Max Headroom

Head to Comerica Park on June 12th for your MAX SCHERZER BOBBLEHEAD !

At least, they claim that's him. Doesn't look a lot like Max to me.

Details HERE

2011 MLB Draft & Mizzou

■ Draft Schedule:

June 6, 7 p.m. ET
Round 1, First-Year Player Draft, Secaucus, N.J.

June 7, noon ET
Rounds 2-30, First-Year Player Draft

June 8, noon ET
Rounds 31-50, First-Year Player Draft

You can follow the entire draft live on MLB.com and by following @MLBDraft on Twitter.

I'll be following the draft all day Tuesday and Wednesday and will provide updates here on SimmonsField.com and on Twitter (@trripleplay) as MU players or MU recruits are named in the draft.

■ Draft eligible current MU players (to be eligible a player at a 4-year college must have completed his Junior year OR have reached the age of 21 prior to Draft Day)

Players in BOLD are listed on MLB.com's pre-draft Draft Tracker (as of 6/2)

• Ryan Ampleman, C (SR)
  
  
• Brad Buehler, RHP (SR)
  • Was drafted by Tampa Bay in the 43rd round in 2007
  
  
• Brian Carr, LHP (JR)
  
  
• Ryan Clubb, RHP (JR)
  
  
• Jeff Emens, RHP (JR)
  
  
• Kelly Fick, LHP (SR)
  
  
• Ryan Gebhart, OF (JR)
  
  
• Zach Hardoin, LHP (SR)
  
  
• James Hudelson, RHP (JR)
  
  
• Jeff Lusardi, OF/IF (RS SO)
  
  
• Conner Mach, IF/OF (JR)
  
  
• Phil McCormick, LHP (SR)
  
  
• Andreas Plackis, C (RS SO)
  
  
• Dusty Ross, RHP (JR)
  
  
• Jesse Santo, SS (SR)
  
  
• Jeff Scardino, LHP (SR)
  
  
• Jonah Schmidt, OF (SR)
  
  
• Matt Stites, RHP (SR)
  
  • Was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 33rd round of the 2010 draft
  
  • Ranked #178 in Baseball America's 2011 Draft Top 200
  
  
• Andrew Thigpen, IF (SR)
  
  
• Ben Turner, C (SO)

■ Mizzou Recruits eligible for the 2011 Draft (All graduating high school seniors and all junior college players are eligible for the draft)

• Kyle Barbeck, LHP; 6-1; 191 lb; L/L Northeast Texas Community College ('11); Ole Miss ('09,'10); Blue Springs HS (MO) - Former prep teammate of Nick Tepesch
  
  
• Jake Busiek, LHP; 6-2 180 R-L Lafayette Eureka MO
  
  
• Justin Byrd, C; 6-1;' 205 lb; R-R Arapahoe High School, Denver, CO; California-Berkeley (09-10) Green River Community College (2011)
  
  
• Jeff Cline, RHP; 6-3 195 R-R Maple Woods CC
  
  
• Brett Graves RHP; 6-1 170 R-R Francis Howell St. Charles MO
  
  
• D'Andre Heggie 3B; 6-0 195 R-R Blue Springs South Blue Springs MO
  
  
• Tyler House RHP; 6-5 205 lb L-L; Rich Central HS, Olympia Fields IL
  
  
• Jake Ivory C/OF; 6-1 160 R-R Francis Howell HS St Louis MO
  
  
• John Miles RHP; 6-3 210 R-R; Rock Bridge HS, Columbia MO
  
  
• Nick Moore IF; 6-0 170 R-R; Benet Academy HS, Lisle, IL
  
  
• Brandon Platts RHP; 6-4 210 R-R Mason City Mason City IA
  
  
• Patrick Quintanilla, C; 6-2 180 R-R Southlake Carroll HS (Dallas-FW area)
  
  
• Jeff Soptic, RHP; 6-6 220 R-R Johnson County Community College
  
  • Was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 43rd round of the 2009 draft
  
  • Ranked #110 in Baseball America's 2011 Draft Top 200
  
  
• Gavin Stark, 1B; 6-4 220 L/L Fort Scott Community College
  
  
• Brett Thomas, RHP/SS; 6-2 190 R-R Oak Ridge HS, Oak Ridge, MO

■ State Preview: Missouri (PerfectGame.com)

Missouri’s 5-foot-11 righthander Matt Stites and slender Missouri State second baseman Kevin Medrano head up a mediocre college draft drop, even though Stites produced no better than a 3-5, 3.69 record this season, though did strike out a team high 72 batters in 85 innings. Despite his small frame, Stites has an unusually live arm and easily the best stuff and command on the Missouri staff. He can mix four pitches, including a low-90s fastball.
. . .
PROSPECT ON THE DECLINE: The University of Missouri roster. There was a time in the recent past when Missouri was churning out first-round draft picks on an annual basis, and attracting choice recruits from all across the Midwest. Those days seem to have disappeared.
. . .
TOP 2013 PROSPECT: Rob Zastryzny, lhp, University of Missouri
. . .
Top Prospects: #6. BRETT GRAVES, rhp, Francis Howell HS, St. Charles; + athlete, dual-threat D-I QB prospect, also plays SS; fast/loose arm, 89-91 FB/T-93, CU/CH are developing.

