OPS

I know that it seems like all I ever write about is minor league pitchers, but the fact is there simply isn’t much good going on around the bat rack these days. Sure, Eric Campbell had four hits last night, but I’m talking about a seasonal outburst that seems to be sorely lacking in the organization.


Let’s take a look at the team leaders, and their ranking in their league, using OPS as a barometer. IMO, OPS best represents a players potential to hit and hit with pop.


Fr. Wikipedia: “On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League Baseball puts the player in the upper echelon of hitters. Typically, the league leader in OPS will score near, and sometimes above, the 1.000 mark.

The basic formula is:    OPS = OPB + SLG

 AAA:   7th in league: OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis .962


           35th SS Ruben Tejada .806


AA:     6th 2B Josh Satin .917


           20th 2B Michael Fisher .821


A+:     6th CF Matt den Dekker .916


           10th 3B Jefry Marte .878


           42nd 1B Stefan Welsh .740


A:       20th OF Cory Vaughn .874


           56th SS Robbie Shields .742


These results suck. Only three offensive players with an OPS over .900?


The current organization screams for new bat blood and the Mets must consider abandoning any plans to draft the top pitchers that will be available with their four picks in the first 100 slots in the June draft.


Some suggestions would be the University of Connecticut’s OF George Springer (pick #13), Utah’s 1B-C C.J. Cron (pick #44), James Madison C Jake Lowery (pick #101).

Mack On Baseball

As you now realize, my paid subscription site (http://mackonbaseball/ ) is now gone.


I asked the original administrator to take the site down. It was designed and developed by a kind man named John Strubel (http://www.johnstrubel.com/ ) , who also writes about the Mets. John did all the work free for me and turned the administrator role over to me when his work was completed.


He paid the first three months hosting fee to GoDaddy as paid the server he used for a year. Like I said, a kind man.


I contacted GoDaddy and paid a year in advance for their service, so I thought the site was now “mine”. I’m not a technical guy and I still don’t understand why I pay GoDaddy and still are on some other server, but we’ll get back to that in a few paragraphs.


I have been writing about the Mets online for seven years and I thought it was time to test the subscription waters. My old site (this one) was up to a PR4 status, I had made a bunch of loyal friends and followers, and all I was trying to do was raise enough money to pay for a health insurance policy for my wife.


I consulted Matt Cerrone with the idea and he thought it was premature. He suggested I set it up with a monthly fee of around $2, but I decided to do it yearly for the sum of $29 a year. My goal this year was to secure 100 subscribers. I thought that was a conservative goal.


I secured 10 subscribers since January. At the same time, WordPress reported that I averaged well over 1,000 different viewers a day. I’m not exactly sure what they were viewing since all the good stuff was protected by the site for subscribers only, but that’s what the numbers were. 10 subscribers, three of which I had to beg.


My intention was to continue, but I was having trouble getting online to the GoDaddy site. I contacted them by phone and they had problem identifying my account until they informed me that the site was still under the name of the original administrator and it was on his server. The GoDaddy rep explained to me that I could be dropped at any time by that server, and definitely would have been dropped after the first year John paid for.


I would have to find a new server to gain full control of the site and I determined that the cost of finding someone to do that for me was something I couldn’t move forward with. I was lucky to originally find John and moving forward would cost me bucks I don’t have.


I contacted John and asked him to remove me from the server, which he did. Trust me, if I had 100+ subscriptions, I would have tried to come up with a different solution.


That site was my fourth Mets site. There won’t be a fifth. I will feed this site until I pass. My hopes are still to make some ching doing this and I hope some other site, newspaper, network, platform, or alternate dimension contacts me some day and asks me to write for them.


I’m not sure of my direction here. Please feel free to suggest what you would like me to either write, post, or paste about,


Thanks to the ten of you that supported my efforts.

Jose Fernandez, James McCann, Gerrit Cole, Kevin Cron, Danny Hultzen, Dylan Bundy, Archie Bradley

(Jose) Fernandez doesn't have the national hype machine working in his favor this spring, but evaluators familiar with his game have plenty of reason to pencil him high on their respective preference lists. Owner of a sturdy workhorse frame, Fernandez could benefit from tightening his physique some and will have to focus on conditioning as he shifts to a pro life style. That said, he went back-to-back starts in four days last October hitting 94-95 mph in the seventh inning, and showed almost no signs of tiring throughout his two complete game starts. If things click, Fernandez is a solid mid-rotation starter with a chance to provide true front-end value off the strength of two potential plus offerings and two more potential average or better offerings. He needs to steer clear of overthrowing in order to maintain his command throughout starts. If he prefers the all out max effort approach, of course, he has the makings of a top tier closer with two plus power pitches. diamondscapescouting  

C James McCann, Arkansas: With his superior defensive skills, refined mechanics and take-charge approach, McCann could catch in the big leagues right now. He is in a class of his own defensively among college catchers. Though somewhat challenged offensively, McCann has raw power potential and would be an ideal backup on this team. perfectgame.

