Brendan McKay (Louisville)

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College Weekend Preview: March 6-8

This Week:

1. Louisville Aims For Normalcy Against Miami — Kendall Rogers

2. Illinois Looks To Make Statement — Aaron Fitt

3. Dodgertown Classic Preview — Aaron Fitt

4. Houston College Classic Preview — Kendall Rogers

Louisville Looks To Return To Normal

It’s been a long and well-traveled road to get here, but Louisville finally is ready to begin Atlantic Coast Conference play this weekend at home against Miami, assuming the army of players and athletic department personnel can get the field cleared of the several inches of snow blanketing the synthetic turf at Jim Patterson Stadium.

It has been a whirlwind of a past few weeks for Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell. His club has had a series completely moved from Louisville, Ky., to Emerson, Ga., on just a couple of days notice because of brutally bad wintry weather. And on top of that, the Cardinals, who sit at 8-4 overall, haven’t completely played their best brand of baseball just yet … but who could blame them with the obstacles they’ve had to overcome thus far?

Drew Harrington (Louisville)

As we’re on the eve of the Cardinals’ first ACC series against perennial power Miami, a team looking to make a statement in chilly Kentucky this weekend, McDonnell began his day doing anything but preparing for the Hurricanes. He spent the morning talking with ‘Canes head coach Jim Morris, both coaches wondering if the series needed to be pushed back to Saturday because UM was having trouble getting a flight to Louisville because of the heavy snow and icy conditions in the northern half of the country. McDonnell also is the leader of the movement to get the several inches of snow cleared off the field, something that’s of great importance with the series 24 hours away.

“I’ve got a big group of guys right here ready to clear the field,” McDonnell said with a laugh. “But not me, I’m doing other things. I’m the guy driving all over the place getting pizza and other food to make sure everyone is fed while they’re doing it [clearing the field].

“The last two winters have been especially brutal for us. It’s really affected some of the northern schools, and it’s caused some teams to struggle a great deal early on,” McDonnell continued. “Everyone was saying this was going to be a bad winter, then we get to practice outside during spring workouts because the weather was so great. Then bam, we get all of this. The kids are invincible, but this type of thing is a nightmare for coaches and administrators. It’s pretty absurd.”

Absurd, controversial, or whatever else you want to call this winter and the mid-February start date, the games must go on and the Cardinals enter the weekend looking to make a statement, proving to the country they deserved a lofty preseason ranking.

“We’re good, but we’re definitely not great just yet,” McDonnell said. “The great thing is that we can get much better and we can play better defense, run the bases better, and so on. It’s been a little challenging with these really low temperatures early in the season, but I think we’re starting to hit a little better.

“The good thing about this is you start to learn a lot about your team,” he continued. “What we found out the first 12 games is that we have some young super stars, and everyone else will eventually follow suit.”

As the Cardinals fought their way to the College World Series last season, they had plenty of intriguing young players. Outfielder Corey Ray, now a sophomore, was someone we all thought was a premier talent. But in terms of this freshman class, the Cards have some great options, including two-way player Brendan McKay, who McDonnell is handing some extremely impressive comparisons to. McKay is hitting .529 in 17 at-bats, while he possesses an unblemished ERA in five appearances.

“I was fortunate enough to coach Stephen Head as an assistant at Ole Miss, and he was one of the greatest two-way players in college baseball history. McKay has that type of star power about him,” McDonnell said. “He’s very even keel, he’s a tough Pittsburgh kid, and he’s a little sheltered in the world of baseball. He didn’t go to all this summer baseball stuff or the showcases. As a result of that, he’s very team oriented, low key and he’s a guy that’s all about the team. He’s not about himself at all.

“You flip him the ball, or get him at the plate, and he just attacks,” he continued. “He’s got a fastball that will sit around 88-91 mph, but he’s got very good control of that pitch, and he adds a good changeup and a plus curveball. It’s an upper-70s pitch with some good tilt, and it’s a hard curveball on a strong downward angle.”

