The NCAA season is off to a later start this year due to new rules that eliminated round-robin tournaments in February.. Normally, but this time of year FAU would have played ten games already. Instead, the first game is Friday.
BBA has published its
college preview (subscription required). Here are some excerpts, including teams that I believe some of our board members follow (FAU, MD, Notre Dame - I don't recall any UVA or VA Tech fans, but highlighted their teams as well). If anyone wants another conference summary, let me know.
SUN BELT CONFERENCE
HOW THEY'LL FINISH
Conference Overall
W L W L
1. La.-Lafayette (19) 23 7 45 17
2. Troy 16 14 34 27
3. Florida Atlantic 15 15 36 22
4. +New Orleans 16 14 38 26
5. South Alabama 13 16 31 26
6. Middle Tennessee 16 14 32 28
7. Western Kentucky 15 15 25 30
8. Louisiana-Monroe 15 14 29 28
9. Florida International 12 17 26 29
10. Arkansas State 13 17 23 32
11. Arkansas-Little Rock 9 20 21 31
Projected NCAA Teams (2): Louisiana-Lafayette, Troy.
Conference Schedule: 30 games; begins March 7.
Conference Tournament: Eight teams, May 21-24 at Lafayette, La.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
C—J.B. Paxson, Jr., Western Kentucky (.241-4-24). 1B—Jorge Castillo, Sr., Florida International (.311-7-62). 2B—Johnny Giavotella, Jr., New Orleans (.385-15-65, 17 SB). 3B—Will Block, Jr., Florida Atlantic (.344-18-59). SS—Nick Arata, Jr., Florida Atlantic (.295-6-27). OF—Daniel Cook, Sr., Florida Atlantic (.349-6-39, 15 SB); Steven Felix, So., Troy (.259-0-9); Mike McKenna, Sr., Florida Atlantic (.413-16-60). DH—Scott Hawkins, Jr., Louisiana-Lafayette (.344-16-49).
P—Danny Farquhar, Jr., Louisiana-Lafayette (6-3, 3.08, 88 IP/115 SO); Hunter Moody, Sr., Louisiana-Lafayette (8-3, 4.13, 85 IP/75 SO); Mickey Storey, Jr., Florida Atlantic (3-0, 3.07, 29 IP/37 SO). RP—Mike Obradovich, Sr., Florida Atlantic (9-5, 5.40, 3 SV, 92 IP/88 SO).
Player of the Year: Johnny Giavotella, 2b, New Orleans.
Pitcher of the Year: Danny Farquhar, rhp, Louisiana-Lafayette.
Top Prospect: Mickey Story, rhp, Florida Atlantic
Top Newcomers: 1. Jorge Castillo, 1b, Florida International (Tr.—Louisville). 2. Thad Griffen, c, Louisiana-Lafayette (HS—Lake Charles, La.). 3. Jeff Beliveau, rhp, Florida Atlantic (Tr.—Charleston). 4. Travis Burge, rhp, Troy (Tr.—Florida State). 5. Chad Cregar, 1b/of, Western Kentucky (Tr.—Northwest Mississippi CC).
SHORT HOPS
• Louisiana-Lafayette opens as the clear favorite in the Sun Belt with a preseason No. 19 ranking, but Troy and Florida Atlantic have the potential to jump past the Ragin' Cajuns. Florida Atlantic is solid on offense, but longtime coach Kevin Cooney knows the Owls' season depends in large part on how well junior RHP Mickey Storey bounces back from injury. Storey worked 29 innings last year before going down with a sprained elbow ligament, and he got a medical redshirt. Nevertheless, the Twins took a shot at him with a 22nd-round pick last June. At his best he throws a fastball in the 90s with a devastating curveball, and he's expected to be at full strength to start the season. "If Storey returns and stays healthy, we will be very good," Cooney said. "If not, we will be good, but probably not good enough to make regionals. The domino effect if he is not healthy will stress our staff."
• Longtime assistant Turtle Thomas finally gets his shot at leading a program this year, taking over at Florida International. He has 31 years of experience as an assistant coach and is known for his relentless work ethic. He has worked at some of college baseball's elite programs, including Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami, Louisiana State and Arizona State, and says he wants to bring a different culture at FIU "and make Miami a two-horse town."
