Offseason Fun - Way Way Too Early Look at the 2018 Hogs

[ucahogfan]

I know the 2016 draft just ended and we are looking ahead to a very good 2017 season with a potential top 5 class incoming and some excellent players coming back.  I'll update my way too early look for the 2017 Hogs either this weekend or after July 15.  I'll break down this into three posts as follows:

-  This OP will be the roster I pull from.  It will probably be more than 35 players, but will consist of the players who currently finished their freshmen year, incoming freshmen and non-sophomore JUCOs, and 2017 commitments.  It is my thought that typically having seniors start is not a great thing in college baseball unless they are talented players who come back for their senior year ala Dominic Taccolini.
-  The second post will be the position players.  Until I break it down, it looks like we will have a ton of depth on the offense for 2018 without many people leaving.
-  The last post will be the pitching.  We will have a lot of pitching as well, but not to the same level as the offense.

As with all of my way too early threads, the purpose of the thread is not to debate who will be here and who won't be here.  I know players like Cole Turney have like a 3% chance they ever step on campus as a Razorback, but it is fun to imagine a lineup with him in it.

And just for fun, I'll include Conner Uselton in this breakdown who is the #4 overall player in the class of 2017 out of the OKC area and is considering the Hogs for his college commitment.

Here is the roster:

Juniors (Current Freshmen)
Cody Scroggins - RHP (based on what DVH said in his postseason PC)
Eric Cole - OF
Ty Harris - LHP
Blaine Knight - RHP
Anthony Dahl - RHP
Kacey Murphy - LHP
Grant Koch - C
Jake Reindl - RHP
Weston Rodgers - LHP
Kevin Kopps - RHP
Barrett Loseke - RHP
Michael Brawner - LHP
Isaiah Campbell - RHP
Jax Biggers - SS

Sophomores (Signees)
Sammy Blair - OF
Matt Burch - INF
Matt Cronin - LHP
Angus Denton - RHP
Dominic Fletcher - OF
Brenden Heiss - RHP
Jack Kenley - INF
Jacob Kostyshock - RHP
Lucas Krull - LHP
Evan Lee - LHP
Blake Lillis - LHP
Jordan McFarland - 1B/OF
Jaxon Williams - INF
Zach Jackson - RHP
Dylan Thompson - LHP
Ben Bailey - C
Harrison Heffley - LHP
Jackson Rutledge - LHP
Alex Ronnenbaum - INF

Freshmen (2017 Commitments)
Kole Ramage - RHP
Cole Turney - OF
Evan Hooper - OF
Canaan Smith - C/1B
Jacob Nesbit - INF
Austin Kelly - RHP
Casey Martin - INF
Easton Murrell - INF
Heston Kjerstad - OF
Zebulon Vermillion - RHP
Bryce Bonnin - RHP/INF
Chad Cwik - LHP
Brady Disher - 1B
Trey Ziegenbein - RHP
Alerick Soulaire - OF
Dylan Bonds - LHP
Conner Uselton - OF

[ucahogfan]

Position Players

Catcher - Grant Koch (Junior) - Catcher will be by far our shallowest position when it comes to depth based on who we have on campus and who we have signed / committed, but Koch is a special player.  As a junior, he has a chance to be an AA level C IMO.  He could be a .300+ hitter with 10+ HRs and be a big time draft pick.  He also showed that he is a very good defensive C later on in the year when it comes to shutting down the running game.  As with all Cs, he can improve his receiving and framing.

Backups - Ben Bailey (Sophomore) and Canaan Smith (Freshman) - I have no earthly idea how good of a player Bailey is and Smith is probably more of a 1B than a C.

First Base - Jordan McFarland (Sophomore) - We will know much more about McFarland next year after his freshman year probably playing in the OF, but I think he switches to 1B as a Sophomore and replaces Spanberger.  McFarland has elite level tools.  He is a 60 (in terms of scouting tool grades) runner and probably has 65 raw power, but he is more of a 45-50 arm which is why he is a 1B.  He could be a 10+ HR and 10+ SB guy as a Sophomore with his big time speed and raw power.

Backups - Canaan Smith (Freshman) and Brady Disher (Freshman) - Both are LHHs with big time raw power.  Smith hit 6 HRs this season and looks like a potential double digit HR guy from video I have seen.  Was a 2nd team Louisville Slugger AA this past season as a junior.  Don't know a whole lot about Disher, but he could also be a C.