[pull_quote_right]”You flip him the ball, or get him at the plate, and he just attacks,” he continued. “He’s got a fastball that will sit around 88-91 mph, but he’s got very good control of that pitch, and he adds a good changeup and a plus curveball. It’s an upper-70s pitch with some good tilt, and it’s a hard curveball on a strong downward angle.”[/pull_quote_right]

McDonnell might not have as lofty of comparisons for other freshmen on this team, but he feels very good about Devin Hairston .333/.400/.571, Blake Tiberi and Colby Fitch, with Tiberi and Fitch guys he believes will be high impact players as the season progresses.

“Those guys are good, young bats for us. As a coach, it’s always good to coach and have a few young guys you feel are going to make an impact, because each year you’re having to replace somebody pretty good,” he said. “I like our depth right now. We have a lot of options at the plate, and we have a lot of options on the mound even without some guys.”

Though Drew Harrington has been terrific out of the bullpen for the Cards, they do enter the opening ACC series against the Hurricanes without a pair of very talented arms in Zack Burdi and Jake Sparger. Both pitchers are dealing with injuries, with Burdi having a muscle strain and Sparger banged up. The bad news is they aren’t available against Zack Collins, Carl Chester and the ‘Canes. The good news? Both pitchers are expected to be back next weekend when UL hosts Boston College.

“Both of those guys are throwing, but they’re not game ready,” he said. “We’ve gone a month of the season with arguably our best setup guy and our projected power-armed closer. They’ve been throwing short boxes, bullpens and everything else, but they’re not quite ready. With that said, we’ve had some guys step up for us.”

Though ace righthander and one of the top prospects for this year’s draft Kyle Funkhouser was roughed up by Arkansas State a few weeks ago, McDonnell said he returned to his normal self for the most part against Xavier last weekend. Anthony Kidston remains a consistent and quality arm for the Cards, while one of the big keys moving forward is getting Josh Rogers back on track. The sophomore lefthander has a surprisingly high 8.36 ERA entering the UM series.

“He’s had two bad starts, where he’s been missing over the plate. He wasn’t making two-strike pitches and that cost him,” he said. “I felt like Josh had a good start last weekend, and we feel good about him moving forward, and this pitching staff as a whole once we get everyone healthy.”

This weekend’s series between the Cardinals and Hurricanes will be a very good measuring stick for both clubs. The Cardinals don’t have a marquee series win to their credit just yet, and the ‘Canes came up short against Florida a few weeks ago.

Now, if they can just get that pesky snow cleared.

More From The ACC

• North Carolina hosts Duke this weekend in one of the more interesting series of the ACC’s opening weekend. The Blue Devils swept the Tar Heels last year in Durham, and UNC surely has revenge on its mind. But the Tar Heels will still be without bullpen stalwart Reilly Hovis, who is out for an undetermined period of time with a strained forearm, which prompted them to move Trent Thornton back to the bullpen last week. Thornton is well suited for the relief role, and he saved both halves of UNC’s doubleheader sweep against Rhode Island last Friday, then picked up another save Monday at Liberty. But he gave up three runs in an inning when UNC brought him back to face VCU on Wednesday. UNC coach Mike Fox also said it is uncertain whether or not outfielder Skye Bolt will be back in the starting lineup this weekend. He was out of the lineup to make up some academic work on Monday, then came off the bench to pinch-hit Wednesday because the Tar Heels wanted to get Adam Pate some playing time in center field. But against three righthanders in the Duke rotation this weekend, it seems likely that the switch-hitting Bolt will get plenty of playing time, because his swing has looked better from the left side than the right side.

