UConn Baseball 2018 | The Boneyard

UConn Baseball 2018

huskymedic said:
National Writer for BaseballAmerica:
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And to think I would have been quite happy with an NCAA tournament bid next season. I've always thought the future looks bright for UConn baseball, but it's nice to know when someone from a nationally respected publication is even more optimistic about the UConn baseball program than you are.
 
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>>Cate followed up his 5-1, 2.73 freshman year by going 4-3, 3.33 with 102 strikeouts and 31 walks in 75.2 innings as a sophomore this spring. He threw five scoreless innings with Team USA after his freshman year, then assumed a more prominent role this summer, posting a 0.75 ERA and leading the team with 20 strikeouts against just four walks in 12 innings over five relief appearances. Not overly physical at 6-foot, 187 pounds, Cate is wiry, loose and very athletic, with a clean over-the-top arm slot. He pitched comfortably at 90-92 and bumped 93 this summer, and he has the ability to change planes effectively with his heater. His calling card is a wipeout power curve at 81-83 with devastating 12-to-6 depth, and he has a rare ability to throw it for a strike or use it as a chase. It comes out of the same high tunnel as his fastball and then spins into the zone with tight rotation, giving hitters fits. His changeup garners plenty of plus grades, and some scouts project it as a 65 to 70 offering. Team USA pitching coach Troy Buckley worked hard with Cate on developing his changeup, and he made real strides with it as the summer progressed. It’s a firm changeup at 84-86 — harder than it was in the spring — but he has learned to throw it for strikes consistently with good fade. The emergence of that third pitch to go along with a solid-average fastball and at least a plus curveball gives Cate the arsenal to stick as a starter in pro ball, assuming he can withstand the workload physically.<<
 
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>>If you’re looking for the player to take the title of most rounded 2018 catching prospect on the Cape this summer, look no further than Susi. He posted pop times between 1.94-1.99 behind the plate, received and blocked extremely well and quietly had one of the most consistent summers at the plate of any player in the league. The left swinging Susi hit .267/.360/.467 with three home runs and drove the ball to all fields with regularity. He has power that was suppressed somewhat by the cavernous right field at Doran Park in Bourne. This is one of the most compact, pro ready lefty strokes that came out of the Cape this summer, and one of the most dedicated players to improving his offensive game Keep a close eye on Susi moving forward, particularly given his advanced skills behind the dish. He has a chance to be a solid everyday player at the next level, and he continues to show an improvement at a rapid pace.<<
 
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huskymedic said:
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Interesting. Second writer for a national baseball publication/website to say essentially "watch out for the Huskies" this coming season. It will be interesting to see where UConn winds up in the preseason polls, both nationally and in the AAC.
 
UConn Baseball‏ @UConnBaseball 2m2 minutes ago
Competitive Juices Flowing! Today kicked off our first scrimmage of the fall!

DJo902TW0AEMBKv.jpg
 
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Connecticut - The Huskies reinforced a strong returning team with a solid recruiting class that fills some of their immediate needs. UConn brought in four junior college transfers, an unusually high number for the program, and all are ready to help. Lefthander Chase Gardner is listed at 6-foot-6, 240 pounds and leverages his size to throw his heavy 88-92 mph fastball from a downhill angle. He mixes in a good changeup and slider and could take a spot in the Huskies' rotation. Righthander Jeffrey Kersten is a steady, veteran presence on the mound who also has a chance to start. Michael Woodworth can play nearly anywhere on the field and has good on-base skills. Thad Philips adds a powerful bat to the lineup and depth behind the plate. UConn's freshman class is headlined by righthander Joe Simeone, who attacks hitters with a low-90s fastball and a sharp slider. He has a funky, high-energy delivery, but still throws strikes and should fit at the back of the bullpen. Infielder Christian Fedko, who played with Simeone in the Futures League this summer, is an advanced hitter with a line-drive stroke, who could quickly work into the lineup.
 
Nice to receive more positive press. Next year's class will certainly not be under the radar with all the all-americans though!
 
huskymedic said:
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Everyone knew early on that Tim Cate was going to go high in next year's draft. But between his spring season at UConn and his summer on the Cape, Zac Susi showed tremendous growth in his game and turned a lot of the heads that matter. It's looking like two more high draft picks for the Huskies. I'm eager to see what he does next spring with UConn. I'm also hoping that in the MLB draft these two can be joined by someone like PJ Poulin.
 
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Stefanski could get drafted late, too, with a strong senior year. He has a good glove and flashed offensively over the summer.
 
