SB Nation User Blog: bkmhoxx

Walz rated #51 by The College Baseball Blog

bkmhoxx — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:32:24 -0000

The preseason baseball accolades begin to roll in. The Jayhawks will have a very real chance to be in the top 5 in the Big 12 this year and a legitimate chance to make some post-season noise. I will have some player and team info and writeups throughout the long cold winter. I would expect TJ Walz and Tony Thompson to be on many preseason lists for awards and personal recognition this year.
http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2009/11/30/top-100-countdown-number-51-tj-walz-kansas/

Schaeffer Hall signs contract with the Yankees

bkmhoxx — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:04:04 -0000

Former Kansas Pitcher Hall Signs with New York Yankees

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Two days after being selected in the 25th round (765 overall), former Kansas pitcher Shaeffer Hall has signed a professional contract with the New York Yankees organization.

Hall will forego his senior campaign at KU to join the Yankees' organization. Next week, he will fly out to Staten Island, N.Y., and after he clears a physical he will begin his pro career with the Staten Island Yankees (New York's Single-A affiliate).

Wednesday marked the third time in his career that Hall was drafted. He was previously drafted by the Texas Rangers' organization in

"I am excited to get the opportunity of playing professional baseball," Hall said. "The Yankees have a great organization and I'm excited that I get to start out my professional career in a franchise with such a storied past. I feel lucky to be a Yankee."

Hall, a left-handed pitcher from Lee's Summit, Mo., tossed the fifth no-hitter in Jayhawk baseball history on Feb. 20 of this year against Air Force. He was KU's Friday night starter last season, going 5-6 with a 4.18 ERA. He was the first Jayhawk to tally multiple complete game shutouts in a season since Pete Smart in 2000. Hall's three complete games were a team high, while his walks-per-nine innings rate (0.97) led the Big 12. Hall was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick as well as an academic all-conference selection.

The junior transferred to KU prior to the 2008 season, going 9-8 in his Jayhawk career with a 4.55 ERA in 25 starts. Hall came to Kansas by way of Jefferson College (Mo.).

"I'm thrilled for the opportunity that Shaeffer Hall is getting of chasing his dream of playing professional baseball," KU head coach Ritch Price.

"It has been an honor and a privilege to coach him the last two seasons. He is an outstanding young man that has a very bright future in this game, and I wish him the best."

2 Chuck Daly autographs

bkmhoxx — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:55:13 -0000

Im not trying to do anything shady here, but i truly thought someone may have some interest in these.

I have two autographed cards of the late and great Chuck Daly.

I have both listed on EBAY. The links are listed below. If you have no interest then please just ignore. Thanks everyone!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=280353098913

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=280353946159

Baylor Baseball Pros and Prospects

bkmhoxx — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:28:31 -0000

Aman provides a great prospect preview of the visiting Baylor Bears. The team is stocked with MLB prospects. They have five players listed in Baseball America's top-100 college prospect list. Print this out and bring it down to Hoglund for Sunday's series deciding game. First pitch at Noon. - JQ

JR Kendal Volz 6'5, 225 RHP
Volz is without a doubt a very solid professional prospect. I have him listed as #8 in my Pre-Season College Top 50 (draft eligible) players and Baseball America had him at #6. Volz was the closer for the USA National Team and gave up ZERO runs in 13 appearances. Volz was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 50th round out of HS. He is a tall kid with plenty more room to fill out and add more velocity to his already 92-94 mph sinking fastball. Volz also throws a very nice sharp slider at about 80 mph and a decent slurve/change up that isnt thrown very often. With those 3 pitches working, he gets a lot of strikeouts and even more ground balls. His command is decent but nothing spectacular. His mechanics are not too bad although he does have some violent actions at certain points of his delivery. He is a very good athlete and has plenty of upside. So far this year he hasnt been quite as sharp and his velocity has been down in the upper 80's. Volz is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 39 innings. He has 32 K's, 16 walks and has given up 13 hits. It appears his command hasnt been quite as good as normal so maybe he hasnt quite rounded into form yet. I would seriously doubt that Volz would make it out of the first round of the MLB draft this summer UNLESS he continues to struggle with his command and his velocity stays down. An injury could be in place as well. I will be getting video and photography of Volz and am very anxious to see what he brings and how his mechanics look in person.

more after the jump...

