Paul Smyth, KU closer

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Kansas closer Paul Smyth was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 35th round in today's MLB draft.  Smyth pitched at KU for four years, serving as the team's closer for the last three.  He finished his KU career with a school record 129 apperances.  Paul is second on KU's all-time saves list with 27.  Don Czyz holds the record with 31.

Smyth had an off senior year.  He missed a few weeks with an injury.  He was 1-5 with a 5.40 ERA and 9 saves.  In 30 innings he gave up 34 hits, walked 10 and struck out 19.  In his career Smyth went 14-15 with a 4.10 ERA.  In 195.1 Innings he gave up 227 hits, walked 51 and struck out 147.

Paul will always be remembered by KU fans for his closer mentality.  He always wanted the ball at the end of the game.  Perhaps the highlight of Paul's career came this March when he saved three one run games in a row during KU's sweep of Texas in Lawrence.

Coach Price spoke several times of his plans to move Colton Murray into the closer role next season.  Murray pitched as one of Smyth's set-up men throughout the 2009 season.

Here is Aman Reaka's scouting report on Paul:

RHP) SR. Paul Smyth, 6', 215 (5.40, 30 ip, 34 hits, 10 bb, 19 k, 6 HR)
My season preview for Smyth:
Smyth should be in line to get many accolades this season and be on many lists for many more. Smyth is a strike-thrower with a cutter in the 90-92 range. He also has a decent slider to go along with it. He has an odd arm angle that is difficult for most batters to hit. Smyth will have a chance to be one of the dominant pitchers in the league this year and if this young pitching staff can get the ball into his hands, I will expect great things from him.

Smyth ran into the injury bug a little bit this year and i think it really caused him to struggle throughout the middle portion of the season. He did show decent signs of progress at the end of the year however. He was in line to be one of the first Jayhawks taken this year but his lack of strikeouts and the injury will move him down quite a bit. Smyth has a cut fastball in the 88-92 range with a decent off speed pitch and a decent slider. His cutter gets a lot of movement and is very tough for right-handers to hit. With his arm angle and his potential upside, he is definitely worth a team taking a chance on. It will all depend on if his injury potential scares any teams away. I'd guess Smyth to go in rounds 30-40.

Shaeffer Hall, KU left handed starting pitcher.

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Kansas left handed starting pitcher Shaeffer Hall was drafted in the 25th round by the New York Yankees.  This is the third time Shaeffer has been drafted.  The pick comes a bit later than Aman had expected.  Hall is a junior and has one year of NCAA eligiblity remaining.  He certainly would be welcomed back by the Jayhawks.

Hall moved into the Friday night starter role this season and performed very well while facing some of the most talented line-ups in college baseball.  He went 5-6 in 15 starts with a 4.18 ERA.  In 92.2 Innings he gave up 104 hits, walked 10 and struck out 65.  Hall pitched a no-hitter in his first start of the season vs. Air Force and ended his season pitching a complete game shut out vs. Dartmouth in the NCAA tournament.

Last week Coach Price indicated that he expected Hall to accept a professional offer this off-season. 

Hall transferred into KU as a sophmore.  In 2008 he went 4-2 mostly as a mid-week starter.  That season, in 59.2 innings he gave up 73 hits, walked 21 and struck out 46.

Here is Aman Reaka's scouting report on Hall:

LHP) JR. Schaeffer Hall, 6'2, 200 (4.18, 92.2 ip, 104 hits, 10 bb, 65 k, 9HR)

This is what i wrote about Hall in my season preview:
Hall will be the Friday starter to begin the season. He is a control pitcher that throws 3 pitches for strikes. He has a good breaking pitch and a great change up. He has been drafted twice and definitely has the capability to fulfill this role as staff ace, but he will need to be very tough on Friday nights or someone else may push him for this spot.