Second Base - Casey Martin (Freshman) - Currently he is playing at the Tournament of Stars in NC which typically is an elite event such as the Area Code Games and Perfect Game National Showcase.  He is the #1 rated 2017 player in Arkansas according to PBR.  Another 60 runner as he has been clocked at 6.65 in the 60, he can probably play any INF position, but his position velocity of 84 by PBR (which was last year) probably means he is a 2B.  He has 5 tool potential and could be a starter from Day 1.

Backups - Matt Burch (Sophomore) and Jack Kenley (Sophomore) - Again, there is still a lot of unknown with the players still in high school, but we will have a lot of depth in the infield based on who all we have committed and coming to campus.

Third Base - Jacob Nesbit (Freshman) - He is a big time prospect who will stick on the left side of the INF.  If I remember correctly, he was a top 200 player in his class at one time and could still be one.

Backups - Matt Burch (Sophomore), Jack Kenley (Sophomore), Easton Murrell (Freshman), and Alex Ronnenbaum (Sophomore) - Again, we will know much more about these guys when they get to campus.

Shortstop - Jaxon Williams (Sophomore) - He was the first guy to commit for Vitello for the class of 2016 and might be Vitello's first recruit as our recruiting coordinator.  He might not be the biggest guy, but he is probably a plus runner and defender with a good bat.  He probably hit for more than just a couple of HRs, but could be a guy who wrecks havoc on the base paths as I have seen he runs around a 6.6-6.8 60.

Backups - Bryce Bonnin (Freshman) and Jacob Nesbit (Freshman) - Bonnin just competed at the PG National and ran around a 7.0 60 so he might be more of a 3B, but he could be a true two way player for us as he also throws 92-93 off the mound.

Left Field - Cole Turney (Freshman) - Should he make it to campus, he will be the most talented hitter we have gotten to campus maybe ever.  He can be a double digit HR and double digit steal guy for us while hitting for a very high average.  He can play any of the OF spots, but our OF in this scenario is just plain disgusting.  Turney is a 60 runner with a 6.69 60 and a 60-65 arm as he threw 94 from the OF at the PG National.  He will run most fly balls down and keep runners from taking extra bases.

Center Field - Conner Uselton (Freshman) - Just like Turney, Uselton is a potential top 10 pick in 2017.  He is a big time prospect who can play in CF.  He could be a double digit HR and double digit SB guy as well.  He is a 60 runner with a 6.65 60 and a 60-65 arm as he threw 95 from the OF at the PG National.  He will be part of an insane outfield defensively.

Right Field - Dominic Fletcher (Sophomore) - He is playing summer ball against collegiate players so he will have a lot of good experience and was a PG AA and is a high level defensive player.  Scouts would probably throw a 60/65 on both his defense and arm, but is maybe a 45/50 runner as he runs around a 7.0 60.  He was the OC player of the year this year which is one of the top counties for high school baseball in the country and is a big time deal for someone to be coming to Arkansas.

Backup OF #1 - Jordan McFarland - With his speed, he can play OF hopefully with his tool kit.

Backup OF #2 - Alerick Soularie (Freshman) - One of our most recent commitments, he showed out at PG National as a 60 runner (6.71 60), and threw 87 from the OF.  He might be more of a LF, but could be a starter depending on how the class shakes out.  He is a borderline top 100 player in his class for a reason.

Backup OF #3 - Sammy Blair (Sophomore) - If he starts full time, he is probably a 40+ SB type guy depending on how often he gets on base.  He is a 75/80 runner (sub 6.4 60) based on Baseball Factory which means he will run everything done in the OF and is probably a true CF.

Backup OF #4 - Eric Cole (Junior) - He showed a lot of promise as a freshman and could easily be a starter in CF as a junior.  He is probably a 65/70 runner (6.5 60) which means he could be a 20-30 SB type guy depending on his OBP skills and how aggressive DVH wants to be on the base paths.

Backup OF #5 - Evan Hooper (Freshman) - Sticking with the theme of our 2018 OF, he is a 65/70 grade runner (6.52 60) and also has a very good arm as he threw 92 from the OF at PG National.  He could probably play any of the three OF spots.  He is the #2 player in the state of Arkansas according to PBR right now for the class of 2017.

