Addison Russell, Mark Appel, Dominic Ficociello, D.J. Baxendale, Marcus Stroman

Addison Russell:


mlb.com  Addison Russell, SS, Pace HS, Fla.: Russell is very strong and athletic. He's an excellent right-handed hitter who makes consistent, hard contact with power. He's got a plus arm as well.



Mark Appel:


6-12-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks#/articles/722354-2012-mlb-mock-draft-early-predictions-for-next-years-top-10-picks/page/4  - Right now (Mark) Appel looks to be the top college pitcher heading into the 2012 season. He's coming off of a stellar season in which he's won six games (so far), posted a 3.02 ERA and struck out 83 batters in a team-leading 104.1 innings. He helped guide Stanford into super-regional play with a seven-hit complete game in the NCAA opener against Kansas State. He struck out eight in the game and walked none. Last year as a freshman, the 6'5", 190 pound right-hander had a tough year pitching out of Stanford's bullpen. He was hit hard (44 H, 25 R in 38 IP) and finished the year with a 5.92 ERA and almost as many walks (19) as strikeouts (24). He didn't let a disappointing first-year campaign keep him down though. He traveled, along with Diekroeger, to the New England Collegiate League and dominated, posting a 6-1 record and a 1.87 ERA, earning top prospect honors. Appel has all the tools to end up as a top five pick. He has the easy velocity that can produce 97 mph bullets, although he sits more comfortably in the 92-95 mph range. He has a very impressive slider and also throws a changeup and a cutter—a pitch becoming more and more popular amongst younger pitchers these days. One thing scouts are always looking for is excellent arm speed, and Appel has that too



Dominic Ficociello:


5-18-11: - from http://www.4029tv.com/r/27944839/detail.html  - Arkansas freshman infielder Dominic Ficociello has been added to the 22-man roster for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, as announced on Wednesday evening. A native of Fullerton, Calif., Ficociello has developed into one of the top freshman hitters in both the Southeastern Conference and the country. Entering this weekend’s series with Ole Miss, Ficociello is hitting a team-best .363 with four homers and a team-leading 47 RBI. Currently on a 12-game hitting streak, Ficociello leads all freshmen in the SEC in batting average, hits (66), doubles (15) and RBI. Ficociello has also been the Razorbacks’ top hitter in conference games, batting .337 against SEC competition with two homers and 18 RBI.


D.J. Baxendale:


5-10-11: - http://nwahomepage.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=238167  - Arkansas sophomore pitcher DJ Baxendale has been selected to the 22-man roster for the 2011 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, it was announced on Tuesday morning. A native of Jacksonville, Ark., Baxendale is one of the most versatile pitchers in college baseball, seeing time in both the Razorbacks’ starting rotation and in the bullpen. Baxendale currently ranks third in the SEC with a 1.58 ERA and has a 7-1 record with two saves in 14 appearances, including eight starts. In 57 innings pitched this season, Baxendale has given up 14 runs, only 10 earned, and struck out 53 batters, while issuing 11 walks. Opponents are hitting just .226 against the sophomore right hander.



Marcus Stroman:


6-8-11: - http://www.wralsportsfan.com/duke/story/9702563  - Duke pitcher and infielder Marcus Stroman has been selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. A 5-9, 185-pound right-hander, Stroman was Duke’s top pitcher as a sophomore, logging a 2.80 ERA over 64.1 innings. He ranked third in the nation with 12.60 strikeouts per nine innings, trailing only No. 2 MLB Draft Pick Danny Hultzen of Virginia and No. 3 MLB Draft Pick Gerritt Cole of UCLA in that category. Stroman served as a reliever and starter for the Blue Devils, posting a 3-4 record and four saves over eight starts and nine relief appearances. He surrendered just 59 hits while striking out 90 batters and walking 21. He also started 33 games at second base, hitting .250 with 15 RBI and 12 stolen bases.