I think Schaeffer will be the first Jayhawk taken on Wednesday afternoon. He was drafted out of HS in the 28th round by the Texas Rangers and after his freshman year of Junior College in the 23rd round by the Cleveland Indians.  Hall has been on the radar of MLB scouts for several years. He is the rare and perfect example of a pitcher with very little velocity but with 3 solid pitches (a plus changeup), great command and great control. Coach Price likes to compare him to the ageless wonder for the Phillies, Jamie Moyer. Hall gives up slightly more than 1 hit/inning, doesnt get many strikeouts but he walks almost no one and keeps the ball down inducing a ton of ground ball outs and weak hits. Hitters rarely get a good look at a bad pitch and rarely make good contact with his pitches. Hall also has decent size and is a lefty. After throwing his no-hitter in the first game of the season, and flirting with a couple others, along with beating some of the top teams in the nation and going up against some of the top pitchers in this draft, Shaeffer should get picked somewhere between rounds 10-18. I would expect Shaeffer to sign a contract and begin his professional career as I'm not sure his stock can get much higher than it is right now.

David Narodowski, KU shortstop.

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Kansas shortstop David Narodowski was the first Jayhawk taken in the 2009 MLB draft.  Narodowski was selected in the 15th round by the Arizona Diamonbacks.

David had an impressive year at the plate, hitting .354/.434/.542 in 240 at bats.  He hit for good power for a middle infielder with 19 doubles and 8 home runs.  Narodowski scored 64 runs and drove in 43.  He stole six bases in 10 attempts.

Narodowski was both very impressive and inconsistant in the field.  He made at least a dozen show stopping plays at shortstop but also committed 20 errors.  Most of his errors were on rushed throws to first base.

Narodowski is a junior so he has one year left of NCAA eligiblity.  He would certainly be welcomed back by KU.  Narodowski was honored by the Big-12 by being named Newcomer of the Year in 2009.  This was Narodowski's first year at KU after transfering in from a Juco. 

There is no clear back-up at shortstop should he choose to leave.  James Stanfield played short for a few games when Narodowski was injured in mid-season.  Stanfield hit for good average but did not show power. Stanfield's defensive range is also a question mark.  He seemed better suited to second base in the limited action I saw.  Of course defense is one area in which a player can improve dramatically while in college.  Just look at how far Buck Afenir has come as a catcher for evidence.  Another possiblity is Brandon Macias, (South Mountain College, Phoenix, Arizona), who signed on to join KU next year.  Coach Price said Macias was "Rated by many as one of the top defensive infielders in the country.  Plays in a wood bat conference and hit 350 with 7 homeruns as a freshman.  Was at Arizona State on scholarhship in the fall of his freshman year." 

Here is Aman Reaka's scouting report on Narodowski:

SS) JR. David Narodowski, 5'10, 193 (.354, 19 doubles, 8 HR, 43 RBI, 33 bb, 46 K, 6 SB)
This was my preseason preview of Nardo:
David is flat-out "show time" on defense. He has amazing lateral speed with a good arm and he runs through the ball when he fields it. I have seen this kid get to some balls that just aren't reachable by very many players. So he's all defense right? Wrong. This kid can hit the ball. He hits to all fields and has a shocking amount of power for a guy his size. He was a great find for this coaching staff to get this kid to transfer to Kansas. I would expect him to really surprise the Big 12 this year.

Narodowski "Nardo" has really helped himself in this year's post season. He showed a lot more power and tore through the Big 12 tournament and the NCAA regional in North Carolina. He showed an amazing skill set on defense this year (a few too many silly errors here and there). I could see him moved to 2b at the next level because he doesnt really posses a cannon of an arm. Offensively, he shows plenty of power with his 19 doubles and 8 homeruns. He strikes out a little bit much but he also walks quite a bit. He has decent speed as well and already works, looks and acts like a professional athlete. With Nardo's post-season success and power showing, I think he really moved himself up the draft charts. I would expect Nardo to be selected in rounds 20-30 and I have this feeling that he will sign and unfortunately be done with his Jayhawk career.

