4/24/10

DRAFT: Matt Purke, Aaron Jones, Blake Cooper, Austin Wood... and Rick Hague

Matt Purke:

4-21-10 from: - http://collegebaseball360.com/2010/04/21/tcus-purke-invited-to-usa-baseball-trials  - TCU pitcher Matt Purke has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2010 National Team Trials. Purke will join Kyle Winkler, who accepted an early invite in January, at the trials, which take place in Cary, N.C. The trials are set to begin on July 5 and run through July 11 when the final roster will be announced. Purke has enjoyed success in his freshman campaign. The freshman is 5-0 in nine starts this season. He has posted a 3.47 ERA in 49 1/3 innings pitched. Purke ranks second in the Mountain West with 60 strikeouts and is limiting opponents to a .233 batting average.

Aaron Jones:

4-21 from: - http://baseballbeginnings.com/2010/04/21/stefan-sabol-update/#more-5579  - San Clemente catcher Aaron Jones has helped himself this spring with very solid performances. This was my first look at him since the workout at the Compton Academy. Jones hits out of a wide stance that may or may not need to be closed up in the coming years. He hits against a very firm front side, plants that foot, lets his hips work for him, and generates lift in his swing. He finishes with a two-handed upper-cut. I foresee power potential for this player in the coming years, though I would not expect him to become a high average hitter in the higher pro levels. This means I can see him as an average major league hitter, which is more than enough.

Blake Cooper:

4-20 from: - http://thecollegebaseballblog.com/2010/04/20/sec-players-of-the-week-9  - PITCHER OF THE WEEK - Blake Cooper South Carolina Senior RHP Neeses, S.C. - • Cooper tossed a complete game shutout with a four-hitter in the 5-0 win vs. nationally ranked Ole Miss on Friday, April 16… He is only the second SEC pitcher to record a complete game shutout this year and the first this season to do it in SEC play… Cooper struck out a career-high 10 batters in the victory, his fifth complete game of his career but his first career complete game shutout. • He allowed just four hits and one walk in the victory… The complete game shutout was the first by a Gamecock pitcher since Aaron Rawl on May 13, 2005 in a 2-0 win at Ole Miss.



Austin Wood:

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/4/23/1437780/25-additional-pitching-prospects   - , RHP, St. Petersburg Junior College - More and more teams are paying attention to the junior college ranks, and one of the best arms there this year is Wood, who has a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a workable slider and changeup. He has good size at 6-4, 220, but has problems with erratic command. He is relatively raw and will need development time, but has enough upside to go as high as the late second round.







Rick Hague

4-22-10 from: - http://www.mlbbonusbaby.com/2010/4/22/1435556/casing-the-states-texas-part-two  - SS, Rice - The bad news came down yesterday that Hague is moving off shortstop for the Owls. That is just one more nail in the coffin for Hague, who has had one of the worst draft years for a potential first round pick in recent history that hasn't involved an injury. Hague has been a well-known prospect for a number of years, and he was a late-round pick of the Brewers coming out of high school in suburban Houston, though he could have gone much higher if he was signable. He started immediately at Rice, and after an excellent freshman campaign, he had a bit of a sophomore slump, and aside from an excellent stint with Team USA last summer, he's never really showed the potential that scouts have always believed he has. He has average raw power, and he flashed an above-average hit tool with wood, but he struggles mightily to control the strike zone, and he's one of the worst breaking ball hitters at the top of the class. In addition, his speed, which was once considered average, has fallen to below-average, and his range at shortstop deteriorated to become fringe-average from above-average early in his career. His above-average arm is still intact, but more rumblings about moving him to third base have been occurring. He still stands a chance to regain his draft stock, but it's looking more and more like he'll drop so low that he'll return to Rice for his senior year. Projected Draft Range: 4th-12th Round

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