2-11 from http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/ - Like lefties? The 2011 draft has those to offer as well, from fire-balling Matt Purke to the crafty, two-way talents of Danny Hultzen. Purke may be considered a bonus to the ’11 draft class as a draft-eligible sophomore. He was once thought to be signed by the Texas Rangers as their first-round pick in last year’s draft, only to honor his commitment to TCU. Built lean and wiry strong, Purke offers command of a solid overall repertoire. While you always have to temper your expectations with freshmen, the Horned Frogs are confident that Purke will hit the ground running.
3-13 from http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/03/13/cbb-visit-no-8-tcu-6-texas-tech-1-3-13-10/#more-24361 - Matt Purke threw a complete game, his first outing over 5.1 innings on the year, giving up only four hits, one run, and striking out eight Red Raiders. Purke’s victory moves him to 2-0 on the year. The Horned Frogs finished the game with a 9-1 victory, moving to 11-2 on the year while Texas Tech fell to 8-8. TCU has won all three games against Tech in 2010, with one remaining tomorrow
3-17 from: - http://pnrscouting.com/articles_2010_houstoncollegeclassic_day2_03102010.html - Purke was easily the best I’ve seen him in the last 18 months, with the largest improvements coming from the quality of his secondaries and the arm slot for his curve (which I thought was a little higher than his other pitches in the past). The lefty was 91-93 mph on Saturday, which is right around where I’ve seen him in the past. He was low-80s with his sweeping slider and upper-70s, touching 80, with a two-plane curve that had absolutely dirty late bite. His change (which he throws with a split, or “vulcan” grip, pictured) showed its usual quality tumble and average command. He was consistent with his secondaries and most impressively used them to set up his fastball on more than a couple occasions -- generally coming in to righties with his curve or change and following it with well placed running fastballs away.
Purke was also much better at hitting his low-3/4 arm slot with all four pitches, coming across his body and giving some deception. I have slight concerns about the plane of his fastball, as it lacks drop to go along with the run. Since his slot is so low, the ball ends -up sitting in the hit zone for a long time. Still, I wouldn’t try to change anything at this point, given the current quality of his offerings. Further, if his secondaries continue to improve, they should be more than enough to keep hitters honest. As a final note, Purke had an excellent presence on the mound, coming right at hitters and showing poise with runners on and behind in the count. He ended a couple of innings with big first pumps after strikeouts, which in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but he also was well late in covering first on a jam shot to first baseman Matt Curry (2010). His competitive mentality will be an asset, but he’ll need to make sure that asset doesn’t come at the expense of in-game focus. It's almost certain to be a non-issue, but I think worth noting at this point. His final line sat at a solid 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 SO and 1 ER. Also notable on the mound for TCU was sophomore closer Kaleb Merck (2011). Merck pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing just two batters to reach (a double scoring an inherited run and a single) while striking out three. He sat 89-91, touching 92 mph, with his fastball and paired the pitch with an effective 78-80 slider. He also showed a fine pick-off move that he set-up by continually altering his hold time in the set.
From http://www.mlb.com/ : Fastball: Purke showed velocity a tick above average, sitting at 92-93 mph. He topped out at 95 mph. Fastball movement: It has tailing life to the arm side. Curve: It's kind of between a curve and a slider. It has more of a curve break, with good rotation and depth. He thew it about 78 mph with late break to it. Changeup: Has a good changeup. Control: He has good command and moves the ball around the zone well. Poise: He's pitched in big games and rises to the occasion. Physical Description: Purke is a lean, wiry, thin-waisted left-hander. He's projectable, but needs to add some strength. Medical Update: Healthy. Strengths: Three average to above-average pitches. Good command, projectable body. Weaknesses: He's a little too slender, leading some to worry about durabilty. Summary: When conversations arise about the top prep lefties in the class, Purke is on the short list. With three excellent offerings and command of them, to go along with a projectable frame, Purke's name comes up early and often. There might be a small concern about his durabilty because he's a little too slender, but that won't be enough to keep him from being taken high up on Draft day
3-15-10 from http://pnrscouting.com/rankings_2010_houstoncollegeclassic.html - Top 10 Players (2011 Draft Class) - Matt Purke (Freshman), LHP, Texas Christian Univ. - Along with Rendon and Jungmann, Purke fills-out the top 3 talents on the weekend, regardless of class, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see these three make-up the top three picks in the 2011 draft when all is said and done; best line of Purke's year -- 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 7 SO -- and best look from his secondaries, though he needs more economy, taking 99 pitches to record 16 outs.
