The Road to Omaha once again begins in earnest on Valentine's Day Friday vs. the #25th ranked Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto's Sunken Diamond. This has not been a friendly venue for the Baseball Owls, as they were swept by Stanford in a cold and rainy season-opening series in 2010, and then lost two of three to the Cardinal in our last visit back in 2012. However, the Owls did win the season-opening series last year at The Reck. The scheduled game times are 6:30pm CST on Friday, 4:00pm CST on Saturday and 2:00pm on Sunday.

Rice enters the 2014 season looking to extend a trio of impressive streaks which highlight the standard of excellence this program has set. The team is seeking it's 20th consecutive post-season appearance (the fourth longest active streak in the nation and the sixth longest post-season streak in D-! history)...it's 20th consecutive 40-win season...and it's 19th consecutive conference championship. Adding to the excitement and anticipation of the coming season, Coach Graham is just 3 wins short of reaching the 1,000 win milestone at Rice...in just 22 seasons of work (on top of his 574 wins and 5 JUCO national championships at San Jacinto). Here's a video produced this week with both Coach Graham and some of our key upperclassmen commenting on what this achievement means to them...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFgZyXeBIRs#t=88

Despite several very significant losses to graduation and the draft (Kubitza, Simms, Perrott, Stringer, Ratterree), the Owls are once again a consensus preseason Top 20 pick (the five major college baseball polls all have Rice ranked preseason either #15 or #17, which is pretty much where we were ranked at the conclusion of last season)...and the favorite to win a 19th consecutive conference championship in the "new" CUSA. Say hello to new conference mates Old Dominion, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee State, Louisiana Tech, Charlotte and UTSA...and goodbye to UCF and Memphis. (The UH Coogs have also left the conference, but we'll be playing 3 mid-week games against our cross-town rival to retain control of OUR Silver Glove trophy.) Unlike last year when our RPI took a historically big-time hit (due not only to an unexpectedly down year for both Stanford and CUSA, but also because our schedule included 10 games against sub-200 RPI teams in Harvard, Hawaii and Louisiana Tech), this year's schedule should work in our favor and provide a nice RPI boost (provided, of course, that we win our share of games against Top 50 opponents). In addition to our annual Stanford series, we'll be playing 3 games vs. Texas (Minute Maid + home-and-home mid-weekers), 2 vs. TCU and one vs. A&M (along with our usual pair of mid-week contests vs. Texas State, Sam Houston State and Lamar). Stanford, Texas, TCU, A&M, ECU and FAU are all ranked in the Top 35 preseason, and the pundits are projecting Tulane, FIU, USM and UTSA all to be borderline Top 50 teams and competing for post-season births.

Only one Freshman (CF Charlie Warren) is expected to crack our starting lineup, which will be led by a trio of returning Seniors (3B Shane Hoelscher, LF/DH Michael Aquino, RF Keenan Cook), along with JUCO transfer C JC Reeves, 1B/C Skyler Ewing, Leon Byrd (moving from CF to his natural SS position) and Ford Stainback (shifting to 2B). The only question mark is at DH, where we have a multitude of quality options (McDowell, C.Teykl, B.Fox, J.Williamson from the left side; Hunter Kopycinski, Brian Smith and Kirby Taylor from the right side). IMO, this has the potential to be our best, top-to-bottom offense since the 2005 - '07 teams (Savery, Friday, Henley, Dotson, Lehmann, Zornes, Seastrunk, Jimmy Baseball, et al.),,,and Baseball America agrees. It will be very interesting to see how Coach Graham elects to construct the lineup. Regardless, we should display outstanding balance-- power (Aquino, Ewing), speed (Byrd, Cook, Warren, Williamson, McDowell) and righty-lefty balance (with Cook and Warren left-handed batters, and Byrd and Stainback switch-hitters).

Though the pitching staff will be the least experienced we've had in several years, we do return a consensus preseason all-american (Zech Lemond) at closer, as well as Jordan Stephens as our Friday ace, who was arguably our best, most consistent pitcher last year, and who ended last season as strong as any starting pitcher in college baseball. Freshman all-american Blake Fox also returns, and may very well move from the bullpen to the Saturday starting spot (putting a left-hander in the weekend rotation to mix things up a bit). The final weekend starter will likely be a competition between So RHP Kevin McCanna and true Freshman RHP Jon Duplantier, but veteran Chase McDowell has come on strong during Spring intrasquads and may again enter the equation. The surprise (at least to me) of Fall Ball, RS So Ryan McCarthy, will likely compete for the final mid-week starter spot. The bullpen will be anchored by workhorse Lemond, who will almost assuredly be used in the Cole St.Clair "stopper" vs. closer role; meaning it would not be unusual to see him pitch up to 3 games and 7+ innings per week. Zech will likely be supported by LHP John Williamson, RHP Matt Ditman (who showed promise last season after converting from catcher), RHP Evan Rutter, JUCO transfer RHPs Caleb Smith and Trevor Tekyl (Connor's older brother), as well as the Orewiler brothers. A trio of pitchers attempting to come back from injuries-- Connor Mason, Holt McNair and Freshman Andrew Dunlap-- are the wild cards. Though lacking somewhat in proven experience, this staff has the depth, talent and the potential to live up to the high standards of Rice pitching.

