During our weekly look at the 2009 MLB Draft, we have looked at Kendal Volz each week.  A right-hander from Baylor, Volz seems to be slipping down draft boards as his ERA and walk rate rise.

One of his teammates, Shawn Tolleson (video above) could be a very interesting pick.  A once heralded prep whose college career was delayed due to Tommy John surgery, like Volz he has struggled with command so far this season.  During his junior season, Tolleson hurled two complete game shutouts and entered this season as the number 23 college prospect according to Baseball America.

This past summer he was rated as the number 15 prospect in the Cape Cod League according to the publication.  While on the island, he posted a 3.41 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 37 innings.  Remember, the Cardinals really like players that have played on the Cape.

Tolleson will probably still be around in the second or third rounds due to his struggles and if the Cards want to pay up, he would be an interesting choice.

My odds on favorite to be the Cardinals pick at number 19, Mike Leake, is looking like he won’t be on the board when the pick rolls around.  He now has a 1.53 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 64.2 innings.

Dustin Mattison

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The Missouri Tigers Kyle Gibson (why do I always want to call him Josh?) was the tough luck loser against Oklahoma this past weekend.  He struck out 15 while walking only one but the Sooners were able to get two runs off of the junior right-hander.

Jacksonville State’s Ben Tootle was rated as one of the top college arms in the nation coming to 2009 season.  The Southeast Redhawks must have not believed the hype because they put a hurting on the pitcher.  The Redhawks plated seven runs chasing Tootle after only four innings.

At Safeco Field in Seattle, ASU’s Mike Leake continued his dominance, this time over Washington.  Leake struck out 10 while allowing only one earned in 7.1 innings.  He is now 7-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 55.2 innings to go along with his 62 strikeouts.

USC’s Brad Boxberger gave up four runs on five hits in seven innings of work against Pac-10 rival Arizona.

Baylor’s Kendal Volz got knocked around by a surprising Kansas team.  The Jayhawks roughed him up for six runs in 4.2 innings.  Volz didn’t help himself any with seven free passes.

Vanderbilt’s Mike Minor is losing some his luster according to Baseball America.  That would be fine with me if he did and fell to the Cardinals.  He beat the Cubans twice last summer and he would immediately give the team a left-handed difference maker on the hill.  As pointed out in the BA piece, he is on his fourth catcher of the spring and you can’t tell me that doesn’t have an affect.  I believe in Minor’s stuff and would be thrilled if he fell to St. Louis.

The University of Kentucky’s James Paxton is making scouts take notice.  A southpaw that can touch 97 is hard to ignore.  He has an ERA over six but has racked up 55 strikeouts compared to only eight walks in 37 innings.

Dustin Mattison

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Sorry for the late post but I had to get the yard mowed before the rain arrived.  Plus, I did my longest run of my life yesterday, 8 miles, and today I can barely move. By the way, this past weekend I ran my second 5K and placed third in my age division shaving three minutes off my previous time.

On to the baseball with a quick look at some of the guys I believe the Cardinals might be eyeing.

Vanderbilt’s Mike Minor has not been overpowering this season but he has sure been efficient.  He has only 34 strikeouts in 38.2 innings but he has allowed only five extra basehits during that time.

Mike Leake is really heating up for the Arizona State Sun Devils. This past weekend he went out and spun eight innings of one run ball while allowing only four hits.

Leake’s teammate, Josh Spence, is having a great year in his own right. Spence was fantastic against USC with 10 strikeouts while allowing only one run in a complete game victory. On the season, Spence has posted a 1.37 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 46 innings.

In the complete game victory, the southpaw outdueled the Trojans’ Brad Boxberger who struck out eight in an eight-inning loss. Boxberger allowed only two runs on three hits and now stands at 2-3 with a 2.23 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 40 innings.

The most highly touted pitcher in the OVC, Ben Tootle, will be in Cape on Saturday, unfortunately, I will not be able to make it out to see him in person. After a slow start,Tootle picked up the league’s Player of the Week award for the fifth time in his career.  He struck out 10 while allowing only four hits in the seven-inning game.