SO Shawn Tolleson, 6'2, 225 RHP
Tolleson is another professional pitching prospect for Baylor. He is a draft eligible sophomore because of age and he has already had Tommy John surgery back in 06. I have him listed as #45 in my Pre-Season College Top 50 (draft eligible) players and Baseball America had him at #23. Tolleson throws a sinking fastball at around 88-90 mph. He also throws a decent slider with a lot of movement but not the best command at this point. His third pitch is an average change up that he rarely uses. I have heard and seen on video that Tolleson has a rather messed up delivery as far as mechanics are concerned. He has a violent ending to his follow through and he has different body parts going in different directions. He has already had TJ surgery once and he sure looks like an injury risk going forward. I notice his numbers on the year arent looking very good and I think he is back in the bullpen or is being used as a weekday starter, perhaps to help him get back in rhythm or work on finding his pitches and command again. So far on the year he has a 4.96 ERA in 16.1 innings, only 8 K's, 12 walks and 15 hits. Im wondering if another injury may be hiding in there somewhere. At this point i think he will be back for his Junior season and i would drop him from my top 50 list. I hope i get to see him pitch at some point in this series.

JR Aaron Miller, 6'3, 200 OF/LHP
Miller is a dual talent that plays RF and Pitches. I have him listed as #48 in my Pre-Season College Top 50 (draft eligible) players and Baseball America had him at #62. Miller is also a Player of the Year nominee along with Volz. Miller was drafted by the Rockies in the 11th round out of HS. As a sophomore last year, Miller hit .296 with 12 HR and 45 RBI. Miller is a good athlete but lacks in speed. He has very good power and plate discipline. So far this year he is hitting .338 with 3 HR, 22 RBI, 4 doubles, 20 K's and 18 walks. His power hasnt really ramped up yet but his plate discipline is still there and he is hitting the ball, so its just a matter of time. Miller is also a star on the mound as he is the teams closer (or one of them). He is 1-0 with a 3.05 ERA in 20.2 innings. He has 25 K's, 16 walks and has given up 12 hits. Miller appears to be a power pitcher so i am anxious to see what part of his game will give him the best looks for the next level. I could see Miller being drafted in the top 5 rounds this summer depending on if his power production gets back to where it should be.

JR Dustin Dickerson, 6'4, 205 1B/DH
Dickerson is another nice pro prospect. He barely missed my Pre-Season College Top 50 (draft eligible) players and Baseball America had him at #71. Dickerson was drafted by the Nationals in the 15th round out of HS. He is big kid that swings the bat well. He doesnt hit a lot of HR but he does have power potential in his frame if he can find the mechanics and fill out a bit. This year he is hitting .354 with 3 HR, 14 RBI, 5 doubles, 15 K's and 11 walks. Dickerson should be fun to watch at the plate and i also want to see his level of athleticism. Dickerson too should be a top 5 round draft pick this summer depending on his commitment to Baylor.

JR Shaver Hansen, 6', 185 3B/SS
Hansen is yet another Baylor pro prospect. He also barely missed my Pre-Season College Top 50 (draft eligible) players. Hansen is the scrappy lead off type player that makes amazing plays and works his tail off. So far this year however, he is really showing some serious pop in his bat. He is hitting .347 with 8 HR, 22 RBI, 7 doubles, 24 K's and 9 walks. His plate discipline has sacrificed but the HR/Doubles are way up. I will be very curious to see what Hansens swing and defense look like. Hansen has the chance to be a top 7 round draft pick in the MLB draft this summer.
FUN FACT: His dad was a professional wrestler called "The Lariat".

