Mizzou Baseball Quotes & Notes

Summer Ball

■ The Coppell Copperheads became champions of the Texas Collegiate League on Friday night (8/14) by sweeping the Victoria Generals in their 3-game championship series. The Copperheads rose from a 3rd place regular season finish to sweep back-to-back playoff series, first defeating the East Texas Pumpjacks (including Tigers Russell LaFleur, Brett Nicholas, David Rollins) before edging the #1 seed Generals (ranked 20th nationally). The Copperheads received solid contributions from RHP/SS Jeff Emens, who finished with a .308 BA (TCL top 10). Emens also led the league in OBP (.438) and had 3 saves and 25K in 23 innings of relief work.

Draft

■ Senne returns to Missouri to play ball (PostBulletin.com)

"I never heard back from them after their initial offer," Senne said. "I never called back and they never upped their offer."

Senne felt the contract was too low so the left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder will play a fourth season at Missouri. As a junior he batted .305 with six home runs and 43 RBIs in 62 games.

"I'm happy with the decision," Senne said. "I would have love to sign with them and they're a team I'd like to play for. But for what they were offering, I decided to go back for my senior season (at Missouri)."

■ Baseball America Draft Deadline Chat:

I believe Crow will sign in time to get his feet wet in the Arizona Fall League this offseason. And he'll be a nice pickup for the Royals.
. . .
A healthy Gibson is a steal at No. 22, and the Twins signed him for $1.85 million.

■ Waiting for the draft repairman (KansasCity.com)

Look, guys like Crow are not to be blamed for wanting the best deal possible in such an unsure game. The agents giving advice are only doing their job, helping amateurs hold their own against professionals. And the teams are just trying to tame rising costs in a system that will pay Stephen Strasburg twice as much this year as Zack Greinke and more than either reigning Cy Young winner.

It's the system that's broken, the one benefiting nobody, the one doing more harm than good.

■ Gibson reaches 11th hour deal with Twins (Columbia Tribune)

Former Missouri pitcher Kyle Gibson held tight to the once-popular notion that he was one of the top five pitchers available in June’s MLB first-year players draft.

The Minnesota Twins stuck with their belief that Gibson was the 22nd overall pick and should be treated as such.

With time running short, the sides finally met in the middle.

■ Thoughts on Gibson, other Twins-related notes (StarTribune.com)

“I want to make a good impression and I want to show the Twins they made a good investment,” Gibson said.

Gibson’s slider is the real deal, he might end up with a plus changeup and has very good command. Don’t expect him to pitch for the Twins next season, that’s just not how this organization rolls with prospects. But a spot in the 2011 rotation isn’t out of the question.