Todd4State
07-01-2014, 12:07 AM
At midnight tonight, college baseball teams will officially be able to extend offers to prospects and in November, the players will be able to officially sign. I'm going to talk about some commits, some prospects, and maybe a bigger picture of how things stand currently, and of course things can and will change. But for reference I'm thinking three years out for this post, so when you see me talk about a guy already on the team, a guy possibly redshirting or someone in the last class or two- you'll know why. To me, this is exciting because it is Cohen's best class yet. The reason I say that- so far there isn't a guy that I look at on our commitment list and I think "there is no way that guy is getting drafted." Now, I'm not saying that everyone on our commitment list WILL get drafted- just that I could see that being a possibility. And yes, in the past there certainly have been some guys that I didn't think would get drafted out of high school/JUCO, and as best I can recall I haven't been wrong on that yet so far. And that's not to bash anyone- some of those guys in the past include people like Ross Mitchell, Mitch Slauter, Brett Pirtle, etc. But I say that to show the talent level of this current class.
DUAL THREAT Austin Riley- RHP/1B/3B/OF/DH: I think Riley COULD be the first true dual threat guy that we have had under Cohen in that he could have a significant impact on the mound and also at the plate. CT sort of was, but not really, Daryl Norris never quite pulled it off, Renfroe was too raw but had the ability to do it, and then Trey Johnson to an extent. But Riley I think has a better chance of being a dual threat guy than those others. Austin is probably the best prospect to come through Mississippi since Anthony Alford. I think he could potentially be a weekend starter and a guy that could play either a corner infield spot or DH. He could also close and play a position in the field like Bobby Thigpen, Pete Young, etc. We'll have to figure it out once he gets to campus. He's an Under Armour All-American which is like being a McDonald's All-American in basketball. This past season, he went 8-3 with an ERA of 1.51 with 79 K's 21 BB's in 60 IP. He also hit 9 HR's with 35 RBI's while hitting .465 and he chipped in 4 SB. He plays third base for his high school team, but for us I see him as more of a 1B in the field. And that's possibly because he remind me a lot of Stephen Head. Perfect Game has his fastball at 92 and lists him at 6'3" 210. I have personally seen him hit 93 on the Trustmark Park gun and he has a good curveball.
LEFT HAND PITCHERS Jared Padgett- LHP: If you are a scout and you see a guy that is LH, 6'4" 200 per Perfect Game and can get up into the low 90's and has a really good curveball, then you're going to be interested. And that's why Padgett is a draft risk. It appears as if he is asking for 1-2 round money, and I would say that there is a chance he gets it. If he doesn't, I think he is a potential SEC ace and could be a first round pick at the end of his junior year. The knock on him is he plays at a small high school, but he dominated the competition, which is what you would like to see from a prospect in that situation. He went 6-2 with 115 K's in 51 IP's and an ERA of 1.10. Perfect Game has his fastball at 89, but he was recorded at 93 in the Under Armour pre-season tournament in Tuscon in May. While he has not been officially selected yet, there is a chance he could be an Under Armour All-American Game selection as well.
Kale Breaux- LHP: One of the top LHP in Louisiana and was committed to LSU before seeing the light. His size and raw fastball speed won't blow you away at 6'0" 160 per Perfect Game and at 86 recorded by Perfect Game, but make no mistake this guy is a legit candidate to be a weekend starter. There is a reason why he was invited to the Team USA National Team Development Trials. This guy has a LOT of movement on his pitches. For Sulpher HS, he went 9-3 with 114 K's in 73 IP and had an ERA of 0.67. He throws a 2 and 4 seam fastball, a curveball, and also has a change-up.
Konnor Pilkington- LHP: Every year there is someone that emerges in the high school playoffs in Mississippi, and this year it was Pilkington after he no-hit a really good Pascagoula team in the playoffs. He plays for East Central HS which is a really good baseball school and he finished his junior year 9-2 with 104 K's/21 BB's in 62.2 IP and finished with a 1.01 ERA. He was recently invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase and plays for the Miami Marlins scout team and has been impressive this past week for their team on the mound and also at the plate despite being a late addition to the team. Perfect Game has him listed at 6'2" 205 and his fastball at 84, but I have seen his velocity recently as high as 86-87 so the 84 is probably outdated a little bit. Again, I think Pilkington has a chance to be a weekend starter but I would keep an eye on him as a hitter this spring and see if his offensive performance carries over.