Here's Rice's official game notes for the season-opening series at Stanford...
http://www.riceowls.com/sports/m-basebl/...14aaa.html

Baseball America ranked the Owls #15th in their preseason, and their writeup on our strengths and weaknesses was on point...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/c...ams-11-15/

Quote:Hitting: 60. Rice should have tough outs up and down the lineup. Wayne Graham said his team has four legitimate candidates to lead off—Byrd, Stainback, Warren and Cook, all of whom work counts, handle the bat and use the whole field. The first three should walk as much as or more than they strike out. Byrd and Stainback are both patient switch-hitters, although the Owls would like to see Byrd become a bit more aggressive, because he is strong enough to drive balls into the gaps. Hoelscher, Reeves and Aquino have good line-drive swings from the right side and should rank among the team’s leading hitters. Sophomore Connor Teykl has a smooth lefthanded swing and could start at DH against righties.

Power: 55. Ewing is a breakout candidate with easy righthanded power, as he showed during a strong summer in the Cape Cod League, where he won the home run derby. Rice is confident he has corrected the mechanical flaws that hindered his rhythm and timing in the past. Aquino demonstrated impressive strength in his compact 5-foot-10 frame last year, and Graham says Reeves has as much usable power as either of them. McDowell can put on a show in batting practice but has never translated his pop into game action. All of Rice’s power is righthanded.

Speed: 60. Byrd and Warren have premium speed. Cook is an above-average runner, while Aquino, Stainback and even McDowell (who has improved his speed) are solid-average runners. Jr. OF John Williamson brings plus speed off the bench.

Defense: 60. Byrd, who played shortstop in high school but center field as a Rice freshman, moves back to short, where his quickness and plus arm are assets—but he must stay in control. His transition is the key to the defense. Stainback slides from short to second, where his range and arm are better fits, and where he should be a standout. Graham raves about Reeves’ baseball IQ and solid receiving skills, and his average arm plays. Ewing has a chance to catch in pro ball but has a quick first step at first base, especially to his right. Hoelscher is rock-solid at the hot corner, and all three outfielders defend well. Warren plays an advanced center field for a freshman.

Starting Pitching: 55. Stephens proved himself as a true ace a year ago. He can carve up hitters with a lively 88-92 two-seamer that bumped 93 in the fall, a plus 11-to-5 curveball in the 75-80 range and a slider that reaches 84; he is also working on adding a changeup. The athletic McCanna also has good movement on his 87-91 fastball and has added a slider to go with his decent curveball and plus changeup. The 6-foot-4 Duplantier generates good angles and deception in his delivery, and he can pound the zone with an 87-92 fastball and a quality breaking ball. McDowell has a promising four-pitch mix but has had a tendency in his career to leave too many balls over the fat part of the plate. He and So. LHP Blake Fox (a strike-thrower with a fringy fastball, a good slider and a workable changeup) should compete for midweek starts.

Bullpen: 60. Lemond, a third-team All-American last year, combines filthy stuff with a durable frame, a resilient arm, impressive poise in tight spots and a proven track record. With a 90-95 fastball, a plus downer curve and a good changeup, he has the repertoire to get through a lineup more than once if the Owls need to bring him into a game in the middle innings for an extended outing. The supporting cast is unproven. So. RHP Caleb Smith can reach 94 and picked up a spike curveball of his own at Rice, where that pitch is a staple. So. RHP Ryan McCarthy also started throwing a spike curve this fall, to go with an 88-91 sinker and an effective change. Angular 6-foot-7 Jr. RHP Trevor Teykl has even more life on his 88-92 fastball from a low three-quarters slot. The X-factor is Fr. RHP/DH Andrew Dunlap, who showed 97-98 mph heat before hurting his arm last summer.

Experience/Intangibles: 60. Stephens and Lemond proved their mettle in the postseason last year, carrying the Owls into a super regional. Stainback, Hoelscher, Byrd, Aquino and Cook are established regulars, but the other starters need to elevate their games or get acclimated to D-I, and the pitching staff has some question marks in between the front and the back.

