2005 Spring Top Prospect Showcase

Event Info
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Player Profiles
Top Prospect List
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RHP Jeremy Hellickson:  Hellickson overcame low 40's temperatures and a prom the night before to show the scouts he was in excellent form.  His fastball was 90-93 and his curveball nasty in the mid-70's with precision control of both pitches.  He should be throwing even harder before the June draft.

 

SS Marcel Champagnie:  Champagnie was the star of the showcase, a previously unknown prospect from north of Toronto, Canada, with top of the board pro level tools at shortstop.  He's a 6.5 runner with incredibly quick hands and pure shortstop actions and arm strength.  He showed power and bat speed with the wood bat and drove several balls up the right centerfield gap.

 

SS Jon Gilmore:  Gilmore is only a sophomore but he's already 6-3, 185 lbs with excellent strength.  His best tool right now is his bat and power potential but he does throw 89 mph across the infield and has very good mobility for his size and age.  He should become a national level prospect.

 

LHP Schuyler Tripp:  Tripp was another Iowa pitcher who was on top of his game, throwing 86-88 mph from the left side with a sharp and deep 70 mph curveball that had batters bailing out.  Tripp is still very projectable and could be a low 90's southpaw soon.

 

RHP/3B Wesley Freie:  Freie didn't pitch at the showcase and there are those who are beginning to think that the mound is his eventual best position.  He's shown his big time power all spring and is a sound fielder at third base.

 

RHP Ivan Rusova:  Rusova is a 2005 Canadian with excellent arm strength.  He topped out at 91 mph this weekend and we've seen him at 93 mph before.  His 78 mph curveball is sharp at times.  Rusova's mechanics and approach are raw, but you don't see this type of arm strength very often.

 

RHP Craig Herrforth:  Herrforth has been up to 90-91 mph frequently in the past and was solidly 86-88 in Cedar Rapids with very good life.  His sharp curveball and deceptive mechanics make for very uncomfortable at bats for the hitters.

 

C Chad Pierce:  Pierce has defensive skills behind the plate that rank him among the better high school catchers in the country.  He's a quick, agile athlete with strength and a cannon arm.  We like the power potential we saw from him as well.

 

OF Nick Nordgren:  What's not to like about a switch-hitting 6-3 centerfielder who runs 6.76, has great outfield instincts, throws well and is projectable?  What's going to push Nordgren up the prospect charts is the power he'll start showing, especially from the right side, when he begins to fill out and get stronger.

 

RHP Scott Maytas:  Maytas is a junior who was solidly 85-86 mph with his fastball and has been higher during Spring League action in Wisconsin.  His curveball and pitching mechanics are solid and he's improving quickly.

 

RHP Jordan Tiegs:  Tiegs is senior right hander from Canada but still has lots of projection.  He topped out at 86 mph but his 72 mph curveball was one of the top breaking pitches of the event.

 

 

 

Also:  IF A.J. Shindler, RHP Zach Von Tersch, SS Ryan Durant, C Matt Lenski, OF Kyle Jones, 1B R.J. Jerrick, RHP Cody Raisch, LHP Jon Rondeau, RHP Jesse Mangal