2008 Reds Draft Info

[Mario-Rijo]

I wanna start a thread devoted strictly to useful info for as many players as possible drafted in '08. I know some things have already been covered but they are a bit spread out and so I wanna combine everything I can find as far as scouting reports, statistics, mechanical breakdowns...you get the picture anything useful. I'll make the 1st couple of picks a post to themselves as they should have plenty of info out there. Please feel free to add!

*Any Available video of prospects are here*:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/...r&ft=TM&fv=cin

[Mario-Rijo]

1st Round #7 Overall

Alonso, Yonder U Miami 1B L/R 6'02" 215 1987-04-08 JR #19

(Statistical breakdown career at UM)
http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/spor..._yonder00.html

MLB.com

Hitting Ability: Alonso looks like a professional hitter at the plate, a run producer with patience who's particularly good at going the other way.

Power: He's got above-average power, the kind that could generate 25-30 homers annually in the future. Right now, it's mostly to center and left-center, but as he gets older, he'll be able to turn on and pull pitches on the inner half of the plate

Running Speed: He's got below-average speed.

Base running: He's not a base-clogger, with good instincts on the basepaths.

Arm Strength: He's got a good arm at first.

Fielding: He's adequate at first, with decent hands that allow him to catch what's right at him.

Range: He has average range, fine for his position.

Physical Description: Alongso has a medium frame with a thick build. He's barrel-chested and solid throughout, having worked hard to tighten up his body.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: He's the kind of guy who will simply hit, with great plate discpline and plenty of power

Weaknesses: He's limited to first defensively and is only OK there.

Summary: Alonso or Smoak? Smoak or Alonso? It can be quite a debate over which college first baseman should go first on Draft day. Alonso is a hitter, period, with a great approach and power, especially the other way right now. Defensively, he's no great shakes, but it's that bat that teams will dream about putting in the middle of their lineup to produce plenty of runs in the future.

BA: (Free)

Scouting Report


The most dangerous slugger on one of the nation's top hitting college teams, Alonso has produced consistent offensive numbers for Miami in each of his three years. As a freshman he led the team with 69 RBIs, leading the Hurricanes to the College World Series.

As a sophomore, he led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 18 home runs, and finished the season with a .376 batting average. A native of Cuba, Alonso came to America at age 9. He was drafted out of Coral Gables (Fla.) High in the 16th round by the Twins in 2005.

Alonso has always hit for average and power, and he is considered one of the most professional hitters in this year's draft. Blessed with superior plate discipline, Alonso has a great strikeout-to-walk ratio and has an advanced approach. He swings lefthanded and has power to all fields, making consistent contact.

In the field, Alonso is limited to first base but plays the position well. He is a below-average runner with adequate arm strength, but he should be an above-average defender. Alonso's professionalism and makeup are both strengths as well, making him a safe pick to reach the major leagues.

PG Crosschecker:

SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): The best pure hitter in the Cape Cod League last summer, Alonso followed up a strong .376-18-74 sophomore season at Miami with a solid .338-4-25 campaign on the Cape. Those who saw him play every day said he had only one or two cheap hits all season. He has a quick bat and makes consistent hard contact. Alonso not only has a beautiful, compact, balanced swing and can center balls as a matter of routine, he has a patient, disciplined approach to hitting. Overall, he walked 100 times in 2007 (64 at Miami, a league-high 36 at Brewster), while striking out on a combined 56 occasions. He has yet to tap fully into his power potential, but he hits bombs in BP and drives balls hard to the gaps during games. He should develop into more of a legit home run threat as he turns on balls and lifts them more consistently. At this point in his development, he ranks behind only current big leaguers Pat Burrell and Ryan Braun as the best all-around hitters Miami has produced in the last two decades. Though he has solid arm strength with carry and has worked out at third base in pre-game drills and caught in the bullpen on occasion, Alonso doesn’t take his defense as seriously as his offense. He is pretty much limited to first base as he’s just an average athlete who needs to get himself in better shape. But he has good glove actions around the first-base bag, soft hands and good footwork.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/1): Alonso has been a rock all spring, hitting close to .400 with power (.382-16-53, 57 BB) despite being constantly pitched around in the powerful Hurricanes lineup. He projects as a solid mid-first round pick with a fast path to the big leagues.—DAVID RAWNSLEY