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>>3. Tim Cate, UConn - Armed with potentially the best true curveball in the 2018 class, Cate can locate effectively and miss bats with a deep, quality arsenal. He doesn’t have the prototypical size of a front end arm but his 91-93 mph heat, long limbs and good plane make up for some of that. Lefties who can rack up strikeouts and throw quality strikes will always be highly valued.<<

>>19. P.J. Poulin, UConn - The strongly built 6-foot southpaw continued to show high quality stuff throughout the summer, but it’s been this fall where he’s truly taken his stuff to the next level. Working from a tough three-quarter angle, Poulin has shown 90-93 mph heat with good life and movement this fall. His tight breaking ball is also a potential swing and miss offering, and hitters have a very difficult time picking up his fastball.<<
 
huskymedic said:


>>3. Tim Cate, UConn - Armed with potentially the best true curveball in the 2018 class, Cate can locate effectively and miss bats with a deep, quality arsenal. He doesn’t have the prototypical size of a front end arm but his 91-93 mph heat, long limbs and good plane make up for some of that. Lefties who can rack up strikeouts and throw quality strikes will always be highly valued.<<

>>19. P.J. Poulin, UConn - The strongly built 6-foot southpaw continued to show high quality stuff throughout the summer, but it’s been this fall where he’s truly taken his stuff to the next level. Working from a tough three-quarter angle, Poulin has shown 90-93 mph heat with good life and movement this fall. His tight breaking ball is also a potential swing and miss offering, and hitters have a very difficult time picking up his fastball.<<
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This write up helps to confirm the feeling that I've had concerning PJ Poulin's prospects in the upcoming 2018 MLB draft that I expressed earlier in this thread. Poulin had a breakout second half of the season for the Huskies last spring, and followed it up with an outstanding summer out of the bullpen in the Cape League. In addition, Coach Penders showed great confidence in going to him in all sorts of situations late in games towards the end of the season. Assuming that Chase Gardner is being targeted to become the third weekend starter, Poulin will play a big role out of the bullpen, very possibly as the successor to John Russell as the Husky closer. That will certainly give him a highlight role for the scouts to look at.
 
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dbmill said:
This write up helps to confirm the feeling that I've had concerning PJ Poulin's prospects in the upcoming 2018 MLB draft that I expressed earlier in this thread. Poulin had a breakout second half of the season for the Huskies last spring, and followed it up with an outstanding summer out of the bullpen in the Cape League. In addition, Coach Penders showed great confidence in going to him in all sorts of situations late in games towards the end of the season. Assuming that Chase Gardner is being targeted to become the third weekend starter, Poulin will play a big role out of the bullpen, very possibly as the successor to John Russell as the Husky closer. That will certainly give him a highlight role for the scouts to look at.
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Poulin is absolutely in Penders good graces. As far as his role, I expect him to be used in a role similar to what Andrew Miller has been used as in the MLB, as well as some week day starts. He has shown he can get it done in any situation he is put in from starting, high stress middle innings or closing. The player I expect to be the regular closer is Jacob Wallace. In the few times I’ve seen him pitch this fall he has been absolutely dominant. He has constantly thrown his fastball in the 93-95 MPH range from a three-quarters/side-arm delivery. With the weekend staff and those two as the most clear roles out of the bullpen, I expect great things from the pitching staff this year. This is arguably the most deep pitching staff UConn has ever had.
 
Baseballguy said:
Poulin is absolutely in Penders good graces. As far as his role, I expect him to be used in a role similar to what Andrew Miller has been used as in the MLB, as well as some week day starts. He has shown he can get it done in any situation he is put in from starting, high stress middle innings or closing. The player I expect to be the regular closer is Jacob Wallace. In the few times I’ve seen him pitch this fall he has been absolutely dominant. He has constantly thrown his fastball in the 93-95 MPH range from a three-quarters/side-arm delivery. With the weekend staff and those two as the most clear roles out of the bullpen, I expect great things from the pitching staff this year. This is arguably the most deep pitching staff UConn has ever had.
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Excellent news on Jacob Wallace. I recall that just before the season started, the coaching staff was talking about Wallace as a possible closer candidate. Of course, that was before John Russell ran away with the job, and Wallace ending up having a UConn season with more lows than highs. Of course, Wallace than had a stellar summer in the Futures League. So it sounds like he is emerging one UConn season later. Combined with Poulin, that could be a wonderful one-two lefty-righty combination coming out of the bullpen.
 
Polonia has great stuff - he could be a massive wildcard for us going forward if he recovers fully from his surgery.
 
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