Baseball American Top 25

[RaginDave]

I think the 2000 season roughly 9 kids were drafted off of that team.

[Dad04]

We should

This.

[lxa656]

Here is the write-up on the Cajuns. Very lofty expectations. According to Baseball America, we have an ELITE lineup and defensive team with above average pitching.

14. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE

louisianalafayette

2013 Record (Ranking): 43-20 (NR). RPI: 23.

Coach (Record at school): Tony Robichaux (673-457-1, 19 years).

Postseason History: 13 regionals (active streak: 1), 1 CWS trip (2000), 0 national titles.

2014 LINEUP
Pos. Name Yr. AVG OBP SLG HR RBI SB
C Mike Strentz Jr. .311 .421 .544 7 45 5
1B Chase Compton Sr. .265 .406 .456 5 32 1
2B Jace Conrad Jr. .286 .353 .424 4 36 19
3B Tyler Girouard Jr. .360 .461 .590 7 41 4
SS Blake Trahan So. .319 .410 .423 4 38 13
LF Caleb Adams Jr. .339 .435 .651 16 55 3
CF Seth Harrison Jr. .338 .417 .567 9 45 10
RF Dylan Butler Jr. .295 .317 .577 8 42 0
DH Ryan Leonards Sr. .328 .401 .410 1 30 7
Pos. Name Yr. W L ERA IP SO SV
RHP Austin Robichaux Jr. 9 2 3.05 109 88 0
RHP Carson Baranik Jr. NA Tr.—Miami Dade JC
RHP Greg Milhorn Jr. NA Tr.—Northeast Texas CC
RP Ryan Wilson Sr. 6 4 3.25 83 61 1

Hitting: 70. Eight starters return from a team that ranked in the nation’s top six last year in batting, scoring, doubles and slugging. Coach Tony Robichaux calls Girouard a “professional hitter” who stays inside the ball very well, and he’s a mature, physical fourth-year junior. Fellow upperclassmen Adams, Harrison, Leonards and Strentz are aggressive, accomplished hitters who all topped .300 a year ago. Strentz ranked in the nation’s top 15 in doubles (23) and hit-by-pitches (21) last year. Trahan, the best overall player on the team, should see his offensive numbers spike as he continues to get stronger and improves at pulling the ball with authority. This deep lineup gives opponents no time to breath, with dangerous hitters from top to bottom.
Blake Trahan

Blake Trahan

Power: 70. The Ragin’ Cajuns led Division I with 74 homers last year, although second-leading home run hitter Dex Kjerstad (12 HR) is gone. Adams has the strength to drive balls out of any park, and Butler might have even more raw power, but he needs to improve his approach (7-45 BB-SO last year). The Cajuns aren’t afraid to swing for the fences and take their share of strikeouts, because they are frequently rewarded with game-changing homers. Harrison, Strentz and Girouard are all threats to club double-digit homers as well. Conrad, Compton and Trahan also have occasional home run pop.

Speed: 65. Conrad and Harrison are both plus-plus runners who have been clocked at 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash. Trahan has plus speed and an innate feel for basestealing—he swiped 24 bags in 27 tries between last spring and summer in the MINK League. Leonards is another above-average runner, while Adams and Strentz have decent speed as well.

Defense: 70. Louisiana-Lafayette should be superb up the middle. The live-bodied Trahan is capable of making highlight-reel plays to his right and left thanks to his good range and strong arm, but he also has an advanced ability to slow the game down and play under control. Conrad, who fielded .989 last year, is a whiz at second. Harrison has excellent range and arm strength in center, and Strentz is a physical catcher with a good arm. Compton is strong at first, and Girouard is steady at third. Leonards is a valuable, versatile utilityman who can play all over the diamond.

Starting Pitching: 55. Austin Robichaux, the head coach’s son, is a bona fide ace who works downhill with a heavy 88-92 fastball that bumps 94-95 and flashes a plus curveball and solid change, but his 6-foot-6 frame lacks physicality, prompting scouts to wonder about his durability. The Cajuns will follow him in the rotation with a pair of talented SEC bounce-backs. Baranik, who began his college career at LSU, has good command of a solid three-pitch mix and has run his fastball up to 93 at times. Milhorn, who was a promising recruit for Arkansas before heading to the juco ranks, sits at 88-92 and touches 93-94 with is fastball, which he complements with a sharp downer curve and a quality change. Fr. RHP Reagan Bazar was the big story of the fall; at 6-foot-8, he has serious downward plane on a fastball that the Cajuns say sits 94-96, though his command is a work in progress.

Bullpen: 55. The Ragin’ Cajuns lack a marquee closer, but they can lean upon four reliable, competitive seniors. Wilson has a solid three-pitch mix from the left side, including an 87-89 fastball that bumps 91, and Cody Boutte is in the same mold. Sr. RHP Matt Hicks is a 5-foot-8 sinkerballer with impressive arm-side run on his fastball and the ability to throw strikes with his slider. Sr. RHP Matt Plitt has the biggest arm of the trio, with a fastball that sits in the low 90s and touched 96 this fall, along with a solid slider and very good splitter. Bazar could also factor into the bullpen, potentially giving the unit another big arm.

Experience/Intangibles: 65. With eight proven upperclassmen and a seasoned sophomore in the lineup, an ace with a year of Friday night experience under his belt and four seniors anchoring the bullpen, this is a veteran team with high hopes. Two juco transfers in the rotation need to establish themselves at the D-I level.

Baseball America OFP: 60. The Cajuns think this could be their best team since the 2000 Omaha team. A year after falling to LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional final, Louisiana-Lafayette should be a strong candidate to host a regional and make a deep postseason run, as long as its multitude of draft prospects can handle the weight of expectations.


http://www.baseballamerica.com/colle...5-teams-11-15/

[raginsaints]

Beautiful

[Dad04]

Beautiful

We will have a good team. If the new juco pitchers are effective, we could be very special. If Bazar can also be effective, then look out.

[wcd35]

Updating now that USA Today poll is out:

Baseball America: #14
Collegiate Baseball: #23
Perfect Game: #26 (Next 5 in)
ESPN/USAToday: #24
NCBWA: TBA

[Earl]

This is good for LSU. So when we beat y'alls ___ again, it will help our RPI not hurt it.

[wcd35]

Bumping because the final preseason national poll is out. National Collegiate Baseball Writers poll was released and we are #24 on this one.

http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/...ullerton-no-1/

Baseball America: #14
Collegiate Baseball: #23
Perfect Game: #26 (Next 5 in)
ESPN/USAToday: #24
NCBWA: #24