And an interesting read:

themiamihurricane.com

Yonder Alonso: the superstitious baseball player
First baseman does same warm ups, parks in same spot before each game
By: Patrick Pineyro // Contributing Sports Writer
Issue date: 2/16/07 Section: Sports

A lot of kids grow up playing sports, especially baseball. They play on little league teams, with parents in the stands cheering. Sophomore first baseman Yonder Alonso did just the same, but he was also lucky enough to watch his father play catcher and first base professionally in Cuba. Alonso spent his childhood cheering on his father. Now the tables have turned, and Alonso's father is the one who sits in the stands and watches his son start for the Miami Hurricanes.

At the age of eight, Alonso moved to Hialeah, Fla. For years he played ball with current teammates, such as pitcher Jason Santana and second baseman Jemile Weeks.

"We've grown up together," Alonso said. "We know each other and how we play."

Alonso admits he didn't know much about college baseball growing up, but he knew he wanted to get recruited for a respected Division I team. He and Weeks, among others, pushed each other to play better from a young age and the result of their strong fundamental knowledge of the game and advanced skill level is a spot on the No.5 team in the country.

But landing a spot in a top collegiate club isn't the only thing that Alonso has already accomplished. As a freshman, Alonso was part of the 'Canes team that beat 'Ole Miss in the Super Regionals, a significant win that led Miami to its 22nd College World Series berth. He went 1-4 in that game with one RBI.

"I felt like that was something huge for me," Alonso said. "Coming here, the goal was to play in the College World Series, and last year we did that."

With a roster that has promising young talent like the 'Canes do, it will most likely not be Alonso's last trip to Omaha.

On top of his performances on the field, Alonso has also proved that he can meet the academic challenges at the University. He was named a UM Bookbuster after achieving a GPA above 3.0 in his first semester.

Like many athletes, Alonso is quite superstitious when it comes to his sport.

"Oh man, we could talk about [superstitions] all day," he said.

After the win against 'Ole Miss, Alonso told his parents to watch the College World Series games with the same exact people at home, believing that their position during the game had something to do with his success.

Every time Alonso warms up, he does the same stretches. He takes the same road to campus on the way to a game and parks in the same spot. Unless, that is, he has a bad game and then his whole routine changes. He'll pick a different parking spot or maybe avoid US-1 on the way to school and take a completely different route.

So far this season, however, Alonso has been parking in the same spot. He is 4-6 with a home run in Miami's two losses and maintains a batting average of .667, showing that he can be a threat in the middle of the 'Canes lineup.

Despite the excitement of his young college career, Alonso remains focused on his future goals.

"Of course, I think every baseball player has aspirations in the Major Leagues," Alonso said. "I want that chance. It's very hard, but I feel like I could do it."

[Mario-Rijo]

3rd Round #84 Overall

Stewart, Zachary Texas Tech U RHP R/R 6'02" 205 1986-09-28 JR #25

2008 Stats:
[PHP]ERA W-L APP GS SV IP H R ER BB SO 2B 3B HR AB B/Avg WP HBP BK
4.98 3-2 20 3 3 47.0 48 28 26 21 43 15 0 5 179 .268 4 1 0[/PHP]


MLB.com

Fastball: Stewart showed plus, plus velocity, throwing his fastball in the 95-97 mph range.

Fastball movement: It had plus life as well.

Slider: He showed a slider that was average-to-plus and threw it with good deception.

Control: He had plus command, particularly of his fastball.

Poise: He has a closer mentality, very aggressive and going right after hitters.

Physical Description: Stewart isn't all that big, but he's strong-bodied and his stuff plays big as does his bulldog mentality.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Two plus power pitches and command of both of them. He has the right demeanor to be a closer.