LSU shortstop D.J. LeMahieu continues to pound the ball with a line of .355/.470/.538 with 17 strikeouts and 17 walks.

Baylor’s Kendal Volz got off to a hot start but, like Gibson, got knocked around this past weekend. Volz was charged with five runs in seven innings of work. He now has an ERA of 3.00 with a very mediocre 32-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Dustin Mattison

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Here is our continuing look at local college baseball and players that the St. Louis Cardinals will have an eye on in June’s MLB First Year Player Draft.

The Missouri Tigers look like they are beginning to right their ship after struggling out of the gate. The Tigers did not play the gracious hosts taking two of three from highly ranked Texas A&M. Kyle Gibson was his usual stellar self, striking out 16 in a complete game win over the Aggies on Friday night. The junior right-hander is now 4-1 with a 1.15 ERA along with 54-to-9 strikeout to walk ratio. For his efforts, Gibson was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive week.

The Southeast Redhawks will be hosting UT-Martin this weekend after sweeping Tennessee Tech in its last OVC series.  Catcher Jim Klocke is slugging .608 and has made only one error behind the plate.  Plus, he has a team high five saves.

Arizona State’s Mike Leake had the game of his career against rival Arizona over the weekend. Leake struck out 15 Wildcats in gaining a complete game victory while giving up only five hits on the night.

Ryan Berry did earn his fourth win of the season but he wasn’t nearly as sharp as he had been previously. In Rice’s victory over Southern Miss, the right-hander allowed three runs in five innings.  For the season, Berry is 4-0 with a 1.96 ERA.   (See video of Berry above)

A new player I add to the board this week is Kentucky’s James Paxton.  When he was signed as a high school senior, the southpaw stood 6′1 but now possesses a 6′4 frame.  The native Canadian is racking up the strikeouts with 47 in 30 innings so far in 2009.  He is a perfect 4-0 and is holding the opposition to a .231 average.

Though he struggled over the weekend, D.J. LeMahieu is still hitting .368/.479/.553 for the LSU Tigers. I don’t know if he will still be available at 13 but he is becoming one of my faves.

Miami’s Ryan Jackson seems to be falling down draft boards with his struggles at the plate.  The slick fielding shortstop is hitting .277/.354/.400 on the season.  Though scouts question his bat none question his ability to stay at short.

Baylor’s Kendal Volz continues to struggle with his command with a 28-to-15 strikeout to walk ratio.  Volz has a big arm and superb mound presence but the control issues are what are hampering at this time.  Reminds me a lot of what was being said about Shooter Hunt this time last year.

Two Texas A&M pitchers are causing headaches for the Big 12.  Right-hander Alex Wilson has 49 strikeouts compared to only eight walks in 31.2 innings.  Left-hander Brooks Raley has racked up 34 Ks in 33 innings of work.  Plus, Raley is leading the Aggies in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, TB, extra base hits, and steals.

Things have started slowly for Mike Minor but he still has himself positioned as a first round pick.  The lefty has posted a solid 3.41 ERA while allowing only five extra base hits in 31.2 innings.

Two outstanding high school lefties are featured at  MLB.com this week.  Matthew Purke and Tyler Matzek both should hear their names early in the 2009 draft.  Purke, a Texan, can dial his fastball up to 95 while the Californian, Matzek, can touch 94.  Zach Wheeler is one of the top prep right-handers has a projectable frame with the ability to run his fastball to the plate at 95.

Dustin Mattison

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Kyle Gibson (Photo by Jeff Lautenberger)

Though it is still three months away, I am starting to concentrate more and more on the 2009 MLB First Year Player draft. Thanks to modern technology, I was able to watch quite a bit of college baseball this past weekend. While watching the action, I couldn’t help to wonder who would be prime candidates for the St. Louis Cardinals come this June.

Friday night I watched Ole Miss visit a rain soaked Hawkins Field to take on Vanderbilt. One of my early favs, Mike Minor, of Vanderbilt really struggled in the wet conditions. Minor was tagged for six runs, five earned, in only 4.1 innings.