SO Craig Fritsch, 6'4, 180 RHP
Fritsch is another professional pitching prospect for Baylor. He is another draft eligible sophomore. He is another near miss for my Pre-Season College Top 50 (draft eligible) players and Baseball America had him at #38. Fritsch throws a fastball in the 90-94 range with good movement out of his 3/4 arm delivery. His slider comes in more like a curve since its got a lot more sidearm action to it, but it is a very good quality pitch. He also throws a nice change up with good movement so Fritsch offers 3 quality pitches to keep batters guessing. Fritsch pounds the strike zone but he is hittable at times. All of his pitches translate to the next level as well does his frame which has projectablity. He has been struggling mightily of late however with an 8.75 ERA in 23.2 innings. He has 17 K's, 13 walks and has given up a whopping 32 hits. He will need to turn this around quickly or he will for sure be back at Baylor for his JR season. I hope to see Fritsch pitch in this series too.

FR Logan Verrett, 6'2, 170 RHP
Verrett was a very big recruit who went undrafted out of HS because he was strongly committed to Baylor. He is not draft eligible. This kid is putting up some amazing freshman numbers and actually is showing to be more like Baylors second ace of the staff behind Volz. Verrett is 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 1 save in 32 innings. He has 42 K's and only 7 walks and has given up 34 hits. His numbers show a power pitcher with a good frame and precise control although sometimes hittable, but a kid that rarely allows the base runners to score. I am very excited to see this kid pitch as he may be something special in the near future.

JR Raynor Campbell, 5'10, 175 2B
Campbell won Big 12 Freshman of the year in 2007 and had a very strong sophomore campaign as well. Campbell is a middle infielder/ outfielder with speed, grit and hustle but also has some good power with the bat. So far this year he is really struggling. Campbell is batting .203 with 3 HR, 11 RBI, 18 K's and 7 walks. Im not sure what his issues are so far this season but i will be watching the talented junior closely to find out. At this point i would expect him to be a late round pick and to return for another season at Baylor.

JR Willie Kempf, 6', 185 RHP
Kempf performed very well in the Cape Cod League this last summer and really put his name on the prospect map. So far this year, Kempf is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 16.1 innings. He has 16 K's, 14 walks and has given up 12 hits. It looks like he has been a bit erratic with his control so far but he is still getting the strikeouts on a regular basis. I will be curious to see if Kempf has anything to really help him climb the prospect and draft charts as this season moves forward.

FR Joey Hainsfurther, 5'11, 185 SS
Hainsfurther is another nice recruit that Baylor landed and is not draft eligible. Hainsfurther was drafted out of HS in the 46th round by the SF Giants. While not the most imposing figure, Hainsfurther can really swing the bat. In his Freshman season he is leading the team at .387 with 1 HR, 17 RBI, 6 doubles, 10 K's and 11 walks. He has some nice power for a middle infielder as well as being a good defender. I have a lot to look at with this exciting freshman.

FR Lucas Hileman, 6'1, 180 OF
Speed and power and yet another big time recruit for Baylor. Hileman was drafted in the 37th round by the Braves. Hileman is batting .500 is limited action with 5 RBI, 2 doubles, 6 K's and 5 walks and is 1-1 in steals so far. Hileman is holding his own and should be a star in his sophomore year. Im hoping he gets to play quite a bit in this series.

FR Dan Evatt, 6'3, 210 1B
Evatt is a redshirt freshman who is getting his first taste of major college baseball this year. He was drafted out of HS in the 45th round by the Indians. Evatt is seeing limited playing time but is batting .298 with 2 HR, 14 RBI, 5 doubles, 10 K's and 3 walks. Not too shabby for a freshman in limited playing time. Evatt is another player i hope to see in this 3 game set.