Baseball America OFP: 55. Rice must develop more depth on the mound this year so it doesn’t need to lean so heavily on two arms to do the heavy lifting again in the postseason. The development of McCanna and Duplantier is the key to the season. The lineup is athletic and balanced enough to be above-average, giving Rice a solid chance to win another regional and compete for its first Omaha berth in six years.

It has "only" been six years since we last spent June in Omaha, but it seems like an eternity. With the football team winning it's first outright conference championship since 1957, and earning a birth in the Liberty Bowl (the disappointing outcome notwithstanding), it's time for the baseball program to once again show why it is the gold standard and the preeminent sports program on campus. It's due time for a return engagement to the College World Series. We came oh so close last year, falling just short after losing two heartbreakers in Raleigh. With the majority of last year's team returning, let that bitter taste of defeat motivate this year's team to even greater heights. Let the games begin! Go Owls!


With regards to the Stanford Cardinal, last season was a year to forget. They entered the season-opening series at Reckling a consensus Top 10 preseason pick, but faltered badly (largely due to a series of key injuries) and ended up missing the post-season for the first time since 2009, and only the fifth time since 1981. Many view 2014 as a bit of a rebuilding year for the Cardinal, as they need to fill the void created by the departures of ace Mark Appel, RF Austin Wilson, 1B Brian Ragira and SS Lonnie Kauppala. However, truth be told, this team is stil loaded with both experience and talent-- returning 7 position players who started at least 24 games last season (led by consensus first-team all-american, 3B Alex Blandino), as well as two-thirds of their weekend rotation (soft-tossing Jr LHP John Hochstatter, So RHP Bobby Zarubin), their 2013 closer (RS Jr RHP Sam Lindquist) and four other pitchers who worked 20.0+ innings last year. They also bring in a pair of heralded true Freshman hurlers-- strapping 6'9" 240 lb RHP Chris Viall, who is expected to get the start on Sunday, and Cal Quantrill (son of former major leaguer Paul Quantrill). On the negative side, Sr RHP AJ Vanegas is still being nursed along and is not expected to pitch this weekend, and last year's top pitching recruit, RHP Freddy Avis, may miss his second consecutive season to injury.

Stanford's long-time Coach Marquess gave a Media Day 2014 interview this past Monday in which he discusses each starting player and provided his assessment for the upcoming season. Very comprehensive, player-by-player scouting report. Here's the YouTube link for the 13-minute interview, and I'd recommend listening to the first 8 minutes (before he starts talking about the Pac-12)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUvLPDyLj...e=youtu.be


Here are the 2014 roster and 2013 stats for Stanford players...
http://www.gostanford.com/SportSelect.db...SID=749978

http://www.gostanford.com/ViewContent.db..._ID=780598



College Sports Madness ranked Stanford #27 in it's preseason Top 44 poll...
http://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/8270

Quote:Stanford was a consensus Top ten team before the start of last season, but they failed to live up to those expectations. After starting out 10-2, Stanford lost six of their next seven. The Cardinal finished 32-22 and missed the NCAA Tournament. Ace Mark Appel, the first overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, is gone, as are five other players who were drafted. Stanford still has a lot of talent left and will bring in a solid recruiting class and they hope that is enough to get them into an NCAA Regional this season.

2013: 32-22, 16-14
2013 Postseason: None
Coach: Mark Marquess

Field Players:
The Cardinal are expecting big things from Alex Blandino this season. He will be back at third base after hitting .268 with seven home runs and 32 RBI’s. Those numbers were down a bit from his stellar freshman season where he hit .294 with eight home runs and 40 RBI’s. He will look to return to that form this season. Danny Diekroeger also returns in the infield after hitting .299 with two home runs and 28 RBI’s. Austin Slater started 48 games last year and put up an impressive stat line. He hit .269 with three home runs and 32 RBI’s. Slater also led the team in walks with 24 and had a .361 on base percentage. A pair of players with catching experience, Wayne Taylor and Brant Whiting, will join them. Taylor started 40 games and hit .270 with three home runs and 21 RBI’s, while Whiting started 36 games and hit .344 with 19 RBI’s. Taylor could also see time in the outfield. Dominic Jose will be back in the outfield and will look to improve after a down sophomore season. Drew Jackson should also be a candidate for increased playing time after starting 24 games as a freshman. Also returning are catcher Austin Barr and outfielders Brett Michael Doran, Jonny Locher, and Zach Hoffpauir. Freshman Jack Klein could also see some playing time in the outfield.

