|
BA did a breakdown of the top 25. Louisville has a number of players from the Chicago area. Friday night starter Kyle Funkhouser (Oak Park-River Forest), Saturday starter Joey Filomeno (St Rita) and Closer Nick Burdi (Downers Grove South) will play significant roles while Freshman OF Corey Ray (Simeon) OF Colin Lyman (Huntley), Inf Nick Solak (Naperville North) and Zach Burdi (Downers Grove South) could make an impact.
20. LOUISVILLE- 2013 Record (Ranking): 51-14 (8). RPI: 14.
2014 LINEUP
Pos. Name Yr.
C Kyle Gibson Sr
1B Danny Rosenbaum So
2B Zach Lucas Jr
3B Alex Chittenden Sr
SS Sutton Whiting Jr
LF Jeff Gardner Sr
CF Mike White Jr
RF Cole Sturgeon Sr
DH Grant Kay Jr. NA Tr.—Iowa Western CC
Pos. Name Yr.
LHP Joe Filomeno Jr
RHP Kyle Funkhouser So
RHP Jared Ruxer Jr
RP Nick Burdi Jr
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hitting: 50. Louisville must replace five regulars from last year’s Omaha team, but it welcomes back its two leading hitters in Sturgeon and Gardner. Sturgeon makes consistent contact and walks more than he strikes out, making him a good table-setter. Gardner also has a patient approach and can drive the ball with authority, making him a physical presence in the middle of the lineup. Whiting, like Sturgeon, is a good athlete with a knack for getting on base. White and Lucas give this lineup two more prime athletes who showed signs this fall of turning the corner offensively, though White still needs to turn in more consistent at-bats. Seniors Chittenden, Gibson and fellow catcher Shane Crain are scrappers, and juco transfer Kay should be the most dangerous righthanded hitter in the lineup thanks to his physicality and solid approach.
Power: 40. Gardner is the only imposing power hitter in the lineup, but he can launch rockets over the fence on a line. Rosenbaum is similarly physical and could provide some additional pop from the right side, and White has intriguing lefthanded power potential, but the rest of the lineup is filled with contact and gap hitters.
Speed: 70. Even without the departed trio of Adam Engel (41 SB), Ty Young (26) and Coco Johnson (22), Louisville is loaded with speed. White and Whiting are both premium runners who have been timed at 6.5 seconds in the 60-yard dash, while Lucas and Sturgeon can run it in 6.6. Kay gives this lineup a fifth well above-average runner. Newcomers Matt Rowland, Colin Lyman and Corey Ray bring even more speed off the bench. Even Rosenbaum has solid speed at first base.
Defense: 60. Whiting lacks premium arm strength but has good range and is the vocal leader of the defense. Chittenden and Lucas have both seen action at shortstop during their collegiate careers, bringing more athleticism to the defense. The Cardinals are fortunate to have two senior catchers who both handle pitchers well in Gibson and Crain. Sturgeon is a standout right fielder—though his arm plays better off the mound than it does from the outfield—and the rangy White “looks like an NFL wide receiver playing center field,” as the coaching staff put it.
Starting Pitching: 55. The Cardinals lost all three pitchers who served as weekend starters down the stretch (Jeff Thompson, Chad Green and Dace Kime), but their replacements have even more upside—and more risk. A 6-foot, 230-pound bulldog, Filomeno has a huge arm, with a 92-94 mph fastball that has bumped 98 in short stints along with a sharp power curveball in the high 70s. Funkhouser, who split time between starting midweek and working in the bullpen last year, works downhill with a 92-95 heater that hit 97 in the Cape Cod League; his slider flashes average but needs consistency, and he must develop his changeup. Ruxer has also shown 92-94 velocity at times along with a plus changeup, and the Cardinals hope the development of a power slider this offseason will help him miss more bats and return to his 2012 freshman All-America form. Should one of them falter, So. RHP Anthony Kidston (5-0, 1.31) should be able to handle a weekend rotation spot thanks to his competitiveness and his ability to locate an 88-90 fastball and two swing-and-miss offspeed pitches (curveball and changeup).
Bullpen: 65. Burdi has the strongest arm in college baseball, with a fastball that sits at 98-101 and a ridiculous 92-93 mph slider. He made the expected leap to star closer as a sophomore, throwing more strikes and blowing hitters away with his overpowering stuff. Sturgeon serves as a fearless setup man who goes after hitters with an 88-92 fastball from the left side. Jr. LHP Kyle McGrath gives the Cards a second proven setup man who commands a high-80s fastball and a good breaking ball. Burdi’s younger brother, Fr. RHP Zack Burdi, has shown 92-95 heat and a promising slider, and fellow newcomers Drew Harrington and Ryan Lauria provide more depth.
Experience/Intangibles: 65. Four key everyday players return brimming with confidence and Omaha experience, and most of the new starters are veterans who have seen plenty of action in part-time roles during their careers. The only question mark is how the new weekend starters will handle those roles, although Ruxer and Kidston have both pitched on Sundays in the past. Louisville also has a superb coaching staff, including the co-recipients of BA’s 2013 Assistant Coach of the Year award, Roger Williams and Chris Lemonis.
Baseball America OFP: 55. Louisville entered last season with a top-five preseason ranking and embraced the lofty expectations, winning 51 games and knocking off mighty Vanderbilt in a road super regional. This team does not look quite as potent offensively and is less proven on the mound, but its overall athleticism and pitching upside should make it the favorite in the new American Athletics Association, and a threat to make another deep postseason run.
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