SO Chris Slater, 6'1, 185 OF
Slater is another young Baylor player that has seen limited action but has a nice future ahead of him. Slater is batting .333 with 1 RBI and 1 K in only 6 at bats. Slater is a speedy outfielder with some good potential with the bat.

I have a lot of work to do in this series but will try to get as much as i can on each one of these guys including some photography and video.
I will post a recap of my findings after the series.

Missouri Valley College at Kansas (added baseball game) 3pm

bkmhoxx — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:45:45 -0000

Jayhawks added a game against Missouri Valley College at 3pm today.

Its gonna be cold and windy out there!

Missouri Valley College is an NAIA school (plays in Bakers league-Heart of America Conference). This should be an easy win even for some of the freshmen and 2nd teamers that will play today.

1st inning

Heere walks
Narodowski singles
Waters triples and scores 2
Elgie sacrifices Waters in to score the third run

2nd inning

Bollman gives up a HR to Jay Walkup.
Wow
thats embarrassing.

KU Baseball Announces Weekly Honorees

bkmhoxx — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:16:12 -0000

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas baseball coach Ritch Price announced his weekly honorees for the first two weeks of Fall Ball. Honorees were selected by the Kansas coaching staff for their outstanding efforts.

For the first week of practice, freshman Travis Blankenship was named the Pitcher of the Week, while sophomore outfielder Brian Heere earned Player of the Week honors. Senior center fielder Nick Faunce made the plus-play of the week.

For the second week of practice, which ended Saturday, freshman Kevin Burk was named the Pitcher of the Week, while junior infielder David Nardowski was named the Player of the Week. Freshman outfielder Casey Lytle made the plus-play of the week.

The Jayhawks will resume practice Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark. The team will scrimmage on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., as well as Friday (4:30 p.m.) and Saturday (6 p.m.). All scrimmages are free of charge and open to the public.

KU Volleyball VS #3 TEXAS this Saturday 7pm

bkmhoxx — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:40:10 -0000

Im not sure how many of you are into watching college volleyball but this Saturday night (9/27) at 7pm at Horejsi, the KU women take on #3 Texas. These games are quite entertaining and you respect it a lot more in person.

Its also "Youth Organization Night" - $3 ticket for all Youth Organizations (little league teams, club teams, boys&girl scouts, youth groups, etc.)

just an FYI to gather some kids up and go down to Horejsi for some entertainment.

KU 09 Baseball Schedule

bkmhoxx — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:44:36 -0000

Thanks to bkmhoxx for publishing this. There actually has been a fair amount of baseball news recently. The Szefc hiring was made official. Fall practice is underway. Buck Afenir had a bad night. I am working overseas this semester which has made finding time and internet access to post updates more challenging so I'm happy to see other fans taking up the slack this fall. - JQ

The 2009 Kansas baseball schedule has been released.

http://kuathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/091708aab.html

There is an 8 game stretch where we play 3 on the road against Arizona St., 2 on the road against San Diego St. and then come home to play Texas in a 3 game set. WOW!

This should be a fun year as Coach Price had a great recruiting class the past 2 years and he is really starting to build a nice young nucleus. We had 2 of our recruits get drafted and they chose not to sign and come be a Jayhawk.

February 20th cant come quick enough!

There is one other item I'll highlight. Chuck Woodling of the LJWorld published an early preview of the '09 team worth taking a look at. Woodling reports that Price is approaching '09 as a rebuilding year in which he might start as many as five freshman. Woodling reports that Zac Elgie turned down a $250,000 bonus to come play at KU. Lee Ridenhour turned down $150,000. Price believes Ridenhour might be able to handle two-way duties, both as a pitcher and a position player. The article identifies Colton Murray, Jake Marasco, Jason Brunansky and transfer David Narodowski as other potential impact newcomers. - JQ

Middle infield prospects?

bkmhoxx — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:13:29 -0000

What do soem of you guys think the ceilings are of Brent Lillibridge, Hernan Iribarren and German Duran? At one point in time, these 3 guys were fairly well thought of as decent prospects. They all 3 have had their struggles this year. I know Duran has a lot more pop than the other 2 but i was curious to see what you might thing their ceilings could be.