Hawkins Field (Photo by Dustin Mattison)

After taking in Anna and Zac’s soccer games on Saturday, I hit the road and ran (literally) to Capaha Field to watch Southeast Missouri State take on Northern Illinois.  The Redhawks did not prove to be gracious hosts taking the first three games of the four game set before dropping the final game on Sunday.  NIU’s Chuck Lukanen got knocked around but I really liked his demeanor on the mound.  The 6′ left-hander has a nice smooth delivery and a live arm.  He could be a late round sleeper.

The more I see the Redhawks’  catcher Jim Klocke the more I really like him.  The St. Louis native is hitting .410/.507/.689.  Plus, he is the team’s closer and brings a high 80’s fastball to the bump.

After watching some of the action at Capaha, I ran back home to watch the Missouri Tigers travel to Austin to take on number one Texas.  Game one featured a match up of two of the best pitchers in the Big 12, the Tigers’ Kyle Gibson and the Longhorns Chance Ruffin.  Both pitchers were very good but Gibson stole the show.  The 6′6 right-hander shutout top ranked Texas while striking out 11 Longhorns in the process.  For his effort, the junior was named the National Pitcher of the Week.  To me, I was most impressed with his striking out the side in the seventh.  The more I see Gibson the more he reminds me of the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright.  He won’t be available at 19 but check him out at MLB.com.

The Tigers may have lost the next two games but the coaching staff has to be pleased with Nick Tepesch’s performance on Sunday.  The sophomore pitched a career best eight innings before handing his bullpen a 3-1 lead.  Unfortunately, the bullpen could not seal the deal.

Later on Saturday, I settled in to watch two of the top teams in the country, Baylor and Texas A & M.  The game featured the Bears’ Kendal Volz matching up against the Aggies’ Brooks Raley.  What two great baseball names!  Raley stifled the opposition; the southpaw struck out nine in eight innings of four-hit baseball.   Volz was tagged for four runs while striking out nine.   Like Gibson, Volz was covered in an MLB Draft Report.

Others to Watch

Grant Green (Photo Cape Cod Baseball.org)

Going into the season, I wouldn’t have thought that USC All-American shortstop Grant Green would be on the board when the Cardinals picked at number 19. Like the rest of the Trojans, the 6′3 infielder has struggled so far  hitting only .298/.394/.421 with eight steals in nine attempts. What is more alarming is his .910 fielding percentage. I really doubt he slips to 19 but a guy can wish can’t he?

Green’s teammate, Brad Boxberger, continues to rack up the big strikeout totals. After talking about Boxberger last week, he went out and struck out 11 in seven innings of work. He now has 37 K’s in 26.2 innings while allowing only 13 hits. His command is lacking with 17 bases on balls this season.

Two more pitchers that we have been discussing were covered by MLB this week.  Arizona State’s Mike Leake and Ryan Berry.  Leake threw well on Tuesday aganist Kansas State but struggled out of the bullpen against KU on Sunday.  Berry continues to be one of the top pitchers in college baseball with a one hit complete game against San Diego.  Both are undersized right-handers but seem to fit the Cardinals’ MO.

Two shortstops that I have been following are D.J. LeMahiu of LSU and Ryan Jackson of Miami.  Even after a so-so weekend against Kentucky LeMahiu has a line of .429/.535/.679 and is six for six in stolen base attempts.  Jackson hit his first two home runs of the season on Tuesday night and hopefully he can use this game to jump start what has so far been a slow season for the junior.

High School

I am still delving into the High School prospects but a guy featured over at BA has really caught my eye. David Holmberg is a left-hander from Florida who is committed to his state university. So far in 2009, the southpaw has struck out 56 in 23.2 innings. With a fastball that sits in the high eighties and touches 91 to go along with a projectable 6’3 frame, he might be worth a look for the Cardinals in the second to third round.

