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League Strength: **

MINK League top 15 prospects (list)

Nevada outfielder Peter Barrows and righthander Josh Malin were the two dominant performers in the MINK League in 2011, but the fact that both went undrafted in June as college seniors speaks to the lack of front-end talent in the league this summer.

Barrows, who played collegiately at Division II Bridgeport (Conn.), led the eight-team league in batting and RBIs, and tied for the lead in homers before signing a contract with the Wichita Wingnuts of the independent American Association just prior to post-season play.

Malin, a Southern Illinois-Edwardsville product, topped the league in wins and strikeouts, and ranked third in ERA, but found no takers for his services, even after he won three games and was the dominant pitcher at the National Baseball Congress World Series for the Griffons, who finished a surprising third at that event, even without the hard-hitting Barrows in the lineup.

Despite the lack of interest shown towards them by major-league organizations, Barrows and Malin were judged to be the third- and fourth-best prospects, respectively, in the MINK League, which can be attributed in equal parts to the impressive seasons both enjoyed and the decided lack of projectable talent overall in the league.

Though snubbed by scouts, Barrows and Malin showcased enough raw talent to warrant more consideration than they received. The 6-foot-5 Barrows had easily the best raw power in the MINK League, and his speed and arm strength were more-than-adequate tools by pro standards. Malin excelled with a fastball that peaked at 92 mph, and had command of three pitches altogether.

While the talent in the MINK League was not as plentiful as a year ago, it was nowhere near as strong as 2009 when the Beatrice (Neb.) Bruins ruled the league. That club routinely tapped into high-end talent from major Midwest colleges, but disbanded following the 2009 season, leaving a significant void.

The St. Joseph Mustangs were the dominant team during the 2011 season, but went a disappointing 1-2 at the NBC World Series and hardly dominate the accompanying list of the league’s top prospects.

Sedalia righthander Nick Petree, who followed up a strong freshman season at Missouri State with an equally-strong, though-abbreviated summer season for the Bombers, edged out Oklahoma State-bound righthander Mark Robinette of St. Joseph to gain the nod as the league’s top prospect.

Robinette ranked No. 14 on this list a year ago and his jump to No. 2 is somewhat symbolic of the lack of talent in the league this year, though he also emerged as the league’s hardest-throwing pitcher. He was clocked at 90-91 mph a year ago, but was clocked consistently at 92-94 mph this summer, and even touched 96.

FAST FACTS

Year League Established: 1995.
States Represented in League: Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska.
No. of Teams in League: 8.
Regular-Season Champions: NORTH--St. Joseph Mustangs; SOUTH—Nevada Griffons.
Post-Season Champion: St. Joseph Mustangs. Clarinda, Nevada, Omaha and St. Joseph participated in National Baseball Congress World Series, Wichita, Kan.
Teams, PG CrossChecker Summer 50/Final Ranking: No. 24 St. Joseph Mustangs, No. 43 Nevada Griffons.
No. 1 Prospect, 2010 (per PG CrossChecker): Johnny Coy, 1b, St. Joseph Mustangs (Wichita State; played in Northwoods League in 2011).
First 2010 Player Selected, 2011 Draft: Jason King, 3b, Chillicothe Mudcats (Kansas State; drafted by Tigers/4^th round).

Most Valuable Player: None selected.
Most Outstanding Pitcher: None selected.
Top Prospect (as selected by league): None selected.

BATTING LEADERS (League games only)

Batting Average: Peter Barrows, of, Nevada Griffons (.404).
Slugging Percentage: Peter Barrows, of, Nevada Griffons (.674).
Home Runs: Peter Barrows, of, Nevada Griffons; Greg Partyka, 1b, Joplin Outlaws (8).
RBIs: Peter Barrows, of, Nevada Griffons (44).
Stolen Bases: Mike Pritchard, of, Sedalia Bombers (23).

PITCHING LEADERS (League games only)

Wins: Josh Malin, rhp, Nevada Griffons (7).
ERA: Steve Koligowski, lhp, Nevada Griffons (1.46).
Saves: Doug Shields, rhp, St. Joseph Mustangs (9).
Strikeouts: Josh Malin, rhp, Nevada Griffons (70).

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete: Jeff Roy, of, St. Joseph Mustangs.
Best Hitter: Brent Seifert, 3b, St. Joseph Mustangs.
Best Power: Peter Barrows, of, Nevada Griffons; Matt Skipper, 1b, Sedalia Bombers.
Fastest Base Runner: Jeff Roy, of, St. Joseph Mustangs.
Best Defensive Player: T.J. Dailey, c, St. Joseph Mustangs.
Best Velocity: Mark Robinette, rhp, St. Joseph Mustangs.
Best Breaking Ball: Mark Robinette, rhp, St. Joseph Mustangs.
Best Command: Josh Malin, rhp, Nevada Griffons.

TOP 15 PROSPECTS

1. NICK PETREE, rhp, Sedalia Bombers (Missouri State/SO in 2012)
SCOUTING PROFILE: Petree played a key role for Missouri State as a red-shirt freshman in 2011 as it rallied from one of its poorest seasons in years, improving from 21 wins to 33. He started the season in the bullpen for the Bears, and earned two saves in five appearances, before being installed as the team’s Friday night starter. Petree responded by going 9-2, 2.81 with 27 walks and 81 strikeouts in 96 innings, and not only led his team in wins and strikeouts, but earned Missouri Valley Conference freshman-of-the-year honors and was a consensus Freshman All-America. It was a significant coming-out party for the 6-foot righthander, who missed the 2010 season while recuperating from Tommy John surgery. Petree was even more dominant this summer for Sedalia, going 3-0, 0.27 with four walks and 33 strikeouts in 26 innings, though was on a 75-pitch count and limited to just five starts because of his heavy workload in the spring. Though his fastball was generally only in the 88-89 mph range, topping at 90, he was successful at that velocity because the pitch had excellent running action and he generally threw all four of his pitches for strikes, though the command of his slider was spotty. Petree’s savvy approach to pitching is a contributing factor in his success, but he may be somewhat limited as he advances as he may never throw much harder than 90 and he has that dreaded stigma of being a short righthander.