Duke has started the season 10-1 against a soft nonconference schedule, though they opened with a nice series win on the West Coast against California. This weekend affords the Blue Devils a chance to make a real splash. Duke will start righty Andrew Istler on Friday, then marquee prospect Michael Matuella on Saturday (with a 40-pitch limit while he works his way back from some arm soreness), and Bailey Clark on Sunday. Theoretically, UNC’s lefthanded-leaning lineup matches up well against Duke’s all-righty rotation, but those are three quality righties for the Blue Devils. Clark has taken a nice jump as a sophomore, working regularly in the low 90s with good secondary stuff, and Istler is a proven bulldog with good stuff.

• Notre Dame takes on Georgia Tech in another intriguing ACC series. The Fighting Irish, like the Blue Devils, are off to a 10-1 start, and their resume includes a pair of quality wins at Oklahoma in the first week of the season. Notre Dame’s lineup features one of the nation’s hottest hitters in Cavan Biggio (.525/.630/.950 with seven homers, two triples, two homers and 11 RBIs in 11 games), and the pitching staff has been solid, sporting a 2.94 team ERA. The Yellow Jackets are 9-3 overall and coming off a dominating sweep of Indiana State last weekend. Tech allowed just three runs total in those three games, as Jonathan King allowed just one hit over six shutout frames Friday, Ben Parr provided five stellar innings of relief Saturday, and Brandon Gold yielded just one hit over seven shutout Sunday. The Jackets’ lineup is imposing, and if they continues to pitch like this, they should be a real factor in the ACC.

• More ACC action kicks off this weekend as well. Boston College heads down to Florida State with a 5-6 record, and it will be interesting to see how rising power hitter Chris Shaw fares in a very hitter-friendly ballpark at Dick Howser Stadium. Shaw .256/.388/.513 isn’t off to a terrific start from a batting average standpoint, but does have three homers and 17 RBIs, and should begin to establish more consistency … Pittsburgh heads to Virginia, Virginia Tech to Wake Forest, and Clemson hopes to continue its hot ways against North Carolina State. You can see Aaron Fitt’s look back at rising CU righthander Brody Koerner by Clicking Here.

Pitching-rich Illinois Eager To Shine In Oklahoma



The identity of Illinois’ program has undergone a transformation in recent years. When Drew Dickinson was a senior for the Illini in 2002, the program was known more for its offense, and it seldom landed premier arms. Now Dickinson is the pitching coach, and he oversees one of the most talented pitching staffs in college baseball.

“Obviously pitching has never been our strong suit, especially in the North — good arms always go South,” Dickinson said. “We’ve always hit, stolen bases, scored runs, played great defense — but we never had an ERA below 5. My first recruiting class came in in ’13, and last year was the lowest ERA in school history, and now this season, it’s just a culmination of guys buying in.

“I’m not afraid to say, you’d be hard-pressed to show me a better pitching staff in the entire country. Shoot, to have a first-rounder who’s the closer and should probably be starting is just nuts to me. The execution level is through the roof.”

[pull_quote_right]“I’m not afraid to say, you’d be hard-pressed to show me a better pitching staff in the entire country. Shoot, to have a first-rounder who’s the closer and should probably be starting is just nuts to me. The execution level is through the roof.”[/pull_quote_right]

Few staffs have the luxury of being able to put a marquee arm like Tyler Jay in the back of the bullpen, and Dickinson is convinced the power lefthander has a future as a starter in pro ball, because he has the ability to command four very good pitches. But Illinois has four other bona fide rotation options in lefthanders Kevin Duchene and Rob McDonnell and righties Drasen Johnson and John Kravetz, so it can leave Jay in the bullpen, where he gives the team confidence that Illinois will win any game in which it leads after six innings. Hard-throwing righties Cody Sedlock, Nick Blackburn and Reid Roper make this bullpen even more formidable.

Throw in a veteran lineup with postseason experience, and Illinois looks like a very complete club. The Illini know they have a chance to serve notice to the rest of college baseball that they are a legitimate College World Series contender this weekend, when they travel to No. 21 Oklahoma State for a three-game series. The Illini carry a 9-2-1 record into the weekend, and they are brimming with confidence.