Weaknesses: Having played at three colleges in three years, there's no real track record.

Summary: College closers have become all the rage lately, with some getting drafted early every year. Stewart could be in that group in 2008. The Texas Tech reliever relies on a plus fastball and slider and commands both power offerings well. He's got the kind of makeup you want in a short reliever, a guy who is very aggressive and goes right after hitters. The stuff plus the mentality could push Stewart into early-round consideration.

PG Crosschecker:

SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): After a year at Division II Angelo State (Texas) and another at North Central Texas JC, where he went 8-3, 2.29 as a starter in 2007, Stewart has taken over as the closer at Texas Tech this spring. It’s a role he’s cut out to perform as he has an aggressive demeanor and doesn’t give in to hitters. He was Texas Tech’s best arm filling that role in the early going. He displays good sinking action on an 89-93 mph fastball that tails away from lefthanded hitters and bores in or righthanders. The pitch produces a steady stream of ground-ball outs. He also gets slurve-like action on a 75-77 mph slider and gets occasional sink on his changeup, normally a 74-76 mph offering. He has no mechanical faults, but needs work on refining his slider and change.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Stewart’s unsightly 4.98 ERA (to go with a 3-2 record and three saves) was blown up during his first start of the season (of three total) on April 25 when he allowed a nine-run inning to Oklahoma. He was auditioned as a starter late in the season, in part to give scouts an extended look as he got few opportunities to work in a closer role on a struggling Texas Tech team. Stewart is clearly a reliever and his ability in that role cast him into the first two rounds of the draft. He was steadily 92-95 mph all spring with outstanding sinking life on his fastball.—DAVID RAWNSLEY

TT Red Raiders site:

Prior to Texas Tech
Played one season at Angelo State University before transferring to North Central Texas College in 2006...First-Team All-Conference and Second-Team All-Region selection last season at North Central Texas College

High School
A 2005 graduate of Holliday High School in Holliday, Texas...lettered in baseball, basketball, football, track and tennis...coached in baseball by Terry Wolf...helped lead his team to the state tournament all four years of high school and was state finalists three of those years...was an All-State selection his junior and senior seasons.

Personal
Born on Sept. 28, 1986 in Wichita Falls, Texas to parents Ken and Robin Stewart...has one younger brother, Ty...enjoys fishing and hunting...majoring in psychology.

An interesting read:

Lubbock Online

Stewart gives Tech strength in its bullpen
By George Watson | AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Friday, March 14, 2008
Story last updated at 3/14/2008 - 2:17 am

It wasn't hard to look at last year's Texas Tech baseball team and find one glaring weakness that played a direct role in its miserable season.

Tech's inability to close out games on the mound may have made more of a direct impact on the Red Raiders sitting home for the Big 12 Tournament with a last-place finish than any other problem area in 2007. That's why when fall workouts started, the Tech coaching staff had already pegged junior transfer Zach Stewart as the designated closer.

He's done nothing to diminish his coaches confidence in his ability in that role. He has helped stabilize the back end of the Red Raider bullpen heading into today's Big 12 Conference opener at Texas A&M.

"I'm getting to where I feel more comfortable," said Stewart, who earned the team's only two saves of the year in back-to-back outings against Northern Illinois and New Mexico. "The last three games I've struggled a little bit and got the ball up some, but I was able to battle through it and had some good outings. Now I'm getting more used to it."

And the Red Raiders (8-6) are getting more used to the ability of going to Stewart earlier than normal when turning to a closer.

In earning those two saves, he was extended heavily, pitching 21/3 innings both times with just one day of rest between them. He allowed a couple of hits but struck out four among the nine batters he faced against Northern Illinois, then Tuesday at New Mexico worked out of two bases-loaded jams. He allowed three walks and three hits, but more importantly, no runs to the Lobos.

