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The number of freshmen making an impact so quickly this season at the college baseball level seems unprecedented. Last year we thought the same thing as Oregon State's K.J. Harrison and LSU's Alex Lange were taking the college landscape by storm. Below we profile as many of those players as possible, starting with Andrew Krause's most recent look at Notre Dame outfielder Matt Vierling.
Freshman Spotlight: Matt Vierling, OF/RHP, Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish offense has struggled a bit in the early going, and they were stymied last weekend against Louisville’s strong crop of starting pitching and deep stable of bullpen arms. Matt Vierling has been one of the bright spots in the Notre Dame offense in the first month, as the freshman is one of two qualified Irish hitters with a batting average over .300. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound outfielder has also flashed some power in his athletic frame, and he leads the team with two home runs.
Vierling, like many Notre Dame hitters, was held in check for most of their weekend series against the fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals, as he went 3-for-12, but when evaluating players—especially in such a brief look—it is important to look beyond the stat line. There are plenty of things to like about Vierling as he has a loose, fluid swing to go along with above average bat speed and natural strength. While at times caught off balance by the high-level pitchability of Brendan McKay, Vierling displayed nice, quiet hands, a natural feel for the barrel and the ability to extend through contact. As he continues to see high-level pitching and become exposed to how opposing pitcher’s will attack him as one of the main weapons in the middle of the Irish lineup, Vierling should be able to put himself into more hittable counts and tap into his raw strength and power.
Additionally, while he did not pitch at all this past weekend, Vierling has worked up to the low-90s off of the bump in the past, and he’s already seen some time out of the bullpen in the early part of this spring. The arm strength plays well in the outfield, where he’s shown the ability to also handle the defensive rigors of center field.
Fab Freshmen
Team-by-team we take a glance across the country identifying the top freshman making an impact for their respective teams.
Rice
As of this writing, the two top hitters for the Owls are true freshman. If the offensive contributions of Ford Proctor and Dominic DiCaprio weren’t enough, it should be noted that they play the two most demanding defensive positions in baseball; shortstop and catcher. Proctor has shown an advanced ability to repeat his efficient, simple lefthanded swing, and his mature, disciplined approach in the batter’s box have allowed him to excel immediately, as he’s hitting .353/.431/.451 over his first 15 collegiate games. DiCaprio, meanwhile has garnered plenty of early playing time behind the dish and made some noise of his own at the plate, going 11-for-34 (.324) with a pair of doubles.
Illinois
Doran Turchin has been an immediate impact contributor on both sides of the ball for the Illini. At an athletically built 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Turchin has slotted in nicely in as the everyday center fielder as his plus speed and throwing arm are true defensive weapons. Similarly, he’s been a top contributor offensively and a mainstay in the middle of the Illinois lineup. Luke Shilling was another highly touted recruit that made it to Champaign after receiving interest in last June’s draft. While he hasn’t received quite the same playing time as his teammate, Shilling has hit one home run (an opposite field blast) and boasts massive raw power potential. He also has power stuff off of the mound, with a fastball up to 94 and sharp curveball, and he should contribute more frequently as the spring progresses.
Houston
Todd Whiting and the rest of the Houston coaching staff have to be absolutely thrilled with what Joe Davis has done in his first month on campus. There were questions as to whether the Austin native would even make it to campus, as he was selected in the 16th round of last June’s draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, but he’s been a force for the Cougars thus far. It’s easy to see why professional organizations were intrigued with the 6-foot, 230-pound catcher/first baseman coming out of high school, as he has big-time raw power and strength in his frame with an equally impressive mature approach. As a result, his transition to collegiate baseball has been seamless and Davis leads Houston in batting average (.421), hits (24), doubles (8), home runs (4), and runs batted in (21).
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