Utility type guys?

Average middle infielders?

Or could one of them be something fairly nice?

any thoughts are appreciated.

Kansas Jayhawks in the 08 MLB Draft

bkmhoxx — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:47:41 -0000

Here is bkmhoxx' rundown of Jayhawks who are eligable today for the MLB draft. I will update with individual postings for each KU player selected today. Be sure to hit read more, there are ten players profiled here! - James

These are the notes that i published before the season began.
I will add my current TAKE at the bottom of each players notes.

Erik Morrison SS (6'1, 195 lbs)
Morrison is a senior who was drafted in the 49th round in last years draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates but declined their offer and came back for his senior season at KU. With a solid senior campaign, he should be able to drastically improve his draft slot. Morrison has some very nice tools and has very high upside. Defensively he has a plus arm I would grade to be about a 7. He is a good fielder with good hands. He will flash the leather a lot this year and show off his arm strength although it would help him to cut down on some of his errors (10) and keep his emotions in check. Offensively, Morrison shows a good swing with decent power (7 HR) and decent speed (6 SB). The issue with Erik will be whether or not he can keep his average (.296) at a respectable level or not. If he can eliminate just a few errors, get his average up n the .310-.320 range and show more improvement, Morrison could be looked at fairly early. My guess would be 8th round on the high side, 20th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: This year E-Mo got his avg. up to .308, he hit 7 HR again and showed more speed with 13 Steals. He did have 16 doubles which shows possible power development in his future. He did however go from 10 errors last year to 16 this year, with 19 walks and 38 K's. I guessed rounds 8-20 at the beginning of the season, and while he did get his average up a little higher, I think his errors and strikeouts may hold him back a little bit. I personally think he can remain at SS at the next level. Most of his errors were throwing errors which are concentration errors. He will be a low risk/high reward type player for a team to take a chance on. He has a chance to be the first Jayhawk taken (I think it will be Paul Smyth). I would guess Morrison to go somewhere in rounds 15-20.

Preston Land 1B (6'3, 236 lbs)
Land is a junior with pro body. Land has a good arm although he will rarely get to show it this year playing 1b. He has some fairly serious raw power that could very well develop into plus power at the professional level. Land even has pretty good speed for a guy his size. He may project as a first baseman in the pros. This all depends on how much his power develops this year. My guess would be 20th round on the high side, 40th round on the low side and my guess is that he would stick around for his senior year.

CURRENT TAKE: Land had another rough year (mainly the second half). He definitely cant stop the ship from sinking once the leak starts. You can just see it on his face after each at-bat. That being said, he still has his senior season to get it figured out. The scouts love him and WANT to see him succeed. He has a perfect build to be a monster masher type first baseman. This year he hit .221 with 5 HR, 16 Doubles, 31 RBI, 32 Walks and 62 K's. I guessed rounds 20-40 at the beginning but i wasnt expecting another down year from Land. I would be shocked if he got drafted at all this year, but i do expect big things from him next year. His chances are almost gone so he MUST produce next year. His leash should be short as it will be time to play someone younger.