Pitchers:
Stanford will look to replace Appel as a collective group. Two starters from last year’s rotation return in John Hochstatter and Bobby Zarubin. Zarubin started ten games and went 3-3 with a 2.16 ERA, while Hochstatter started 13 games and went 3-3 with a 3.88 ERA. Logan James is back after serving as a reliever and a spot starter as a freshman. He went 3-3 with a 4.56 ERA in 17 appearances. Stanford also has some key returnees back in the bullpen. Sam Lindquist appeared in 24 games and went 2-2 with a 3.46 ERA, holding batters to a .195 batting average. AJ Vanegas should be the closer for this team. He pitched just eight innings last season due to an injury, but posted a 3.12 ERA with four saves. He has been a starter and a long reliever during his time at Stanford and was picked by the Oakland Athletics in June’s draft but decided to return to school. The Cardinal bring in a pair of freshmen who figure to have a big impact in Cal Quantrill and Chris Viall. Quantrill is the son of former major leaguer Paul Quantrill and found himself on some Top 100 recruit lists. He should be an impact arm. Also returning in the bullpen from last year are Daniel Starwalt and Marcus Brackman.

Who to Watch:
Stanford is going to need Dominic Jose to play up to his talent this season. As a freshman, he hit .375 with 11 RBI’s and followed that up with a huge summer in the Cape Cod Baseball League. There, he hit .272 with six home runs and 27 runs scored. After the season, he was ranked the number 17 prospect by Perfect Game and a Top 40 prospect by Baseball America. Last season Jose struggled though, hitting just .237. With a lot of production gone, the Cardinal need Jose to produce the way that he is capable of to be an improved team.

Final Projection:
The Cardinal will enter this season with a lot less pressure than they had entering last season. Without all the pressure this team should perform a lot better. They will have some tough series early as they play Rice, Texas, and Vanderbilt, but they have the talent to compete with them. If Stanford can win some of those games, they should be in great shape this year. Replacing Appel is the big concern, but with the talent still on the pitching staff, it should be doable.

Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament

Returning Leaders:
At Bats: Danny Diekroeger, IF, 224
Hits: Danny Diekroeger, IF, 67
Home Runs: Alex Blandino, IF, 7
RBIs: Alex Blandino, IF, 32; Austin Slater, IF/OF, 32
Runs: Austin Slater, IF/OF, 37
Stolen Bases: Danny Diekroeger, IF, 6

Wins: Bobby Zarubin, P, 3; John Hochstatter, P, 3; Logan James, P, 3
Innings Pitched: Bobby Zarubin, P, 58.1
Strikeouts: Bobby Zarubin, P, 37
Saves: Sam Lindquist, P, 4

Madness 2014 MLB Draft Rankings:
#46 Alex Blandino
#117 AL Vanegas

College Baseball Central ranked Stanford higher (#25, and only one spot below us) than any of the other preseason polls...
http://collegebaseballcentral.com/colleg...9663985248

Quote:25. Stanford
Conference: PAC-12
2013 Record: 32-22 (Conference: 16-14)
2013 RPI: 63, NPI: 65, SOS: 72
Head Coach: Mark Marquess
NCAA Tournament History: 30 Regionals, 16 CWS, 3 CWS Runner-ups, 2 National Championships

2014 Projected Lineup Card
C Brant Whiting Jr.
1B Brett Hanewich Fr.
2B Danny Diekroeger Sr.
SS Drew Jackson So.
3B Alex Blandino Jr.
LF Wayne Taylor Jr.
CF Dominic Jose Jr.
RF Austin Slater Jr.
UT Brett Michael Doran Sr.


RHP Bobby Zarubin So.
LHP John Hochstatter Jr.
RHP Cal Quantrill Fr. Trinity College (HS) – Canada

RP A.J. Vanegas Sr.

Hitting: After losing the likes of Lonnie Kauppila, Brian Ragira, Justin Ringo, and Austin Wilson, Stanford will move on in 2014 with five returners to the starting lineup. As evidenced by Wilson last season, some of Stanford’s top players on offense suffered down seasons, namely Alex Blandino, who be looked upon as the leader on offense going forward. Blandino wields an impressive bat and can flash power, while wielding a good glove at the hot corner. Whiting and Diekroeger can hit for average and know how to get on base, as do the crafty bats of both corner outfielders Slater and Taylor. With center field vacant, Stanford will need Jose to step and perform to his impressive potential as he has flashed toolsy abilities at times.

Pitching: Replacing Mark Appel is no easy feat, but Stanford has the talent to replace that void. Zarubin was impressive behind Appel last season and will be joined by Hochstatter to form a rather solid 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.