RIGHT HAND PITCHERS Noah Hughes- RHP: Has been the ace of a very good Jackson Prep team since he was a sophomore. He went 11-1 with 101 K's and 16 BB's in 75.1 IP and had an ERA of 1.12. He's 6'2" 175 per PG and they have his fastball at 87. He throws a 2 seam, a 4 seam fastball, a slider and a change-up. And yes, I do think he can be a weekend SEC starter for us and will compete for a spot during his career. A lot of people consider him the top pitcher in the state of Mississippi. At any rate, we have the top dual threat guy (Riley), the top LHP (Pilkington) and the top RHP in Hughes all committed. Even though he throws a slider, he reminds me a little bit of Kendall Graveman who threw a curveball. But I do think he is that type of pitcher- he's smart and competitive a lot like Kendall was. And I think he would have no problem brushing back a LSU hitter as well.
Keegan James- RHP: He was Desoto Central's number starter as a junior on a team that had four pitchers commit to D-I programs. The only guy ahead of him was Riley. Keegan is a little bit raw and has had issues with his command in the past, but has also made a lot of improvement and continues to improve as his career has gone along. Last year, he went 6-2 with an ERA of 2.26 and 33 K's with 20 BB's in 49.2 IP. That said, he is 6'3" and his fastball is 89 per Perfect Game. I don't think James being a starter is our of the question, but I think he most likely will be in the bullpen and has the potential to be a closer. It just depends on how he continues to develop but his upside is very high. He has a four seam fastball and a 12-6 curveball.
Austin Riley would also fall into this group as well.
Keep an eye on: Demarcus Evans- RHP from Petal. Demarcus pitches for the Miami Marlins scout team that Pilkington plays for and also starred for the Mississippi R.B.I. World Series team. He is 6'4" 245 and his fastball is 92 per Perfect Game. He's a little bit raw, but he plays for one of the top program in Mississippi and he went 6-4 with a 2.38 ERA and 68 K's with 33 BB's in 50 IP. But with his size and his fastball and Butch Thompson working with him, he's well worth taking a flyer on. I think he gets drafted in 2015, but if he comes to MSU, he could be a weekend starter, a closer and I think he has the talent to potentially be a first round pick.
Big picture: I think there is a distinct possibility that Andrew Mahoney, Paxton Stover, Aaron Dominguez, and Taylor Stafford all get redshirted and if that happens they would essentially fall into this class. Mahoney when healthy is probably a closer. He had Tommy John surgery and missed his senior year of HS, which is why I think he redshirts, but when healthy he is a draftable talent. Stover reminds me a lot of Ross Mitchell- 5'10" LHP who doesn't throw hard, but he gets people out, and Aaron Dominguez reminds me of Luis Pollorena. About 5'11" but competes and is full of energy and can fill a lot of roles. Stafford was recruited as an OF, but I think he finds a home at pitcher. If Jesse McCord stays around for his senior year, that would be awesome, but I think he is a three year guy realistically. And then the guys that redshirted this year could also fall into this class's junior year- Jacob Billingsley, Glenn Irby, Avery Geyer, and Levi Mintz. Also, down the road Butch will likely recruit a submarine/sidearm guy for this class as well. The good news is with what MSU has committed, we can take a chance on a Touki Touissant type talent because there is very little for us to lose.
CATCHER Hunter Stovall: He's 5'10" 165 and has participated in the East Coast Pro Showcase. He plays for one of the top teams in Birmingham, AL at Pelham HS. He had 3 home runs, 27 RBI's, and hit .357. The thing that is unique about him is his speed. He stole over 20 bases as a sophomore. Stovall is the guy that the other team is going to hate. He plays hard and he plays with a lot of energy- a lot like Mitch Slauter. He also has a 1.8 POP time. The guy that people compare him to is Craig Biggio. And like Biggio, he could be moved to 2B, but it's going to depend on how the rest of the class shakes out.