FAU had the #4 ranked offense in the country last year. Seven position players are returning, bringing with them a combined .339 BA and .547 SLG from last year. FAU's pitching crumbled last year due to the loss of Storey, and the coach putting in the last of his sons to blow games. Fortunately, all his kids are gone, one being bad enough to be with the O's farm system for a short while. To further confirm his ignorance, FAU's coach is a bigot and will not recruit any black players. Instead of the Fighting Owls, the team should be renamed the Snowy Owls. Love the team, but despise the manager on an off the field. Hopefully, he'll quit playing favorites with the pitchers and get the team back into the regionals.
I was watching Storey throw on Friday. On all 3 guns, he was consistently hitting 98 with his fastball, and went triple digits a few times.
ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE
HOW THEY'LL FINISH
Conference Overall
ATLANTIC W L W L
1. *Clemson (23) 41 23 18 12
2. *Florida State 49 13 24 6
3. *North Carolina State 16 14 38 23
4. *Wake Forest 14 16 34 29
5. Boston College 12 17 24 27
6. Maryland 7 23 26 30
Conference Overall
COASTAL W L W L
1. +*North Carolina (5) 21 9 57 16
2. *Miami (10) 17 13 37 24
3. *Virginia (17) 19 9 45 16
4. Georgia Tech 15 14 32 25
5. Virginia Tech 7 23 23 31
6. Duke 8 22 29 25
Projected NCAA Teams (7): Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia.
Conference Schedule: 30 games; begins March 7.
Conference Tournament: Eight-team, group play, May 21-25, Jacksonville, Fla.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Yonder Alonso
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
C—Buster Posey, Jr., Florida State (.382-3-65). 1B—Yonder Alonso, Jr., Miami (.376-18-74). 2B—Jemile Weeks, Jr., Miami (.298-5-27). 3B—Mark Sobolewski, So., Miami (.345-8-54, 14 SB). SS—Greg Miclat, Jr., Virginia (.376-0-34, 32 SB). OF—Dustin Ackley, So., North Carolina (.402-10-74); Dennis Raben, Jr., Miami (.280-12-48); Blake Tekotte, Jr., Miami (.333-3-25, 15 SB). DH—Allan Dykstra, Jr., Wake Forest (.310-18-60).
P—Eric Erickson, So., Miami (10-4, 2.50, 90 IP/63 SO); Jacob Thompson, Jr., Virginia (11-0, 1.50, 114 IP/101 SO); Alex White, So., North Carolina (6-7, 4.94, 98 IP/83 SO). RP—Rob Wooten, Sr., North Carolina (6-1, 2.35, 54 IP/58 SO).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Yonder Alonso, 1b, Miami.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jacob Thompson, rhp, Virginia.
TOP NEWCOMERS
1. Matt Harvey, rhp, North Carolina (HS—Fitch, Conn.).
2. Yasmani Grandal, c, Miami (HS—Miami Springs, Fla.).
3. Phil Gosselin, of, Virginia (HS—West Chester, Pa.).
4. Tony Delmonico, 2b/ss, Florida State (Tr.—Tennessee).
5. Nate Striz, rhp, North Carolina (HS—Lakeland, Fla.).
PROJECTED TOP PROSPECTS, 2008 DRAFT
1. Yonder Alonso, 1b, Miami.
2. Buster Posey, c, Florida State.
3. Jacob Thompson, rhp, Virginia.
4. Dennis Raben, of, Miami.
5. Jemile Weeks, 2b, Miami.
6. Allan Dykstra, 1b, Wake Forest.
7. David Duncan, lhp,Georgia Tech.
8. Tim Federowicz, c, North Carolina.
9. D.J. Mitchell, rhp, Clemson.
10. Ryan Hinson, lhp, Clemson.
PROJECTED TOP PROSPECTS, 2009 DRAFT
1. Alex White, rhp, North Carolina.
2. Dustin Ackley, of/1b, North Carolina.
3. AddisonJohnson, of, Clemson.
4. Eric Erickson, lhp, Miami.
5. Tim Fedroff, of, North Carolina.
BEST TOOLS
Best Pure Hitter—Dustin Ackley, North Carolina. Best Raw Power—Allan Dykstra, Wake Forest. Best Strike-Zone Discipline—Yonder Alonso, Miami. Best Athlete—Jemile Weeks, Miami. Fastest Runner—Weeks. Best Baserunner—Greg Miclat, Virginia.