"He's done very well," Tech coach Larry Hays said. "But baseball has a way of checking to see if you've got everything, and we're going down (to A&M) and we like what he's done, but he's got to continue to pitch well. That's what's fun about baseball is it's what you do today that counts. We've got the ingredients there where if we stay healthy to be stable in a situation like that."

Tech was in plenty of those situations last year but faltered. Five times during Big 12 Conference play the Red Raiders led in the seventh inning or later only to give up the lead and lose. Had Tech had an effective closer, it could have meant the difference between an 8-18 finish and a 13-13 mark and one of the top five seeds in the Big 12 Tournament. That would have put the Red Raiders in contention for an NCAA playoff berth instead of ending the season in last place.

That may be why the Tech coaching staff was so quick to identify Stewart as the most likely closer candidate, and why new pitching coach Dan Spencer has placed so much emphasis on a solid bullpen.

Neither Stewart nor Hays was concerned about the wear on Stewart's arm with two lengthy outings in such close proximity. Stewart credited his days as a starter at North Central Texas College the past two years with his ability to handle large workloads on his arm. Stewart has had one other two-inning outing this year, but his fastball was also clocked in the mid- to high-90s during the Minute Maid Classic in Houston two weeks ago.

The consecutive long-relief outings came after he had made just five appearances and thrown six innings in those appearances. The only run he's allowed all season was a meaningless home run in the ninth against Central Arkansas last week, giving Stewart the team lead in ERA at 0.84.

"It was hard because I wasn't getting as many innings as I did last year and I was having more trouble keeping my arm in shape than I usually have," Stewart said. "As far as the save situations I didn't have a real good grasp of how that would be. There's a lot less room for error, it seems like. Usually (a closer) is coming in starting with nobody on but most of the time I'm starting with two or three guys on. It's a lot less innings but a lot tougher situations."

This weekend, however, may see Stewart in the more traditional closer role if the Red Raiders have a chance late in the game, meaning a late eight-inning or ninth-inning appearance to finish a game off instead of the lengthy relief outings he's had the last two times.

"It doesn't always work out that way but we want to have him available," Hays said. "Just because you have (a closer) you're not necessarily going to get to use it, and he's got to be ready when we have those opportunities. When you hit them you want to take advantage of them."

[Mario-Rijo]

4th Round #119 Overall

Cline, Tyler Cass HS (GA) RHP R/R 6'02" 220 1990-06-24 HS #13

PG Crosschecker:

SCOUTING REPORT: Cline is a big, barrel-chested, country-strong type of athlete. He’ll throw up to 92 mph from a free-wheeling delivery with some effort at release, and the most notable thing about his fastball isn’t its velocity but the hard, late running life it gets into righthanded hitters. Cline has struggled to control his fastball at times because of all the movement. He tends to lower his release point on his curveball but will get sharp spin and good velocity on the pitch at times. Cline is a non-qualifier who has signed with Middle Georgia JC, which should help his draft status in this area.—DAVID RAWNSLEY

[Mario-Rijo]

5th Round #149 Overall

Shunick, Clayton North Carolina St U RHP R/R 6'01" 175 1986-09-10 JR

PG Crosschecker:

SCOUTING REPORT: N.C. State had such an arsenal of draftable arms entering the 2008 season that the possibility existed that 8-10 could be drafted. Shunick was mentioned near the bottom of that group after going 6-3, 6.15 in mainly a relief role a year ago, but no one did more to improve his stock this spring. Used in a starting role, he responded with a 7-5, 2.12 record with 100 strikeouts in 89 innings as the Wolfpack entered post-season play. He also walked just 21 and limited hitters to a .207 average. Shunick threw strikes more consistently this year, but the biggest difference was in the development of a nasty split-finger fastball thrown in the 89-92 range that wobbled, swerved and darted almost at will as it reached the plate, and routinely missed the barrel of bats. His curve and changeup are acceptable secondary pitches, but his ability to mix them with his fastball was a contributing factor in his overnight success. –ALLAN SIMPSON

Cape Cod Team:
http://www.orleanscardinals.com/shunick.html

RHP Clayton Shunick Is Excited To Be Back For 2007
Returning Cardinals Pitcher Represented Orleans In Last Year's All-Star Game


June 27, 2007
By: Brett Brecheisen - Orleans Cardinals Intern


The 2007 Orleans Cardinals have a completely new look. Each summer there are many players that come and go. It’s not very common for a player to make his way back to Orleans for more than one season. In fact, only two Cardinals from the 2006 squad have returned for this summer.

