The Road to Omaha begins in earnest on Friday, as the Baseball Owls open the 2013 season against the consensus Top 10 ranked Stanford Cardinal, seeking their 18th consecutive conference championship and the program's first trip to the College World Series since 2008 (a gap which certainly seems longer than just four years!). Game times are 4:30pm CT on Friday afternoon, 2:00pm on Saturday and 1:00pm on Sunday, with the 2003 national championship team (celebrating their 10th year anniversary) honored in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday (as well as participating in an Owl Club tailgate in the Roost). Let's hope the memories of that great achievement give inspiration to this year's squad (and does not provide additional fodder for Stanford, who we beat for that championship, and who continue to seek their first CWS title since winning back-to-back championships in the late 1980s). Given the excitement and anticipation of Opening Day, the quality weather forecast (sunny skies in the mid-60s), the level of the competition (Rice-Stanford and Ole Miss-TCU are the only two matchup of Top 25 teams this weekend), the expected attendance of many in the scouting community (as there will be no less than 6 preseason draft-eligible all-americans on the field, along with a number of other highly regarded upperclass players), AND multiple marketing efforts (the Owl Club tailgate, the tailgate for all students-- with free food-- on Saturday, e-mail sent out today to all alumni), I would expect average attendance for the three-game series to be close to 4,000 (similar to what it was back in 2011).
Given the departure to the draft and graduation of two of last year's starting pitchers (Reckling, Benak), three-fifth of our elite bullpen (Wall, Duffey, Chargois) and four of our top six offensive players (Rathjen, Chargois, Fuda, Manuel), it's not particularly surprising that the Owls are flying somewhat "below the radar" in the national preseason polls; consistently ranked in the #17 - #23 range. (Yes, the bar is set so high for Rice Baseball that any ranking below the Top 15 - 20 can be considered surprising.) However, as Coach Graham has said, this could be a good thing as it will take some of the early pressure off our student-athletes, and allow us to "sneak up on people for a change". However, it is not as if the cupboard is empty. We return preseason all-american selections Austin Kubitza as our Friday starter for the third consecutive season and last year's top hitter, 2B Christian Stringer, to lead our offense. So Jordan Stephens appears to be back in form having fulling recovered from a mid-season hand injury, and will likely be our Saturday starter. Jr John Simms and So Zech Lemond, both coming off strong 2012 campaigns, return to anchor the bullpen, with the relief corp sure to be bolstered by the return of a trio of Senior and experienced arms who all missed of last season to injury-- LHP Holt McNair, RHP Tyler Spurlin and RHP Jeremy Fant. [Late update: Coach Graham has just announced that John Simms will be the Sunday starter vs. Stanford this weekend, in addition to serving as closer on Friday night. Some may recall that Big John was the Friday night opening day starter against Stanford his Freshman year, back in 2011.) Another returning Senior, Chase McDowell (who was a weekend starter for us in 2011 before going down and requiring Tommy John surgery), will add experience as either our Sunday or mid-week starter. Offensively (and defensively), we do return three-fourth of our starting infield (3B Hoelscher, SS Stainback, 2B Stringer), plus C Geoff Perrott, who shared the catching duties last season...and two outfielders who have started for us previously (Sr Ratterree, Jr Cook), as well as a third (Jr Aquino) who has seen considerable playing time the past two seasons. Michael Ratterree looks primed to put the 2012 season in the rear view mirror and return to his all-conference earning form of his Freshman and Sophomore years, while Jr Shane Hoelscher, who has developed into a Gold Glove caliber defender at 3B, has been our leading hitter throughout both Fall and Spring intrasquads.
Reinforcing this returning core of experienced players are several Sophomores who saw little or no action last year, but are expected to play prominent roles for the Owls in 2013-- RHP Evan Rutter, RHP Matt Dittman (converted from bullpen catching duties), LHP/DH John Williamson, RHP Connor Mason (still fighting back from an injury incurred in high school), RHP Austin Orewiler and slugging C/DH Skyler Ewing...along with another quality incoming recruiting class, led by starting CF and switch-hitting speedster Leon Byrd and sweet swinging 1B Connor Teykl. Other newcomers expected to contribute include RHP/DH Kevin McCanna (though he's currently out of action due to arm issues), 1B/DH/LHP Blake Fox, C Hunter Kopycinski, OF Beau Rathjen (Jeremy's look-alike little brother) and JUCO transfers OF Brian Smith and inf/OF Kirby Taylor.