Both have the pitch arsenals and talent to succeed in that role, a necessary role for Stanford, as they will need every bit of help in sustaining a sturdy rotation, wherein they will look to freshmen arms Cal Quantrill and Chris Viall to add depth (and even Logan James as a potential spot starter, a role he held last season). Vanegas will lead the bullpen effort in the absence of Garrett Hughes. Vanegas was once a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school, but injuries and inconsistent play have slightly diminished that status in three seasons at Stanford. Vanegas looked healthy and pitched rather strong down the stretch coming back from an injury, which Stanford hopes he can carry over to the 2014 season, as his success will be key if Stanford wishes to be legitimate postseason threat.

Outlook: Stanford had quite a bit of pressure on their backs heading into the 2013 season, as they had burgeoning talent on offense and on the mound that had many predicting a strong postseason run. However, the Cardinal was inconsistent and failed to make the postseason. Stanford should feel less pressure heading into 2014, as they have a talented offensive barrage and although Appel is gone, the pitching staff should be in good enough shape talent-wise to earn the Cardinal a regional berth and then some.

Here is Kendall's/Perfect Game's Pac-12 preview with Stanford projected to finish #6th in the loaded Pac-12, but with both 2B Danny Dierkroger and 3B Alex Blandino making his all-conference team...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=9403

Quote:Stanford: The Cardinal could be in for a rebuilding campaign this season with the departure of ace righthanded pitcher Mark Appel, first baseman Brian Ragira and others. However, coach Mark Marquess and his club aren’t throwing in the towel and feel like they have enough talent to make some noise. Specifically from a pitching standpoint, the Cardinal will need several arms to step up. But keep close tabs on talented freshman righthanded pitcher Cal Quantrill, who was ranked No. 119 out of high school and flashed a fastball in the low-90s during the fall. Quantrill will be in the rotation to begin the year. Speaking of the pitching staff, righthanded pitcher AJ Vanegas continues to progress and throw good bullpens working toward being 100-percent healthy, but the Cardinal still isn’t sure when he’ll officially factor into the equation … Offensively, Danny Diekroeger is back in the mix, while the biggest jump could come from veteran catcher Wayne Taylor.

Here's Baseball America's preview of the Pac-12, with Stanford not even projected to make the post-season field...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/2...ws-pac-12/

Quote:Notable Storylines: Injuries and underperformance caused Stanford to be one of the nation’s biggest disappointments last year, and the Cardinal enters 2014 as perhaps college baseball’s most prominent wild card. Cape Cod League standouts Alex Blandino, Drew Jackson and Danny Diegroeger should give Stanford an exciting infield. If ultra-talented RHPs Freddy Avis, A.J. Vanegas and Daniel Starwalt plus OF Dominic Jose can finally stay healthy and translate their huge potential into performance, Stanford could be formidable.

Eric Sorenson ranks the Cardinal #31 in his preseason Top 302 (just behind Rice at #28)...
http://www.collegebaseballtoday.com/2014...-of-2014/#

Quote:31- STANFORD (32-22, 16-14)
2013 ISR: 28
Starters Returning: 5
Weekend Starters: 2
Mid-Week Starters: 0
Key Relievers (15+inns.): 5

It’s bizarre to think that a team with Mark Appel, Austin Wilson, Brian Ragira and Lonnie Kauppala did NOT make it to the Regionals. Still a lot of talent is on hand, including 3B Alex Blandino (.268-7-32), C Brant Whiting (.344) and RHP AJ Vanegas, a former 7th round draftee back for his senior year. Incoming class is studly, led by RHP Cal Quantrill (26th round), OF Jack Klein (32nd round) and strapping 6’9 RHP Chris Viall (39th round).

Here's College Baseball Central's preview of Stanford...
http://collegebaseballcentral.com/stanfo...view/1441/

Quote:The Stanford Cardinal baseball team will commence their 2014 season with a three-game series at home against Rice from February 14-16, whereupon they will spend eight of their next nine games on the road, including a three-game series against SEC powerhouse Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stanford’s regular season schedule is a challenging one, as the Cardinal will face off against the likes of Rice, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona State, and UCLA, four of which comprise a competitive PAC-12 conference, arguably one of the strongest in the nation heading into 2014.

Despite losing Mark Appel to professional ball, Stanford will be more than fine going forward on the mound. John Hochstatter and Bobby Zarubin are poised to take charge of the starting rotation, while AJ Vanegas will look to rebound to his former blue-chip self and help anchor the bullpen in the absence of Garrett Hughes.

Offensive stalwarts Brian Ragira and Austin Wilson are gone, but Louisville Slugger All-American Alex Blandino will help lead Stanford’s offensive barrage, as the junior third baseman wields a quick, compact swing with solid pop and flashes a good glove at the hot corner.

In addition, the leadership of senior Brant Whiting behind the plate should help guide a young, yet talented pitching staff, while Danny Diekroeger brings a crafty bat and versatile defensive skill as he has the athleticism to play across the infield with relative ease.