One of those returning players is pitcher Clayton Shunick. Originally a temporary player last year, Shunick made sure his presence was felt as he was one of four players who represented the Orleans Cardinals in the All-Star Game hosted by Yarmouth-Dennis.

Whereas a lot of players get recruited to play in the Cape Cod League, Shunick was quite the opposite. Playing his freshman year at Georgia State, a small Division 1 school in Atlanta that does not have a lot of baseball history, he felt like no one really knew about him.

“I went to the league tryout and Cardinals General Manager Sue Horton was generous enough to offer me a temporary contract here. I took it and did pretty good. I ended up getting a permanent contract and made the All-Star team,” Shunick said about his trip from unknown to All-Star.

The season that Clayton had last summer not only earned him a trip to the All-Star Game but it landed him with a better baseball program, as well. While he was on the Cape during the summer he was given an attractive transfer offer from North Carolina State, which plays in the highly regarded Atlantic Coast Conference.

“Georgia State had its ups and downs. After awhile I just kind of decided that I needed to move on to a better program. We were losing games and I felt like I was pitching well but didn’t have support and I just felt like I needed to go somewhere a little bit better,” he said.

At NC State, Shunick was able to compete against some of the best talent in the country in a full college season. Pitching for the Wolfpack, he was tied for the team lead in wins, was third on the team in strikeouts, and second in fewest home runs allowed. The right-handed sophomore posted a 6-3 record with a 6.15 ERA.

His 2006 success with the Cardinals, however, built Shunick’s confidence and put away any doubts about whether he was good enough to pitch at a higher level.

“I felt like I really was able to control my fastball really good and mix speeds last summer. It was kind of re-assuring that I could pitch against any kind of competition,” he said.

Clayton grew up in Alpharetta, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. Playing at Chattahoochee HS, he accomplished pretty much everything any high school baseball player would want. After sitting out his junior year because of elbow trouble, Shunick went on to win the Georgia 5A Pitcher of the Year Award while he led his school to the 5A State Baseball Championship. Shunick threw the second game of the three-game championship series and led his team to victory in what was a must-win.

In addition to being an outstanding baseball player, Clayton, has several other interests as well. Some of his favorite hobbies include going out to the lake back home, playing golf, and hanging out with his friends. He is also very close to his family, particularly his 17-year-old sister, Brittany.

“She plays volleyball so if I’m ever home I try and make it to her games because she supported me a lot all throughout my baseball career so I feel like I should go out there and support her, too,” he said.

Shunick is certainly excited to be back for his second season in a Cardinals uniform and the coaching staff is thrilled to have him back, as well.

“Clayton is a kid of good character and a hard worker and we’re going to look to him to be a leader of this staff as a returning guy,” Field Manager Kelly Nicholson said. “He is going to continue to get better when he locates his fastball, changes speed, and gets that slider going,” he added.

That fastball and slider is what is keeping hitters from figuring out Shunick. The right-hander has started two games in the early 2007 season for Orleans and has posted a remarkable 2.89 ERA. His last start came on June 25 at Wareham where he threw five innings and only allowed one unearned run. Shunick was the winning pitcher, evening his record at 1-1.

Clayton is also extremely happy with the places he has chosen to play for the remainder of his college career, Orleans and Raleigh.

“The fans are the best part of baseball in Orleans. You get some of the best crowds in the league. It’s really nice to see a lot of people out here supporting the Cardinals. The atmosphere in Raleigh is also really great. I’ve really grown to love the city,” he said.