■ High school baseball standouts decide between college and pro (American Chronicle)

At least 26 local graduating seniors have committed to play baseball at Division I schools. A handful of those players may be drafted.

One is Brett Graves, a Francis Howell pitcher and shortstop who was recently named the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year. He's also bound for the University of Missouri, having signed a letter of intent in November. For his family, the issue of staying true to the scholarship offer or pursuing the pro route is a matter of weighing the options.

"It comes down to opportunity," Scott Graves, Brett's father, said. "Does it seem like a good opportunity? ... Obviously some of it comes down to money and balancing the opportunity against the Mizzou education."

■ No draft dodger (Columbia Tribune)

Rock Bridge pitcher John Miles might receive a call this week. The right-handed Missouri recruit was invited to the Philadelphia Phillies predraft camp along with high school teammates Ryan Phillips and Landon Clapp.

■ A month from MLB, Platts ready for all scenarios (Globe Gazette)

His fastball has been clocked at 91 mph and Perfect Game, a scouting service, gives him a 10 rating, meaning he is a potential very high draft pick and a top D-I prospect.

He signed with Missouri in November, but where the 6-foot-4, 210-pound right hander winds up isn’t set in stone.

“The draft is a funny thing,” Platts said. “There’s been guys that go in the 10th round that were supposed to go in the 20th round.

“And there’s guys that go in the 20th round that were supposed to go in the 10th round.”
. . .
“It’s exciting, but I don’t want to get my hopes up too much,” he said. “If it doesn’t happen, I have a really good thing at the University of Missouri.

■ More intriguing sleepers for the 2011 Draft (minorleagueball.com)

Jeff Soptic, RHP, Johnson County Community College: 6-6, 210. Big guy with a mid-90s fastball and good slider. He has a University of Missouri commitment and might end up there if he doesn't go high enough this year. 4.50 ERA with 58/31 K/BB in 56 innings, 41 hits; command issues are the main problem.

Mizzou Baseball Recruits

■ Providence escapes Benet in regional final (suntimes.com)

Providence ace Matt Trowbridge was nearly outpitched Saturday by a Benet senior known more for his play as his team’s starting shortstop.

“I’m an infielder,” Nick Moore [MU recruit] said. “I try to pitch the ball over the plate hoping they will hit the ball to my fielders.”
. . .
Moore, who hit a grand slam earlier Saturday in a 12-0 five-inning win over Hinsdale South, was at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the seventh. He ended the game with a force out at second base.

Moore threw 119 pitches, 65 for strikes, while going the distance. He allowed only three hits and three walks while striking out eight.

“It was a really fun season,” said Moore, who was among five senior starters to play his final game. “These guys kept it loose.”

Mizzou in the Majors: Max in the middle

■ Q&A: Max Scherzer & Rick Knapp (fangraphs.com)

Max Scherzer: For me, the next day is one of the hardest-working days to get my body right. I’ll do a total body lift, lifting every major area. I’ll exercise my legs, back, chest, arms — kind of the whole nine yards. Then I’ll go out and run for awhile, trying to get as tired as I can. Throwing is very minimal. I just kind of loosen up, getting the arm moving to get ready for my pen the next day.
. . .
Scherzer: I don’t think it’s so much about psychology. It is, but it’s also using the right words. He’s getting to see how I work from a different angle. I don’t get to see everything, so he might be able to relate some words about what I should be thinking to keep myself in the right position. He’ll mention something like, “focus on this,” and all of a sudden, once I get that train of thought, that’s what I’m focusing on. That’s what’s big about having a pitching coach who communicates with you well.
. . .

Mizzou Baseball Recruits: Francis Howell wins Class 4 State Title

■ HS Baseball: Howell wins Missouri Class 4 State Title. They have two @MUTigerBaseball signees. @BGraves05 & @JakeIvory (@BlumberOTB on Twitter)

■ Francis Howell captures Class 4 state title (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Never before during his 27 years of coaching has Francis Howell baseball coach Tony Perkins began a season by telling a team it was good enough to win a state title. Until this year.

The Vikings finished off a remarkable season Saturday afternoon by defeating Liberty 10-5 in the Missouri Class 4 championship game at Meador Park for the school's second state title and first since 2003.