Gerrit Cole - RHP - UCLA. 6'4" 220. Last Drafted: New York Yankees - '08 (1st Round). Update: Cole has shown improved control (not command) in 2011 and if UCLA could score more runs his Bruins would still be a top 5 team in the nation as they were in the preseason. Despite his teams inconsistent play, the Boras Corp advisee could slide past Rendon into the top spot. prospectjunkies 

Kevin Cron, Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, Ariz.), C, Sr - Cron has helped guide Mountain Pointe into the state championship game and has broken several state home run records along the way. He's hit 26 home runs on the season and 59 for his career. maxpreps

3. Diamondbacks – Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia Hultzen’s stock has risen the past few months and he has been linked to Arizona for some time now. They drafted him in 2008 in the tenth round, but failed to sign him. Most of the regime from that draft is gone, but he has the most polish of any pitcher in this draft and is a safe bet to go in the top five. .nickmendola 

4. Baltimore Orioles: Dylan Bundy RHP, Owasso HS With all their young studs leaving the minors and pitching in the majors currently, there isn’t much room left in their ML rotation for another College guy who is quick to the majors. I think they take the best HS pitcher available here and draft Bundy to be a part of the next wave of talent for the Orioles. Stats were unavailable as we went to virtual press, but here’s a great scouting report from the folks at Orioles Nation. nationalsprospects.

13. Mets – Archie Bradley – RHP – Broken Arrow HS - The Mets are very much a best talent on the board team. Bradley is the clear cut #2 high school arm behind Bundy. I think they take Bradley here. I will say that if Matt Barnes falls, and that could easily happen with the overload of college pitchers in the middle of the first round, I think the Mets go with Barnes of Bradley. Just my opinion. There is also the situation with the lack of money available and they may go conservative and get someone that will sign for slot at #13. sodomojo

Dylan Bundy, Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole, Henry Owens, Sonny Gray, Taylor Jungmann,

10. Padres – Dylan Bundy – RHP – Owasso HS - The Padres love their prep players. Bundy at this point is a STEAL. The best prep pitcher in the draft. There is a youtube video of his workout regime out there. The kid is an animal and a fierce competetor. The only problem is that this is again an unprotected draft pick. Since they are recieving compensation for losing Karsten Whitson last year. They may roll with a safer pick, such as Trevor Bauer and/or Tyler Anderson. Either way I see them taking an arm. sodomojo.



2. Seattle Mariners: Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice University Dustin Ackley, Anthony Rendon and Jutsin Smoak could make for a nice infield for years to come. Rendon’s bat is great and the Mariners can use the help on offense. It won’t take long for the Mariners to make this pick. Stats: .350 AVG 1.105 OPS .491 wOBA nationalsprospects 

2. Mariners – Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA Seattle will undoubtedly land whomever the Pirates pass on between these two. I see them happily settling for a future ace that could be ready by next fall, assuming he turns it around after his mediocre spring. nickmendola.

Henry Owens, Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), P, Sr - The 6-foot-7 senior has been the top pitcher in the state of California, posting an 11-0 record with double-digit strikeouts in nearly every game this year. He also had four straight shutouts for the Chargers. Edison is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section and No. 4 in the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Baseball Rankings. maxpreps. 

CL Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt: Gray might rank alongside Cole as the elite right-hander in this year’s college crop were he not a sub-six-footer. But there is no overlooking his big arm, superior athletic ability and instinctive feel for pitching. As a starter, Gray runs his fastball at a steady 92-97 mph with excellent cutting and sinking action. He also has sound command of an exceptional breaking ball and developed better feel this spring of an 82-85 mph changeup. With his smaller size and the extra effort he generates in his delivery, Gray would be the ideal target to close on this club and there is little doubt he would make a seamless transition to the role as his fastball has reached 99 mph on the rare occasions that he has been used in brief outings. His intense, competitive approach would also be an attribute there. perfectgame