Best Defensive Catcher—Buster Posey, Florida State. Catcher/Best Arm—Posey. Best Defensive First Baseman—Alonso. Best Defensive Second Baseman—Weeks. Best Defensive Third Baseman—Jason Stidham, Florida State. Best Defensive Shortstop—Miclat. Infielder/Best Arm—David Adams, Virginia. Best Defensive Outfielder—Blake Tekotte, Miami. Outfielder/Best Arm—Dennis Raben, Miami.
Best Fastball—Alex White, North Carolina. Best Breaking Ball—Jacob Thompson, Virginia. Best Changeup—Eric Erickson, Miami. Best Control—Thompson.
SHORT HOPS
THE EAST'S TOP THREE RIVALRIES
1. Clemson vs. South Carolina
Palmetto State rivals pack both home parks and play to win, as recruits often are at stake.
2. Florida State vs. Miami
Rivalry has lost a bit of steam since Miami joined ACC, as now they don't play six games on back-to-back weekends.
3. Coastal Carolina vs. Winthrop
Regular top programs in Big South keep meeting with plenty on the line.
OSCAR GAMES
The games everyone will come out to see in the East.
March 1-2
Clemson vs. South Carolina
Home-and-home two-game set pits two preseason Top 25 teams that don't like each other
March 15-16
Michigan vs. Coastal Carolina
Chanticleers get to measure themselves early against preseason top 10 Wolverines
May 15-17
North Carolina at Miami
Preseason favorites in the ACC meet in regular season's final weekend
• Georgia Tech didn't make the preseason Top 25, unusual for the Yellow Jackets this decade but not unexpected given some of their losses on offense, chief among them C Matt Wieters and OF Danny Payne. Coach Danny Hall points out Tech's pitching depth, which got a boost when eligible sophomore LHP David Duncan didn't sign. He returns to front an experienced staff, with hard-throwing Chris Hicks shifting into the closer role. Georgia Tech plugs in freshman Derek Dietrich—the Astros' unsigned third-round pick—at shortstop.
• North Carolina State also has a rotation led by a lefthander from Ohio with Eric Surkamp drawing first-three-rounds interest after a strong summer in Cape Cod (1.85 ERA in five starts) and a brief turn with Team USA. Senior RHP Eryk McConnell (3-2, 1.72, 11 SV), an unsigned 10th-round pick of the Orioles, was scheduled to shift into the rotation despite the Wolfpack's outstanding starting-pitching depth. Getting consistent offensive production from the likes of toolsy junior OF Marcus Jones (.321-4-33) and a follow-up season from sophomore 2B Dallas Poulk (.394) would help give that pitching staff proper support.
• In just his second season, Duke coach Sean McNally produced a winning season, something that eluded his predecessor, Bill Hillier, and Duke's first since 1998. Of the 28 players on Duke's 2008 roster, nine are listed as two-way players, expected to both pitch and hit. Sophomore Nate Freiman, the team's top hitter at .369-7-48 a year ago, isn't expected to get on the mound, but he is expected to get his 6-foot-7 frame back behind the plate, splitting time between catcher and first base.
• Wake Forest is playing its final season at Hooks Stadium before it begins renovating old Ernie Shore Field, the current home of the high Class A Winston-Salem Warthogs. Junior 1B Allan Dykstra has a perfect, pull-power swing to take advantage of Hooks' short porch in right field for one more year, and he's hit 33 homers in two seasons as a Demon Deacon.
Alex White has the top rated fastball in the NCAA. He starts down here Saturday afternoon against FAU. Unfortunately, UNC's CF and leadoff hitter just blewout an ACL.