Fun fact -  Every shortstop who has played at Kansas under Ritch Price has been drafted.  David is the fourth consecutive Jayhawk shortstop to hear his named called in June.  The man Narodowski replaced this year, Erik Morrison, was named to the South Atlantic League All-Star team a few days ago.

Kansas defeated Coastal Carolina 5-1 in the afternoon game.  The win eliminates the Chanticleers (47-16) and allows Kansas (39-23) to advance to the afternoon game vs. North Carolina (44-16).  First pitch of the KU – UNC game will be 4PM.

You can watch the game live here.

The afternoon game was a white knuckle pitching duel through six innings.  KU scored a single run in the bottom of the first inning on a Robby Price walk and a Brian Heere single.  Cameron Selik controlled the powerful CCU offense all afternoon but KU failed to extend their lead multiple times.  CCU tied up the game at one in the top of the seventh on Jose Iglesias’s solo homerun.  Selik was pulled after 6.2 innings of three hit, one run baseball.

Kansas finally broke the game open by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh.  Tony Thompson hit a leadoff double.  A Nick Faunce walk and Zac Elgie single loaded the bases.  James Stanfield broke the tie with an RBI ground out.  David Narodowski delivered a two out single to bring home two insurance runs and stake the Jayhawks to a 4-1 lead.  KU added another run in the bottom of the 8th on Tony Thompson’s 20th homerun of the year.

Brett Bochy (6-0) pitched the final 2.1 innings of the game for the win.

If Kansas loses this afternoon to North Carolina the Tar Heels will move on the next round.  If KU wins the two teams will meet again Monday afternoon in an elimination game. 

North Carolina 12 - Kansas 1 FINAL.

This end KU's season.  The Jayhawks had a great year.  They finish 39-24 and performed well in the tournament, going 2-2.  I'll be posting a few wrap up stories in the next week.  Congratulations to the team and Head Coach Ritch Price on a very solid 2009 campaign.

Shaeffer Hall did everything in his power to keep the Jayhawks on the road to Omaha Saturday. The junior left hander pitched his second shutout of the season leading KU to a 16-0 NCAA tournament win over Dartmouth.

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Bumped for today's open game thread.

Kansas finally played a good game in the post season.  After dropping four games in a row the Jayhawks overwhelmed Dartmouth 16-0.  KU combined a powerful offensive attack of 17 hits, three of which were home runs, with a lights out pitching performance by Shaeffer Hall.  This was about as good a game of baseball as Kansas was capable of playing.

The win keeps Kansas alive in the Chapel Hill regional.  The Hawks will get a second go at Coastal Carolina.  The Chanticleers were manhandled by North Carolina in the afternoon game 14-5.  If Kansas wins round two with the Chants they will get about an hour of rest before they have to hit the field again and take on North Carolina.  Kansas can only advance by winning both games tomorrow, and then beating North Carolina for a second time on Monday.  Before you get too depressed keep in mind 1993.  In that year Kansas lost their opening regional game before rallying to win four straight and earn a trip to Omaha for the College World Series.

Kansas scored early against Dartmouth.  Buck Afenir got it started by hitting a two run home run in the first inning.  It was Buck’s 10th homerun of the year and 31st of his career, tying him with Erik Morrison for second on KU’s career list.  David Narodowski continued his insanely hot streak at the plate by hitting a solo shot in the third to stretch the lead to 3-0.  After hitting only three homeruns in his first 53 games Narodowski has hit five in his last five games.  The next Jayhawk long ball effectively ended any chance Dartmouth had of rallying.  With no outs in the fourth inning Zac Elgie hit a grand slam to put KU up 8-0.  The Hawks added eight more runs in the game but the outcome was clear by the time Elgie finished rounding the bases.

