars’ offense and take the ‘Horns back to Omaha

Stillwater Super Regional Preview

Oklahoma State

The Cowboys were pretty much in cruise control throughout the Stillwater Regional, going 3-0, winning by scores of 8-0 over Binghamton and 13-7 and 6-4 over a pesky Cal State Fullerton squad . Their offense hit .355 in the regional while scoring 27 runs in the three games, despite having their big stick, Zach Fish, held mostly in check throughout the regional–Fish was held to just two hits in 12 at-bats in the three games. They were paced by sophomore shortstop Donnie Walton, who tallied seven hits in 12 at-bats. They also got great  performances on the mound from freshman Trey Cobb (one run over 5 1/3 innings vs. CSF) and freshman Tyler Buffett (4 2/3 scoreless innings vs. Binghamton.)

UC-Irvine

Suffice it to say, the Anteaters shocked everyone except themselves by going into Corvallis and knocking off the top-seeded Beavers in the fashion that they did. This was an offense that came in averaging less than 4.3 runs per game, but they scored 28 runs in four games, including 18 runs in their three games against the Beavers’ vaunted pitching staff, which entered the tournament with the second-best ERA (2.13) in the country. The Anteaters advanced to their fourth Super Regional since bringing the program back in 2002. The offense was sparked by Connor Spencer and Taylor Sparks, both of whom had six hits in the four games, with Sparks adding his fifth homer of the season against Oregon State. Spencer was also named the Most Outstanding Player at the Corvallis Regional. They also got great performances from ace Andrew Morales (3 ER over 11 1/3 innings vs. UNLV and OSU) and Elliot Surrey (2 ER over 7 innings vs. OSU) to push them through. Most impressive was Morales, who did what aces do– his second start was in the regional championship, coming back on just two days’ rest to shut down the Beavers’ powerful offense.

Pick: Oklahoma State

The Cowboys are absolutely rolling right now, and I look for them to get past Irvine in a dogfight. But then again, Irvine already knocked out one of my Omaha picks, so what the heck do I know?

The Hunter Pence Trade Revisited

After his debut in 2007, Hunter Pence had endeared himself to the Houston fans with his all-out hustle and passion for the game. And granted, he was also pretty good at the baseball thing, averaging just over 20 homers and 75 RBI per season while hitting .290 over his five seasons with Houston. But come 2011, with the Astros plodding along in last place, it was time to rebuild, and Pence was one of the most attractive pieces come the trade deadline, so he was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies for four prospects. Ed Wade caught a lot of grief as the team’s general manager, and current GM Jeff Luhnow has been praised as the one who’s turned the franchise around. But let’s give Ed Wade his due–he really got the ball rolling on the turnaround with this trade.

WHO THEY GOT

• Jarred Cosart, RHP
• Jonathan Singleton, 1B
• Josh Zeid, RHP
• Domingo Santana, OF

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

At the time of the trade, right-hander Jarred Cosart was the Phillies’ top pitching prospect. He was 9-8 with a 3.92 ERA at Class A Advanced Clearwater, and finished the season 2011 season at AA Corpus Christi. He made his leap the big leagues late in the 2013 season. Control has been a bit of an issue since the promotion, with 65 walks in 120 1/3 innings, but he has still compiled a career 5-5 record with a very respectable 3.07 ERA in 21 starts with Houston, and looks to be an important part of the Astros’ rotation for years to come.

Josh Zeid was the other pitcher included in the deal, and has contributed nicely to the Astros’ bullpen since being acquired. Despite some recent injury troubles, Zeid has posted a solid 3.89 ERA in 32 appearances with the team between the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Jonathan Singleton was Philadelphia’s top hitting prospect when this deal went through, and was really the centerpiece of the trade for Houston. At the time of the trade he was hitting .284 with nine homers and 47 RBI for Class A Clearwater, going on to hit .333 with four homers and 16 RBI for Class A Lancaster after the trade. In 2012, he hit .284 with 21 homers and 79 RBI for Double-A Corpus Christi. And after a 2013 season marred by his 50-game suspension for marijuana use, Singleton was hitting .267 with 14 homers and 43 RBI for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season before getting called up and making his MLB debut last night, during which he homered and drove in two runs in a 7-2 Astros victory over the Los Angeles Angels. He has been described as the best first-base prospect in baseball, with scouts noting his quick bat and serious raw power. He has some contact issues, but the sky’s the limit for the man they call “Homerton.”

Jonathan Singleton is congratulated by Robbie Grossman after his first MLB home run
Photo: Midwest League Traveler and Bob Levey (AP)

Domingo Santana was the “player to be named later” in the deal, but boy has he ever made his presence felt already. The 6’5”, 225-pound power-hitting right fielder has wowed fans, players and coaches alike with his ability to hit for both average and power. In the 2012 season, Santana amassed 23 homers and 97 RBI with a .302 average in 119 games for Class A Advanced Lancaster. The next season he hit 25 homers and drove in 64 runs for Double-A Corpus Christi despite just a .252 average. And so far this season, Santana is hitting .298 with nine homers and 36 RBI in 60 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Don’t be surprised if this kid is also on the major league roster before the season’s done

It’s far too soon to say it’s a slam dunk, but by the look of it, the Astros seem to be the clear winners of this trade. The Phillies got essentially one season out of Pence before trading him to San Francisco, whereas the Astros will have gotten four major leaguers out of the deal, pending Santana’s imminent call-up. Should these four guys end up being in the Astros’ long-term plans (and they certainly will be), the same ones calling for Ed Wade’s head back in 2011 will be singing his praises for pulling the trigger on this deal right before he walked out the door. Now there’s no doubt that Jeff Luhnow has hastened the process with deals acquiring players such as third baseman Matt Dominguez from Miami and catching prospect Max Stassi from Oakland, and drafting players such as Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers, Rio Ruiz and Nolan Fontana, but Wade started it all. Sure he had his fair share of bad deals (all GM’s do), but he certainly went out with a bang.