Shunick will continue to seek his second Cape League All-Star Game appearance when he takes the hill next week. He is scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday, July 3 when the Cardinals travel again to Wareham.

[Mario-Rijo]

6th Round #179 Overall

Buchholz, Alexander U Delaware SS R/R 6'00" 185 1987-09-30 JR #12

Career Stats breakdown here:

http://www.statstud.com/playerstatss...t=hitter&a=avg

Pitching Stats included here: (Scroll Down)

http://www.udel.edu/sportsinfo/baseb...-buchholz.html

PG Crosschecker:

SCOUTING REPORT (3/1): Buchholz has had two high-profile seasons at Delaware, batting .378-18-64 as a freshman and .387-11-63 as a sophomore. He didn’t hit quite to that level last summer in the Cal Ripken Sr. League (.270-1-21), but he nonetheless led Youse’s Maryland Orioles to its fifth straight All-American Amateur Baseball Association title. He impressed scouts with his bat speed and power to all fields. While he spent most of his first two college seasons at second base, Buchholz played third base last summer and displayed the best infield arm in the Cal Ripken Sr. League. He was expected to continue to play third base his junior year at Delaware, but began the 2008 season on familiar ground at second base. He has the power numbers to profile at the hot corner, though they may be enhanced somewhat since Delaware plays in a bandbox.—ALLAN SIMPSON

UPDATE (5/15): Buchholz played the bulk of the 2008 season at shortstop for Delaware—more on team need than design, but he may have enhanced his profile as a potential utility player in the process. He has good hands and graceful actions in the middle, but his arm was a little short from the hole though is very playable at second, his best position. He showed a quick, aggressive, compact stroke but had an inclination to be too home-run happy this spring as he pressed to hit the long ball more consistently like he did his first two seasons. He hit just five long balls this year, while batting.319. Despite a pronounced dip in offensive production, scouts have little doubt Buchholz will hit.—AS

U of Delaware Player Bio:

#12
Alex Buchholz
Junior
Infielder
Millersville, MD/Old Mill

At Delaware: Will start at third base for the Blue Hens • named a Louisville Slugger First-Team Preseason All-American • selected to the Wallace Award Watch List • enters 2008 season ranked No. 9 all-time at Delaware with a .383 career batting average.

2007: Continued his stellar career by leading the team with a .387 batting average, 63 RBI, and 27 doubles • his 92 hits also were the third most by any Blue Hen in a single season • recorded at least one hit in 50 of the team’s 55 games • had 30 multi-hit efforts • started the season on an 11-game hitting streak and later added a career-best 19-game run • had the finest game of his career against Wilimington College on March 14 after going 5-for-5 with two home runs, six RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base • split time at three places in the infield • turned the program’s first unassisted triple play against Hofstra on March 24 • earned second-team All-CAA honors and third-team PingBaseball.com All-American accolades • named to the second-team Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American squad before earning the Blue Hens’ MVP award • earned a place on the CAA All-Tournament team after hitting .348 with eight RBI and three runs scored in the conference championship • played alongside teammate Kyle Davis for Youse’s Maryland Orioles of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League • finished tied for the team lead with nine steals and was second on the squad with a .270 batting average. Outstanding offensive and defensive player who was named a Louisville Slugger 2nd Team Preseason All-American.

2006: Enjoyed one of the most spectacular freshman seasons in Delaware baseballl history • hit .378 with a team-high 18 home runs and tied for the team lead with 64 RBI • twice named CAA Rookie of the Week • tied school record by hitting three home runs at James Madison on March 18 • registered 29 multiple hit games and 17 multiple RBI games • also posted a 13 game hitting streak • helped out on pitching mound for injury ravaged Delaware staff, going 2-0 with two saves and a 4.91 ERA • named CAA Rookie of the Year, first team All-CAA, Baseball America National All-Freshman Team, Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American, 2nd Team ABCA All-East Region and UD Team Rookie of the Year.

