2014 College Baseball Thread

[jsence2]

Now he's just showing off....jeez

AJ Reed's line tonight:

8.0 IP, 9 Ks, win

HR (20), 3 RBI. And calling it a "home run" doesn't do it justice. He cleared the scoreboard in dead center (390) by a good 40 feet. They're estimating it went close to 500 feet.

He currently leads all three Triple Crown hitting categories in the SEC and is 8-2 with a 2.20 ERA.

Guy sounds like a freak. what grade is he in college and how does someone as good as him end up at a non baseball power like Kentucky?

No, he's not trolling. The guy should be at a better program

He is a junior, I doubt he returns for his senior year with what he's doing. UK isn't a "power" but we're usually right there middle of the SEC and making the tournament.

He was drafted by the Mets out of HS in the 25th round in 2011 but chose to go to college. He's from Terre Haute so he's not too far from home.

Best part was, this was the ESPNU Thursday night game so he got a lot of recognition from those not paying a ton of attention. I think he might have sewn up the POTY award last night.

http://www.wkyt.com/sports/headlines/Ke ... 12951.html (has a video of the home run)

[nick]

def top 2 round pick by the sounds of it

When MLB Pipeline expanded their 2014 MLB Draft Top Prospects from 50 to 100 players, they included Kentucky Wildcats two-way standout A.J. Reed. The two-way Midseason Player of the Year (as named by Baseball America and Perfect Game USA) was ranked as the 48th best prospect.

http://wildcatbluenation.com/2014/05/01 ... prospects/

[jsence2]

As if on cue, they put out a promo video for him today highlighting the home run

[jsence2]

Going into the final series of the year, Reed has 21 HR and is now projected #33 overall by Baseball America.

He's also 9-3 on the mound after winning this past weekend. Barring a sweep by Georgia this weekend, we're in the tournament as we have more wins vs the top 25 (9) than any team other than Florida, including beating two teams ranked #1 at the time.

[jsence2]

AJ Reed still has shot at being only the second Triple Crown winner in SEC history (Rafael Palmeiro, 1984). He leads the league in HR (almost twice as many as next hitter), RBI (leads by 12), and is third in average (.351, behind an Auburn player with a .353 and another player with .352). The SEC marks won't be "final" until after the NCAA tournament, so we will have to see. If he does regain the batting title, then he will be the first player in SEC history (and one of less than 5, I believe, in NCAA history) to lead their conference in average, home runs, RBI, and wins on the mound.

That said, this is unquestionably among the greatest single season performances in NCAA history:

[*] Leads nation in HR, slugging, and OPS, and was walked intentionally fifteen times

[*] His 23 homers are more than 193 entire team totals in the NCAA Division 1

[*] 11-2 on mound, with wins over No. 1 Virginia, No. 1 South Carolina, No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 12 Florida, No. 24 Alabama, at Texas A&M, at Tennessee, vs. Auburn and at Georgia.

[*] He has lost only two starts all year--a 3-0 result at Alabama, a game where he hit into a bases-loaded triple play and had a game-tying homer robbed, and vs. No. 12 Ole Miss, when the UK defense allowed five unearned runs to score in his first three innings

[*] In his 15 starts on the mound, has hit .479/.609/1.000, with seven doubles, six homers and 21 RBI, owning an 11-6 walk-strikeout ratio.

[*] Is hitting .304 (35-for-115) with two strikes; has hit .361/.515/.705 with nine doubles and 11 homers with runners on base; has hit .379/.543/.712 with four doubles and six homers with runners in scoring position; and owns a .412 (29-for-71) average with two outs, adding 26 two-out RBI.

[*] Every single one of his 23 HR have come against weekend opponents--not one came mid-week against the smaller schools or the "midweek" freshmen/younger starters.

[cougnix]

Regionals! Who you rooting for?

I hate the Huskies, but they have done something I never thought they would do. Compete.

Pac-12 interests here. OSU is tough, would be shocked if they don't make it out of their region.

[shel311]

Thanks for the reminder, gonna watch LSU from work today.

I think all the regional games will be on watch espn.

[jsence2]

Will root for Washington (from my NDL NCAA days), and of course UK....I might go to a few games, UofL is hosting the regional for UK, Kansas, and Kent State (this is a pretty rough regional when the 4th seed was in the CWS recently). Also gotta root for LSU, I've always admired their program/fan base.

Reed is already racking up the awards, has taken home the first National POY award from Collegiate Baseball.

[cougnix]

Thanks for the reminder, gonna watch LSU from work today.

I think all the regional games will be on watch espn.

Yeah, they all should be. Comcast has a thing like NFLRedzone I think too, that has all the games on TV. I hate Comcast, but they do some cool stuff.

[shel311]

Also gotta root for LSU, I've always admired their program/fan base

I am very admirable.

[Cnasty]

Canes were the hottest team in baseball the last quarter of the year.

Shit the bed in the ACC tourney and have looked like the first half team. They host their regional so hopefully they dont get upset and move on.

Need Florida to lose in theirs so the Canes can host if they win theirs.

[shel311]

Where's Tball when you need him with all the awesome links with full 64 team brackets and the link for the gamecasts and what not?

Come back to us Tball!!!

[Cnasty]

That dude has quit things in this league and the league itself way more than I ever have.

Which means like a lot of times. He's my idol.

[ReignOnU]

SUPER REGIONAL PREDICTIONS
(Predicted winners going to the CWS in Bold/Red)
Oregon St. vs. Oklahoma St.
Texas vs. LSU
Florida St. vs. Kentucky
Oregon vs. Indiana
North Carolina vs. Miami
Arizona St. vs. TCU
Miss St. vs. Ole Miss
S. Carolina vs. Virginia


**No big surprises... a few #1 seeds don't make it. I think the CWS is going to be wild, with so much parity (imo). I like either Florida State or South Carolina to take the title.

[Cnasty]

I like either Florida State

Please god no.

Bad enough to hear from their fans again in this state after their title in football. I cant imagine the idiots that would come out of the woods if their baseball team finally won a title.

[jsence2]

SUPER REGIONAL PREDICTIONS
(Predicted winners going to the CWS in Bold/Red)
Oregon St. vs. Oklahoma St.
Texas vs. LSU
Florida St. vs. Kentucky
Oregon vs. Indiana
North Carolina vs. Miami
Arizona St. vs. TCU
Miss St. vs. Ole Miss
S. Carolina vs. Virginia


**No big surprises... a few #1 seeds don't make it. I think the CWS is going to be wild, with so much parity (imo). I like either Florida State or South Carolina to take the title.

You don't think Florida wins their sub-region? Bold prediction

[ReignOnU]

I'm partial to UNC.

[cougnix]

Well, umpires already an issue at Vandy.

U of O runner was hosed at third on a Pick off and 2 base error, but ump called him safe.
Then a batter was wrung up on a check swing that was close by the home plate umpire without asking for help from 3B Ump.
Then Clemson pitcher did something weird on the mound and a balk wasn't called.

[ReignOnU]

Well, umpires already an issue at Vandy.

U of O runner was hosed at third on a Pick off and 2 base error, but ump called him safe.
Then a batter was wrung up on a check swing that was close by the home plate umpire without asking for help from 3B Ump.
Then Clemson pitcher did something weird on the mound and a balk wasn't called.

It's only weird if it doesn't work.

[nick]

Where's Tball when you need him with all the awesome links with full 64 team brackets and the link for the gamecasts and what not?

Come back to us Tball!!!

http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/baseball/d1