BIG EAST CONFERENCE
HOW THEY'LL FINISH
Conference Overall
W L W L
1. *St. John's 20 7 41 19
2. *Louisville 19 8 47 24
3. Notre Dame 11 15 28 28
4. South Florida 13 14 34 26
5. Cincinnati 10 16 28 28
6. Villanova 12 15 29 25
7. *+Rutgers 20 7 42 21
8. Connecticut 10 14 34 27
9. Pittsburgh 15 11 27 27
10. West Virginia 10 16 29 22
11. Seton Hall 9 15 25 25
12. Georgetown 8 19 21 34
Projected NCAA Teams (3): St. John's, Louisville, Notre Dame.
Conference Schedule: 27 games. Schedule begins March 14.
Conference Tournament: Eight teams, May 20-24 at Tampa.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
C—Derrick Alfonso, Sr., Louisville (.274-5-30). 1B—Tom Edwards, Jr., Rutgers (.340-7-48). 2B—Dexter Butler, Sr., South Florida (.324-1-44). 3B—Chris Dominguez, So., Louisville (.262-15-61). SS—Josh Harrison, Jr., Cincinnati (.327-9-56, 21 SB). OF—Tony Campana, Sr., Cincinnati (.329-1-18, 60 SB); Brian Kemp, So., St. John's (.384-1-34, 25 SB); Ryan Lockwood, Fr., South Florida (Redshirted at Florida). DH—Andrew Clark, So., Louisville (.311-4-17 at Mississippi).
SP—Scott Barnes, Jr., St. John's (7-2, 2.93, 95 IP/99 SO); David Phelps, Jr., Notre Dame (8-5, 1.88, 110 IP/102 SO); Zack Pitts, Sr., Louisville (10-3, 2.52, 122 IP/91 SO). RP—Kyle Weiland, Jr., Notre Dame (5-3, 5.66, 2 SV).
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Dominguez, 3b, Louisville.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Pitcher of the Year: Scott Barnes, lhp, St. John's.
TOP NEWCOMERS
1. Andrew Clark, 1b, Louisville (Tr.—Mississippi).
2. Ryan Lockwood, of, South Florida (Tr.—Florida).
3. Brian Dupra, rhp, Notre Dame (HS—Rochester, N.Y).
4. Evan Danieli, rhp, Notre Dame (HS—East Hanover, N.J.).
5. Jaren Matthews, of, Rutgers (HS—Teaneck, N.J.).
PROJECTED TOP PROSPECTS, 2008 DRAFT
1. Kyle Weiland, rhp, Notre Dame
2. Scott Barnes, lhp, St. John's
3. Chris Dominguez, 3b, Louisville
4. Tom Edwards, 1b/3b, Rutgers
5. Josh Harrison, ss/2b, Cincinnati
6. David Phelps, rhp, Notre Dame
7. Jordan Ellis, rhp, Villanova
8. Daniel Thomas, rhp, South Florida
9. Zack Pitts, rhp, Louisville
10. Tony Campana, of, Cincinnati
PROJECTED TOP PROSPECTS, 2009 DRAFT
1. Andrew Clark, 1b, Louisville
2. A.J. Pollock, 3b/2b, Notre Dame
3. Brian Kemp, of, St. John's
4. Justin Marks, lhp, Louisville
5. Ryan Lockwood, of, South Florida
BEST TOOLS
Best Pure Hitter—A.J. Pollock, Notre Dame. Best Raw Power—Chris Dominguez, Louisville. Best Strike-Zone Discipline—Josh Harrison, Cincinnati. Best Athlete—Brian Kemp, St. John's. Fastest Runner—Tony Campana, Cincinnati. Best Baserunner—Campana.
Best Defensive Catcher—Derrick Alfonso, Louisville. Catcher/Best Arm—Alfonso. Best Defensive First Baseman—Tom Edwards, St. John's. Best Defensive Second Baseman—Harrison. Best Defensive Third Baseman—Gil Zayas, St. John's. Best Defensive Shortstop—Brett Lilley, Notre Dame. Infielder/Best Arm—Dominguez. Best Defensive Outfielder—Campana. Outfielder/Best Arm—Sean Conley, Pittsburgh.Best Fastball—Kyle Weiland, Notre Dame. Best Breaking Ball—Weiland. Best Changeup—Scott Barnes, St. John's. Best Control—David Phelps, Notre Dame.
