Omaha Challenge Up!
The VandyBoys are in the midst of their Omaha Challenge.
Recruiting Update
Since the last update (link here), Corbs earned a commit from John Malcom III, the stud Detroit 1B who visited with commits Blaylock and JH Malloy and other high prospect Jared Hart. That means the class of 2018 is up to 10 commits, with all of them ranking in the top 114 of the country.
We did miss on Andrew Benefield, the top 100 TN SS who I had on my three in staters to watch (with recent commit Ethan Smith and likely future Dore Luke Murphy -- Will Clinard's cousin). Benefield went to Louisville last week, likely due to the number of high end MIF recruits in our class and/or available money. I was reasonably confident that we were his first choice if all things had been equal.
There has been no activity in the 2016 and 2017 classes, with the 2016 class likely closed and the 2017 probably also full (with room for some minor activity). Because we're now removed form the NLI signing period, I can confirm that only Bleday, Fellows, Gillis, Jones, Ray and Schaller signed real NLIs and, though we have no reason to doubt the commitments of anyone in the class, only those six are technically bound to their Vandy commitments.
D1 Gives a Rundown of Vandy's Draft Prospects
Franklie Piliere of D1 gave a rundown of the Dores top draft prospects (link), after ranking several in their Top 50 lists for HS and College players, respectively. The noted Dores were as follows:
BA Releases Fall HS Top 100 Prospect List
The Baseball America list is probably the slightly more gold-standard prospect list (relative to D1 and PG). They released their High School Top 100 list (link) and it's dotted with future #VandyBoys. Their current PG ranks are in parens.
PG Releases Fall 2016 Draft Lists
PG released their consolidated top 250 (link), HS top 100, and NCAA top 150 propsects for the June 2016 draft. The VandyBoys were as follows (overall list, followed by HS/NCAA rank in parens):
To give a talent perspective, here's the schools with the most on the list, with the NCAA-Commit breakdown in parents:
12 - Florida (7 current, 5 commits)
11 - Louisiana State (5 current, 6 commits)
10 - Vanderbilt (6 current, 4 commits)
10 - Ole Miss (5 current, 5 commits)
9 - Miami (3 current, 6 commits)
9 - North Carolina (3 current, 6 commits)
8 - South Carolina (3 current, 5 commits)
7 - Arizona State (2 current, 5 commits)
6 - Kentucky (3 current, 3 commits)
6 - Louisville (5 current, 1 commit)
6 - Texas Christian (1 current, 5 commits)
For the NCAA list, Florida and Vandy are head and shoulders ahead of everyone else on current 2016 draft board (with LSU and Louisville rounding out the top 4), but the combo of Puk (#1), Reed (#3) and Shore (#8) is pretty much equal to the Swanson-Fulmer-Buehler triumvirate from last year.
PG Releases Early 2017 Draft Top 100
PG released their consolidated top 100 (HS and College) prospects (link) for the June 2017 draft. The applicable VandyBoys were:
Gonzalez is an absolute stud and one we shouldn't hold our breath on. He has a rare combination of power and the ability to stick at short.
To give a talent perspective, here's the schools with the most on the list, with the NCAA-Commit breakdown in parents:
Again, Florida is absolutely LOADED this year. Perhaps moreso than us last year.
Money Money Money Mooonay
I'd be remiss not to give a shout to DP on his big contract. May all his donations go to the Hawk and none to football, just to spite you non-baseball folk.
Oh Dave
Finally, there was this... largely thanks to Stu's efforts.
One of the first to like the tweet was a High School baseball coach.
The VandyBoys are in the midst of their Omaha Challenge.
Recruiting Update
Since the last update (link here), Corbs earned a commit from John Malcom III, the stud Detroit 1B who visited with commits Blaylock and JH Malloy and other high prospect Jared Hart. That means the class of 2018 is up to 10 commits, with all of them ranking in the top 114 of the country.
