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1/23/12

Draft 2012 – Kenny Diekroeger, Hunter Virant, Austin Aune, Joe Powell, Nick Lomascola


 

33. Kenny Diekroeger — 6’-2”, SS, Stanford  Diekroeger is an extremely intelligent baseball player. Able to play any position on the field, shortstop is his natural position, and he should be able to stay there at the next level due to his remarkable athleticism. Was a second-round pick by the Rays in 2009 after hitting .586 with a .688 OBP but chose to attend Stanford. Was Pac-10 freshman of the year as he hit .356 with 41 RBI, becoming the first freshman to lead the team in RBI. Average slipped to .293 this year as he was still adjusting to the new NCAA bats that favor pitchers. The team that drafts him will get a professional in every sense of the word, on and off the field. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/top-50-draft-prospects-for-2012-50-thru-26/15621/

It's maybe a little too early in the process to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway. Hunter Virant is probably my favourite player in the entire 2012 draft. Why? Well, partially because I think he's an outstanding prospect, and partially because his name sounds like a miniboss from a Metroid game. But mostly because I think he's an outstanding prospect. Virant's calling card is his raw athleticism, the same sort of athletic ability that made Tyrell Jenkins so attractive as a pitcher. He's long and loose, with natural actions that can't be taught. When scouts talk about looking for what you can't give a player, they're talking about Hunter Virant's gift for movement. At this time last year there was plenty of debate as to whether he would be more attractive as a pitcher or an OF/1B prospect, but as time has gone on it's becoming more and more clear Virant's future is on the mound. http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2012/1/11/2699212/2012-draft-preview-ein-starting-off-sinisterly

http://espn.go.com/blog/high-school/baseball/post/_/id/1009/mitchell-traver-highlights-2012-texas-class  9. Austin Aune, SS, Argyle (Texas) Aune was among the more entertaining players at the Area Code Games in August and continued to impress over the rest of the summer. He's a natural shortstop but bats left-handed, a rarity in baseball. Defensively, he shows fluid actions, good hands and enough arm strength to stay at short. And if he outgrows the position, he possesses plenty of speed and arm strength to move to center field. Such skills suggest he's headed for consideration early on Day 2, if not sooner. Aune, who quarterbacked Argyle to the Class 3A, Division II state final this fall, has committed to TCU for football and baseball.

This is the way these things are supposed to work. Joe Powell is a 5-foot-10, 195-pound right-handed pitcher and third baseman in the class of 2012 who rolled into the Perfect Game World Open Uncommitted Showcase Jan. 7-8 at Terry Park unknown, unheralded and, basically, unloved. 

Now, less than a week removed from an eye-catching performance at the showcase, Joe Powell has several top NCAA Division I programs interested in him, including a couple near his Dallas, Texas, home. “Before I even went to Perfect Game, I’d never even been talked to by anybody,” Powell said in a telephone conversation with PG on Thursday (Jan. 12). “Once I went to the (World Open Uncommitted) … in the last three or four days I’ve been getting notes from all these Big 12 and other Division I schools. Just in the last four days I’ve been contacted by five or six different schools and they want me to come for a visit. So it was definitely a worthwhile experience.”

Nick Lomascola   Forest City Owls of the Coastal Plain League   Catawba College   Junior   Pitcher  Profile:   6-0/195 pounds   Throws Left   Bats Right   From Mooresville, NC   Attended Lake Norman High School  Synopsis of Summer Season:  I love consistency, and Nick was the epitome of that this summer. While not flashy, he was very consistent for the Forest City Owls. He went 5-2 and crafted a 2.40 era in 56.1 innings pitched this summer. He started 8 games and completed 3 of those games. He allowed just 43 hits, walked 26 (which is a bit high) and he fanned 43 this year. He also held the opposition to a .216 batting average this summer. During the CPL playoffs, Nick went 1-1 in 12.2 innings of work. http://www.collegesummerbaseball.net/2012/01/2011-top-performer-nick-lomascola.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+collegesummerbaseball%2FJiiy+%28Summer+Ball%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

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