SHORT HOPS
THE NORTH'S TOP THREE RIVALRIES
1. Army vs. Navy
Obvious subtext, but both programs are also quite good right now.
2. Richmond vs. Va. Commonwealth
City rivals, now split up in different conferences, play just twice annually.
3. Notre Dame vs. Rutgers
Late 90s showdowns made this the highlight of the Big East.
OSCAR GAMES
The games everyone will come out to see in the East.
March 14-16
Kent State at Louisville
Power arms vs. offensive derring-do
March 15-16
Stony Brook at Charlotte
Matchup pits best of Northeast Conference vs. best of Atlantic-10
March 29-30
Manhattan at Le Moyne
The Dolphins begin their farewell tour of the MAAC, and there's nothing feel-good about it
• St. John's, Louisville and Rutgers all made regionals in 2007—the first time since 2001 and just the fourth time ever that the Big East has sent three teams to the NCAA tournament. Louisville ran all the way to the College World Series, heady stuff considering that in 2006, Notre Dame was the league's sole regional representative. St. John's, which won the league's regular-season title by virtue of a tie-breaker over Rutgers, was picked by the coaches to repeat as champion. The Red Storm lost four starters from its lineup (including its only two double-digit home run hitters) but welcomes back two seniors who each hit above .350 on the left side of the infield in SS Jeff Grantham and 3B Gil Zayas. There is plenty of talent in the St. John's outfield with the return of NCAA regional hero Chris Anninos and Brian Kemp, a plus-plus runner coming off a Freshman All-America spring and standout summer in the New England Collegiate League. More importantly, St. John's returns its entire pitching staff, led by athletic LHP Scott Barnes, the league's No. 2 prospect. RHP Justin Gutsie was slated to be the Red Storm's closer last year before suffering a stress fracture in his arm and being replaced by RHP Collin Lynch (11 saves), but Gutsie was healthy in the summer and reaching 96 mph, giving the Johnnies one more quality arm.
• Louisville is poised to make another regional run in 2008 thanks to a combination of high-profile returnees and crucial additions. Senior RHP Zack Pitts and sophomore LHP Justin Marks return to lead a staff that also welcomes back its 2006 ace in Sr. RHP B.J. Rosenberg, who missed all of last season after having labrum surgery. Rosenberg was UL's best pitcher in the fall, showing an 88-92 mph fastball and outstanding two-plane slider in the low 80s. The Cardinals will have plenty of punch in the middle of the lineup thanks to the return of redshirt sophomore 3B Chris Dominguez, one of the nation's most powerful hitters, and the transfer of So. 1B Andrew Clark from Mississippi, where he was recruited by coach Dan McDonnell before he left for Louisville.
• In coach Dave Schrage's first season at Notre Dame in 2007, the Irish failed to reach a regional for the first time since 1999 and finished with fewer than 38 wins for the first time since 1987—the year before Pat Murphy took over as coach. Despite infielders Brett Lilley and A.J. Pollock both eclipsing the .370 mark, Notre Dame hit just .274 as a team, 224th in the nation. The offense remains a major question mark despite the return of Lilley and Pollock, but the Irish might have enough pitching to compensate. RHP David Phelps emerged as one of the Big East's top Friday starters a year ago thanks to his impeccable command and competitiveness, and closer Kyle Weiland, who struggled last spring after falling and breaking his collarbone, rebounded with a fine summer in the Cape Cod League.
Chris Dominguez
• Cincinnati stole 2.32 bases per game in 2007, the fourth-most in the nation, and expect the Bearcats to run wild again this year. Sr. OF Tony Campana, who led the nation in steals per game last year after transferring in from UNC Asheville, is the fastest player in the conference and a supreme defender in center field. Josh Harrison gives Cincinnati another premium defender in the middle of the diamond—he'll shift from second base to short this year—and another stolen base threat thanks to his savvy more than his average speed (he swiped 21 last year in 23 attempts).