Taylor Jungmann - RHP - Texas. 6'6 195. Last Drafted: Los Angeles Angles - '08 (24th Round) Update: A workhorse who routinely gives his Longhorn bullpen the night off, Jungmann is now 10-0 with an 0.90 ERA with three complete game shutouts. The Indians have spent 1st round picks on North Carolina's Alex White, and Mississippi's Drew Pomeranz both of whom, like Jungmann, were among the best college arms in their respective classes. prospectjunkies

John Stilson, Archie Bradley, Dylan Bundy, Anthony Rendon, Gerrit Cole, Francisco Lindor

RP John Stilson, Texas A&M: The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Stilson set a school record and led the nation with a 0.80 ERA as a Texas A&M sophomore, while going 9-1 with 114 strikeouts in 79 innings. He has been just as dominant this season for the Aggies in a starting role. While Stilson has excellent stuff with a fastball in the 93-98 mph range that peaks at 99 when used in short bursts, along with a solid changeup, there is significant violence in his delivery that raise questions about his durability if used as a starter over the long haul. His extremely competitive makeup also seems ideal for a role with a game on the line. perfectgame.

Archie Bradley - RHP - Broken Arrow HS (OK). 6'4" 210. College Commitment: Oklahoma. Update: Like Starling, Archie Bradley is a star in both the gridiron and the diamond providing him leverage not afforded to his peers, but MLB teams will have the luxury of spreading his bonus over multiple years to buy him away from his college commitment. prospectjunkies

Dylan Bundy, Owasso (Owasso, Okla.), P, Sr - In leading Owasso to a 34-1 record and No. 1 national ranking, Bundy has posted a 10-0 record and struck out 147 batters in just 64 innings pitched. He has a 0.22 ERA and has given up only five walks all season. He's also batting .494 with 10 home runs. maxpreps.

1. Pirates – Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice The first overall pick is a toss-up right now. While Rendon and UCLA’s Gerrit Cole have struggled recently, both remain the most talented players in this class. Various random injuries have limited Rendon in 2011, but none of them appear to be long-term concerns. His bat, defense, and makeup are outstanding and he is everything you could want in a ballplayer. Current 3B Pedro Alvarez is better suited for first base anyway. nickmendola. 

1. Pittsburgh Pirates: Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA This is the same organization that said they’d have taken Jameson Taillon number 1 if they had the first overall pick last year. While they did pick up three high-ceiling pitchers in last year’s draft, all three will take a while to develop and the Pirate rotation needs help now. Cole can be up to the big club in the next year or so and help stabilize the rotation. Stats (this and those that follow, as of 4/25/2011): 2.78 ERA 0.88 WHIP 9.59 K/9 nationalsprospects

6. Nationals – Francisco Lindor – SS – Montverde HS Nationals have spent a lot of money on a lot of arms in the last three years and I just see them going for a position player. While there are a few different college talents. Lindor seems like the next best position player on the draft board. While there are plenty of college arms to fall back on they are another club that tends to go with the best available talent and to me that’s Lindor. sodomojo

Julius Gaines, Jed Bradley, Daniel Norris, Zach Davies, Adam Conley,

Jed Bradley - LHP - Georgia Tech. 6'3" 205. Last Drafted: Never. Update: Now that I've had the chance to see Bradley throw on film a few times, I'm even more impressed with his stuff. Though he lacks polish and command, so does Gerrit Cole, the top pitcher in this class. prospectjunkies



28. Braves – Julius Gaines – SS – Luella HS Much like the Royals the Braves are a team that loves to draft local talent and they love to find little diamonds under rated diamonds. Gaines maybe that diamond. He’s not projected to go in the first round but I think he could very well be drafted here. He’s a very slick fielder and maybe on par with Lindor. His bat is the question but with a few tweaks I like what could become of him. He reminds me similarly to that of Mychael Givens of the Baltimore Orioles. sodomojo 

6. Washington Nationals: Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech Bradley and Hultzen are the two best LHPs in this draft. Bradley has command of his pitches and isn’t afraid to pitch inside. Roy Clark likely has a ton of information on him from his connections in Georgia. Bradley would slot nicely in between Strasburg and Zimmermann. The pick just makes a lot of sense. If everything works out we could have a homegrown rotation of Strasburg, Zimmermann, Detwiler, Solis and Bradley by 2013. nationalsprospects.

17. Angels – Daniel Norris, LHP, HS (Tennessee) The Angels more often than not take high school pitchers in the first round. Norris, the top-rated high school lefty at this time last year, falls to them, despite doing nothing to lower his stock since then. nickmendola.