Stanford has a difficult schedule ahead of them, but they have the talent to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament and even move past regional play.

Here's a preview of Stanford by the local MercuryNews.com publication...
http://www.mercurynews.com/sports-headli...ll-preview

Quote:STANFORD
Coach: Mark Marquess, 37th season
2013 record: 32-22
Season opener: Friday vs. Rice, 4:30 p.m.

Last year Stanford missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009 and only the fifth time since 1981. "Absolutely, you want to get to the playoffs," Marquess said. "Not getting there last year is very motivating." 3B Alex Blandino (St. Francis) and 2B Danny Diekroeger (Menlo) are returning starters, as is OF Austin Slater. Blandino has been named a preseason All-American by several news organizations. Drew Jackson (Miramonte) is penciled in as the shortstop. The Cardinal, ranked No. 26 by Collegiate Baseball, will need to find someone to replace Mark Appel, the No. 1 pick in the MLB draft, as the Friday starter. Junior left-hander John Hochstatter (San Ramon Valley) went 3-3 with a 3.88 ERA a year ago. Sam Lindquist (2-2, 3.46, 5 saves) is the closer. Marquess hopes to have RHP A.J. Vanegas (back injury) at full strength later in the season

Here's Perfect Game's scouting report on first team all-american 3B Alex Blandino...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=9297

Quote:Alex Blandino Perfect Game profile

Position: SS/3B
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R-R
Birthdate: Nov. 6, 1992
College: Stanford
Hometown: Palo Alto, Calif.
Previously Drafted: Athletics '11 (38)
Projected Draft Round: 1S-2

The 2014 MLB Draft class is shaping up to be a deep an eclectic group of players from both the high school and college ranks. If you’re a scouting director you have high risk players to choose from, as well as the safe and reliable college talent that can reach the big leagues in a hurry. One of the most coveted players of that latter group when the spring rolls around should be Stanford infielder Alex Blandino. While he hit a mild speed bump in his sophomore season at Stanford, Blandino has otherwise established himself as one of the nation’s steadiest players.

Players like Blandino typically need to establish a track record in order to get the credit they deserve. While he was drafted out of high school– in the 38th round by the Oakland Athletics – he was clearly not the sought after draft prospect back in 2011 that he is today. That track record was established quickly, however, as Blandino came out and had an outstanding freshman season after electing to attend Stanford. Playing multiple positions on the infield, Blandino hit .294 with eight home runs in 153 at-bats for the Cardinal. And, Blandino wasn’t done just yet, as he was about to introduce himself to every scout in the nation during that summer.

History tells us that freshman position players don’t usually excel in the Cape Cod League. Just ask now all-world prospect, Kris Bryant, who hit just .223 for the Chatham Anglers back in 2011. It’s a gauntlet for young hitters, but apparently no one told Alex Blandino that in 2012. The Palo Alto native hit .312 for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, slugging three home runs along the way. He was clearly one of the league’s most consistent hitters as well as one of its most solid defensive infielders. And, it appeared that he was poised to take an even further step offensively when he returned to Stanford for his sophomore season.

As it turned out, the spring of 2013 was more of a step backwards for the 6-foot, 190 pound infielder. Blandino started 52 games at third base for the Cardinal, and hit just .268. He did contribute seven home runs and ten doubles, and his solid plate discipline remained intact, but it was still not the step forward that most talent evaluators had been expecting.

Any steam Blandino may have lost, however, he regained in a hurry as he headed back to the Cape Cod League for another tour with the Y-D Red Sox. In a return to form, he hit .302 in 130 at-bats, swatting two home runs along the way. This is the Blandino most scouts expect to show up in Palo Alto this spring, the consistent offensive force that can be leaned on day in and day out.

The affinity for Blandino really stems from his swing. The owner of one of the smoothest, most balanced swings in the country, Blandino has the type of stroke that should translate well against any level of competition, all the way up through the big leagues. He works from a quiet setup and shows an outstanding trust of his natural hand speed. He knows how to lift the ball down in the zone and lets the ball track deep enough to be effective hitting to all fields. His plate discipline also continues to be a facet of his game that stands out, as you just won’t see him go outside the zone all that often.

The difference maker in Blandino’s profile is going to be his power. He’s not a large or imposing player, and with as easy of a swing he takes it would come as a surprise that he can generate so much power to his pull side. But, Blandino simply has the knack of generating backspin and he selects his pitches well enough to hit the ball out of the park. And, it’s a tool you could see continue to develop from him at the next level.

