Round 24 -1B - Tant Shepard

Tant Shepherd is a 2007 right hand hitting 3rd baseman from Flower Mound HS, residing in Flower Mound, TX. Shepherd has a strong, powerful build on a physical 6'0" 195 lb. frame. He did not play as well as he is capable of at PG National and ended up ranked #94 among PG National Top 100 position players. It is a safe bet that when the '07 rankings are all said and done, that he will be above many of the players ranked above him, but at this showcase he just did not perform to his ability level. At the plate Shepherd has easy to see strength. He is a good opposite field hitter and has power to all fields. He produces his power with a short swing and gets the barrel to the ball quite well and consistently. With that type of swing Shepherd will hit for both power and average and fit well in the middle of a line-up. His hands work really well and his bat head has life through the hitting zone. It is entirely conceivable to imagine him putting up huge numbers this spring in high school and moving steadily up draft lists. In the field he showed that he has good hands and an above average arm. All Shepherd's tools fit the 3rd base position quite well, including the power. He is a big, physical young player with explosive abilities and good athleticsm. Shepherd ran 4.27 home/1st with a 6.92 60 time and both times are very impressive given his build. Shepherd is verbally committed to Texas and based solely on his ability, should have significant scout attention this fall.  - http://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=30573 

Tant Shepherd is pushing hard for significant playing time at first, third, and possibly in the outfield, and there's a growing buzz that he may play a key role for the Longhorn baseball team in 2010. With that in mind, Shepherd checks in at No. 11 on our list of players to watch. - http://texas.rivals.com/barrier_noentry.asp?ReturnTo=&sid=&script=content.asp&cid=1051183&fid=&tid=&mid=&rid=

First baseman Tant Shepherd went to the New York Mets in the 24th round. Shepherd was MVP of the Austin Regional and is hitting .300 with 18 doubles and 40 RBIs. He was taken by the Reds in the 47th round last year.  - http://mo.statesman.com/sports/longhorns/mlb-draft-uts-stafford-loy-green-are-taken-1525065.html