Zach Davies, Mesquite (Gilbert, Ariz.), P, Sr - Besides posting an 11-0 record on the season with 58 strikeouts, Davies also is batting .408 with 21 RBI, eight doubles and three home runs for a team challenging for the Arizona 5A Division I state championship. maxpreps.

RP Adam Conley, Washington State: Conley saved 12 games as WSU’s primary closer in 2010 and pitched mostly in relief as a freshman and sophomore for the Cougars. Though installed as his team’s Friday starter this spring --mainly on the basis of need -- Conley has excelled in every role, and would fit nicely in a variety of relief responsibilities on this team. Conley has a quick, live, loose arm and can throw strides with uncanny routine. His explosive fastball frequently reaches 95-96 mph, but he profiles a relief role because of the violence in his delivery and modest secondary stuff. perfectgame

Trevor Bauer, Erik Johnson, Daniel Norris, Andres Sanchez, Taylor Jungmann, George Springer

RP Trevor Bauer, UCLA: Bauer skipped his senior year of high school to enroll at UCLA a year ahead of schedule, and has had little trouble transitioning to a faster level of play. He is on pace to lead the nation in strikeouts for a second straight season. Unlike his UCLA teammate Cole, the slightly-built Bauer does not have overpowering stuff with a fastball that generally sits in the 88-92 mph range, and he would be challenged to crack the starting rotation on this pitching-rich club. Bauer has superior command of four major-league quality pitches, however, and would excel in any role. perfectgame.

Player: Erik Johnson - Good height with wide shoulders, long legs and a big well built frame; no projection remaining Nice rhythmic delivery with 3/4 arm slot Big fastball with some arm side run; 92 & 94 in the first (via announcer) Fastball seems to jump out of his hand at times; overpowering for most of the outing, lost some steam around the 7th inning Hard slider with mostly 1-7 downward movement and good, late break; 86 in the first (via announcer) Slider induced some very ugly swings; ability to be devastating when paired with the fastball bullpenbanter.

Daniel Norris - LHP - Science Hill HS (TN). 6'3" 180. College Commitment: Clemson. Update: Appears to be falling on the list of prep pitchers but it's more the result of risers like Bundy and Guerrieri. Norris is a classically trained pianist and one of the more grounded kids in this draft. prospectjunkies.  

Andres Sanchez, Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), Jr - A force for the defending 6A state champions, Sanchez is batting .493 and is slugging 1.324 on the season. He has 49 RBI, five doubles, three triples and 16 home runs on the year for a team ranked No. 2 in the latest Xcellent 25 rankings. maxpreps  

13. Mets – Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas The Mets reap the benefits of an extremely deep college pitching class and land an elite arm who could easily be the best of the crop. Despite a somewhat quirky delivery, he has a strong track record going back to the College World Series in 2009 when he was a freshman. nickmendola

5. Kansas City Royals: George Springer, CF, UConn We’ve all heard about how great the Royals system currently is. They’ve gotten to be so strong not just by paying over-slot money but also by picking players with higher ceilings than most players around them. It’s a risk, but it’s worked out well for the Royals lately. Springer has one of the highest ceilings in the draft and should be able to contribute during the same timeframe as the rest of their current top prospects. B. Starling is another possibility here. Stats: .359 AVG 1.091 OPS .473 wOBA nationalsprospects

27. Reds – Dillon Howard – RHP – Searcy HS Howard is rated high but a lot of different sites but I see him sit in the low-90s. He only stands 6’2 (lack of projectability) and he doesn’t have a dominating out pitch. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him fall completely out of the first round. But being that so many analysts are still rather high on him I have him going to the reds. Because … well… Bill Bavasi. sodomojo.

Alex Meyer, Jackie Bradley, Levi Michael, Jose Fernandez, Alex Carter, Zack Kometani, Blake Swihart, Danny Hiultzen, Sam Gaviglio,

30. Twins – Alex Meyer – RHP – Kentucky Meyer is one of the most under rated arms in the draft. But then again he’s earned it. By showing games where he loses all command of his pitches and then turns around pitches a gem. He has great velocity and his breaking balls are solid. I tend to believe he’ll drop further than this. But I think he is one of the Top-5 or 6 pitchers in the draft. sodomojo

7. Arizona Diamondbacks: Jackie Bradley, CF, USC This pick is unprotected to AZ, so the ‘Backs have to draft a relatively easy sign here. Bradley isn’t a senior but at this spot he shouldn’t be a tough sign and could one day be a good tandem in the outfield with Upton. He’s had a tough season this year which was just ended last week by injury but he’s proven over the last two years that he can perform. Arizona and Nats could make for a trivia answer by picking two Bradleys in a row in the first round. Stats: .259 AVG .829 OPS .367 wOBA nationalsprospects.