Ryne Price C/RF (5'11, 190 lbs)
Ryne is a senior who plays 2 positions. He will play RF and he backed up at catcher last year. Ryne will likely do the same this year, possibly backing up at catcher a bit more. Ryne lives for the game of baseball and you can see it when you watch him play. He has a few things going for him that I think could get him some looks at the professional level. He is a leftie with plus power that could easily develop into decent HR totals. He has a great arm and he runs fairly well. I can easily see a professional team taking a chance on Ryne at the catching spot if not RF. This will be a big season for him to show that his defense behind the plate will improve quite a bit and his strikeouts will drop. If he can do those 2 things and continue to show his positives, I think he will have a shot. My guess would be 30th round on the high side, 45th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: Ryno had a very nice year. He hit .305 with 11 HR, 17 Doubles, 60 RBI, 22 Walks, 58 K's and 9 Steals. Ryne shows plus power and is a fairly good hitter as well. He also has decent speed for a guy with his build. Im not sure he can catch at the next level or not. If he can be converted, then he will be a steal wherever he is drafted. If he plays RF, then he will have a much tougher road to the big show. I guessed rounds 30-45 at the beginning of the season but that was before he had such a great senior campaign. I would bump that up quite a bit now to somewhere around 20-25. He too has a decent chance to be the first Jayhawk drafted.

John Allman LF (6`2, 225 lbs)
Allman is a senior who has worked very hard to get where he is. He doesn't really possess the tools that a lot of guys with his resume have. Allman has a good bat and hits for average with some gap power although his kind of power probably wont ever translate into HR's. He plays a good LF with decent range and shows good hands. This year I think John will need to cut down on some of his strikeouts, continue to hit for a high average and show a little pop in his bat. If he does that my guess would be 25th round on the high side, 40th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: Allman had a great senior year. His avg. was way up to .365. He hit 17 Doubles with 6 HR and 48 RBI. He had more walks with 35 but his K's went up as well to 32. I think John helped himself a touch by hitting for such a high avg. this year and his defense was gritty and quite amazing at times. My preseason prediction was rounds 25-40. I would guess Allman to be drafted somewhere very near round 30 this year. (He does have a chance to go as high as the 20th round depending on what teams see him developing into.

Nick Czyz LHP (6'2, 215 lbs)
Czyz is a junior. Hes a talented leftie with a fastball in the 86-90 range. He has a good off speed pitch and a good curve but neither are a very solid "out" pitch quite yet. If he can improve his command and find an "out" pitch, my guess would be 8th round on the high side, 15th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: Czyz had a good year. He had a few bad outings which ruined a few of his numbers. He showed increased velocity on his fastball which came in in the low 90's while topping out at 93/94. His slider worked well and came in around 80/81. I would say that his slider is now officially an "out" pitch. He had a 6.12 ERA in 64.2 innings, giving up 74 hits, striking out 59 and walking 41. He definitely needs to improve his command and cut down on the walks but right now, he definitely shows signs of a good bullpen guy for the next level. I originally guessed rounds 8-15 and i would probably narrow that down to somewhere near the 15th round at this point. I do think Nick could come back and be a top pitcher in the Big 12 next year and really improve his draft status. It will depend how much money he is offered this year. He has a good chance to be the first Jayhawk drafted.

Sam Freeman LHP (5'11, 170 lbs)
Freeman is a JUCO transfer that was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 24th round. He's also a talented leftie with a fastball in the 88-92 range. He has an excellent off speed pitch and a plus slider. More than likely Freeman will be a weekend starter and if he can prove himself in the Big 12, he should move up the draft chart nicely. I would guess 8th round on the high side, 20th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: Freeman had a rough year. He definitely shows flashes of his dominance but its few and far between. He has a stiff and rather herky-jerky motion and is very quick through his delivery. This is one reason he is so tough to hit as its tough to pick up the ball and it happens very fast. However he did show very poor command of hs pitches and control of the strike zone this year. Freeman had an 8.53 ERA in 31.2 innings, giving up 45 hits, 20 walks and getting 20 K's. With his delivery coupled with a nice fastball and a great slow curve, I can see teams drafting Freeman fairly high despite his season totals. I guessed rounds 8-20 before the season and i would fit him somewhere near round 20 this year, but more likely to be near the 30th. Freeman definitely needs to stay and iron out his command. He could be a top 10 rounds draftee next year for sure.