Given all the offensive highlights it would be easy to overlook a masterpiece pitched by Shaeffer Hall (5-6).  Hall carried a perfect game into the fifth inning and only gave up five singles in the complete game victory.  This was Hall’s second shutout of the season, the first coming in his opening day no-hitter.  Price noted the symmetry, “My compliments to Shaeffer Hall.  I think when you start the first day of the season and you throw a no-hitter and then you pitch the final day of the season, in what may be your final start before the professional draft, and throw another shutout, it’s really special.”  Dartmouth head coach Bob Whalen focused on Hall’s performance as well in his post-game comments.  “I don’t know that I have the right comment to make, but there’s not much you can say when you get three <sic> hits and you don’t score a run.  Most of that was we just had a tremendous game pitched against us…[Hall] was exceptional.”

First pitch Sunday will be a noon.  The game will be carried live on KLWN AM 1320.

After the break, additional notes on the game and the tournament and the box score. 

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Something amazing happened yesterday in the NCAA baseball tournament’s Austin regional.  Texas and Boston College played the longest baseball game in NCAA D-I history, a 25 inning affair finally won by the Longhorns 3-2.  There are so many amazing stories to come out of this game, let me just hit a few as bullet points.

Texas scored two runs in the top of the second inning.  Boston College kept the Longhorns off the scoreboard for the next 22 innings.  Boston College scored single runs in the third and fifth inning and then were shut out for the remaining 19 innings.  That is pitching dominance.  The game lasted seven hours and three minutes.

Texas “closer” Austin Wood entered a 2-2 game one out into the seventh inning, and he stayed in for the next 13 innings!  Wood pitched 12.1 innings of “no hit” baseball before surrendering a single to Tony Sanchez in the 19th inning.  Wood did not figure into the final decision but threw 13 shutout innings, 169 pitches out of the bullpen.  It was Wood’s second consecutive day on the mound.  On Friday night he threw 2 innings (30 pitches) to earn his 15th save in Texas’ 3-1 win over Army.

Austin Dicharry (8-2) earned the win for Texas by throwing the final 5.2 innings of the game (1 hit, no runs, 65 pitches).  Boston College’s pitching staff cannot be overlooked as the other half of this story.  While the Longhorns only used three pitchers in the entire game BC used seven.  Mike Belfiore entered the game one out into the ninth inning with the score 2-2.  He was pulled after the 18th inning.  Belfiore pitched 9.2 shutout innings, only surrendering three hits and no walks.  He threw 129 pitches.

NCAA records set:

25 innings – Longest game in NCAA D-I history

91 at bats and 103 plate appearances by Texas, new NCAA records.

75 putouts by Texas, new NCAA record.

12 at bats by Travis Tucker and Michael Torres, new NCAA individual records.

I was shocked to see how many fans were still at the game when it ended.  The announced attendance was 7,104 and it looked to me like more than half of them were still there to see the final out.  Both catchers, Tony Sanchez for BC and Cameron Rupp for Texas, caught the entire game.  Our friends at the SB Texas site Burnt Orange Nation had an open game thread last night.  They closed the first one downafter about 650 comments.  An overflow thread opened a bit after 10PM and was itself closed down after another 570 comments.  The third thread, opened a bit after midnight, was titled “Really?”  One of the participants announced that he had a daughter 50 hours earlier, and that at the point of his writing more than 10% of her life had happened during this baseball game.  One of the first responses, “Hey congratulations!  Can she hit? ”  A few other chuckles: 

12:28AM – “I never thought I would say this … but the 24th inning can’t get here fast enough.”

12:31AM – “OK, I’m going to the game.  Later guys.”

12:43AM – “Hurry up, the Mayan calendar is ticking away.”

12:58AM – “Connor Rowe scores!  You can hold Texas for 22 innings, but try 23 and it’s your ass!”

Boston College’s reward, they face Army this afternoon in an elimination game.  First pitch noon CST.  If Boston College can knock off the Black Knights, they get to play Texas again tonight.  That game will start at 6PM CST.