Baseball season ends in Supers

So everyone knows we got swept by Arizona State in Tempe. I tend to look at it as us just running into great pitching and not having enough timely hitting, and even our defensive mistakes really didnt lose the games for us, they just made the scores worse. I disagreed with the decision to take Dwyer out, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome of the second game. We lost to the better team.

We put 4 earned runs on Mike Leake, now a 1st round pick (8th by the Reds), who had a microscopic ERA coming in. Spence managed to shut us down without pitching over 7 total innings in the last month (he was picked in the 3rd round by the Angels). Except for the defensive lapses we played fairly well down the stretch this year, and we're set up well for 2010. We're going to finish outside the Top 10, but its certainly a big step back from last season.

Its going to rile up the Tardnetters who call for Jack's head though. It’s the third time in the last five years we have been eliminated from the super regional round and the fifth time since 1999. All five times have come on the road. The others will call for Tom Riginos' head as well, perhaps rightfully so, because I didnt see more than 3-5 good at-bats in the 2nd game. It does call into question having a lefty-heavy lineup against the left-handed Spence.

Ben Paulsen is now likely gone, but the Draft didnt take away the rest of our core group of talent on Day 1 (first 3 rounds), not even our biggest HS signees. Generally anyone drafted in the Top 10 rounds go pro, and its pretty obvious that Dwyer will be drafted today. A lefty with a 90-94mph fastball will get picked, but I think he needs seasoning to work on his command.

Strelow asks 5 questions that will be important for 2010 baseball, along with a projected lineup. Note that he assumes Stoneburner and Dwyer will leave, Stoneburner was picked in the 14th by the Yankees while Dwyer got picked in the 4th by Kansas City. Honestly I'd rather sacrifice hitting ability for some defense, especially in CF. Maybe I'm spoiled by watching Andruw Jones in CF for years now, but we do need some speed out there in Center.

Greg Wallace reviews the highs and lows of the season, and previews next year.

Draft Results-updated
-Paulsen in the 3rd by Colorado
-Dwyer in the 4th by KC
-Ryan Hinson was picked in the 10th by the Padres.
-Incoming recruit Younginer was picked in the 7th by the Red Sox, but in the links above he's mentioned as asking for $1mil to not go to Clemson.
-Stoneburner in the 14th by the Yankees
-Delk by the White Sox in the 29th.
-Mike Freeman in the 36th by Arizona
-Matt Sanders in the 41st by Colorado
-Clinton McKinney in the 48th by Colorado
-Addison Johnson in the 48th by Oakland