As mentioned above, the Stanford Cardinal open the season ranked in the Top 10 in every single preseason poll (ranked as high as #4), despite the departure of 5 three-year starters on offense (3B/P Piscotty, 3B/SS Dierkroger the Elder, OF Stewart, OF Gaffney, C Smith), as well as their long-time weekend starter (Mooneyham). However, this year's squad boasts three first team preseason all-americans in ace Friday starter Mark Appel (who decided to return for his Senior season after being the #8th pick in last year's amatuer draft), the team's leading 2012 hitter in 1B Brian Ragira and slugging, 5-tool OF Austin Wilson. They also return 3-year starting SS Lonnie Kauppila, slugging 3B Alex Blandino (who as a true Freshman replaced an injured Kauppila mid-season and still slugged 8 HRs and 40 RBIs), a couple highly regarded Sophomores (Dominic Jose, Danny Dierkroeger the Junior) who both hit over .350 in limitted action last year, a 4-year utility player and DH in Justin Ringo (who hit the game-winning, extra inning HR against us in our opening game last year)...and just about their entire bullpen, led by preseason all-american closer AJ Vanegas (who will be out of action until late March, recovering from recent back surgery). Though the Cardinal may be a bit short of returning, elite-level pitching beyond Appel (particularly with preseason all-american selection, Vanegas, out while rehabbing from his recent back surgery), they are not short on pitching talent (So LHP John Hochstatter returns to the weekend rotation, while So RHP Schmidt, Sr RHP McArdle and Sr RHP Bloom return in relief)...and they do offset that potential defficiency with arguably the best-- and most powerful (read extrabase hit power)-- offensive lineup in all of college baseball.
Stanford put together yet another Top 10 ranked incoming recruiting class (I believe their fourth consecutive such elite recruiting haul), featuring two Top 100 ranked high school prospects (RHP Freddy Avis, RHP Daniel Starwalt) and another two Top 200 players (OF Johnny Locher, C Austin Barr). Avis is likely to be their Sunday starting pitcher, with switch-hitting speedster Locher already having earned the starting CF spot. Starwalt will either be a mid-week starter or help bolster the Cardinal bullpen, while Barr is battling it out with former Houston high school star, So Wayne Taylor, for catching duties.
The likely Stanford everyday lineup features 2 switch hitters (Locher, Jose) and 3 left-handed batters (Dierkroeger, Taylor, Ringo), though their three sluggers (Ragira, Wilson, Blandino) are all right-handed. On the mound, with two very hard throwing RHPs (Appel and their stud Freshman, Freddy Avis) going on Friday and Sunday, and with the crafty southpaw (Hochstatter)-- who has an arsenal of slow, slower and even slower still-- pitching on Saturday, it is going to be very difficult for our hitters to get into a groove. The good news is that the core of their bullpen is composed of right-handed pitchers, with their one lefty being a true Freshman (Logan James). Note-- Saturday's game will feature a rematch of last season's Sunday finale 2-1 victory by the Owls, with Sophomores Stephens and Hochstatter resuming their duel.
It's time to get the ball rolling and begin our annual journey down the Road to Omaha. As always, expectations are high, but the coaching staff and student-athletes would want it no other way. It's a big reason they came to Rice-- with the realistic goals of winning conference championships, playing in the post-season cone June...and, yes, returning the Owls to the College World Series. It's due time. And it's also long overdue to end our now three year (7 of 9 game) losing streak to the Stanford Cardinal. Let's start the season on the right track with an upset victory. Go Owls!
Obviously, given this is the season opening series, there are no current year statistics to analyze (I'm sure to the delight of some!). However, I've attached below links to Stanford's 2013 roster, as well as their final 2012 individual and team statistics...
http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baseb...l-mtt.html
http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-baseb...mcume.html
In addition, I have provided preseason previews and scouting reports on Stanford from the various national college baseball below...