High School: Three-year letterwinner in baseball at Old Mill High School for coach Mel Montgomery • made first team all-state as a senior • holds school record for at-bats, hits, singles, doubles, runs scored and second in school history with a .472 batting average • also lettered in soccer and basketball at Old Mill • once made 11 three-pointers in a game • National Honor Society member.

Personal: Alexander "Alex" Glenn Buchholz ("buck-holz") • son of Dennis Buchholz and Kenneth and Rebecca Smith • brother, Matt, played baseball for UMBC • business management major at Delaware.

[camisadelgolf]

Thak you for the effort. Maybe this should be a sticky for a couple weeks? There are going to be a lot of threads with sentences that begin with, "Isn't he the guy the Reds drafted who . . . ?"

[edabbs44]

15th rounder from NJ - Erc Pfisterer

UPDATE: Bosco perfect in winning state title
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Last updated: Sunday June 8, 2008, EDT 12:18 PM
BY ANDREW GROSS STAFF WRITER

TOMS RIVER – Eric Pfisterer begged for a few seconds to recover.

All around, his Don Bosco teammates were celebrating their Non-Public A state championship Saturday at Toms River North – a 5-4 win over Christian Brothers Academy to cap a historic perfect season. But after separating himself from the jubilant pile, the senior left-hander rolled to his back, staring up at the sun and the 100-degree rays it blasted onto the diamond.

“We knew it would be a battle,” Pfisterer said. “We knew it would take the heart of a champion to get out of it today.”

So Don Bosco (33-0) completed its trifecta – a State title, the honor of being the first undefeated Bergen team since Hackensack went 17-0 in 1950 as well as its third straight Bergen County tournament championship last weekend.

“It’s mind-numbing it’s so overwhelming,” senior catcher Ben Luderer said. “That this team plays 33 games and doesn’t lose one, especially against some very legitimate competition. It’s overwhelming.”

Pfisterer (10-0) earned the victory with four innings of relief, allowing five hits and an unearned run, after senior right-hander Mike Dennhardt, pitching on three days rest, labored through three innings in the heat

“Neither had their best stuff,” Luderer said. “The weather took a huge toll today.”

“(Pfisterer) picked me up in the game,” said Dennhardt, who left trailing 2-1 after junior Dan Avella launched a solo home run to right with two outs in the first and junior Zach Tanenbaum scored on a wild pitch in the second. “There’s nothing more I could ask for from this season.”

Luderer scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth after leading off with a single to right.

He then went to second on junior Chris Picyk’s single and wound up scoring when CBA (20-9) botched a pickoff attempt at first. Picyk went 2 for 3 – he was ruled out in the second when senior courtesy runner Mike O’Keefe was called for runner’s interference at second – with an RBI-double in Don Bosco’s three-run fourth.

The Ironmen found a way despite their first three batters – senior Michael Vargas and juniors Anthony Gomez and Brett Knief collectively going an uncharacteristic 0 for 10. Senior cleanup hitter Steve Proscia did go 3 for 3 with two doubles and two runs scored.

“It was probably because of how we played and how they played,” Luderer said as the teams combined for four errors. “They (CBA) really had nothing to lose.”

And the Colts didn’t until Pfisterer pitched out of one final jam in the seventh. He walked sophomore pinch-hitter Mike Hanlon on four pitches to start the inning and Avella followed with a single with Hanlon going to third on Gomez’s throwing error.

But senior Stephen McSherry popped out to second, Tanenbaum struck out swinging at a 1-2 pitch and senior John Himmelman – who had laced Pfisterer’s first pitch of the day into center for a double – bounced out to short.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Pfisterer, who, along with Dennhardt and Proscia were selected Friday in the Major League Baseball draft. “With everything that’s gone on in the last week, it’s been the best week of my life.”