Big picture: With Chase Vallot going pro, and two seniors next year, it has made catcher a little bit of a need. Whether Stovall stays at catcher or not depends on who else we sign in this class. As it stands, Gavin Collins would be a junior Stovall's freshman year with Josh Lovelady either being a junior or a senior depending on whether he redshirts or not. And then there is Dustin Skelton in the 2016 class. What remains to be seen is whether MSU recruits another catcher or not. If they, do- it likely means that Stovall will move to second base. And vice versa. Also, it would not surprise me to see MSU take two catchers in this class- with Stovall being one of them potentially, and it is also very possible that MSU may go the JUCO route once again down the road as well.
CORNER INFIELD Austin Riley has the ability to play first or third base, but I see him as more of a first baseman. If Cole Gordon stays for his senior year, which I do not think is likely, he would be the first baseman. Brent Rooker and Dylan Ingram are also possibilities if they stay for their fifth years, which is more likely for Ingram than it is Rooker at this point. Also, if Luke Reynolds redshirts this year, which I do not think is likely he would be a candidate for a corner infield spot as well. Third base is possibly the biggest need for MSU in this class at the moment because Britton will graduate and Reid Humphreys will almost certainly go pro after his junior year.
Keep an eye on: Luke Craig 1B/3B Morton HS: Craig does not play for a big high school, and sometimes players at smaller schools who don't play on the big name travel teams can get lost in the shuffle- most notably Hunter Renfroe and now Luke Reynolds. Craig could be the next small school guy that ends up in the SEC. He has SEC size at 6'2" 220 per PG and he made Honorable Class National Mention. He also put up absolutely gaudy numbers last year- hitting .667 with 11 HR's and 38 RBI's and 12 SB's. He also walked 19 times and struck out only 4 times. No one is talking about him right now, but don't be surprised if he gets drafted and he might be a spring signee, although if it were me, I'd get him in the boat. Oh yeah- and he went 4-2 with a 1.89 ERA and 45 K's with 6 BB's in 40 IP.
MIDDLE INFIELD Luke Alexander SS: He's from Belmont and made Team USA as an eighth grader. Alexander has been really known more for his advanded defense than anything, which may be why he ends up starting as a freshman after Seth Heck graduates. He's also a switch hitter who per Perfect Game is 6'0" and weighs 175. This past season he hit almost exclusively from his non-dominant left side and hit 3 home runs with 15 RBI's with a .362 AVG. He also has good speed and is a good bunter as well. His power has been coming around lately as he performed very well at the Sun Belt Classic in Oklahoma. I would not be surprised if he is a three year starter for us at SS.
Keep an eye on: Gene Wood 2B/SS Jackson Prep: May be a tough pull for us as we are competing with Ole Miss, Georgia, and Western Kentucky for him (much more worried about the first two) but I think we have a chance because we have more of an infield need than Ole Miss (Dulin, Robinson,and then Golsan, Kyle Watson, and maybe Blackman coming in) and two of his teammates are committed to MSU. At the very least, I think we get a visit. Last year, he led a very good Jackson Prep team with a .605 average and showed good power with 6 home runs 50 RBI's and then chipped in 7 stolen bases as well. He's a LH hitter at 6'0" 170 with prototypical middle infield size.
Big picture: Alexander will be the SS of the future, but as I talked about 2B is up in the air at this point. It could be Stovall depending on the catcher situation. Ryan Gridley will have more of a role now that Dale Burdick is gone, and he certainly could be a four year player and had an impressive .460 batting average in a tough Georgia HS league with 14 SB. Gridley is basically a singles hitter at this point, but he plays very hard and is aggressive and he should hit for a high average.
OUTFIELD Greg Pickett RF: MSU kicked off recruiting-palooza in style by landing one of the top recruits in the country. Now all we have to do is keep him. Easier said than done when your PG profile starts off with "Ball sounds different coming off of his bat". Translation- this guy is generating some serious bat speed. He looks like a MLB player. He's 6'4" 215. His high school team played 10 games, and he hits 5 home runs with 19 RBI's and hit .389. If he comes to school, I think he is a RF for us because of how Dudy-Noble Field is situated, but at any rate, he's a corner OF guy. And on top of it, he's a LH hitter. If they aren't done naming the team yet- and I don't think they are- I wouldn't be surprised if this guy is an Under Armour All-American.