Here's Eric Sorenson's/CollegeBaseballToday's preseason preview of Stanford, who they pick to finish 3rd in a very highly competitive Pac-12...
http://blogs.eastonbaseball.com/collegeb...he-pac-12/
Quote:- STANFORD (41-18, 18-12)
2012 ISR: 3
Starters Returning: 4
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 1
Key Relievers (15+inns.): 4
All Conference Candidates:
RHP Mark Appel (10-2, 2.56, 130Ks, .213OBA)
RHP A.J. Vanegas (4-0, 2.62, 5svs, .235OBA)
1B Brian Ragira (.329-5-50)
3B Alex Blandino (.294-8-40)
OF Austin Wilson (.285-10-54)
NOTES:
- When 1st round draft pick Mark Appel announced he was coming back to The Farm for his senior season, it automatically catapulted the Cardinal into national championship contenders. But there is a bit of an asterisk to the Trees: *They MUST recover – or rather, forget – from the Tallahassee Tomahawking. That massacre they suffered in the Super Regionals was one of the more remarkable, and mind-numbingly curious, obliterations we’ve seen in college baseball history. Stanford, who I had ranked No. 1 for much of the early season, was outscored in two games to FSU 35-8. NOT a misprint.
- But with Appel coming back, he’ll team with Cape Cod League All Star A.J. Venegas, who has tremendous upside but didn’t always seem to reach it last year, to give the Cardinal a great one-two punch that can beat anyone in the country. Also look for LHP John Hockstatter (3-3, 4.53) who started nine games as a frosh last year, and senior RHPs Dean McArdle (3-3, 3.97( and Sahil Bloom (2-0, 3.56, 2svs) who combined for 45 appearances last season.
- The second biggest optimism for domination has to be in the strapping batting order SU will sport this season, featuring monstrous slugger Austin Wilson, smooth-swinging Brian Ragira and burgeoning superstar sophomore Alex Blandino, who really came on strong later on in the season.
- Don’t forget about the defensive whiz who leads by example in SS Lonnie Kauppila, who was hitting .280 and playing great in the field right before being lost to injury after 30 games into the 2012 season. He’s back and 100% now.
- Once again, Mark Marquess brought in a truckload of MLB-ready talent as well. SU’s recruiting class was ranked at No. 6 in the nation and will showcase five talents who were drafted last June by the bigs. Keep an eye on the battery of 25th round RHP Freddy Avis, who I saw pitch at the Area Code Games in summer 2011, and catcher Austin Barr, a 29th round draftee. And of course, I’m sure two or three other smarties will emerge from the incoming class that nobody really saw coming. It happens every year, it seems.
Baseball America ranked Stanford #9 in their preseason poll....
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/col...14575.html
Quote:9. STANFORD
2012 Record (Ranking): 41-18 (13). RPI: 11.
Coach (Record at school): Mark Marquess (1463-759-7, 36 years).
Postseason History: 31 regionals (active streak; 3), 16 CWS trips (last in 2008), 2 national titles (last in 1988).
2013 Lineup
C Wayne Taylor, So. .152/.222/.273
1B Brian Ragira, Jr. .329/.385/.448
2B Danny Diekroeger, Jr. .354/.422/.510
3B Alex Blandino, So. .294/.371/.523
SS Lonnie Kauppila, Jr. .280/.339/.350
LF Dominic Jose, So. .375/.490/.575
CF Jonny Locher, Fr. HS—Burien, Wash.
RF Austin Wilson, Jr. .285/.389/.493
DH Brett Michael Doran, Jr. .242/.402/.306
RHP Mark Appel, Sr
RHP Dean McArdle, Sr
RHP Freddy Avis, Fr. HS—Atherton, Calif.
RP A.J. Vanegas, Jr.
Hitting: 60. Stanford has serious offensive upside if its new starters can live up to their talent. Jose, son of ex-big leaguer Felix Jose, came on fast at the end of last season and has the bat speed to hurt opponents from both sides of the plate. Diekroeger isn't as athletic as older brother Kenny, but he shares his brother's innate hand-eye coordination and is a tough out. Stanford hitting coach Dean Stotz describes Blandino as a "stylish" hitter, and his pretty righthanded swing gives him a chance to be an elite offensive player. Ragira is an aggressive, grip-it-and-rip-it hitter with lightning-quick hands and the ability to wear out the gaps. Doran and Kauppila are good bat handlers who are tough to strike out. Taylor's simple lefthanded swing gives him a chance to hit, too.
Power: 65. As Wilson has improved his contact rate during his collegiate career, he has begun to unlock his mammoth righthanded power potential, which compares favorably with any player's in college baseball. Blandino and Ragira also have emerging power from the right side. Though Jose has a better swing from the right side, he has more power from the left side. Jr. OF Brian Guymon, who will compete for at-bats at DH, brings intriguing brute strength as well.
Speed: 55. Locher is a burner who could provide a spark if he can get on base with some consistency. Jose is a long strider with plus-plus speed underway. Wilson and even Ragira have good speed for their big frames. Kauppila, Blandino, Diekroeger and Doran are fringy but adequate runners.