“This program, I think, needs a statement, kind of like what Indiana did in ’13 and ’14, to force the issue — ‘Hey man, baseball’s good here,’ ” Dickinson said. “I think Omaha’s the only way you do that. We have a group that that’s all they care about, that’s all they talk about. We believe 100 percent we’re an Omaha club. We definitely have a chip on our shoulder of wanting to get respect, and it’s fun.”

Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said his team is self-motivated and mature, so he doesn’t have to say anything to get his club ready to play against Oklahoma State, or anybody else. The lineup is loaded with quality seniors, led by Roper, McDonnell, Kravetz, Johnson, first baseman David Kerian and outfielders Casey Fletcher and Will Krug.

Tyler Jay (Illinois)

“You can’t coach experience. These guys have been through ups and downs, which is part of athletics as you know,” Hartleb said. “So to have those guys that have seen a lot, played at a high level, played in Big Ten tournaments and regionals, you can’t coach those things. This group has worked extremely hard. Not only do we have veteran guys — sometimes you have veteran guys and it’s not a good thing, so you have some seniors that have maybe shut it down because they don’t think they’ll have an opportunity to play beyond college. This group, that’s not an issue. They get along, they’re fun to be around, they care about each other and the program. It’s a fun, fun group.”

Hartleb said he has been pleased with his team’s solid defense, anchored by the athletic middle-infield duo of Adam Walton and Roper (who plays second base and occasionally pitches in relief), as well as the speedy Krug in center field and junior Jason Goldstein behind the plate. That quartet makes Illinois very strong up the middle, which helps the pitching staff.

Walton, Krug and Roper also make the offense go out of the top three spots in the lineup. Roper was pull-oriented earlier in his career and had some holes in his swing, but he’s using the entire field more this year, and he has been Illinois’ best hitter in the first three weeks, batting .413/.491/.609 with six extra-base hits and 13 RBIs. But this lineup relies more on balance than star power.

“The thing I like about our lineup, it’s not necessarily a lineup where you have one guy you count on to carry you,” Hartleb said. “From 1-9 we have quality at-bats and threats. I don’t think we have any dead outs in our lineup.”

But the biggest strength of this team is its superb pitching staff. Junior lefthander Kevin Duchene ranked among the top 30 prospects in the prestigious Cape Cod League last summer and has been a fixture in the rotation since he was a freshman. He missed the first two weeks while serving a suspension, but he returned to throw seven shutout innings last week against Ball State. He gives Illinois an unflappable ace on Friday nights to set the tone for the weekend.

“He understands how to pitch,” Dickinson said. “He talks like a 10-year vet: ‘I’m going to throw this pitch two inches off the plate, I’m going to run this ball in.’ Guys don’t talk like that. It helps him execute at a high level. And he has big nuts. He just doesn’t lose. That’s an innate trait, you can’t teach that. I don’t care if his fastball’s 86-91, you watch him pitch, you will fall in love. Anybody he faces, he will get outs and will handle them. It doesn’t matter what team he faces.”

Duchene has always been able to mix in a good changeup and a solid curveball, but he has added a cutter/slider this year that he can back-foot against righties or get lefties to chase down and away. He can manipulate the pitch effectively, throwing it around 82 mph with more depth, or throwing a shorter, harder version around 85.

Johnson (1-0, 0.87 in 20.2 IP) is similarly savvy. He just attacks the strike zone with a heavy fastball in the 87-89 range that bumps 90 with good run and sink, and he mixes in an excellent changeup, a good slider and a serviceable curveball. It’s not knockout stuff, but he does all of the little things necessary to win—he fields his position well, controls the running game, and is uncommonly efficient.

