Jake Lemoine (Houston)

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Top 25 Breakdown: No. 7 Houston

2014 Record: 48-18. RPI: 9.

Coach (Record at school): Todd Whitting (129-107-1) four seasons.

Postseason History: 19 Regional appearances, 2 CWS trips (last in 1967.

Houston's Projected Lineup

2015 Lineup Pos. Name, Yr. AVG/OBP/SLG HR RBI SB C Ian Rice, Jr. Tr. -- Chipola (Fla.) JC 1B Justin Montemayor, Jr. .298/.345/.371 1 31 0 2B Josh Vidales, Jr. .285/.388/.306 0 31 11 3B Connor Hollis, So. .321/.415/.358 0 8 1 SS Connor Wong, Fr. HS --Pearland, Texas LF Michael Pyeatt, Sr. .297/.374/.360 1 21 5 CF Ashford Fulmer, Jr. .267/.319/.380 4 32 12 RF Kyle Survance, Jr. .308/.411/.391 2 32 31 DH Chris Iriart, Jr. Tr. -- Orange Coast (Calif.) JC

Pos. Name, Yr. W-L ERA IP SO BB SV RHP Aaron Garza, Sr. 9-5 2.92 108 57 11 0 RHP Jake Lemoine, Jr. 6-8 2.87 106.2 87 29 0 RHP Andrew Lantrip, So. 6-0 1.87 43.1 33 7 7 RP Patrick Weigel, Jr. Tr. -- Oxnard (Calif.) JC

SEE ALSO: Five Questions With Houston’s Todd Whitting

Hitting: 60. Though the Cougars lost their leading hitter in Casey Grayson and key veteran Frankie Ratcliff, this still is expected to be an improved offense. The Cougars love what Survance, Fulmer and Pyeatt bring to the table, while even Hollis, who has flown under the radar thus far in his career, finished last season on a high note and is expected to take another step forward. The switch-hitting Vidales is a scrappy and relentless competitor who should build off his .285 batting average from last season, while Montemayor is the one I expect to make the biggest leap. Sure, Montemayor finished ’14 with a .298 batting average, but there’s a lot more in that physical and talented tank of his. Newcomers Wong, Iriart and Rice are worth watching, too, with all three possessing some pop in their bat, especially Rice and Iriart.

Power: 50. The Cougars definitely have some power options with this club, but we’re still in wait-and-see mode with this lineup. Houston lost its leading power hitter from last year in Grayson (six homers), while overall, the Cougars are without 9 of their 17 homers from the previous season. That’s not to say they can’t improve, but they’re fighting an uphill battle. UH strongly feels Fulmer and Survance will have better seasons from a power standpoint, especially Fulmer, who has deceptive power. Montemayor didn’t show much home run power last season, but finished second on the team in doubles with 15, so he’s shown gap-to-gap power. Junior college transfers Iriart and Rice could be the different from a power standpoint, both showing good upside in the fall.

Speed: 65. The Cougars will have a chance to drive opposing pitchers crazy this spring with their combination of athleticism, strength and solid speed. UH has a couple of dirtbag/scrappy players in Vidales and Pyeatt, while burners Fulmer and Survance are dangerous on the basepaths—the two combined for 43 stolen bases in 2014. Overall, UH’s lineup is scary because of its sheer balance and athleticism.

Defense: 60. UH has the potential to be an elite defensive team as the season progresses. The Cougars might miss Caleb Barker a bit behind the plate, but Rice makes up for it with his offense, and his arm actually drew some good reviews during fall workouts. The Cougars will be extra steady up the middle with veteran Vidales and Wong, the young but very talented shortstop, leading the way. Both players are advanced defenders, with Wong being one of the elite defenders in high school last year. UH also has a very athletic outfield with Fulmer, Survance and Michael Pyeatt. Fulmer is an elite athlete with a good combination of speed and strength. Meanwhile, Survance made waves at the Cape Cod League last summer, and is another skilled outfielder with veteran instincts.

RHP Aaron Garza (UH Athletics)

Starting rotation: 65. We’re going rather bullish with the Houston weekend rotation from a grading standpoint, but I think the sky is the limit for this trio of talented starters, plus midweek starter and RHP David Longville, a sinker/slider type of pitcher who stepped up in some big situations down the stretch last year. The Cougars got an early gift when Garza, the talented righty, decided to return for his senior season. Garza isn’t going to blow anyone away with his pitches, but he’s got good command, a decent slider and just has a nice three-pitch mix. Lemoine is the bell cow of the pitching staff. The hard-nosed righty had a strong sophomore campaign, and also earned good reviews while playing for USA Baseball last summer. Lemoine has a lively arm and the ability to hold his velocity on a fastball that reaches 94-95, along with a slider that often is a plus offering for the potential first-round pick. Lantrip, who is coming off a good summer and fall, sits in the low 90s with his fastball, and showcases a quality slider.

Bullpen: 55. The Cougars undoubtedly will miss the always consistent arms of Tyler Ford and Chase Wellbrock, but this bullpen still looks solid on paper, and could even form into an elite unit if junior college transfer Weigel can make the transition to Division I Baseball. Weigel, a big-framed, 6-foot-5, 222-pounder, has an electric arm, getting up to 99 during Houston’s fall workouts. But in the past, command has kept him from reaching his goals. Robinson has a good changeup and is very good in a long relief role, while the Cougars are excited about RHP Bubba Maxwell, who made a jump in the fall and got his velocity up to 92-93 mph. The Cougars also really like young LHP Seth Romero. Romero still needs to refine his stuff a bit, just like most freshman, but he’s a low-to-mid 90s arm with good overall command.

Experience/Intangibles: 65. Whitting and his coaching staff feel very good about this team from an experience and makeup standpoint. The Cougars nearly made it to the College World Series for the first time since the 1960s last year, but fell just short against in-state rival Texas. Now, the Cougars know exactly what’s needed to take that next step as a program. The Cougars will miss the leadership of someone like Barker, but the team still is in very good shape with gritty and productive Survance, and a potentially elite starting rotation leading the charge. I really like the battles this Cougars team has been through over the past year, and that’ll help them take the next step.