Sorry for the delay in this Hot/Cold report but after getting back from Phoenix I had a slight problem. It appears, strangely enough, that personal laptops don’t like being dropped hard on the floor. Who woulda thunk it? So I am here in the Comp Lab on campus to bring you a look in the goings on in college ball.
Hot List
Kentrail Davis CF Tennessee Fr.
Davis came into the year expected to be an impact freshman, filling the void left by departed Volunteer center fielder Julio Borbon. No one expected Davis to perform at the level he has so far. A 14th round pick by the Rockies in last years draft, Davis was seen as a highly athletic player who had the potential to be a five-tool guy down the road but was very raw. Tools? Check. Raw? Not so much. Davis is sitting at a .394/.529/.652 line through this weekend’s action.
The front runner for National Freshman of the Year – who draws comparisons to Kirby Puckett due to his build, 5-foot-9 and 198 pounds of muscle – fell in the 2007 Draft in part due to a car wreck that cost him part of this senior season. The Rockies reluctance to go over slot made going to college the obvious choice for Davis. Fully healthy now, Davis is one of the most exciting players in college and an early front runner to have his name called very early in 2010.
Josh Romanski LHP/OF San Diego Jr.
In addition to leading the Toreros in hitting so far this season -- after leading Team USA in hitting this summer -- Romanski tossed a no-hitter earlier this week (the 24th) versus Harvard. At least the Harvard Crimson got to spend a weekend in San Diego because on the field things didn’t go well, loosing the three games by a combined 31-4. While potential top 5 pick Brian Matusz and 2010 uber-prospect Kyle Blair dominated their Ivy League foes in their respective starts, it was Romanski who struck out eight while allowing no walks. Actually the only two base runners reached via HBP.
The two-way stud’s pro future is still likely on the other side of the ball. A centerfielder with a chance to stick there -- though it is not a given and a lot of his projection rests on his ability to stay there -- Romanski has a pretty swing with a pretty good eye and solid pop. Romanski’s batting line currently is .341/.429/.567 which is pretty appealing given that San Diego’s home park favors pitchers and they have played one of the more difficult schedules in the country -- there weekend throttling of Harvard not withstanding.
Scott Gorgen RHP UC Irvine Jr.
Gorgen is a familiar name to hard core college fans, but he hasn’t gotten much play from national draftniks. Gorgen, who was the Big West Pitcher of the Year as a freshman, has racked up 20 wins in his first two college seasons. Though he stands just 5-foot-10 – sure to be a victim of Under Sized Righty Syndrome known to plague talented hurlers causing acute drop in draft stock – Gorgen has utterly dominated the competition. He has compiled a 43 to 12 strike out to walk ratio in 37 innings seeing a sharp boost in his K rate (30.5%) from his 2007 numbers (21.0%). Gorgen did have his worst start of the year in his last outing going seven and third innings allowing one earned run while striking out nine and walking two. Yes. That has been his worst start to date. Gorgen scattered seven hits, bringing his season tally up to 14. Opponents are now hitting a whopping .110 of Gorgen.
Ike Davis OF Arizona State Jr.
Davis has actually been the leading hitter for the No. 1 ranked Sun Devils. The athletic outfielder -- who doubles as the team’s closer -- is hitting .444/.500/.867 with 8 homers -- one behind Brett Wallace for the team lead -- and 14 doubles which ranks second nationally. Davis has been on big league clubs’ radars for a long time -- he was Arizona’s Mr. Baseball as a sophomore in High School. There are some who think Davis will move to first base eventually due to his large frame (6-foot-4, 205-pounds). Davis currently has the range to play right and a rocket arm that would be wasted at first. He could follow in his Dad’s footsteps and stay in the bullpen -- his father is former big league closer Ron Davis who played with the Yankees and Twins -- but what really makes Davis exciting is his power. Twenty-two of his 40 hits have gone for extra bases this year (55%) and his IsoP of .423 is really, really good.
Roger Kieschnick OF Texas Tech Jr.
Kieschnick doesn’t play for as a high profile a program as most of the other guys on this list but probably is the best player. After a summer of destroying the Texas Collegiate League for a short time before hurrying off to Team USA -- where he tied for the team lead in home runs with some guy named Pedro Alvarez, in 40 fewer plate appearances than Alvarez -- Kieschnick has been making things difficult for Big 12 pitchers -- .340/.446/.830 kind of difficult -- with 11 home runs to his name (4th nationally). Kieschnick is a solid defender in right with plus power who could be a first round pick in June. An extra-base-hit percentage of 68.75 and an IsoP of .490 are pretty hard to pass up for a team looking for a legit power hitting prospect.
Cold Spell
Scott Green RHP Kentucky RS Jr.
I’m a big fan of Green and aggressively promoted him to the No. 10 spot in my last college rankings. At that time he had gone 18 innings without issuing a free pass but still striking out 28. Injury and command were my biggest concerns about Green coming into the season and while he’s still been healthy -- a major plus -- his command seems to have left him. In his last two games, Green has walked 17.95% of the batters he has faced. The strikeouts have still been there (25.64%) but with that lack of command no one can succeed at the highest levels. Green will take a small slide in my newest rankings -- I’ll try and get them up as fast as I can, even if Lappy 486 is still on life support -- but has the upside and proven ability to charge back up at any given moment.
Lincoln Hamilton can be reached at lhamilton@dentonoutlaws.com.