Defense: 70. If Kauppila, who had ACL surgery last spring, returns to 100 percent as expected, Stanford's defense should be very good. Kauppila is an instinctive defender with sure hands and an accurate arm. Blandino has slightly above-average actions and arm strength at third, Diekroeger has improved his athleticism at second, and Ragira is a marquee defensive first baseman. Taylor has excellent agility, good carry on his throws and the leadership skills to be a standout catcher. Wilson has one of the strongest outfield arms in college baseball. Jose has a lackluster arm but excellent range. Locher has good range as well as arm strength in center.
Starting Pitching: 60. Appel declined to sign as the No. 8 overall pick after his All-America junior year, giving the Cardinal an extraordinarily talented and experienced senior ace with a fastball that reaches 98, a plus slider and an improved changeup. The rest of the rotation is up in the air, but McArdle and So. LHP John Hochstatter are two strong candidates because of their tenacity and feel for pitching with fringy four-pitch repertoires. The rotation has more upside if Avis can win a weekend job; a premium prospect out of high school, Avis has flashed mid-90s heat, a sharp power curveball and promising changeup in the past.
Bullpen: 60. Vanegas has a chance to start but is more likely ticketed for the closer job, where his explosive 93-97 fastball and 83-85 cutter could make him dominant. Sr. RHP Sahil Bloom and So. RHP David Schmidt are valuable sinkerballers who can get quick outs or eat up innings in long relief. Fr. RHP Marcus Brakeman is in the same mold as Schmidt and McArdle—smallish but feisty—while Fr. RHP Daniel Starwalt has flashed a plus fastball and plus curve in the past, making him an X-factor if he can return to his 2011 form, before injuries derailed his progress. So. Spenser Linney figures to be the primary lefty out of the bullpen.
Experience/Intangibles: 60. With Appel and Vanegas bookending the rotation, and Wilson and Ragira anchoring the lineup, Stanford has a core of seasoned upperclassmen who also happen to be premier talents. But the Cardinal will also rely upon a slew of young players, and how they mature will determine whether or not the season is a success.
Baseball America OFP: 60. Stanford has featured one of the most talented rosters in college baseball over the last two years but lost in super regionals both seasons. Stanford's top-ranked 2010 recruiting class has matured into a dangerous group of juniors, and the return of a key member of the second-ranked '09 class (Appel) for his senior year gives both classes one last shot at fulfilling lofty expectations.
Kendall and Perfect Game had the Cardinal ranked at #4 in their preseason poll...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=7935
Quote:4. STANFORD
Head coach: Mark Marquess
Conference: Pacific-12
2012 record: 41-18, 18-12 Pac-12
2012 accomplishment: Reached the Tallahassee Super Regional (lost to Florida State)
Top returning pitcher: RHP Mark Appel -- The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher surprised many last summer when he turned down overtures from the Astros as a first-round pick. Now he's ready to compete for a national title. Appel was 10-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 123 innings of work last season. He also struck out 130 and walked 30, while opponents hit him at a .213 clip.
Top returning hitter: 1B Brian Ragira -- The talented first baseman could be more consistent at times, but he still has the production history and tools to have a great spring, which is why he's a Preseason All-American. Ragira, as a sophomore last season, batted .329 with 15 doubles, five homers and 50 RBIs.
Freshman to watch: RHP Freddy Avis -- There are still some question marks about the Stanford weekend rotation after Mark Appel, but there are some good options, including the ultra-talented 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, freshman. Avis was ranked No. 65 nationally as a high school senior last season and had a good fall for the Cardinal. He has a big-time arm with a fastball in the 90-94 range.
Prospects to watch: RHP Mark Appel, OF Austin Wilson, RHP A.J. Vanegas, 1B Brian Ragira, SS Lonnie Kauppila
Why to feel good: There's absolutely no doubt the Cardinal should be in the mix for the national title this spring. They have a lot of experience on the offensive end of things with the return of Danny Diekroeger (.354/3/10), Dominic Jose (.375/1/11), Brian Ragira (.329/5/50), Austin Wilson (.285/10/54), Alex Blandino (.294/8/40) and second baseman Lonnie Kauppila, who missed much of last season because of an injury. Stanford also has a terrific ace pitcher in Appel, while hard-throwing AJ Vanegas (2.62, 65.1) has things sealed up on the back-end of the bullpen.