E-mail: grossa@northjersey.com

http://www.northjersey.com/hssports/...ate_title.html

[Mario-Rijo]

If you use this link (the Bucholz stat link) and go to statstud.com and type your college player (most of them anyway) in the upper right corner and get a stats breakdown on most players here. Enjoy!

http://www.statstud.com/playerstatss...t=hitter&a=avg

[Mario-Rijo]

PG crosschecker finally updated their 1st 10 rounds analysis so here are the rest of our top ten that I didn't get before from them.

7th Rounder Pedro Villarreal:

SCOUTING REPORT: With shortstop Tyler Ladendorf as the primary attraction, remote Howard College was heavily-scouted this season. But Villarreal got limited looks in his role as a closer on a dominant team that won 24 games by 10 or more runs, before he was eventually was moved to a starting job late in the season to bail out an injury-riddled starting staff. Though he lacked polish, he thrived in his new role, pumping a fastball in the 93-95 mph range, while also showing the makings of a plus slider and changeup. His 3-1, 6.67 record with four saves, along 25 walks and 24 strikeouts in 27 innings did not come close to measuring up to the seasons assembled by Howard’s two primary starters, lefthanders Colt Simon (11-2) and Anthony Collazo (10-2), but Villarreal’s impressive velocity gave him a shot of being drafted earlier than those two arms. Villarreal has a scholarship to Texas-Pan American awaiting him if the draft does not pan out.—ALLAN SIMPSON

8th Round Cody Puckett:

SCOUTING REPORT: Puckett was the dominant offensive player this season in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, possibly the nation’s most competitive Division II conference. He topped the circuit in home runs (17), stolen bases (26), runs (61), walks (42), on-base average (.462) and slugging percentage (.644), while batting 337 and knocking in 49 runs. It was a significant upgrade from 2007, when Puckett topped Dominguez Hills in homers with 11 while batting .313 with 28 RBIs. Of most significance, he walked only 11 times a year ago while stealing just six bases. Puckett is a solid player across the board with no real strengths, but no obvious weaknesses. His strength is his aggressive approach to the game, both at the plate and on the bases. He has a quick, compact bat with good extension, and surprisingly good pop for his size. Though he has quick, soft hands and an average arm with good carry, he committed 33 errors this season and scouts believe a switch to second base or third may be in the works at the pro level.—ALLAN SIMPSON

9th Round David Sappelt:

SCOUTING REPORT: Sappelt was named the Big South Conference player of the year in 2007 after hitting .359-10-50 and setting a school record with 99 hits. Still, his talent has been slow to grow on scouts. They viewed him as an undersized righthanded hitter with questionable strike-zone knowledge and a below-average arm for the better part of the 2008 season, but Sappelt got hot at the plate late in the year and assembled another impressive season with a .336 average, 20 doubles, 15 homers and 57 RBIs (entering the Big South Conference tournament). He also showed better plate discipline (28 BB, 21 SO) and made significant strides as a defensive player while settling into center field. He still had his detractors, but he appeared to do enough this season to warrant a shot. More than anything, scouts will have to buy into his bat.—ALLAN SIMPSON

10th Round Sean Conner:

SCOUTING REPORT: In terms of tools and body type, Conner reminds scouts of Boston Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew. He swings from the left side, has raw power to all fields and an above-average right field arm. He’s always had the raw tools to play at the pro level but became a legitimate prospect this season as he made huge strides at the plate. He generated good bat speed while shortening his swing and driving the ball the other way with more authority. He topped Palm Beach JC, a nationally-ranked program much of the 2008 season, in homers (9) and RBIs (43), while batting .326. He has committed to play at NAIA power Lubbock Christian as a junior, but has expressed a greater desire to sign.—ALLAN SIMPSON

[OnBaseMachine]

Good stuff there. Villarreal sounds interesting.

[Mario-Rijo]

Good stuff there. Villarreal sounds interesting.

Yeah and Conner sounds a lot more intriguing than before.

[camisadelgolf]

Is that the same Allan Simpson who DanO acquired and was later released during WayK's tenure?

[Kc61]

Thanks for posting all this stuff and keep it coming.

[icehole3]

Sappelt is like Hopper with power