22. Cardinals – Levi Michael, SS, UNC After taking highly productive collegiate bats in Brett Wallace and Zack Cox in recent years, St. Louis will settle on Michael after missing out on Jackie Bradley Jr. “Michael’s” from UNC usually perform well at the professional level. nickmendola.

Jose Fernandez, Alonso (Tampa, Fla.), P, Sr - If Alonso is able to win the next two rounds and capture its second Florida 6A state championship in three seasons, Fernandez will likely be the reason why. He is 11-1 on the season and has struck out 121 batters in 79 innings pitched. He's also batting .407 with 30 RBI and eight home runs. . maxpreps

Some players do not get the recognition that they deserve for their talent and accomplishments. Orangewood Christian’s Alex Carter is one of those players. Offensively, Carter has quick hands, good bat speed, and a line drive swing. He makes hard, consistent contact. His bat projects well going forward. Carter is solid behind the plate. He moves well, has good hands, and a strong arm. Carter’s father was a professional tennis player, which has helped to teach him the hard work needed to play sports at a high level. Those who have seen him regularly are quick to praise his work ethic and his consistency mlbdraftguide.  

Zack Kometani, University of San Diego, JR, C - Kometani hit .615 (8-for-13) in helping the Toreros earn a series win against the San Francisco Dons this past weekend at Cunningham Stadium. Kometani drove in five runs over the weekend and collected a total of eight hits, while also scoring three runs and stealing a base. He went 2-for-4 in the series-opener with a run scored. He followed that up with a 3-for-4 performance on Saturday in which he drove in a run and scored a run, before wrapping up the series with a 3-for-5 day on Sunday where he drove in four runs, including a two-run triple in the fourth inning against the Dons that gave the Toreros the lead. Kometani then drove in another two runs in the bottom of the eighth that helped put USD up for good. wccsports

Blake Swihart - C - Cleveland HS (NM). Bats: B Throws: R. 6'0" 175. College Commitment: Texas. Update: One of the best prep bats in this class, Swihart is a switch hitter who has a better than average chance to remain behind the dish. There's a lot to like about that last sentence prospectjunkies

Danny Hultzen, Virginia: Hultzen is an early candidate for college player-of-the-year honors as he has been a force for No. 1-ranked Virginia both on the mound and at the plate (mostly as a DH). Though he would serve a valuable two-way role on this roster-challenged team, scouts see Hultzen only as a pitcher, and he has significantly enhanced his draft stock this spring by bumping his fastball consistently into the mid-90s and improving the command of his secondary stuff (slider, changeup). .perfectgame 


Player: Sam Gaviglio Average height; thin and not very projectable Fastball has good sink but lacks velocity Four-seam variety fastball as well that he'll use to paint the corner Slider has downward break, 1-7 movement; solid but lacked late break Slider plays up thanks to pitchability, command and timing Change-up showed good action: arm side fade and drop Change has swing and miss ability, especially when commanded Command was mostly good with only a brief abandonment in the 4th inning bullpenbanter.

Joe Ross, Brandon Martin, Dylan Bundy, Alex Meyer, Josh Thomason, Mikie Mahtook, Mikal Hill, Gerrit Cole, Kyle Kraus, Brian Goodwin,

(Joe) Ross is the brother of Oakland A’s righthander Tyson Ross, a second-round pick of the A’s in 2008 who also attended Bishop O’Dowd High before going on to nearby Cal-Berkeley. Aside from being righthanded and throwing a 90-plus fastball/slider combination, the two don’t resemble each other as pitchers. Tyson was a big-framed 6-foot-5, 200-pounder at the same age and threw from an extremely compact arm action that concerned scouts; almost the exact opposite is true of brother Joe’s smooth, easy arm stroke. Ross has actually been more closely linked to fellow Northern California righthander Robert Stephenson over the past year, and both should go in approximately the same area of the draft, likely between picks 25 and 40—if signability doesn’t complicate their draft status.

http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5627




Brandon Martin, SS, Corona Santiago H.S. (Calif.) - Martin has popped up a little more frequently in talks with area scouts the past four weeks, so it seems like the right time to consider his draft stock. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound middle infielder has quick, soft hands to go with an above-average arm and speed. He has moved up recent boards because he's also flashed some surprising pop this season.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/blog?name=mlb_draft&id=6527224&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fmlb%2fblog%3fname%3dmlb_draft%26id%3d6527224


