With the 2009 NCAA College World Series in full swing, it’s time to take a look at where some of the key players from each team came from and what paths they took to get to college baseball. All of the players listed are their team’s top pitchers and hitters statistically.

Arizona State

P Mike Leake – Leake attended Fallbrook High School in suburban San Diego. Leake quickly garnered the attention of local coaches and scouts, making the varsity team his freshman year and contributing immediately. Leake eventually would be named first team All-State in both his junior and senior seasons and was named the number 11 prospect in the west by TeamOneBaseball.com. Leake also garnered national attention when his summer ball team, the San Diego Sharks, won the 2003 USA baseball tournament. Leake was drafted out of high school in the 7^th round of the 2006 draft by Oakland, but elected to attend ASU instead, where he became one of the premier pitchers in ASU history and set numerous Pac-10 records as well. He was picked 8^th overall by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2009 draft.

OF Jason Kipnis – Kipnis attended Glenbrook North High School in Joliet, Illinois, where he played baseball and football and earned All-Conference honors in both sports. Kipnis was also named All-State in baseball his senior year. Kipnis went to Kentucky his freshman year before transferring to ASU for his sophomore season. Kipnis was drafted by the Padres in the 4^th round in 2008, but elected to return to school. Kipnis was selected in the 2^nd round by the Indians in the 2009 draft. He was not drafted out of high school.

Arkansas

1B Andy Wilkins – Wilkins attended Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma, where he was a two-time Louisville Slugger High School All-American and two-time All-State selection. Baseball America ranked Wilkins the number 11 prospect in the state of Oklahoma, despite his numbers being worthy of a number one ranking. Wilkins was selected out of high school in the 25^th round by the Texas Rangers in 2007. He will be eligible to be selected in 2010 out of college.

P Dallas Keuchel – Keuchel attended Bishop Kelly High School in Oklahoma where he won two state championships and was twice named pitcher of the year. A three year started, Keuchel was also the quarterback of the football team, where he was named an All 5A East Region selection. Despite his accomplishments, Keuchel was not drafted out of high school. Keuchel became the ace of the Arkansas staff and was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 7^th round of the 2009 draft.

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Not many people were surprised when Stephen Strasburg was selected as this year’s number one MLB Draft pick. Strasburg went to the Nationals and so ended the discussion and hearsay of where he might end up. Strasburg, the 22-year-old pitcher from San Diego State University, has already become somewhat of a legend with stories of a 100 mph+ fastball, 90 mph slider, and Major League ready composure. But, like most legends there is much about the Stephen Strasburg story that isn’t covered by most media outlets. It is important for fans, scouts and reporters alike to go beyond the legend and learn more about Strasburg. Luckily enough, SportsForce has been able to document some of his season and has a straight forward and simple scouting report to share on the soon to be first round selection.

Being headquartered in San Diego, we have seen Strasburg a number of times and agree he is a truly dominating pitcher. Strasburg’s stuff is very impressive and would fool even some of the Major League’s most seasoned hitters, but contrary to what others have reported, Strasburg is not a four-pitch pitcher. Nor does he feature a 90-mile per hour slider. Rather, Strasburg is a developing pitcher who has two dominant pitches with room for improvement. This is partially what excites Major League teams since today’s game is being built more and more around developing pitching at the minor league level. Strasburg has the potential to be a #1 starter that can carry a team similar to a Roy Halladay, Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy or Johan Santana. However, he must first overcome a few obstacles.

Stephen Strasburg Scouting Video vs. UC Davis April 4th, 2009 from Sports Force on Vimeo.

Strasburg relies primarily on two pitches: his explosive 95+ mile per hour fastball, which has been clocked as high as 103, and his sharp downward biting curveball. The fastball overpowers hitters and can be located to both sides of the plate. At this point, Strasburg is not a pitcher who locates his fastball consistently every time, but what he lacks in precision he makes up for in conviction and confidence. His curve ranges from the low to mid 80’s (mph) and can be thrown for strikes in almost any count ,which is rare for a young pitcher. When his curve is used in conjunction with the fastball, he often makes hitters uncomfortable and leaves them guessing what’s next.

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