Blandino’s arm strength will certainly allow him to remain at third base, and whether he ends up at second is far more dependent on his aforementioned power development. His hands are unquestioned, although he’s had his bouts of defensive inconsistency, but his defensive home remains much more of a profile question than anything else.
Scouts will know what they are getting into when they turn him in to their scouting directors, and there doesn’t figure to be a large amount of conflicting opinions on him as the draft approaches. The belief is that he has a chance to be a solid big league regular either at third or second base, depending on how his power stroke translates to the professional level. With his above average arm strength, slick fielding actions, line drive swing path, and unique power for his size and position, Blandino should be very safe bet to go off the board in the top two rounds if he performs to his ability this spring.

And here's an article on Stanford's projected Sunday starting pitcher, true Freshman RHP Chris Viall, who is 6'9" and 240 lbs, and was drafted in the 39th round by the Giants...
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/news/ci...ter-sunday

Thanks, WG

Someone else will have to do the honors for Tuesday home-opener vs. Texas State since I'll be taking the redeye to Houston to be there in person!

Yes, thanks.

I'm not even going to ask about video, but is there a way to listen to the audio of the game on-line? Does KTRU broadcast the games? A station in Houston that I could get on-line (I'm in Minnesota). If anyone knows, thanks in advance for the info.

Every game will be broadcast over the internet. Go to riceowls.com

According to the Stanford message boards, the Cardinal mighjt very well start 3 true Freshman pitchers against us-- all right-handers:

Friday: Cal Quantrill
Saturday: Brett Hanewich (who's also their starting 1B)
Sunday: Chris Viall

Sounds like a pitching staff in flux.

Getting on the bus...

(02-13-2014 09:52 AM)grol Wrote:  Getting on the bus...

The team is bussing to PA ?

(02-13-2014 10:00 AM)Da.Owl Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 09:52 AM)grol Wrote:  Getting on the bus...

The team is bussing to PA ?

I'm assuming to the airport.

(02-13-2014 09:49 AM)grol Wrote:  Sounds like a pitching staff in flux.

Strange since they do have 2 experienced weekend starters-- one (Hochstatter) who has been a weekend starter since opening weekend his Freshman year, and has started every weekend the past two seasons. Of course, we (and Jordan Stephens, personally) are 2-0 against him.

It probably means Marquess is going to pitch by Committee throughout the weekend; almost like an intrasquad game.

(02-13-2014 10:28 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  It probably means Marquess is going to pitch by Committee throughout the weekend; almost like an intrasquad game.

Does he still do that deal where the pitcher is also listed as the DH in the starting lineup, and then he announces a pinch-hit DH as soon as the pitcher's spot comes up?
A friend of mine tried to explain the advantage of this to me, and while there was some plausible theory behind it, in practice it seemed like a whole lot of silliness and not worth the distraction.

Kendall's writeup of the Stanford - Rice series in his Weekend Preview...
http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View...ticle=9423

Quote:No. 17 Rice at Stanford: It’s almost become a tradition for the Owls and Cardinal to meet up early in the season every year, and this series should be a dandy as the Owls hope to take care of business against the relatively new-look Cardinal. Rice welcomes back a solid weekend rotation with right-handed pitcher Jordan Stephens, who has taken some big strides forward, leading the charge, while the back-end of games is in very good hands with All-American Zech Lemond, who has a mid-90s arm with dangerous secondary stuff, leading the way. Meanwhile, the Cardinal looks to surprise. Not a lot is expected of Stanford without right-handed pitcher Mark Appel, first baseman Brian Ragira, and other key cogs, but freshman pitcher Cal Quantrill is one of several young players that give coach Mark Marquess and his staff a lot of hope. There’s also hard-hitting junior third baseman Alex Blandino, who should be more consistent than ever this season.

No new insights here.

(02-13-2014 10:42 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(02-13-2014 10:28 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  It probably means Marquess is going to pitch by Committee throughout the weekend; almost like an intrasquad game.

Does he still do that deal where the pitcher is also listed as the DH in the starting lineup, and then he announces a pinch-hit DH as soon as the pitcher's spot comes up?
A friend of mine tried to explain the advantage of this to me, and while there was some plausible theory behind it, in practice it seemed like a whole lot of silliness and not worth the distraction.

Yup, he still does it.

Part of Aaron Fitt's weekend preview...
http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/w...g-faceoff/

Quote:In California, forecasts for this weekend call for 60s and 70s—welcome news for visiting teams that can make it there (the weather prevented N.C. State from reaching UC Santa Barbara). Many of Week One’s most compelling matchups will take place in the Golden State, including a pair of series in Northern California: No. 18 Texas travels to Cal, and No. 15 Rice plays at Stanford. Weather should not affect travel for those visiting teams, fortunately.