Why there might be concern: There's not much of a reason to be concerned about Stanford this spring, but keep an eye on the weekend rotation. Appel certainly is a great way to start the weekend, but the Cardinal is unsure about the rest of the rotation at this point. For now, it looks like senior right-hander Dean McArdle (3.97, 47.2) and Freddy Avis will round out the rotation, but again, it's still to be determined, and that's a question mark.
Kendall/Perfect Game picks Stanford to win the Pac-12...names four players to the preseason all-conference team (Appel, Ragira, Wilson, Blandino)...picks Appel as Pitcher of the Year and Avis as Freshman of the Year...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=8010
Collegesportsmadness.com ranked Stanford #7 in their preseason pool, and highlighted the addition of another two Top 100 ranked prospects to the Cardinal fold-- true Freshmen RHP Freddy Avis (#27) and RHP Daniel Starwalt (#56)...
http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/5883
Quote:Just like the Southeastern Conference is home to talented college football, the Pac-12 Conference seems to be home to all of the super-talented baseball programs in the country. Oh sure, the SEC is still talented as well, but many Pac-12 programs dot the top 10. One of them is a traditional baseball powerhouse that has been active for nearly 120 years. It was another strong season for the Cardinal in 2012, culminating in a trip to the NCAA Super Regional round, but they could not capitalize. Will it be another strong year in the Bay Area? The chances are pretty good.
2012: 48-18, 18-12
2012 Postseason: NCAA Super Regional
Coach: Mark Marquess
Field Players:
Stanford brings back plenty of home-run power, including Austin Wilson (.285-10-54) and Alex Blandino (.294-8-40). Brian Ragira (.329-5-50) also is a strong doubles hitter as well (15), and he is the team’s top returning hitter that saw action in more than half of the team’s games. Dominic Jose (.366) and Danny Diekroeger (.354) were also decent hitters in more limited duty. Stanford is not known for having a lot of speed in its lineup, but Wilson was successful in all seven of his stolen-base attempts. All of these returnees will likely be enough to offset the losses of players like Stephen Piscotty and Eric Smith, who both hit .over 300 a year ago, and Jake Stewart (seven homers in 2012).
Pitchers:
Piscotty’s loss will also be felt on the pitcher’s mound, as he went 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA. Brett Mooneyham (7-6, 4.75) will also be missed this year, but that is the extent of the pitching losses for 2013. Mark Appel is the team’s top ace coming back with a 10-2 record and 2.56 ERA. His walk/strikeout ratio (30/130) is also pretty decent, suggesting strong control and solid mechanics. A.J. Vanegas (4-0, 2.62) and Garrett Hughes (3-1, 3.20) are also effective starters. Vanegas and David Schmidt (3-1, 3.98) will likely close games, giving Stanford some stability at the front and back end.
Who to Watch:
Keep an eye on Appel, who admits he made a big sacrifice to return for his senior season and pass up sure Major League Baseball riches. Appel pitched at least seven innings in 14 of his 16 starts and hurled five complete games last year. He is the College Sports Madness preseason national pitcher of the year and he is a preseason first-team All-America selection from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. He was solid enough to be the eighth overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates a year ago, but Appel’s decision to return could go either way. Another strong season will surely raise his draft status, but if Stanford falters then his status could go down in a hurry. Bet on a strong season, which is more likely.
Final Projection:
A season where Stanford does not win at least 40 games is a rarity. That won’t happen this year. The Cardinal have enough talent returning to give the Pac-12 a serious run for the money once again. Stanford opens with Rice and California, two solid teams, and later games with Texas and UNLV will give Stanford a good foundation for Pac-12 play. It is still anyone’s guess who wins the Pac-12, but Stanford has a better than average chance of walking away with the title.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Brian Ragira, UT, 252
Hits: Brian Ragira, UT, 83
Home Runs: Austin Wilson, OF, 10
RBIs: Austin Wilson, OF, 54
Runs: Austin Wilson, OF, 56
Stolen Bases: Austin Wilson, OF, 7
Wins: Mark Appel, P, 10
Innings Pitched:Mark Appel, P, 123.0
Strikeouts: Mark Appel, P, 130
Saves: A.J. Vanegas, P, 5
Madness 2013 MLB Draft Rankings:
#1 Mark Appel
#6 Austin Wilson
#10 Brian Ragira
#40 A.J. Vanegas
#97 Lonnie Kauppila
Madness 2013 Baseball Recruit Rankings:
#26 Freddy Avis
#56 Daniel Starwalt
Here's Collegebaseballdaily's Pac-12 preview, including their preseason writeup on Stanford...