The Illini can go with Kravetz or McDonnell on Sundays depending on matchups—this week they are leaning toward Kravetz, another dogged competitor with a funky, deceptive delivery and good run and sink on his 84-88 fastball. He also mixes three offspeed pitches effectively. McDonnell works at 88-92 from the left side with a changeup that Dickinson calls the best on the team. “He’ll tell you he’s going to throw it three times in a row, and three times in a row you’ll swing and miss,” Dickinson said.

Last weekend, the Illini played four games in a tournament in Myrtle Beach, then a fifth game Monday at Coastal Carolina. They showed they have the pitching depth to handle it. They started Sedlock on Monday, and he responded four innings of no-hit ball, sitting at 92-93 mph and touching 95-96. He also has a wipeout 12-to-6 power curveball at 80 mph. After Sedlock exited, Blackburn came in and showed 93-95 mph heat, though he pitched more at 91-93 earlier in the weekend in colder weather. He also features a nice slider. He was followed by 6-foot-6 lefty J.D. Nielsen, who has found success after dropping to a sidearm slot, making his 86-88 fastball play up.

Jay finished the game with three hitless innings, overpowering the Chanticleers with a fastball that sat at 93-96 from the left side and three very good secondary pitches. Last year, his slider was his go-to putaway pitch, but now Hartleb said he rates all of Jay’s offspeed pitches the same.

“The lefthanders can’t hit the slider, but now he’s developed this changeup that’s a disgusting pitch—just ridiculous fade and sink, and it’s an 86-88 mph changeup,” Dickinson said. “So I get mad because Tyler throws his changeup harder than I threw my fastball. They’re all legit offerings that he commands in the strike zone at all times. Guys are gearing up for the fastball at 95, then he drops the changeup on you and you look like a fool. The curveball is 75-78, like a 12-to-6 breaking ball. The slider is anywhere from 82-84; lefthanders have no chance at it, and he’ll throw it to righthanded hitters too. To watch the kid grow from year to year, to me it’s special.”

Scouts are always clamoring for premium arms to work as starters in college if they’re capable of doing it, and Jay is clearly capable—the Illini emphasize that he’s much more than just a one-inning thrower, and they are not afraid to extend him on a Sunday if he has not pitched much earlier in the weekend. So scouts might have to wait in pro ball to see him start on a regular basis, but he has a strong chance to be drafted in the first round regardless.

“He’s throwing four pitches for strikes, and his command is so good,” Hartleb said. “It’s very poised. It’s not one of those guys you throw out there and you hope he’s going to throw strikes. He’s a true pitcher with great velocity.”

It isn’t easy for a Northern program to build an elite pitching staff like this, but Dickinson is supremely confident in his abilities as a recruiter and an developer, and he complements the even-keeled Hartleb well. Over the last three years, the Illini have embraced the Velocity Plus Arm Care program developed by Tom House and Joe Newton, and Dickinson said the weighted-ball work has done wonders for the arm strength on his staff. The Illini hit on a number of key recruits over the last several years, and pitchers all seem to get better once they arrive on campus. The results speak for themselves.

“Coach Hartleb says, ‘Drew, it’s the best pitching staff I’ve ever seen at Illinois. It’s going to be a tough problem but a good problem to have,’ ” Dickinson said. “There’s just not innings to go around.

“The state of Illinois has unbelievable talent, and big schools try to come up and pluck talent all the time. But if we can make kids see, ‘Hey, I don’t need to leave to go to Omaha,’ then we can have a staff like this every year. That’s my goal.”

Dodgertown Classic Preview: Four Thoughts

1. Time to test Vanderbilt’s mettle.

It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the defending champions over the first three weeks of the season. The Commodores won hard-fought series against Santa Clara, Indiana State and Illinois State over the first two weeks, dropping games to the Broncos and Sycamores, and storming back from a 10-0 deficit Sunday to complete a sweep of the Redbirds. The ’Dores have shown plenty of moxie during their 10-2 start, and they have done it without one of the nation’s best arms in junior righthander Walker Buehler, who made his season debut Tuesday with two hitless innings against Evansville. Expect to see Buehler at some point this weekend—probably Sunday against TCU. That will be one of the featured attractions of the best tournaments on the 2015 schedule.