(Dylan) Bundy has shown no ill effects from the high pitch count last year. In fact, Bundy’s fastball velocity has increased from topping out at 94 during the tournament last year to routinely registering at 97 this year. Bundy reportedly hit 99 on Owasso’s gun during his dominant 17 strikeout complete game shutout of Enid in the District Championship on May 6. Bundy’s command has somehow been even more impressive than his velocity, as evidenced by his four walks (compared to 148 Ks) over 64 innings (0 HBP). That kind of command has allowed Bundy to throw a complete game in each of his ten starts, without racking up high pitch counts. In fact, the most pitches Bundy has thrown in a game this season was 100 on April 29, and has only needed more than 85 pitches on just two occasions.

http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5619 


Alex Meyer * Kentucky Junior * RHP * Greensburg, Ind. * Meyer turned in yet another gem in a pitching duel posting a complete-game shutout win over No. 1 Vanderbilt on Friday night ... In a matchup with VU's Sonny Gray, Meyer tossed the best start of his career, going nine full innings, allowing only five hits and one walk, striking out five ... The complete-game was Meyer's SEC-leading fourth of the year and the second complete-game shutout of the season

http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/NEWS/tabid/473/Article/225386/sec-baseball-players-of-the-week.aspx


JOSH THOMASON, SOUTHERN MISS Junior, RHP, Oxford, Miss. Thomason came out of the bullpen versus South Alabama on May 4 to throw the final seven innings of a 7-4 victory for Southern Miss. In fact, he helped the Golden Eagles rally from a 4-0 deficit by retiring 20 of 22 batters he faced down the stretch, including the final 16 to garner the victory. Thomason allowed just one hit and struck out five with only one walk. The appearance was his longest of the season and his strikeout total was his season-high. Thomason is the first reliever to be named C-USA Pitcher of the Week this season.


Mikie Mahtook - OF - LSU. 6'1" 205. Bats: R Throws: R. Last Drafted: Florida Marlins '08 (39th Round). Update: Mikie Mahtook has been on the national scene since his freshman year when he stared on a National Championship team and this year he's taken the next step to superstardom.

http://www.prospectjunkies.com/2011/05/2011-mlb-mock-draft.html  


Player spotlight: Mikal Hill - Hill is a smooth defender at the six-spot, showing comfortable footwork and a quick release. He has a chance to stick at short as a pro, and could develop into a top tier glove at South Carolina capable of picking it with the best of them. A switch hitter, Hill has a simple load and a slashing linedrive stroke from both sides of the plate. While his 60-times aren’t generally eye-popping, he moves well enough out-of-the-box (4.23-4.28 from the right side) and takes clean lines on the basepaths. A perceptive runner, he consistently gets good jumps and has a good feel for all facets of the game.

 http://diamondscapescouting.com/rankings_2011_preseason_top300_pt1.html

SP Gerrit Cole, UCLA: An unsigned first-round pick in 2008, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Cole has more than lived up to the hype since picking UCLA, the national runner-up a year ago, over the New York Yankees. Cole has the most electric stuff in college baseball with a fastball that routinely sits in the mid-90s and will top out in triple digits on occasion. He complements his fastball with a high-80s slider that ranks among the best off-speed pitches in the amateur ranks and his changeup has developed this spring into a dominant third pitch. Cole’s clean delivery, aggressive makeup and more-mature approach to pitching this spring have only served to round out his package, and he is a natural ace of this college all-star squad.

http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5506


Kyle Kraus, University of Portland, JR, RHP - Kraus posted his second straight quality start by going 8.1 innings and picking up the win during Portland's 8-3 victory at Saint Mary's on Friday. He allowed just three runs on nine hits, didn't walk a batter and fanned eight. This was his second straight win, giving him 18 victories during his career, which is tied for the sixth most in UP program history.

 http://www.wccsports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/050911aae.html


Former North Carolina and current Miami-Dade outfielder Brian Goodwin has committed to South Carolina according to John Whittle of TheBigSpur.com. Goodwin started his college baseball career at North Carolina where he as a freshman in 2010. He appeared in 60 games hitting .291 with seven homers and 63 RBI. During the fall of 2010, he was suspended for the 2011 season by North Carolina and decided to transfer to Miami Dade College for the 2011 season

. http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/05/11/brian-goodwin-commits-to-south-carolina