We broke down the ranked visiting teams in detail in our recent Top 25 capsules, so let’s take a look at some of the major issues facing the California teams heading into Week One.

Stanford and California are playing two of the more challenging nonconference schedules in the country, so their young players will have to mature in a hurry. Cal follows its Texas series with tournaments at Auburn and San Diego, then a home tournament that includes Tulane, San Francisco and Arkansas. Stanford makes back-to-back road trips to Texas and Vanderbilt after this weekend, then finishes nonconference play with a home set against Kansas.

“If the schedule doesn’t kill us, we’ll be pretty good, if we can survive it,” Cardinal coach Mark Marquess said at NorCal college baseball media day.

The Cardinal will be without its two best arms heading into the season, as big-name sophomore righty Freddy Avis and senior righthander A.J. Vanegas are both coming off injuries. Vanegas, who had disc surgery in his back last year, could be ready to return next week at Texas, according to Marquess, and will probably start the season in the bullpen but could work his way into the rotation by the start of conference play. Avis, who was limited by a shoulder injury last year and eventually was diagnosed with a small tear in his labrum, might not pitch at all this year.

“He’s throwing now, playing catch on a throwing program, feels great,” Marquess told the San Jose Mercury-News this week. “Probably going to go real conservative and at best pitch him at the end of the year or not at all and save the year and redshirt him. Because he’s going to be great. The problem is that it didn’t show up in an MRI initially.”

So Stanford will need its strong group of freshman arms—led by Cal Quantrill, Chris Viall, Brett Hanewich and Tyler Thorne—to shoulder significant pitching loads right away. The lone experienced starter returning this weekend is junior lefthander John Hochstatter, a crafty southpaw who lacks overpowering stuff. At the back end, fourth-year junior Sam Lindquist will anchor the bullpen, unless Vanegas eventually seizes the closer job.

...and both Jordan Stephens (starting pitcher) and Zech Lemond (closer/reliever) earned Baseball America's "preseason Roth Stars), named after South Carolina's recent ace, and touting the best at their positions who did not make BA's preseason all-american team (which is compiled by the scouting community and deals more with future MLB projections)...

Quote:Preseason Roth Stars
Finally, we’ve got one last piece of preseason business to take care of before we turn our focus to the action on the field, and away from predictions. For more than three decades, major league scouting directors have voted for Baseball America’s preseason All-America teams, providing our readers a valuable look at how the premium talent breaks down at each position.

Sometimes, accomplished players with impressive college baseball resumes get left off those teams because they are not elite draft prospects, or simply because there are only three All-America teams and there is not room for all the great players at each spot. South Carolina ace Michael Roth was a prime example; he was a first-team All-American after his 2011 junior season but did not get any votes from scouting directors heading into 2012, so he did not make our preseason All-America teams despite appearing on the cover of the magazine.

Inspired by Roth, we have selected the best players at each position who did not crack our preseason All-America teams—we call them Roth Stars. These are not based exclusively on numbers; we are still considering league context and pure ability level. Ultimately, these are players we suspect could wind up on our postseason All-America teams in June.

ROTH STARS
C: Mark Zagunis, Virginia Tech
1B: Wes Rea, Mississippi State
2B: Edwin Rios, Florida International
3B: Dustin DeMuth, Indiana
SS: Kevin Newman, Arizona
OF: Joe McCarthy, Virginia
OF: Mark Payton, Texas
OF: Nick Torres, Cal Poly
DH: Nick Backlund, Mercer
SP: Thomas Eshelman, Cal State Fullerton
SP: Daniel Mengden, Texas A&M
SP: Jordan Montgomery, South Carolina
SP: Jordan Stephens, Rice
RP: Zech Lemond, Rice
UT: Nick Howard, Virginia

fun video forwarded from a Stanford alum - ready for baseball!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U609tlg5z...e=youtu.be

And it's never wrong to post this video...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJncmjCqSqk

(02-13-2014 08:58 PM)ausowl Wrote:  fun video forwarded from a Stanford alum - ready for baseball!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U609tlg5z...e=youtu.be

Probably the only baseball promotion I've ever seen that emphasizes rain and cold over sunshine.

Finally, Stanford's game notes for the upcoming series...

https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf9/26395...M_ID=30600

Highly recommend reading at least the first 2 - 3 pages as they provide the latest position by position updates. For example, the reason Zarubin is not returning to the weekend rotation is his arm is bothering him and, instead, he'll be playing 2B...with Diekroger moving to 1B. It also provides a nice breakdown of 2013 production that is returning vs. lost to graduation or the draft.

Here's an article on today's opposing pitcher, true Freshman Cal Qunatrill....
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs...1/SPORTS11

...low 90s heater, with above average changeup. Developing a slider.