4-9-10 from: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/on-campus/2010/269792.html - Top Freshman - Matt Purke, lhp, Texas Christian - Expectations could not have been higher for Purke from the day he set foot on TCU's campus. An unsigned first-round pick who turned down at least $2 million from the Rangers to attend school, Purke was expected to be a dominant ace from the start of his collegiate career. Through seven weeks, Purke has managed not to disappoint, despite the massive hype surrounding him. He stepped into TCU's weekend rotation immediately and has emerged as the Horned Frogs' Friday starter over the last few weeks. He is 3-0, 3.52 with 48 strikeouts and nine walks in 38 innings.
4-7-10 from: http://www.pgcrosschecker.com/articles/DisplayArticle.aspx?article=2253 - LHP Matthew Purke (Texas Christian) turned down high first-round money from the Texas Rangers last year, but hasn’t missed a beat as a freshman, going 3-0, 3.52 with 48 K’s in 38 innings. He will be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2011.
4-21-10 from: - http://collegebaseball360.com/2010/04/21/tcus-purke-invited-to-usa-baseball-trials - TCU pitcher Matt Purke has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2010 National Team Trials. Purke will join Kyle Winkler, who accepted an early invite in January, at the trials, which take place in Cary, N.C. The trials are set to begin on July 5 and run through July 11 when the final roster will be announced. Purke has enjoyed success in his freshman campaign. The freshman is 5-0 in nine starts this season. He has posted a 3.47 ERA in 49 1/3 innings pitched. Purke ranks second in the Mountain West with 60 strikeouts and is limiting opponents to a .233 batting average.
6-11-10 from: - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/wait-til-next-year-draft-11-preview-pitchers - Matt Purke, TCU, 3.37 FIP, 11.52 K/9, 2.55 BB/9. The only draft-eligible sophomore in this series because of the lack of clarity about who exactly is eligible and who is not, but Purke’s eligibility has been understood since he spurned the Rangers last year. Purke has been better than anyone could have expected in his freshman season with the Horned Frogs, with his 2.55 walk rate really speaking to his polish. Purke is 91-94 mph with ease from the left side, and is capable of amping it up into the mid 90s. His power curveball is absolute death on left-handed hitters, as the guys at CollegeSplits tweeted last week: “0 HR, 15 K/9, insane 23/3 g/f out ratio vLH.” And with an improving change-up, Purke should be better suited to get his $6 million bonus demands than he was a year ago.
6-11 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/06/11/matt-purke-leads-tcu-to-3-1-victory-over-texas/#more-27433 - The series was billed as a pitcher’s dual and game one of the 2010 NCAA Austin Regional didn’t disappoint as Matt Purke and Tyler Lockwood led the No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs to a 3-1 victory over No. 2 Texas. Purke struck out 11 and limited the Longhorns to just three hits. In 7 2/3 innings pitched, the left-handed freshman allowed just one run on three hits. He walked one, hit a batter and fanned 11 to improve to 14-0 on the season. Tyler Lockwood retired all four batters he faced to lock down his sixth save of the season.
6-13 from: - http://perfectgame.atinfopop.com/4/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=114295945&f=6174069131&m=3221081702 - LHP, Matt Purke, TCU, 6'4 185, no brainer here and eligble for 2011 draft due to 7/17 birthdate, he'll turn 21 less than 45 days after the draft. Sizzled Texas on Friday night.