Jake Mangum CF: He's an upgraded version of CT Bradford. He's 5'11" 165, he's a switch hitter. He walked 18 times and struck out 2 times all year while hitting .457 with 1 home run and he stole 16 bases and drove in 17. Mangum is also a pretty good pitcher as well, hitting 85 per PG and going 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 36 K's in 18.2 IP. I would not be surprised at all if he started in the OF on day one when he comes to MSU. He is also considered the top bunter in Mississippi and was committed to Alabama for a little while before de-committing and joining MSU.
Brant Blaylock LF: Right now, he's very projectable. He's 6'2" but only weighs 160, so I think he will grow, and when he does, I hope that power comes along with it. Last year, he was Desoto Central's lead off hitter and hit 2 HR's with 28 RBI's while hitting .372 and stealing 14 bases. He also chipped in 5 triples and 5 doubles. The bat has a little ways to go, but the speed and defense are there. He has very good range and a very good outfield arm. If the bat doesn't come around, he is another Brent Brownlee, which is not a bad thing at all. If the bat does come around, he's a better version of Brownlee. He was invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase, so the scouts are getting a good look at him. It's hard to know what he will be right now, but I do think by the time he is a junior he will be a very good player.
Big picture: I suspect that we may be through with the OF as far as recruiting, but since Pickett is such a draft risk, I would not rule out MSU recruiting another OF in the spring. Also, there is a chance that Brent Rooker and Joey Swinarski could still be around as seniors, although most likely they will have moved on to pro baseball at that point. Again, if Luke Reynolds is redshirted, which I do not think will happen but can't be ruled out either, he would be a candidate for an OF spot as well. Dylan Ingram could also be a candidate if he is still around and while I think Taylor Stafford's long term future is at pitcher, there is a possibility that he could be in the OF which is what he was recruited for originally.
DESIGNATED HITTER The question here is whether or not Cohen will go with a traditional DH or not, but of course if Austin Riley pitches I suspect he will DH when he pitches. Down the road, MSU may use an advanced upper classman such as a Seth Beer or a Jake Slaughter should we be fortunate enough to land one or both of them and get them to school, or we may use two catchers with one being the DH. We also may go out and get a DH from the JUCO ranks like we did with Trey Porter and Alex Detz.
Happy Recruiting-palooza!
DUAL THREAT Austin Riley- RHP/1B/3B/OF/DH: I think Riley COULD be the first true dual threat guy that we have had under Cohen in that he could have a significant impact on the mound and also at the plate. CT sort of was, but not really, Daryl Norris never quite pulled it off, Renfroe was too raw but had the ability to do it, and then Trey Johnson to an extent. But Riley I think has a better chance of being a dual threat guy than those others. Austin is probably the best prospect to come through Mississippi since Anthony Alford. I think he could potentially be a weekend starter and a guy that could play either a corner infield spot or DH. He could also close and play a position in the field like Bobby Thigpen, Pete Young, etc. We'll have to figure it out once he gets to campus. He's an Under Armour All-American which is like being a McDonald's All-American in basketball. This past season, he went 8-3 with an ERA of 1.51 with 79 K's 21 BB's in 60 IP. He also hit 9 HR's with 35 RBI's while hitting .465 and he chipped in 4 SB. He plays third base for his high school team, but for us I see him as more of a 1B in the field. And that's possibly because he remind me a lot of Stephen Head. Perfect Game has his fastball at 92 and lists him at 6'3" 210. I have personally seen him hit 93 on the Trustmark Park gun and he has a good curveball.