Hiarali Garcia RHP (6, 200 lbs)
Garcia is a senior. He throws from the right side with a fastball in the 90-93 range. He really needs to show a secondary pitch this year as his off speed pitches don't fool many hitters. With Garcia rating out at a 6 or 7 with his velocity, my guess would be 15th round on the high side, 25th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: Garcia had a tough stretch this year but overall he proved to be a very nice pitcher. He had a 3.58 ERA in 37.2 innings, giving up 36 hits, 14 walks and 29 K's. For a guy that barely has a secondary pitch, that is pretty good. His fastball has nice velocity with a lot of life and doesnt allow the batters to settle in. Im not sure if Garcia has enough to get drafted but im sure hoping for him to be. I like how he pitches but does he have enough to get to the next level? I think my preseason prediction was a bit high. I could see Garcia going anytime after the 30th round or possibly not getting drafted at all.

Andres Esquibel RHP (6'2, 220 lbs)
Esquibel is a senior that has quite a bit of upside. His fastball sits at 88-91. He currently has only an average off speed pitch and an average slider. Esquibel pounds the strike zone and if he can develop a plus pitch or secondary pitch, he could prove to be very effective. My guess would be 20th round on the high side, 35th round on the low side.

CURRENT TAKE: Esquibel had a few bad outings this year that ruined his numbers. He had a 5.65 ERA in 73.1 innings, giving up 72 hits, 27 walks and striking out 45. He is a true "pitcher" that has good control and keeps the ball down. He doesnt have electric stuff but he does a good job on the mound. With 3 average pitches and good command, he will more than likely take his game to the next level. My preseason prediction was rounds 20-35. I would look for Esquibel to go off the board somewhere between those rounds. My guess would be more towards the 30-35 range.

Andy Marks LHP (6'2, 215 lbs)
Marks is a junior. Andy is coming off of labrum surgery and will get a slow start to the season trying to recover from that. Hes a talented leftie with a fastball in the 89-92 range. He has a plus off speed pitch and a plus curve but throws with a slower arm speed which makes his pitches easier to pick up for the batter. If he can have a healthy season, my guess would be 25th round on the high side, 40th round on the low side. I would expect Marks to come back next year and prove his health again and increase his arm speed and really move himself up the draft charts his senior year.

CURRENT TAKE: Marks had to have his shoulder worked on again. Im hoping things heal properly and we can get him back out on the mound next year. When healthy, Marks is a great addition to the pitching staff.

Paul Smyth RHP (5'11, 215 lbs)
Smyth is a junior. Hes a right hander with good movement on his cutter that comes in about 89-92. He gets more movement on his slower pitches that come in below 90. His arm angle is a big part of his success thus far. He has an average but improving slider and he is working on his off speed pitch as well. He also throws strikes but his weakness is the fact that I don't see an "out" pitch. I think Smyth can use this season to really find that "out" pitch and be a successful closer. If he can do this, my guess would be a late round draft pick maybe in the 50's. I would expect a team to take a chance on Smyth as he does have some possible upside as a bullpen guy to face right handers. I could see Smyth returning for his senior year and improving his draft slot and really finding that "out" pitch.

CURRENT TAKE: Smyth REALLY inproved his draft status this season proving to be KU's most reliable and clutch pitcher. He had a 3.73 ERA in 60.1 innings, giving up 67 hits, only 12 walks and striking out 51. He did hit 10 batters but i doubt tht hurts his status too much. I think most scouts really like Smyth and to lure him away from KU i could see him going in the 15th round and being offered a decent payday. I look for Smyth to be the first or second Jayhawk picked this year.

WOW!
7 to 8 Jayhawks with a strong possibility of going in this draft.
That is proof in the pudding that Coach Price is slowly starting to get the recruits that he needs to build a team to get us back to Omaha. Im anxious about this next years recruiting class coupled with several of the freshman from this year that didnt play much. It will be a fun, young and talented team next year!

BEAK 'EM HAWKS!