6-15-10 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/06/15/2010-ncbwa-pro-line-athletic-freshman-players-of-the-year - TCU left-handed starting pitcher Matt Purke has been named the 2010 Pro-Line National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Freshman Pitcher of the Year, as announced by the organization today. Purke has posted a 14-0 record with a 3.23 ERA in 103 innings pitched this season. The Spring, Texas, native has struck out a team-leading 133 batters, walked 28, recorded one complete game and held opponents to a .219 batting average during 18 appearances during 2010. The left-hander went into the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 3 in the country in wins and 12th in strikeouts. He was named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and received second team All-American honors and Freshman Pitcher of the Year from Collegiate Baseball News. Purke leads the Mountain West with 14 wins and 133 strikeouts. The left-hander also ranks in the conference’s Top 10 in ERA (4th), innings pitched (4th) and opponents batting average (2nd). He is the third Horned Frog to be named a Freshman of the Year in school history. The left-hander has helped lead TCU to a 51-12 record and their first appearance in the College World Series, with NCAA Fort Worth Regional and Austin Super Regional Championships. The Horned Frogs also captured the MWC Regular Season and Tournament titles. Purke has been named one of the finalists for the College Baseball Foundation’s Pitcher of the Year Award.
6-14-10 from: - http://prospectinsider.com/360mock.php - 2011 Mock Draft – 24 Boston Matt Purke, LHP -- TCU
6-15-10 from: - http://www.deepleagues.com/?p=1830 – 2011 Mock Draft - 4. Seattle Mariners Matthew Purke P, TCU
6-19 from: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/06/19/college-world-series-scouting-preview - While the six Horn Frogs taken in the 2010 draft won't get you uber-excited, possible 2011 top ten pick Matt Purke will. I'll assume if you're a regular reader of this site that you're somewhat familiar with Purke. A first round pick out of high school in 2009 by the Texas Rangers, Purke failed to sign and became one of the highest profile college freshman in recent history. Purke, who will be a draft-eligible sophomore next year, entered the season with almost insurmountable expectations and some how surpassed them all. Going a perfect 14-0 this year, Purke struck out 31.6% of batters he faced while walking only 6.6%. He held opposing hitters to a paltry .219 average against and only 22.6% of the 84 hits he allowed went for extra bases. The big lefty can run his fastball into the mid-90's but usually sits 92-93 MPH. Purke used a two-seamer more as the season went on, getting good sinking action out of the 87-89 MPH offering. Purke's changeup has good, late tumble. And his breaking ball has plus movement. The only big concern with Purke going forward is his somewhat unorthodox motion, which causes him to sling the ball towards home. Still, his upside and track record will likely get him drafted near the top of the 2011 MLB draft.
6-29 from: - Andy Seiler Mock Draft - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/6/28/1541924/andys-first-2011-top-50#storyjump - 2. Matt Purke, LHP, TCU
7-1 from: - http://sullydraft.blogspot.com/ – 2011 Mock Draft – 2. Matthew Purke- LHP, TCU
7-3 from: - http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/07/03/early-follow-list-for-2011-mlb-draft - from Fanhouse.com MLB Draft guru Frankie Piliere - Daniel Norris LHP Science Hill HS (Tenn.) - Electric stuff from the left side, 93-95 w/ the fastball and command of plus curveball and quality changeup.
7-3 from: - http://milbprospects.blogspot.com/2010/07/early-version-of-top-50-prospects-for.html - Top 50 - 2 Matt Purke , LHP , Texas Christian
7-8 from: - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=11415 - Purke is exactly the kind of player who can help a strong program like TCU make the leap to elite status, and that's exactly what he did. The lefthander emerged early on as TCU's ace, and he finished 16-0, 3.02 with 132 strikeouts and 34 walks in 116 innings. He dominated against Texas in the Austin Super Regional to help the Horned Frogs reach the CWS for the first time, and he shut down Florida State and UCLA to lead TCU to a pair of victories in Omaha. His 16 wins are tied for the most by a Division I pitcher since 2004 (Arizona State's Mike Leake also did it last year). For meeting or exceeding lofty expectations that accompanied him to TCU, Purke is the 2010 Freshman of the Year.
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