LEFT HAND PITCHERS Jared Padgett- LHP: If you are a scout and you see a guy that is LH, 6'4" 200 per Perfect Game and can get up into the low 90's and has a really good curveball, then you're going to be interested. And that's why Padgett is a draft risk. It appears as if he is asking for 1-2 round money, and I would say that there is a chance he gets it. If he doesn't, I think he is a potential SEC ace and could be a first round pick at the end of his junior year. The knock on him is he plays at a small high school, but he dominated the competition, which is what you would like to see from a prospect in that situation. He went 6-2 with 115 K's in 51 IP's and an ERA of 1.10. Perfect Game has his fastball at 89, but he was recorded at 93 in the Under Armour pre-season tournament in Tuscon in May. While he has not been officially selected yet, there is a chance he could be an Under Armour All-American Game selection as well.
Kale Breaux- LHP: One of the top LHP in Louisiana and was committed to LSU before seeing the light. His size and raw fastball speed won't blow you away at 6'0" 160 per Perfect Game and at 86 recorded by Perfect Game, but make no mistake this guy is a legit candidate to be a weekend starter. There is a reason why he was invited to the Team USA National Team Development Trials. This guy has a LOT of movement on his pitches. For Sulpher HS, he went 9-3 with 114 K's in 73 IP and had an ERA of 0.67. He throws a 2 and 4 seam fastball, a curveball, and also has a change-up.
Konnor Pilkington- LHP: Every year there is someone that emerges in the high school playoffs in Mississippi, and this year it was Pilkington after he no-hit a really good Pascagoula team in the playoffs. He plays for East Central HS which is a really good baseball school and he finished his junior year 9-2 with 104 K's/21 BB's in 62.2 IP and finished with a 1.01 ERA. He was recently invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase and plays for the Miami Marlins scout team and has been impressive this past week for their team on the mound and also at the plate despite being a late addition to the team. Perfect Game has him listed at 6'2" 205 and his fastball at 84, but I have seen his velocity recently as high as 86-87 so the 84 is probably outdated a little bit. Again, I think Pilkington has a chance to be a weekend starter but I would keep an eye on him as a hitter this spring and see if his offensive performance carries over.
RIGHT HAND PITCHERS Noah Hughes- RHP: Has been the ace of a very good Jackson Prep team since he was a sophomore. He went 11-1 with 101 K's and 16 BB's in 75.1 IP and had an ERA of 1.12. He's 6'2" 175 per PG and they have his fastball at 87. He throws a 2 seam, a 4 seam fastball, a slider and a change-up. And yes, I do think he can be a weekend SEC starter for us and will compete for a spot during his career. A lot of people consider him the top pitcher in the state of Mississippi. At any rate, we have the top dual threat guy (Riley), the top LHP (Pilkington) and the top RHP in Hughes all committed. Even though he throws a slider, he reminds me a little bit of Kendall Graveman who threw a curveball. But I do think he is that type of pitcher- he's smart and competitive a lot like Kendall was. And I think he would have no problem brushing back a LSU hitter as well.
Keegan James- RHP: He was Desoto Central's number starter as a junior on a team that had four pitchers commit to D-I programs. The only guy ahead of him was Riley. Keegan is a little bit raw and has had issues with his command in the past, but has also made a lot of improvement and continues to improve as his career has gone along. Last year, he went 6-2 with an ERA of 2.26 and 33 K's with 20 BB's in 49.2 IP. That said, he is 6'3" and his fastball is 89 per Perfect Game. I don't think James being a starter is our of the question, but I think he most likely will be in the bullpen and has the potential to be a closer. It just depends on how he continues to develop but his upside is very high. He has a four seam fastball and a 12-6 curveball.
Austin Riley would also fall into this group as well.
Keep an eye on: Demarcus Evans- RHP from Petal. Demarcus pitches for the Miami Marlins scout team that Pilkington plays for and also starred for the Mississippi R.B.I. World Series team. He is 6'4" 245 and his fastball is 92 per Perfect Game. He's a little bit raw, but he plays for one of the top program in Mississippi and he went 6-4 with a 2.38 ERA and 68 K's with 33 BB's in 50 IP. But with his size and his fastball and Butch Thompson working with him, he's well worth taking a flyer on. I think he gets drafted in 2015, but if he comes to MSU, he could be a weekend starter, a closer and I think he has the talent to potentially be a first round pick.