Backup OF #6 - Heston Kjerstad (Freshman) - Also a 65/70 runner (6.5 60 at PG National), his speed will play up on the bases as he posted the third best 10 yard split at the event.  To put it in perspective, the two guys who beat him ran a sub 6.2 60.  He could be a 35-40 SB guy with his first step and depending on his base running instincts.  He is probably destined for LF as he only threw in the mid 80s from the OF.

Lineup

1.  Conner Uselton - CF
2.  Jaxon Williams - SS
3.  Grant Koch - C
4.  Cole Turney - LF
5.  Jordan McFarland - 1B
6.  Dominic Fletcher - RF
7.  Eric Cole - DH
8.  Jacob Nesbit - 3B
9.  Casey Martin - 2B

This lineup makes me excited, but odds are neither Turney not Uselton will be in it.  The 2018 lineup will still be very stout regardless.  It could steal 120+ bases and hit 50+ HRs depending on who makes it to campus.  DVH will have plenty of players to plug in.

[ucahogfan]

Pitchers

Friday Night - Isaiah Campbell (Junior) - Currently having a very good summer in California, he could be a big time starter for us in 2018.  Hopefully Johnson develops him to where he is sitting 94-96 as a starter which is entirely possible with his build.  He could be step up for an AA type season and a top 3 round pick in 2018.

Saturday Night - Blaine Knight (Junior) - We know he can throw 93-94 as he showed us at points this year in short stints, but with Johnson's focus on velo and him adding strength, he could probably sit 93-96 as a starter his junior year. Much like Campbell, he fills up the zone with a good mix of pitches and could be set up for an AA type year and a top 3 round pick.

Sunday - Barrett Loseke (Junior) - Although I don't think he will throw more than 90-92 as a starter, it plays up big time with the deception he creates and the movement he gets.  He does need to throw more strikes, but if he is a Sunday guy and improves like I think he will, we will win a lot of ball games.

Closer - Brenden Heiss (Sophomore) - Already throws 93-96 with a good set of pitches, could be 95-98 and be a Suggs / Jackson level closer for us.

I'm going to leave a question mark about the rest of our staff as there is a lot of talent, but Johnson also has a lot of work to do with them.  We could have 8-10 guys throwing 93+ if he does what I think he will do, but can they also fill up the zone which is one of our biggest struggles this year?

There is plenty of talent based on this roster and I'm excited about the future of our program.

[hogwild04]

11 players ranked above top 500 in nation and 8 are ranked #1 at their position within their home state,  Recruiting Coordinator did a great job, just hope the draft goes easy on this class.   5 of them made the Area Code game along with a UA All American in the group.   The future roster will have a lot of these names in it, most are great athletes and can play anywhere, along with a couple of true 2 way players.


Cole Turney
Nat Rank   Texas rank #1 OF
9
OF 6-1 200 L-L William B Travis Richmond TX 

Hunter Milligan
Nat Rank  Arkansas Ranked #1 LHP
122
  LHP 6-4 215 L-L Greenbrier Greenbrier AR 

Alerick Soularie
Nat Rank  Texas Ranked #5 OF
128
  OF 6-0 185 R-R Atascocita Humble TX 
   
Bryce Bonnin
Nat Rank  Texas Ranked #1 SS
144
  SS/RHP 6-1 180 R-R Barbers Hill Baytown TX 

Jackson Rutledge
Nat Rank    Mo Ranked #1 RHP
145
RHP 6-8 240 R-R Rockwood Summit Sr. St. Louis MO 

Evan Hooper
Nat Rank  Arkansas Ranked #1  OF
276
OF 6-0 187 R-R Cabot Cabot AR 

Zebulon Vermillion
Nat Rank   Kansas Rank #1 RHP
304
RHP 6-5 175 L-R Shawnee Mission East Prairie Village KS 

Casey Martin
Nat Rank  Arkansas Rank #1 SS
329
  SS 5-11 165 R-R Lonoke Lonoke AR 
 
Heston Kjerstad
Nat Rank  Texas Rank #10 OF
382   
OF 6-3 180 S-R Randall Amarillo TX 

Jacob Nesbit
Nat Rank  Texas Rank #5 SS
401
SS 6-0 170 R-R Coppell Coppell TX 

Casey Opitz
Nat Rank  Colorado Rank #1 C
467   
C 5-11 175 S-R Heritage Centennial CO