Vandy’s rotation has been fluid so far, with Friday starter Carson Fulmer as the only constant. Fulmer had his best outing of the young season last week against Illinois State, striking out 11 and allowing just two hits and three walks over six shutout innings. Friday he’ll take on No. 4 UCLA and fellow junior righthander James Kaprielian in a true marquee matchup. Vandy will start sophomore lefthander John Kilichowski on Saturday at Southern California; he threw 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just two hits, last week against Illinois State, and he is providing some stability for the rotation while hard-throwing Tyler Ferguson continues to battle poor control. For now, lefty Philip Pfeifer appears entrenched at the back of the bullpen, while sophomore righty Hayden Stone’s status is uncertain (he hasn’t pitched since starting and throwing three shutout innings Feb. 24 against Tennessee-Martin). Pfeifer and Jordan Sheffield give the Commodores two power arms at the back of the bullpen, and Buehler’s return could help the rotation realize its potential as the nation’s best.

We still believe in the premier talent and depth of the Vanderbilt pitching staff, even though it has not yet completely clicked. But the offense has caught fire over the last six games, scoring nine of more runs in five of them, and 16 runs in three separate games. The top half of the lineup is very dangerous with Bryan Reynolds, Rhett Wiseman, Dansby Swanson, Zander Wiel and Will Toffey all locked in.

Vandy gets by far its stiffest test of the young season this weekend, facing a pair of top-six teams and a pitching-rich USC club that is off to a 12-1 start, albeit against a soft schedule. If Vanderbilt is truly the nation’s best team, we’ll find out this weekend.

2. Traver time.

Coming into the season, TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle talked about redshirt sophomore righthander Mitchell Traver as an X-factor. A 6-foot-9, 255-pound fireballer with tantalizing upside, Traver was limited by injury to one appearance over his first two years in Fort Worth, but he turned a corner in the Northwoods League last summer, and Schlossnagle thought he had a chance to emerge as a true ace if he could harness his potential.

“His last start in the fall, he threw five no-hit innings and didn’t throw a fastball under 93. But he’s thrown one-third of an inning in college,” Schlossnagle said in January. “I could see a scenario where Traver continues to muddle along and doesn’t do anything, or a scenario he becomes the Friday night starter. We’ve talked about that guy for two years, and he’s been healthy for eight or nine months now. He’s a wild card for sure.”

Traver started the season in a midweek starter role and has been utterly dominant, going 2-0, 0.00 with 18 strikeouts and one walk in 16 innings. His fastball has been electric, but most importantly, he has been able to command it.

With lefthander Tyler Alexander struggling, the Horned Frogs are making a change in their rotation this weekend, calling upon Traver to start Friday night at USC. The rotation for the rest of the weekend remains undecided, but there is a solid chance lefthander Alex Young will go Saturday at UCLA and ace Preston Morrison will start Sunday against No. 1 Vandy at Dodger Stadium. The Frogs hope Traver can give them another strong outing Friday to keep the bullpen fresh. His outing will be one of the more interesting things to watch this weekend.

3. Finally, a true test for the Trojans.

USC raced out to a 12-0 start before dropping a midweek game against UC Santa Barbara, but it’s hard to know what to make of the Trojans because their weekend schedule has been extremely soft over the first two weeks. USC has dominated 0-7 Towson, 0-8 Oakland and 1-8 Fordham, three overmatched cold-weather opponents.