Californina prep shortstop Jiovanni Mier is one of the highest rated high school infielders in the upcoming draft.  MLB has a draft report on Mier and scouts believe he will be able to stay at the position.  He looks like a superb athlete who has the advantage of playing in California which features some of the top high school players in the country.

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Dustin Mattison

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If the team were to go out and add a second baseman, I say take a look at the Cleveland Indian’s Josh Barfield.   The 26-year-old has really struggled  the past couple of seasons at the big league level but I would really like to see what a change of scenery might do for him.  He still has tremendous tools and I am not ready to give up on his talent just yet.

John Marecek has posted a pic of Roberto De La Cruz, the Cardinals biggest international signing of 2008.  Check it out here.  Plus, check out his blog, the Busch Basement.

My old friend Kary Booher looks at the Cardinal third base situation from the prospect point of view.

Baseball America debuted its 2009 Draft Tracker on Wednesday.  The featured player on the list, Brad Boxberger, is a player that I think would be on the Cardinals’ radar.  He is coming off a sophomore season in which he really struggled but he has come out strong in the early going this year.  Plus, he has two seasons of Cape Cod League experience which the Cardinals love.

Another player that I am high on, Kendal Volz of Baylor, was featured this week at BA.  It is behind the subscriber wall but he is a guy that I am liking more with each passing week.

Also this week, MLB started its Draft Report feature that will take us up to the June event.  Featured prominently is the top player in the draft, Stephen Strasburg.  In his start against Nevada, he reportedly hit 102 MPH seven times.  SEVEN TIMES!

Another player featured is Tyler Skaggs, a prep pitcher from California.  He is the style of pitcher the Cardinals have not take a chance on in a decade, a high upside high school southpaw.  Skaggs has a projectable 6′5 frame to which he could add bulk.  BA discussed Skaggs and fellow Southern Cal lefty, Tyler Matzek, in one of its recent Draft Blogs.

The University of Missouri faces a tough early challenge as it heads down to Austin to take on number 1 Texas.  The Longhorns are led by one of the nation’s top pitching staffs.  It should be a fantastic game Friday when the Tigers’ ace Kyle Gibson faces off against Chance Ruffin.  Both have big time talent.

Here in Cape, I will be out watching SEMO take on Northern Illinois.  The Huskies come into the game with a 4-9 record after falling to St. Louis U. yesterday.   NIU is led offensively by the trio of Troy White, Jordin Hood, and Joe Buonavolanto.  Pitcher Andy Deain picked MAC pitcher of the week honors after earning his first career win as a starter by defeating  Missouri 5-2 this past Saturday at the DeMarini Invite. He spun six innings, surrendering only one earned run on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

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Dustin Mattison

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Colby Rasmus (Photo by Dustin Mattison)

Before I get to a look at College Baseball, I wanted to touch on St. Louis Cardinals uber prospect, Colby Rasmus.  The number 3 ranked prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America and number 5 according to John Sickels is struggling early in the spring training schedule.

The Raz has a team high 26 at bats but his hitting a paltry .192/.276/.231.  He has eight strikeouts compared to three walks and he has a stolen base.  Joe Strauss put it like this in his chat on Wednesday:  “there’s no question Raz’ appears to be playing tight. TLR said as much on Tuesday. No one doubts Rasmus’ talent. He just needs to let it go and play. Last year he successfully worked counts and ended up leading the Grapefruit League in walks. However, his manager wants to see him hack. Raz’ is taking lots of first-pitch strikes and finding it difficult to get himself out of holes. He’s playing like a guy trying not to lose a job rather than trying to win one.”

The same sort of thing happened Rasmus early last season when he was digging himself a hole in Memphis.  Pitchers knew he was looking to work the count so they would get ahead in the count early with a first pitch strike.  Unless your Albert Pujols, it is hard to be successful if you are always behind in the count.

A look around campus

The University of Missouri stopped its slide at seven games with a 5-2 victory over Arizona State this past weekend. Super Sophomore Nick Tepesch allowed only one run over 6.1 innings while striking out a career high eight. If the Tigers are to going to right the ship, Tepesch will have to continue to put up consistent outings such as this.