"This team, when you looked at them, I had four or five of them up as sophomores on the varsity level and you looked up and down the senior class was just so loaded with pitching and offense and defense," Perkins said. "All the pieces to the puzzle were there."
. . .

Mizzou Baseball Recruit: Blake Holovach, LHP

■ Blake Holovach, LHP

6'5", 200 lb, L/L

Coffeyville Community College
Blue Valley West HS

■ Holovach signs with Missouri (coffeyville.edu)

“Blake has really worked hard the past year and a half to learn our pitching philosophy and mechanics,” said Coffeyville Head Baseball Coach Andy Morgan. “With his hard work, he has put himself in a position to help us win a bunch of games and earn his scholarship at Missouri.”

Last season as a freshman, Holovach went 3-5 with a 4.69 earned run average. In 60 innings, he struck out 44 and walked 32. Holovach, an Overland Park, Kansas native, throws a two and four-seam fastball, a slider, a circle change and is working on a cutter.
. . .
Holovach is hoping he will see the same success at Missouri as a couple of former Tigers. Max Scherzer is a current member of the Detroit Tigers and a former first round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Aaron Crow was a first round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2009.

“Missouri has developed a lot of pitchers who have been drafted,” noted Holovach. “I hope to get better and get drafted too.”

MU Players in Summer Ball

Here's the list we've been able to patch together at this point of Mizzou players in Summer ball. I'm sure there are players in summer ball we've missed. Drop me a line at simmonsfield@hotmail.com if you have more informatin.

■ Cape Cod League

• Falmouth Commodores

Eric Garica
Eric Anderson

■ California Collegiate League

• San Luis Obispo Blues (Head Coach is former tiger Pitching Coach Chal Fanning)

Sal Belfonte
Brannon Champagne

• Santa Barbara Foresters

Blake Brown

■ Jayhawk League

• El Dorado Broncos

Ryan Gebhart

■ Northwoods League

• Mankato Moon Dogs

Scott Sommerfeld

■ Texas Collegiate League

• East Texas Pump Jacks

C. J. Jarvis
James Hudelson

■ West Coast League

• Cowlitz Black Bears (Head Coach is former Tiger Bryson LeBlanc)

Ryan Yuengel
Ian Ekery

• Klamath Falls Gems

Dusty Ross

■ MINK Collegiate Summer Baseball League

• Sedalia Bombers

Jeff Emens
Kenny Burton

■ Coastal Plain League

• Thomasville Hi-Toms

Kyle Barbeck (MU Recruit, Ju-Co transfer)

■ Metro Collegiate League

• Wildwood Dodgers

Ryan Clubb

■ New England Collegiate Baseball League

• Danbury Westerners

Dillon Everett

Dane Opel

■ Florida Collegiate League

• Deland Suns

Myles Smith

■ Colorado Collegiate League

• Colorado Lynx

Jeff Lusardi
Garrison McLagan
Justin Byrd (incoming MU recruit)

■ Western Major Baseball League

• Saskatoon Yellowjackets

Drew Carlile

■ Check out CollegeSummerBall.net, a good source for news of the summer leagues

2012 Season is just 258 days away

The 2012 NCAA D-1 schedule is set to open on Friday, February 17th.

Anybody got the schedule yet? Just kidding (sort of).

Word is the first weekend MU plays a 3-game set at Auburn, then the following weekend heads to California to play San Francisco Dons for a 3 or 4 game series.

As usual, we'll be piecing together a schedule as we hear about specific match-ups and unearth them online. If you hear some 2012 Schedule news, drop me a line at simmonsfield@hotmail.com

And if you're one of those people who at some point get an actual tentative copy that you're not supposed to share, you're welcome to send me an e-mail also. We have a generous Witness Protection Program here at SimmonsField.com.

Mizzou Baseball 2011 Recruit: Gavin Stark, 1B

■ Gavin Stark, 1B

6'4", 220 lb, L/L

Fort Scott Community College

Lee's Summit North HS

■ 2011 Stats: .294 BA, 30 R, 12 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 11 SB, .391 OB%, .402 Slug%, 30 K

■ Baseball Player Gavin Stark Earns Player of Week Honors (fortscott.edu, 4/23/10)

Gavin Stark has been named player of the week for the second consecutive week. Gavin, a freshmen from Lee’s Summit, MO hit .521 going 12-23 with 7 runs scored, 13 RBI’s, 1 Double, 1 Triple and 1 Homerun. He is hitting .427 on the season with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 8 homeruns, 38 RBI’s, Slugging .740 with an on base percent of .506 and is 3-3 in stolen bases.

■ Gavin Stark Hitting, 11/11/10 (YouTube video)