We projected Southern California as a regional team heading into the year, and this weekend we’ll get a better feel for just how good this team is. The weekend rotation has been very strong thus far, allowing the Trojans to stick with Kyle Davis at the back of the bullpen. This weekend, they’ll start junior righty Brent Wheatley (1-0, 2.12) on Friday against TCU, lefthander Kyle Twomey (3-0, 1.33) on Saturday against Vandy, and freshman righty Mitch Hart (2-0, 2.25) on Sunday against UCLA at Dodger Stadium. Twomey was one of the nation’s top recruits coming out of high school and flashed potential over his first two seasons at USC, but this year he has improved his strike-throwing considerably over his first three starts, as attested by his 19-6 strikeout-walk mark in 20.1 innings. I’m looking forward to seeing how his breaking ball has progressed in his start against the dangerous Commodores; he showed up on campus as primarily a fastball-changeup pitcher, but he has worked hard to add a better breaking ball to his arsenal. He has a chance to be drafted in the first two rounds if that pitch has really developed.

Hart was the headliner of this year’s recruiting class, and he has shown good feel for pitching with four offerings, including a 90-92 mph fastball, according to coach Dan Hubbs. Hubbs said Hart is still learning how to put hitters away, but his first few starts are encouraging. He’ll have his hands full against UCLA’s red-hot offense.

4. About that UCLA offense …

The Bruins scored 43 runs in their first three games against overmatched Hofstra, but they have continued to produce against better pitching the last two weeks, scoring 26 runs in three games against North Carolina’s elite staff and 23 runs in a sweep of Michigan State, which has a veteran staff. So the Bruins will be ready for the front-line arms they’ll see this weekend, starting with Fulmer.

Few hitters in college baseball have been hotter than UCLA junior outfielder Ty Moore, who enters the weekend hitting .511/.589/.600 with nine RBIs in 45 at-bats. Kevin Kramer (.426), Luke Persico (.360) and Chris Keck (.350) team with Moore to make UCLA very formidable in the top half of the lineup, though the bottom half has been less productive. Kramer, Moore and Keck are lefthanded, which is one reason it makes sense for TCU to throw lefty Alex Young against the Bruins on Saturday. Fulmer has a very good changeup and can handle lefthanded hitters well.

UCLA enters the weekend with an 11-1 record and also owns three solid midweek wins against Cal State Northridge (twice) and Long Beach State. With a winning weekend at Dodgertown, the Bruins can stake a claim as the nation’s best team heading into the conference play.

Houston College Classic Preview: Four Thoughts

1. Texas A&M Finally Gets Competition

There’s little doubt the Aggies are improved in a few areas this season, particularly offensively, where new hitting coach Will Bolt has transformed the Maroon & White into a more aggressive-oriented lineup. With that said, despite being just one of two power conference teams still undefeated (Virginia is the other), there are question marks about these Aggies for obvious reasons. Sure, the Aggies recorded a nice midweek win over Dallas Baptist earlier this week, but that was their first, yes, first quality victory, and they enter the weekend 265th nationally in Strength Of Schedule.

So, how will the Aggies handle a weekend filled with premier competition?

The Aggies are hitting .342 as a club and have slugged 17 homers with fast-rising shortstop turned outfielder Logan Taylor leading the charge. Taylor .405/.500/.644 has been a big-time power producer through 13 games with five homers and 11 RBIs. Preseason All-American Nick Banks .444/.500/.644 also is off to a terrific but not surprising start.

On the mound, the Aggies have more overall quality depth and power arms than usual, and no one right now is more decorated than physical lefthander A.J. Minter. Minter showed to be a big-time prospect over the summer, and has made quite an impressive transition from the bullpen to the Friday role in the absence of fellow lefty Tyler Stubblefield, who continues to rehab an ACL injury. Minter (0.56, 16 IP) will get a nice test against Nebraska to start the Houston College Classic, and is showing premium stuff thus far. Minter was been ranging from 92-95 mph with his fastball, touching 98 on multiple occasions despite colder than normal temperatures. His slider/cutter at 83-90 is a go-to offering for the talented lefty, while his changeup and curveball continue to make strides. Minter is evolving from a guy trying to punch hitters out into someone with potentially a true four-pitch mix.