Big picture: I think there is a distinct possibility that Andrew Mahoney, Paxton Stover, Aaron Dominguez, and Taylor Stafford all get redshirted and if that happens they would essentially fall into this class. Mahoney when healthy is probably a closer. He had Tommy John surgery and missed his senior year of HS, which is why I think he redshirts, but when healthy he is a draftable talent. Stover reminds me a lot of Ross Mitchell- 5'10" LHP who doesn't throw hard, but he gets people out, and Aaron Dominguez reminds me of Luis Pollorena. About 5'11" but competes and is full of energy and can fill a lot of roles. Stafford was recruited as an OF, but I think he finds a home at pitcher. If Jesse McCord stays around for his senior year, that would be awesome, but I think he is a three year guy realistically. And then the guys that redshirted this year could also fall into this class's junior year- Jacob Billingsley, Glenn Irby, Avery Geyer, and Levi Mintz. Also, down the road Butch will likely recruit a submarine/sidearm guy for this class as well. The good news is with what MSU has committed, we can take a chance on a Touki Touissant type talent because there is very little for us to lose.
CATCHER Hunter Stovall: He's 5'10" 165 and has participated in the East Coast Pro Showcase. He plays for one of the top teams in Birmingham, AL at Pelham HS. He had 3 home runs, 27 RBI's, and hit .357. The thing that is unique about him is his speed. He stole over 20 bases as a sophomore. Stovall is the guy that the other team is going to hate. He plays hard and he plays with a lot of energy- a lot like Mitch Slauter. He also has a 1.8 POP time. The guy that people compare him to is Craig Biggio. And like Biggio, he could be moved to 2B, but it's going to depend on how the rest of the class shakes out.
Big picture: With Chase Vallot going pro, and two seniors next year, it has made catcher a little bit of a need. Whether Stovall stays at catcher or not depends on who else we sign in this class. As it stands, Gavin Collins would be a junior Stovall's freshman year with Josh Lovelady either being a junior or a senior depending on whether he redshirts or not. And then there is Dustin Skelton in the 2016 class. What remains to be seen is whether MSU recruits another catcher or not. If they, do- it likely means that Stovall will move to second base. And vice versa. Also, it would not surprise me to see MSU take two catchers in this class- with Stovall being one of them potentially, and it is also very possible that MSU may go the JUCO route once again down the road as well.
CORNER INFIELD Austin Riley has the ability to play first or third base, but I see him as more of a first baseman. If Cole Gordon stays for his senior year, which I do not think is likely, he would be the first baseman. Brent Rooker and Dylan Ingram are also possibilities if they stay for their fifth years, which is more likely for Ingram than it is Rooker at this point. Also, if Luke Reynolds redshirts this year, which I do not think is likely he would be a candidate for a corner infield spot as well. Third base is possibly the biggest need for MSU in this class at the moment because Britton will graduate and Reid Humphreys will almost certainly go pro after his junior year.
Keep an eye on: Luke Craig 1B/3B Morton HS: Craig does not play for a big high school, and sometimes players at smaller schools who don't play on the big name travel teams can get lost in the shuffle- most notably Hunter Renfroe and now Luke Reynolds. Craig could be the next small school guy that ends up in the SEC. He has SEC size at 6'2" 220 per PG and he made Honorable Class National Mention. He also put up absolutely gaudy numbers last year- hitting .667 with 11 HR's and 38 RBI's and 12 SB's. He also walked 19 times and struck out only 4 times. No one is talking about him right now, but don't be surprised if he gets drafted and he might be a spring signee, although if it were me, I'd get him in the boat. Oh yeah- and he went 4-2 with a 1.89 ERA and 45 K's with 6 BB's in 40 IP.
MIDDLE INFIELD Luke Alexander SS: He's from Belmont and made Team USA as an eighth grader. Alexander has been really known more for his advanded defense than anything, which may be why he ends up starting as a freshman after Seth Heck graduates. He's also a switch hitter who per Perfect Game is 6'0" and weighs 175. This past season he hit almost exclusively from his non-dominant left side and hit 3 home runs with 15 RBI's with a .362 AVG. He also has good speed and is a good bunter as well. His power has been coming around lately as he performed very well at the Sun Belt Classic in Oklahoma. I would not be surprised if he is a three year starter for us at SS.
