oregontrack wrote:good to hear. perfect game is typically a fairly reliable site.
here's hoping most of this class sticks together and makes it to eugene... our current junior class makes up 47% of the roster and, according to my depth chart (still working on that preseason blog!) we're going to have some massive holes to fill once they leave (for some, like ryon healy, that will likely be after this season -- same for christian jones, and jimmy sherfy, to name a few).
our sophomore class has talent and has already provided some starters, but our incoming freshman class got rocked by the mlb draft and is very small (6 true, with 3 redshirts held over from last year). we need the high school class of 2013 to deliver (and that's not to say this year's freshman class won't... quality/quantity, and all that).
if your'e wondering, here's my initial depth chart going into the season:
2B aaron payne, jr
lf brett thomas, jr
1b ryon healy, jr
c shaun chase, so
rf kyle garlick, jr
dh ryan hambright, sr
3b scott heineman, so
cf steven packard, so
ss jj altobelli, sr
rhp jake reed, so
lhp christian jones, jr
rhp brando tessar, jr
rhp jeff gold, jr
rhp jimmy sherfy, jr
lhp tommy thorpe, so
rhp cole wiper, fr
the register-guard usually starts putting out baseball stuff on the first day of practice, so i'll post my preview blog a month before the first game as to show i'm not just cutting/pasting from their stuff, lol.
As evidenced by all my recent comments, along with being very bored lately..., I'm also really excited for baseball season to start. I have little interest in basketball and football wraps up in a couple days, so I've turned my attention to this years baseball team.
I like your list above and can input some observations of my own based on conversations I've had about how fall practices went.
Wiper and Jones are both now throwing and hopefully will be ready for season to start. You can probably add freshman Irvin into the pitching mix along with jc transfer Crum (who like Jones / Wiper, recovering from TJ. He has high upside). Chase has won catchers job though they looked at converting Heineman (his brother was catcher at UCLA and just drafted this summer so background there in family). Came down with knee issues, so they sort of shelved the idea for now. Heineman's in mix at 3rd, though Hambright is slotted there after fall.
Payne had surgery in August (torn labrum in arm) and is just now coming back and swinging a bat. The freshman Tolman got a lot of play time there and held his own, though job is obviously Payne's when he's ready to go. In the outfield, Packard has struggled (along with Hoffman). If season started now (which obviously it doesn't), it would be Thomas in left, freshman Catalano in center and JC transfer Baumgartner in right (he's looked really good). Garlick DH, Healy 1st, JJ at short.
It'll be interesting how much it changes in January, but it looks like they have some depth and if arms can get healthy, they're deserving of the high preseason ranking. They should do well.
Need to generate more runs.... Big reason Wasikowski brought in was for that exact reason, he's known for developing hitting. That Arizona team which won WS last year was a Wasikowski recruited team, so he has the background. Hopefully now with a full year at Oregon, his teaching and new recruits can score more.
I'm looking forward to your preview blog on the season!