2. Houston Has Will Tested

Remember before the season when we talked about how the Cougars were new to the idea of being one of the hunted? Well, the Cougars are starting to figure out what life is like when you’re one of the nation’s elite. The Cougars are getting tested at every turn, going 2-3 last week with a four-game series split with Columbia.

Jake Lemoine (Houston)

The Cougars hope to establish a little normalcy this weekend at Minute Maid Park, but it won’t be easy with the teams on the schedule, including LSU and Texas A&M. The Tigers, who lost to the Cougars in the Baton Rouge Regional final last year, will be ready for sophomore righthander Andrew Lantrip and the Cougars in the primetime Friday matchup, while UH will need to turn around quickly the next night against righthander Grayson Long and sizzling Texas A&M. UH finishes the weekend against Hawaii, and desperately hopes senior righthander Aaron Garza can get back on track. Garza has been very much hittable so far this spring and carries a 5.94 ERA into the tourney.

To no surprise, the Cougars have gotten a hot start from talented junior outfielder Kyle Survance, while newcomers Chris Iriart and Connor Wong are exceeding expectations. Iriart, who’s hitting .348, leads the team with three homers, while Wong is making the quick transition to big-time college baseball and is hitting .321 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

UH head coach Todd Whitting is about to find out a lot about his team this weekend.

3. LSU’s Young Guns Hit The Road

Much like the Aggies, their SEC counterparts, the Tigers will face their stiffest test of the season thus far this weekend at Minute Maid Park. The Tigers played Kansas and Boston College in three-game sets before facing Princeton last weekend . Still, LSU does enter the weekend with the nation’s 181st SOS, not exactly impressive.

Alex Lange (LSU)

The LSU offense, as very much expected, has been terrific with a .334 batting average and physical catcher Kade Scivicque .448/.486/.862 leading the charge with three homers and 10 RBIs, while Jake Fraley (.400) and Alex Bregman (.327) both are guys who can really make this offense go this weekend, especially the All-American shortstop.

On the mound, the Tigers have a rather unique situation with two freshmen in the weekend rotation in righthanders Alex Lange and Jake Godfrey. Lange has shown maturity beyond his years thus far, carrying a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings, along with 22 strikeouts and six walks, while Godfrey (1.26, 14.1 IP) has been solid despite not showing overpowering stuff. The Tigers, of course, love sure-handed lefthander and veteran Jared Poche, who will sit in the mid-to-upper 80s with his fastball with quality secondary stuff.

It’s nice to see the Tigers willing to leave Baton Rouge before SEC play begins next weekend. That being said, expect a lot of Purple & Gold, along with maroon, in the stands.

4. Nebraska Looks To Impress

Life as a northern program can be rather tedious this time of year, but the Huskers appear to be putting the pieces together. Nebraska began the season with a tough road series loss to a quality UNLV club, but is since winners of five of its last seven contests, including a very impressive road series win over Loyola Marymount last weekend.

Darin Erstad (Nebraska)

Derek Burkamper shined against the Lions last weekend, while many eyes are on righthander Chance Sinclair this weekend. Sinclair gets the start in the tournament opener against Texas A&M, and he’s struggled thus far with a 5.74 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. Teams are hitting Sinclair, who allowed four runs in five innings last week, at an incredibly high .364 clip.

The good news for the Huskers?

Though the offensive numbers (.259) as a team aren’t overly impressive, this is a team waiting to bust out of their seams at the plate. Sophomore Ryan Boldt .459/.512/.568 is off to a not-so-surprising great start, while Steven Reveles (.216), Tanner Lubach (.188) and Austin Darby (.154) are all guys much more talented than their batting averages indicate. The feeling around Lincoln, Neb., is that the trio will regroup at some point, but this weekend would be good timing.

It could be a statement weekend for the Big Red.