Keep an eye on: Gene Wood 2B/SS Jackson Prep: May be a tough pull for us as we are competing with Ole Miss, Georgia, and Western Kentucky for him (much more worried about the first two) but I think we have a chance because we have more of an infield need than Ole Miss (Dulin, Robinson,and then Golsan, Kyle Watson, and maybe Blackman coming in) and two of his teammates are committed to MSU. At the very least, I think we get a visit. Last year, he led a very good Jackson Prep team with a .605 average and showed good power with 6 home runs 50 RBI's and then chipped in 7 stolen bases as well. He's a LH hitter at 6'0" 170 with prototypical middle infield size.
Big picture: Alexander will be the SS of the future, but as I talked about 2B is up in the air at this point. It could be Stovall depending on the catcher situation. Ryan Gridley will have more of a role now that Dale Burdick is gone, and he certainly could be a four year player and had an impressive .460 batting average in a tough Georgia HS league with 14 SB. Gridley is basically a singles hitter at this point, but he plays very hard and is aggressive and he should hit for a high average.
OUTFIELD Greg Pickett RF: MSU kicked off recruiting-palooza in style by landing one of the top recruits in the country. Now all we have to do is keep him. Easier said than done when your PG profile starts off with "Ball sounds different coming off of his bat". Translation- this guy is generating some serious bat speed. He looks like a MLB player. He's 6'4" 215. His high school team played 10 games, and he hits 5 home runs with 19 RBI's and hit .389. If he comes to school, I think he is a RF for us because of how Dudy-Noble Field is situated, but at any rate, he's a corner OF guy. And on top of it, he's a LH hitter. If they aren't done naming the team yet- and I don't think they are- I wouldn't be surprised if this guy is an Under Armour All-American.
Jake Mangum CF: He's an upgraded version of CT Bradford. He's 5'11" 165, he's a switch hitter. He walked 18 times and struck out 2 times all year while hitting .457 with 1 home run and he stole 16 bases and drove in 17. Mangum is also a pretty good pitcher as well, hitting 85 per PG and going 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 36 K's in 18.2 IP. I would not be surprised at all if he started in the OF on day one when he comes to MSU. He is also considered the top bunter in Mississippi and was committed to Alabama for a little while before de-committing and joining MSU.
Brant Blaylock LF: Right now, he's very projectable. He's 6'2" but only weighs 160, so I think he will grow, and when he does, I hope that power comes along with it. Last year, he was Desoto Central's lead off hitter and hit 2 HR's with 28 RBI's while hitting .372 and stealing 14 bases. He also chipped in 5 triples and 5 doubles. The bat has a little ways to go, but the speed and defense are there. He has very good range and a very good outfield arm. If the bat doesn't come around, he is another Brent Brownlee, which is not a bad thing at all. If the bat does come around, he's a better version of Brownlee. He was invited to the East Coast Pro Showcase, so the scouts are getting a good look at him. It's hard to know what he will be right now, but I do think by the time he is a junior he will be a very good player.
Big picture: I suspect that we may be through with the OF as far as recruiting, but since Pickett is such a draft risk, I would not rule out MSU recruiting another OF in the spring. Also, there is a chance that Brent Rooker and Joey Swinarski could still be around as seniors, although most likely they will have moved on to pro baseball at that point. Again, if Luke Reynolds is redshirted, which I do not think will happen but can't be ruled out either, he would be a candidate for an OF spot as well. Dylan Ingram could also be a candidate if he is still around and while I think Taylor Stafford's long term future is at pitcher, there is a possibility that he could be in the OF which is what he was recruited for originally.
DESIGNATED HITTER The question here is whether or not Cohen will go with a traditional DH or not, but of course if Austin Riley pitches I suspect he will DH when he pitches. Down the road, MSU may use an advanced upper classman such as a Seth Beer or a Jake Slaughter should we be fortunate enough to land one or both of them and get them to school, or we may use two catchers with one being the DH. We also may go out and get a DH from the JUCO ranks like we did with Trey Porter and Alex Detz.
Happy Recruiting-palooza!