Michael Kopech, Michael Chavis, Michael Gettys, Alex Blandino, Jake Kolterman, Ben Wetzler

5-11-14 - Michael Kopech, RHP, Mount Pleasant HS (TX) - Kopech instantly won me over when I saw him at the Under Armour AA game at Wrigley Field last summer. He was popping the mitt, showing late life on his explosive fastball, and he was showing the makings of a plus slider that was wiping out hitters. He cleaned up his mechanics and has touched 98 mph this year. Through 57.2 innings, he has 121 K/14 BB. At 6’-4” and 200 pounds, I think he can sneak into the late first round. Committed to Arizona. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-high-school-players-rise-final-edition/42853#cZ17mE5vsjiSvU18.99

3-12-14 – 10 High School Players on the Rise – Michael Chavis, 3B, Sprayberry HS (GA) - The 5’-11”, 200 pound right-hander has some of the best power in his class and has been destroying Georgia pitching all year. Over his first nine games, he is hitting .667/.758/1.208 with four doubles, three home runs and eight stolen bases, showing off his athleticism. His strong arm (93 mph) and footwork will allow him to stick at the hot corner and his bat will obviously play well. Committed to Clemson. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-high-school-players-rise/41773#oFu0m6JRyhOHXIwD.99

3-26-14 – MaxiPreps – Michael Gettys, Gainesville (Ga.) - Possibly the top two-way performer in the senior class, Gettys is batting .500 (12 for 24) with 11 runs scored, 11 RBIs, two doubles and three home runs. In a recent 10-5 win over Apalachee, Gettys was 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two home runs. On the mound, he is 2-1 with 27 strikeouts in 14.2 innings with a 0.95 ERA. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/kRbRSgP8z06XdyYf0_JnPg/tyler-kolek,-michael-gettys,-brady-aiken-among-senior-baseball-prospects-off-to-strong-starts.htm

3-6-14 – Prospect Insider - Stanford slugger Alex Blandino is off to a red hot start, slashing .429/.400/.628. Unlike past Stanford stars, he does not appear to be plagued by the “Stanford Swing.” Blandino is one of the best natural hitters in the class, and if he continues to rake, he could hear his name called on day one of the draft. Stanford will be taking Kansas this weekend. http://prospectinsider.com/category/2014-mlb-draft

3-16-14 – BLF – Player:  Jake Kolterman                                       Primary Position:  RHP  Secondary Position(s):  OF  Height/Weight:  6’1/180   Home Town:  Renton, WA  School:  Hazen  Travel Team(s):  Seattle Stars  Class of:  2014  -  Leane build, body projects well  = 90-91, touched 92  - Plus HS slurve, 81-82, that projects well - 3/4 arm slot - Notes from June/July 2013: - Live arm - Low 90′s FB with run - Possibly 93-94 by spring - Curve shows plus potential  http://bigleaguefutures.net/1/2013/08/01/2014-mlb-draft-profile-jake-kolterman/

3-11-14 – TTF - Ben Wetzler, LHP, Oregon State (NR) It says a lot about Wetzler’s ability  to focus and block out off the field issues the way he has pitched this season. In his second start on March 7 against NIU, he allowed just one hit over eight shutout innings, striking out 12 to two walks. If you aren’t up to speed on his story, Aaron Fitt of Baseball America wrote a great piece on it here. Over two starts, he is now 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA, 0.51 WHIP and 17 K/3 BB over 15.2 innings. Wetzler doesn’t have overpowering stuff. His fastball sits in the 89-91 mph range and he adds a slider and change-up — both quality offerings. He attacks hitters and mixes his pitches well, commanding all three. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-college-players-rise-week-4/41715#PjStmsQ7UB5h8BYU.99

Draft 14 – Touki Toussaint, Ben Wetzler, JD Davis, Kyle Freeland, Brendan Illies

2-3-14 – MaxPreps - Top 10 MLB Draft Prospects in high school - 4. Touki Toussaint, Coral Springs Christian (Coral Springs, Fla.)  Toussaint might have been the hottest prospect right after last year's draft, as one mock draft in June listed him as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft. Mock drafts produced in the last few months have Toussaint slipping some, but that may be due more to the emergence of Kolek and Gatewood than any deficiency on Toussaint's part. Toussaint's best assets are his athletic ability, a 98 mph fastball and a hard-breaking curveball. Expect Toussaint to go somewhere in the top 12. http://www.maxpreps.com/news/B41AzcsA90iOL5xwFL8T7Q/top-10-major-league-baseball-draft-high-school-prospects.htm

3-25-14 – TTF 10 college players on the rise — week 6  - Ben Wetzler, LHP, Oregon State (NR) - If ever there was someone pitching with a chip on his shoulder, Wetzler is that guy. After another dominant performance against Arizona State on March 21, in which he allowed just two hits over seven shutout innings with eight strikeouts to one walk, the 6’-1” southpaw now has a 0.59 ERA, 0.49 WHIP over 30.2 innings with 28 K/6 BB and just nine hits. His fastball sits in the 89-91 mph range and he adds a slider and change-up — both quality offerings. He attacks hitters and mixes his pitches well, commanding all three. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-10-college-players-rise-week-6/42071#MDUXGtxd7YCtKt0X.99

3-9-14 – MLB Draft Insider - JD Davis – 1B Cal State Fullerton – Davis was held hitless in two at bats on Saturday. He did managed two walks on the day. Davis has shown a very good eye and excellent patience, averaging nearly a walk a game for Cal State Fullerton. It was a rough day for Cal State’s offense which was held to three hits and failed to score asingle run. http://mlbdraftinsider.com/2014/03/the-rundown-march-8/#more-3872

3-5-14 – TTF - 10 college players on the rise — week 3 Kyle Freeland, LHP, Evansville (29) - After getting roughed up a bit (4 IP, 4 ER, 7 H) in his last start, Freeland was masterful against Western Illinois on Friday. Over nine shutout innings, he allowed just two hits while striking out nine to no walks. He threw 98 pitches, 71 of them for strikes. He was one of the better pitchers at the Cape over the summer, striking out 48 to four walks over 40 innings while displaying a plus slider and low/mid-90s fastball. He isn’t going to face great competition this year but his stuff is first-round material. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-week-3/41478#ilZqhEaASo2Kkjik.99

UT - Brendan Illies, Jr., RHP/C, Puyallup (Wash.) - Illies' two-way ability allows him to maintain his spot in the Dream Team's Util position for a second consecutive season as an underclassman. Fellow junior SS/RHP Parker Kelly of Oregon has been progressing and is already breathing down Illies' neck for this spot after also just missing the cut in the middle infield and being considered for the pitching staff. Illies is the best player on the best team in the region and he's a multi-talented player who provides huge value to them. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9561