http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2013...ew-pac-12/
Quote:Stanford 41-18 (18-12)
Key Returning Players: RHP Mark Appel, 1B Brian Ragira, RF Austin Wilson, 3B Alex Blandino, RHP A.J. Vanegas, RHP Sahil Bloom, SS Lonnie Kauppila, 2B Danny Diekroeger, RHP David Schmidt
Key Losses: 3B/RHP Stephen Piscotty, SS Kenny Diekroeger, OF Jake Stewart, OF Tyler Gaffney, C Eric Smith, LHP Brett Mooneyham
The Stanford Cardinal enters the 2013 season under Head Coach Mark Marquess in his 37th year. Coach Marquess ranks seventh in wins in NCAA Division I baseball history. He currently ranks fourth among active managers, and the 2013 season should help build his resume. The Stanford Cardinal is ranked #7 in the NCBWA preseason poll. Mark Appel (10-2, 2.56 ERA) returns to the Cardinal for his senior season after failing to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2012 MLB draft. He was selected #8 overall. Appel will be slotted on Friday nights, leaving the rest of the Cardinal rotation in flux. LHP Spenser Linney is a sophomore who could step up and occupy either the Saturday or Sunday slots. He was drafted in the 44th round by the Pittsburg Pirates out of high school. Another candidate for the rotation is LHP John Hochstatter. Hochstatter pitched to a 3-3 record with a 4.53 ERA. One of the perceived strengths of the Cardinal team was the bullpen. Instead closer A.J. Vanegas underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a herniated disk in his back. There is no timetable for his return. Look for RHP Sahil Bloom (2-0, 3.56 ERA), and RHP David Schmidt (3-1, 3.98 ERA) in a team-high 25 games last season, to be called on to fill the void. RF Austin Wilson (.285, 10 Hr, 54 RBI), and 1B Brian Ragira (.329, 5 HR, 50 RBI) will be expected to be the anchors of the Cardinal offense this year. They will be aided in their efforts by highly touted returning 3B Alex Blandino. Blandino was an Honorable Mention All- Pac-12 member, as a freshman last season, in which he hit .294 with 8 homeruns and 40 RBI. With the departure of OF’s Jake Stewart and Tyler Gaffney, sophomore OF Dominic Jose could be a candidate that opens eyes this season. Jose was drafted in the 15 round by the Angels out of high school. In 21 games last season the freshman hit .366 with 11 RBI.
Baseball America had Stanford coming in 2nd in the Pac-12, behind Oregon State; however, the Pac-12 coaches picked Stanford to win the conference (with UCLA 2nd and Oregon State 3rd)...
http://pac-12.com/Sports/Baseball/Articl...orite.aspx
Here's an article from The Stanford Daily providing an insider's assessment of the teams first week of Spring intrasquad scrimmages--highlighting the HR power potential on this squad, as well as the prospects of Freshman stud RHP Freddy Avis...
http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/01/28/...ra-squads/
Here's a very detailed scouting report on Stanford ace and Friday starter, Sr RHP Mark Appel, by Perfect Game. I've post a brief excerpt below, but strong recommend reading the entire writeup...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=7903
Quote:His hard 83-86 mph slider has become his go to swing and miss offering. He’s able to spot it exceptionally well toward the back foot of lefties and bury it down and away from righties. His command of this pitch has gotten better and better, and that’s where you’re seeing the swing and miss metrics steadily improve. He really seemed to find his groove with this pitch in 2011 in the Cape League.
Appel went 10-2 for Stanford in 2012, posting 130 strikeouts and just 30 walks in 123 innings pitched to go with a stellar 2.56 ERA. So, what exactly could such a dominant pitcher do to improve in 2013? As much as his slide to the eighth pick had to do with signability concerns, there are also scouts who have some other mild concerns about the big right-hander.
College Baseball Daily ranked Stanford 3B Alex Blandino #81 on their college baseball Top 100 list for 2013, who exceeded all expectations as a true Freshman last year, hitting .294 with 8 HRs and 40 RBIs, despite starting only 28 games (subbing in at SS after Kauppila was injured mid-season)...
http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2012...-stanford/
Here's a video/podcast of Stanford Coach Marquess discussing the upcoming season...
http://video.pac-12.com/marquess-discuss...ing-season