LSU is the new number one over at Baseball America. The Bayou Bengals are a perfect 7-0 led by strong pitching and super shortstop D.J. LeMahieu. Texas looks strong again and moved into the number 2 spot. Longhorn sophomore Brandon Workman turned in the best of UT’s four strong starts this weekend, racking up 10 strikeouts and walking just two in a complete-game no-hitter Sunday.  With the likes of Workman, North Carolina’s Matt Harvey,Texas A & M’s Barret Loux, and Kyle Blair and Sammy Solis of San Diego,  the 2010 MLB First Year Player Draft should be rich in pitching talent.
Southeast Missouri State continues to slug with the best of them but the team is going to have to find some starting pitching.  My Redhawk to watch, Jim Klocke is slugging .676 in 34 at bats.  The Redhawks host Northern Iowa starting on Friday.

Draft Watch:

Mike Minor (Vanderbilt) LHP Allowed two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 7.2 innings of work against Vermont.  On the season, he has posted a disappointing 10-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13.1 innings.

D.J. LeMahieu (LSU) SS The highly productive 6′4″ draft eligible sophomore is positioning himself as this season’s Gordon Beckham.  In the early going, he has posted a video game line of .615/.667/1.154 in 26 at bats.  WOW!

Mike Leake (Arizona St.) RHP In a duel with projected first round pick Kyle Gibson of Missouri, he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning before giving up a hit to lead off the inning. He would retire the next three hitters in order to end his night. Leake finished with 10 strikeouts to only one walk while throwing his fastball in the low 90’s.

Ryan Jackson (Miami) SS  Though off to a slow start, he is reaching base at a .424 clip.

Kyle Heckathorn (Kennesaw St.) RHP So far the hype is not matching the performance.  After two starts, he has an ERA of six to go along with a 10-to-5 strikeout to walk ratio.

Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma St.) LHP Did not pitch over the weekend.

Kendal Volz (Baylor) RHP The 6’5 hurler touched 91 mph but sat 88-90 with excellent command 77-80 MPH slider along with a changeup.  Against UCLA over the weekend, he spun seven shutout innings six strikeouts.  Volz outdueled the New York Yankees 2008 first round pick, Gerrit Cole.

Ryan Berry (Rice) RHP The junior capped off a dominating weekend by being named National Player of the Week after winning the Houston College Classic’s Most Outstanding Player.  Berry threw a two-hit, twelve strikeout shutout against the number one ranked Texas A & M Aggies.

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Dustin Mattison

Purdue's Black during last season's Big 10 Tourney.

It was a cold and wet day at Capaha Field but Zac and I braved the elements and headed out to watch Southeast’s home opener.  Okay, we lasted an inning or two.  We had watched baseball in the snow and now we can add freezing rain to our list.

Anyway, the Redhawks continue to tote some serious lumber.   The team rolled over Lyon 11-6 with the help of five home runs on the day.  Matt Wagner led the offensive barage with three hits including two home runs while driving in four runs.

Catcher Jim Klocke muscled a pitch in on his hands over the wall for a solo home run.

Klocke along with teammate James Leigh were named OVC Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.  I am anxious to watch Klocke progress over the coming months.  With a powerful left-handed stick, he could be an interesting prospect if he is able to handle the duties of a backstop.

Southeast will welcome Purdue of the Big 10 this weekend.  The Boilermakers are 1-3 after winning its first game against Cincinnati in the Big East/Big 10 Challenge .  They then fell to an impressive looking Michigan, South Florida, and finally the Golden Domers of Notre Dame.  Purdue has been led in the early going by Freshman outfielder Tyler Spillner who is batting .429.  Third baseman Dan Black has provided the early power and brings a superb eye to the plate.  In its game against the Fighting Irish, Black drew five walks.

Baseball America picked Purdue to finish fifth in the 11-team Big 10.  Black was a preseason All-Conference as was Designated Hitter Brandon Haveman.  Shortstop Barrett Serrato was rated as the fourth best newcomer to the conference. Black was a monster in 2008 when he hit 18 home runs and drove in 70 runs.   Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 35th round last June, he is the league’s leading returning longball hitter. An intriguing power prospect, he set a Big 10 Championship record with three home runs in a single game.