4 Ethan Hankins, RHP (GA)
11 Will Banfield, C (GA)
24 John Malcom, 1B (MI)
25 Xavier Edwards, SS (FL)
45 Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B (NJ)
49 Sterling Hayes, SS (CA)
56 Cam McMillan, MIF (KS)
77 Ethan Smith, RHP (TN)
89 Tate Kolwyck, SS (TN)
114 Matt Hogan, OF (NY)
11 Will Banfield, C (GA)
24 John Malcom, 1B (MI)
25 Xavier Edwards, SS (FL)
45 Justyn-Henry Malloy, 3B (NJ)
49 Sterling Hayes, SS (CA)
56 Cam McMillan, MIF (KS)
77 Ethan Smith, RHP (TN)
89 Tate Kolwyck, SS (TN)
114 Matt Hogan, OF (NY)
We did miss on Andrew Benefield, the top 100 TN SS who I had on my three in staters to watch (with recent commit Ethan Smith and likely future Dore Luke Murphy -- Will Clinard's cousin). Benefield went to Louisville last week, likely due to the number of high end MIF recruits in our class and/or available money. I was reasonably confident that we were his first choice if all things had been equal.
There has been no activity in the 2016 and 2017 classes, with the 2016 class likely closed and the 2017 probably also full (with room for some minor activity). Because we're now removed form the NLI signing period, I can confirm that only Bleday, Fellows, Gillis, Jones, Ray and Schaller signed real NLIs and, though we have no reason to doubt the commitments of anyone in the class, only those six are technically bound to their Vandy commitments.
D1 Gives a Rundown of Vandy's Draft Prospects
Franklie Piliere of D1 gave a rundown of the Dores top draft prospects (link), after ranking several in their Top 50 lists for HS and College players, respectively. The noted Dores were as follows:
Jason Groom, LHP (1 HS)
Ian Anderson, RHP (7 HS)
Brax Garrett, LHP (29 HS)
Bryan Reynolds, OF (8 NCAA)
Jordan Sheffield, RHP (16 NCAA)
Ben Bowden, LHP (20 NCAA)
JJ Kilichowski, LHP (46 NCAA)
Other notables: Jason Delay and Hayden Stone, ranked outside top 50
Note that Frankie didn't include Toffey, who is a draft-eligible sophomore (will be noted below). Ian Anderson, RHP (7 HS)
Brax Garrett, LHP (29 HS)
Bryan Reynolds, OF (8 NCAA)
Jordan Sheffield, RHP (16 NCAA)
Ben Bowden, LHP (20 NCAA)
JJ Kilichowski, LHP (46 NCAA)
Other notables: Jason Delay and Hayden Stone, ranked outside top 50
BA Releases Fall HS Top 100 Prospect List
The Baseball America list is probably the slightly more gold-standard prospect list (relative to D1 and PG). They released their High School Top 100 list (link) and it's dotted with future #VandyBoys. Their current PG ranks are in parens.
