In
the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a
detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District
of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will
list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best
tools, as well as providing scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2
players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists.
Contributing:
Allan Simpson
South Dakota State-by-State List
2011 South Dakota Overview
South
Dakota Overview:
Tiny
Augustana College Has Been Destination School For Scouts
South
Dakota received unusually-thorough scouting attention in 2011, mostly
due to the presence of South Dakota State righthander Blake Treinen
and his mid-90s fastball.
For
a while, it looked like Treinen might challenge the record for the
highest-draft pick ever from the state, set by former South Dakota
State righthander Wade Adamson, a fourth-rounder in 1978. In the end,
Treinen had to settle for a 7th-round
call from the Oakland A’s. He is currently pitching well in the A’s
system in the High-A California League (3-4, 4.14, 52 IP, 50 SO).
Most
of the conversation about baseball in South Dakota in 2010 and 2011
centered around South Dakota State, the state’s lone Division I
program. The Jackrabbits posted the best records in the school’s
brief history in going 39-21 and 37-20 in back-to-back years, and
narrowly missed landing the Summit Conference’s automatic berth in
the NCAA tournament, losing to Oral Roberts in the league tournament
finals both years. The Jackrabbits haven't been as competitive this
year after losing Treinen to the draft and a number of seniors to
graduation, and went just 18-32 while missing out on the Summit
League playoffs altogether.
In
South Dakota State’s absence, Division II Augustana (32-21) became
the state’s most-heavily scouted college, and boasts the state’s
two best prospects in lefthander Ben Heairet and righthander Derek
Hansen, both of whom could be late-round drafts.
A
year after righthander Tanner Chleborad, now an outstanding freshman
at Washington State, was taken in the 24th round, the South Dakota high-school ranks are unlikely to contribute
to the 2012 draft. The top high-school talent in the state is
Washington High junior righthander Jon Hander, who will be showcasing
his stuff at the 2012 Perfect Game National Showcase in mid-June.
Hander is the younger brother of former South Dakota prep standout
Ryan Hander, who was drafted in the 39th round by the Dodgers in 2009 and is currently at the University of
Nebraska.
South
Dakota in a nutshell:
STRENGTH:
College lefthanders.
WEAKNESS:
High-school talent.
OVERALL
RATING
(1-to-5 scale): 2.
BEST
COLLEGE TEAM:
South Dakota State.
BEST
HIGH SCHOOL TEAM:
Roosevelt HS, Sioux Falls.
BEST
OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, South Dakota Connection:
Ryan Hander, rhp, University of Nebraska (Attended high school in
Sioux Falls).
Top
2013 Prospect:
Jon Hander, rhp, Washington HS, Sioux Falls.
Top
2014
Prospect:
Adam Bray, rhp, South Dakota State University.
HIGHEST
DRAFT PICKS
Draft
History:
Wade Adamson, rhp, South Dakota State University (1978, Reds/4th round).
2006
Draft: Ben
Jukich, lhp, Dakota Wesleyan University (Athletics/13th round).
2007
Draft: Jake
Rogers, ss, South Dakota State University (Nationals/22nd round).
2008
Draft: Craig
Parry, of, South Dakota State University (Pirates/50th round).
2009
Draft: Cale
Thielbar, lhp, South Dakota State University (Brewers/18th round).
2010
Draft: Blake
Treinen, rhp, South Dakota State University (Marlins/23rd round).
2011
Draft: Blake
Treinen, rhp, South Dakota State University (A’s/7th round).
2011
DRAFT OVERVIEW
College
Players Drafted/Signed:
2/2.
High
School Players Drafted/Signed:
1/0
BEST
TOOLS
Best
Athlete: Derek Hansen, rhp/3b, Augustana College.
Best
Hitter: Derek Hansen, rhp/3b, Augustana College.
Best
Power:
David Borchardt, of, Augustana College.
Best
Speed:
Eric Cain, ss, South Dakota State University.
Best
Defender:
Eric Cain, ss, South Dakota State University.
Best
Velocity:
Ben Heairet, lhp, Augustana College.
Best
Breaking Stuff:
Derek Hansen, rhp/3b, Augustana College
Best
Command:
Ethan Opsahl, lhp, Dakota Wesleyan University.
TOP
PROSPECTS, GROUPS ONE and TWO
None
3
PROSPECTS TO WATCH
DEREK HANSEN, rhp/3b, Augustana College (Jr.)
Righthander/outfielder
Kye Winter was supposed to be the top two-way standout on the
Augustana roster this season after he stood out in the Northwoods
League last summer, and was named that circuit’s 36th-best
prospect by Perfect Game. But Winter was injured five games into the
2012 season and missed the rest of the spring; Hansen emerged in his
absence as one of the top dual-purpose players in Division II
baseball. He went 7-4, 1.60 with 103 strikeouts in only 67 innings on
the hill and also hit .363-7-37, while playing first base. Hansen
doesn’t possess Winter’s low-90s velocity, but works consistently
in the upper-80s with a very good slider that he learned to command
better this year. Hansen didn’t pitch in high school and only began
doing so after enrolling at Augustana, when the team’s coaching
staff noted his above-average arm strength across the diamond from
third base.
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