The switch-hitter is listed as a player to watch for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award.

Friday starter Matt Bischoff was considered to be one of the top three starters before the season started.  Bischoff is coming off a season in which he posted a record of 6-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 77 IP.  The junior right-hander was drafted by the New York Mets in the 47th round of the 2008 MLB First Year Player Draft. In 2007, he was named the Big 10 Freshman of the Year after posting a 2.85 ERA in 60 innings.

Purdue has not won a Big 10 title since 1909.  That can only be described as Cub-like.

Here is my latest post over at the Birdhouse:  St. Louis Cardinals and the Economic Crisis

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Mizzou had a terrible weekend at the Grand Canyon tournament.  The Tigers lost three of the four games with ace Kyle Gibson earning the team’s only win.  Mizzou fell to number 15 in Baseball America’s Top 25. The team’s hard-throwing sophomores have to step up to solidify the rotation.  If not, this team is in trouble.

Stunningly, the Southeast Missouri Redhawks won two of three at nationally ranked Alabama.  The Redhawks will play its home opener on Tuesday afternoon at Capaha Field.  I hope I see you there.

Performances of those that could fall to the Cardinals at number 19:

Mike Minor (Vandy) The southpaw started out strong, spinning three scoreless innings before giving up and unearned run in the fourth. He ended up giving up three runs, two earned on five hits in 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and no walks in the no-decision.

D.J. LeMahieu (LSU)The talented shortstop collected five hits including three triples in nine at bats.  He also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Mike Leake (Arizona St.) The right-hander struck out seven while allowing only one run in six innings against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Ryan Jackson (Miami) Two of his three hits were for extra bases over the weekend.  The shortstop also drew four walks in the four game set.

Ben Tootle (Jacksonville St.) Hurled four no-hit innings before leaving after 84 pitches.  Tootle struck out four but struggled with his command which led to three walks.

Kyle Heckathorn (Kennesaw St.) Recently featured at Baseball America, the 6′6″ right-hander did not factor in the decision on Friday after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings while striking out four.

Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma St.) The left-handed junior hurled six shutout innings while allowing only two hits to an underrated Manhattan program.  It was his 11th consecutive win.

Dustin Mattison

Mizzou had a terrible weekend at the Grand Canyon tournament.  The Tigers lost three of the four games with ace Kyle Gibson earning the team’s only win.  Mizzou fell to number 15 in Baseball America’s Top 25. The team’s hard-throwing sophomores have to step up to solidify the rotation.  If not, this team is in trouble.

Stunningly, the Southeast Missouri Redhawks won two of three at nationally ranked Alabama.  The Redhawks will play its home opener on Tuesday afternoon at Capaha Field.  I hope I see you there.

Performances of those that could fall to the Cardinals at number 19:

Mike Minor (Vandy) The southpaw started out strong, spinning three scoreless innings before giving up and unearned run in the fourth. He ended up giving up three runs, two earned on five hits in 5.2 innings with six strikeouts and no walks in the no-decision.

D.J. LeMahieu (LSU)The talented shortstop collected five hits including three triples in nine at bats.  He also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Mike Leake (Arizona St.) The right-hander struck out seven while allowing only one run in six innings against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Ryan Jackson (Miami) Two of his three hits were for extra bases over the weekend.  The shortstop also drew four walks in the four game set.

Ben Tootle (Jacksonville St.) Hurled four no-hit innings before leaving after 84 pitches.  Tootle struck out four but struggled with his command which led to three walks.

Kyle Heckathorn (Kennesaw St.) Recently featured at Baseball America, the 6′6″ right-hander did not factor in the decision on Friday after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings while striking out four.

Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma St.) The left-handed junior hurled six shutout innings while allowing only two hits to an underrated Manhattan program.  It was his 11th consecutive win.

Dustin Mattison