1 - Jason Groome, LHP (1 PG)
7 - Ian Anderson, RHP (5 PG)
12 - Brax Garrett, LHP (34 PG)
58 - Jack Gillis, LHP (282 PG)
83 - Thomas Jones Jr., OF (194 PG)
89 - Drake Fellows, RHP (62 PG)
95 - Kobie Taylor, OF (240 PG)
By committed school, the following were the most well represented classes:7 - Ian Anderson, RHP (5 PG)
12 - Brax Garrett, LHP (34 PG)
58 - Jack Gillis, LHP (282 PG)
83 - Thomas Jones Jr., OF (194 PG)
89 - Drake Fellows, RHP (62 PG)
95 - Kobie Taylor, OF (240 PG)
7 - Vanderbilt
6 - North Carolina
5 - Florida State, South Carolina
4 - Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Virginia
6 - North Carolina
5 - Florida State, South Carolina
4 - Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Virginia
PG Releases Fall 2016 Draft Lists
PG released their consolidated top 250 (link), HS top 100, and NCAA top 150 propsects for the June 2016 draft. The VandyBoys were as follows (overall list, followed by HS/NCAA rank in parens):
1 - Jason Groome, LHP (1 HS)
13 - Bryan Reynolds, OF (9 NCAA)
14 - Ian Anderson, RHP (5 HS)
39 - Jordan Sheffield, RHP (26 NCAA)
46 - Ben Bowden, LHP (28 NCAA)
77 - Brax Garrett, LHP (34 HS)
78 - Will Toffey, 3B (47 NCAA)
79 - JJ Kilichowski, LHP (48 NCAA)
204 - Drake Fellows, RHP (62 HS)
230 - Hayden Stone, RHP (136 NCAA)
Note that Toffey is a draft-eligible sophomore because of his age. Past examples of that were JJK (didn't sign) last year and Steven Liddle (did sign in 2010? 2009?). 13 - Bryan Reynolds, OF (9 NCAA)
14 - Ian Anderson, RHP (5 HS)
39 - Jordan Sheffield, RHP (26 NCAA)
46 - Ben Bowden, LHP (28 NCAA)
77 - Brax Garrett, LHP (34 HS)
78 - Will Toffey, 3B (47 NCAA)
79 - JJ Kilichowski, LHP (48 NCAA)
204 - Drake Fellows, RHP (62 HS)
230 - Hayden Stone, RHP (136 NCAA)
To give a talent perspective, here's the schools with the most on the list, with the NCAA-Commit breakdown in parents:
12 - Florida (7 current, 5 commits)
11 - Louisiana State (5 current, 6 commits)
10 - Vanderbilt (6 current, 4 commits)
10 - Ole Miss (5 current, 5 commits)
9 - Miami (3 current, 6 commits)
9 - North Carolina (3 current, 6 commits)
8 - South Carolina (3 current, 5 commits)
7 - Arizona State (2 current, 5 commits)
6 - Kentucky (3 current, 3 commits)
6 - Louisville (5 current, 1 commit)
6 - Texas Christian (1 current, 5 commits)
PG Releases Early 2017 Draft Top 100
PG released their consolidated top 100 (HS and College) prospects (link) for the June 2017 draft. The applicable VandyBoys were:
2 - Jeren Kendall, OF
19 - Jayson Gonzalez*, SS
29 - Kyle Wright, RHP
70 - Erik Kaiser*, RHP
19 - Jayson Gonzalez*, SS
29 - Kyle Wright, RHP
70 - Erik Kaiser*, RHP
Gonzalez is an absolute stud and one we shouldn't hold our breath on. He has a rare combination of power and the ability to stick at short.
To give a talent perspective, here's the schools with the most on the list, with the NCAA-Commit breakdown in parents:
7 - Florida (5 current, 2 commits)
6 - Southern California (1 current, 5 commits)
5 - UCLA (1 current, 4 commits)
4 - Vanderbilt (2 current, 2 commits)
4 - Louisiana State (2 current, 2 commits)
4 - Miami (1 current, 3 commits)
4 - North Carolina (2 current, 2 commits)
4 - Vanderbilt (4 current, 0 commits)
6 - Southern California (1 current, 5 commits)
5 - UCLA (1 current, 4 commits)
4 - Vanderbilt (2 current, 2 commits)
4 - Louisiana State (2 current, 2 commits)
4 - Miami (1 current, 3 commits)
4 - North Carolina (2 current, 2 commits)
4 - Vanderbilt (4 current, 0 commits)
Again, Florida is absolutely LOADED this year. Perhaps moreso than us last year.
Money Money Money Mooonay
I'd be remiss not to give a shout to DP on his big contract. May all his donations go to the Hawk and none to football, just to spite you non-baseball folk.
Oh Dave
Finally, there was this... largely thanks to Stu's efforts.
One of the first to like the tweet was a High School baseball coach.
