Now that both CUSA teams are done with their respective regional we can start with the offseason.

So far the only news since the end of the CUSA tournament is/was the resignation of UTSA's coach Jason Marshall last week. Several UAB fans were thinking their coach Brian Shoop wouldn't be back next year so I would imagine a decision would be made on that at some point in the next few weeks.

And as much as it dismays me that USM couldn't (and still can't) get past the regional round under Berry, this year marked the 4th straight season of 40 or more wins which is a first in school history.

Unfortunately I think we're still at least 1 year away from being back to our old levels. Our 2020 recruiting class is looking impressive, but I'm not sure the 2019 recruits are going to be enough to get us back in the top 25.

I will go ahead and play the "if" game.....if USM's Friday night pitcher Walker Powell sign in this week's MLB draft I like the prospects of our Friday/Saturday pitching lineup of him along with freshman Gabe Shepard. Kind of odd/interesting reading all the internet chatter of Shepard being anointed our Friday guy for 2020 but unless Walker Powell gets drafted in top 15-20 rounds or so I feel like he'll be back for his senior season. Had it not been for Rice's Canterino he in all likelihood would've been the Pitcher of the Year....16 starts with a record of 6-2, 2.72 ERA, 3 complete games with 1 complete game shutout as well as part of a combined shutout.

Hitting wise we should be set with our 1-3 hitters and possibly our 7-8 hitters but everything else will need to be replaced.

Our 11 signees consist of 10 HS and 1 Juco so it will be quite different than year's past where it seemed we traditionally signed about 60/40 or 70/30 Juco heavy.

(06-03-2019 03:40 PM)usm99 Wrote:  I will go ahead and play the "if" game.....if USM's Friday night pitcher Walker Powell sign in this week's MLB draft I like the prospects of our Friday/Saturday pitching lineup of him along with freshman Gabe Shepard. Kind of odd/interesting reading all the internet chatter of Shepard being anointed our Friday guy for 2020 but unless Walker Powell gets drafted in top 15-20 rounds or so I feel like he'll be back for his senior season. Had it not been for Rice's Canterino he in all likelihood would've been the Pitcher of the Year....16 starts with a record of 6-2, 2.72 ERA, 3 complete games with 1 complete game shutout as well as part of a combined shutout.

Hitting wise we should be set with our 1-3 hitters and possibly our 7-8 hitters but everything else will need to be replaced.

Our 11 signees consist of 10 HS and 1 Juco so it will be quite different than year's past where it seemed we traditionally signed about 60/40 or 70/30 Juco heavy.

Shepard routinely hit 97 on the gun and touched 98 once or twice. He has the part you can’t teach mastered already. He just needs some coaching and some seasoning. I like Powell as a competitor who will give it all he has every start, but he’s not the talent Shepard is.

I'm calling it now. If Shepherd stays healthy, he'll be cusa POTY. What we all saw from his this past month was freaking filthy and he's only a true freshman.

Shepard will be sophomore eligible. Meaning he could leave next year. FanGraphs projects him as a day 1 selection.

We have a lefty from Mobile coming in that people think could be really good. Saturday starter perhaps.

Pitching should be well above average but I worry a little about our bats. Feels weird to say that.

I don’t think we ever signed a class 60 or 70% JUCO. It’s gone down the last several years. We’ll have less than 10 on this roster. Maybe less than 8.

USM Jr Matt Wallner taken with the 39th pick which was still round 1 with compensatory picks by his hometown/childhood team Minnesota Twins.

There was an college baseball article earlier this year talking about juco signees and MT had a well regarded group signed, so we'll see how much improvement they make to the program. Have to believe if they are breathing, able to walk and chew gum, they'll be an improvement over the outgoing group who have to have been the worst group to play at MT in a long time. Can't recall a class ever missing conference tourney four straight years which this group managed to make their biggest achievement.

Canterino also went to the Twins (maybe we should play the conference tournament in Minnesota in the future?) with the 54th overall pick.

(06-04-2019 06:34 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Canterino also went to the Twins (maybe we should play the conference tournament in Minnesota in the future?) with the 54th overall pick.

from espn: http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/...-mlb-draft

The Twins definitely wanted power, though, going for Southern Miss outfielder Matt Wallner with their second pick. Wallner has power, hit better as the season went on and could always move to the mound if he doesn't work out at the plate, as he was 94 to 98 mph with a plus slider before he stopped pitching. They took Rice right-hander Matt Canterino in the second round; he has a potentially plus breaking ball but a very rough delivery that will make it hard for him to stay a starter.

WKU's Jake Sanford who won CUSA Player of the Year goes in the 3rd round (pick 105) to the New York Yankees

Rice's Evan Kravetz taken in 5th round (144) by the Cincinnati Reds

(06-04-2019 12:54 PM)usm99 Wrote:  WKU's Jake Sanford who won CUSA Player of the Year goes in the 3rd round (pick 105) to the New York Yankees

MLB's assigned value for the 105th overall pick is $554,300.00. Congratulations Jake!

Congratulations to Jake Sanford and WKU baseball!!!

clt says Kimbrel to the cubs

There were 4 form Marshall selected, 2 players and 2 signee's:

26th Round Pick 794 Elvis Paralta JR -- Oakland A's
27th Round Pick 823 Zane Zurbrugg (Marshall signee) -- Milwaukee Brewers
30th Round Pick 894 Ryan Leitch (Marshall signee) -- Cincinnati Reds
34th Round Pick 1,033 Joshua Shapiro SR -- Milwaukee Brewers

Both Marshall signee's are suppose to be in Huntington next year but once your name is called you never know what someone is thinking.

Rice ends up with 6 guys drafted (including two pitchers who either missed all or part of the season due to injury). The 2nd and 5th round picks are gone (well the 5th round pitcher was a senior so he was gone either way). The 12th round pitcher is probably also gone (a junior). The last 3 guys could all return though (including Trei Cruz who was drafted in the 37th round as a draft-eligible sophomore). We kind of could use him to return in 2020, and he should be a much higher draft pick next year so hopefully he does the smart thing and comes back.

ETA - 1 incoming recruit (Tyler LaRue, son of former MLB catcher Jason LaRue) was drafted in the 38th round by Washington.

I know next to nothing about baseball, but it seems crazy that a guy can go as the ~900th player. Does the GM on teams really stick around that long to make selections?

(06-06-2019 07:06 AM)odu09 Wrote:  

I know next to nothing about baseball, but it seems crazy that a guy can go as the ~900th player. Does the GM on teams really stick around that long to make selections?

my guess is probably an asst GM or someone is making decisions by that point as the draft goes 40 rounds with 1,217 picks so someone has to be making the decisions. Not all 1217 end up going to the minor leagues as I know there were several from the Hattiesburg/south Mississippi area alone that got drafted but stated they would decline the draft and attend college.