2017 College Preview: San Jac, Yavapai Juco Favorites Again

In our small college preview, Baseball America looks at Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior colleges. Below is our junior college preview.

SEE ALSO: College Preview Index

HOW THEY WILL FINISH
Division I
Team	W-L
1. San Jacinto (Texas) JC	52-12
2. Yavapai (Ariz.) JC	49-20
3. Iowa Western JC	52-15
4. Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) JC	52-12
5. Santa Fe (Fla.) JC	42-10
6. Chipola (Fla.) JC	44-15
7. Delgado (La.) JC	37-16
8. Harford (Md.) JC	54-11
9. Cowley County (Kan.) JC	40-16
10. McLennan (Texas) JC	45-12
Player of the Year: 3B Brendan Venter, McLennan (Texas) JC
Pitcher of the Year: Brendan Little, lhp, State JC of Florida

• Yavapai (Ariz.) CC is going to be one of the national favorites every year, but this year they are even more loaded than normal thanks to bringing back six sophomore pitchers who contributed to last year’s national championship team. LHP Avery Weems, an Arizona commit, sits 88-91 mph with an at times devastating breaking ball. SS Dallas Tessar, a North Carolina commit, gives the RoughRiders a defensive anchor in the infield. But the name to watch may be RHP Reza Aleaziz. Aleaziz is returning to the mound after Tommy John surgery. Pre-injury he was 88-92 mph with an above-average changeup.

• On the heels of a 51-12 season that ended with a 5-2 loss to Yavapai (Ariz.) CC in the NJCAA Division I Championship game, the San Jacinto Gators had to largely start over. Seven players from last year’s team were drafted last June, led by lefthander Devin Smeltzer (fifth round, Dodgers) and catcher Ryan January (eighth round, Diamondbacks). Only three starters return from last year’s club, but as they usually do, the Gators have rebuilt on the fly.

Key transfers include catch-and-throw C Wyatt Cross (North Carolina), RHP/3B and defensive whiz Nick Perez (Texas State), leadoff OF Michael Smith (Kansas State), 2B Tristan Metten (Texas A&M), OF Ryan Johnson (Texas Christian) and RHP MacGregor Hines (Florida). But the Gators could get an equally big boost from a pair of transfers who are just making it back from Tommy John surgery. RHPs Blake Goins (Texas) and Devin Roedahl (Texas Christian) are both expected to be fully cleared to pitch before the season begins and both have starter stuff with low-to-mid-90s fastballs. Closer Donny Diaz might be San Jac’s best pro prospect as the righthander sits at 92-95 mph with a low-80s slider and a newly-developed 12-to-6 curveball.

• Grayson (Texas) JC is consistently a power with three NJCAA titles to their credit, but this may be the deepest Vikings team in years. Grayson’s pitching staff is extremely deep. The competition to earn innings will be significant, as there are a large number of options behind likely ace Tyler Ivey. Ivey, a 6-foot-4 righthander who made weekend starts for Texas A&M last year, mixes four pitches, led by a 90-94 mph fastball. Other options include 6-foot-4 LHP Spencer Hynes, a strike-thrower who works down in the zone; LHP Gabe Constantine, a transfer from Wichita State, and C/RHP Michael Chambers. Chambers, a 40th-round pick of the Mets out of high school as a catcher, has been clocked as high as 95 mph off the mound but he is raw. Freshman 2B/3B Braydon Webb isn’t as much of a pro prospect right now, but he could be a college star who will likely head to Division I after his stint at Grayson.

• Much like San Francisco Giants, the even-numbered years of this decade have been very good to Iowa Western CC. The Giants won titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and so did the Reivers. And like the Giants, 2016 saw the end of their even-year streak. But even with 2017 being an odd year, the Reivers should find themselves in Grand Junction, Colo., for the NJCAA World Series and they are well positioned for another run at a national title. LHP Dan Tillo, a 6-foot-5 former Iowa Mr. Basketball winner returns to his home state after pitching at Kentucky in 2016. With a 91-94 mph fastball and a power slider, Tillo could quickly become the ace of the staff. Iowa Western also brings back OF Zack Hanna, an Alabama commit, and speedy CF Nick Menken to lead what should be a productive lineup.

• Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) CC will bring back almost its entire starting nine of position players including 2B A.J. Willoughby (.348/.394/.566) and has one of the most talented group of arms in school history, but the question facing coach Adam Thomas is how quickly the freshman pitchers adjust to college ball. RHP Chandler Newman, a transfer from Georgia Southern, can easily get to the high 90s with his fastball, but he has also been extremely wild. The 2015 Indians’ 11th-round pick walked 11 in four innings last year at Georgia Southern.

• Connors State (Okla.) CC will have to break in an almost entirely new group of position players, but the Cowboys do bring back six contributing pitchers from last year’s 48-11 team. RHP Javier Torres (8-1, 1.17) is the most reliable returning pitcher, while 6-foot-7 RHP Logan Gragg, a sinkerballer with a 91-93 mph fastball, and LHP Noel Pinto will get the most attention from scouts.

• Navarro (Texas) JC returns the core of its lineup from last year including 1B Collin Chaney, LF Matt Munoz and 3B Robert Salazar but the offense may be driven by Oklahoma signee CF Jacob Walker, a speedy outfielder with power potential, and toolsy freshman OF Caleb Scires, a 39th-round pick of the Marlins out of high school.

• LHP Blake Pfulghaupt, a Texas signee with a 90-93 mph fastball that touches 95, will lead a strong Galveston (Texas) CC team. The entire infield also returns, including slick-fielding SS Bernabe Camargo. RHP Kristjan Storrie pairs a 90-92 mph fastball with a quality breaking ball to give Galveston a quality closer as well.

• Walters State (Tenn.) CC will field one of its best teams ever with an extremely deep pitching staff that could send 10 or more pitchers to Division I, but they will not be eligible for the postseason after the NJCAA placed them on probation for wording on a financial aid form that incorrectly indicated that walk-ons who signed the form could not transfer to some other schools without a release from the school. While they won’t be eligible for a national championship, this should a dominant team. The Senators rotation should include RHP Sam Gardner, an Alabama signee with a 91-94 mph fastball and a quality slider; RHP Hunter Stratton, a thick Western Carolina signee with a 91-94 mph fastball and RHP Ricky Karcher. Karcher, a spring semester arrival from Michigan, has shown an electric arm in his first workouts with the Senators, showing a 93-96 mph fastball with a slider and changeup. Karcher did struggle to throw strikes in his brief work with Michigan in 2016. The Senators also have Tennessee signee SS Hunter Wolfe, a 6.6 runner, and 3B Duncan Pence, a 33rd-round pick of the Mets in 2016.

• South Carolina-Sumter JC boasts one of the more athletic teams in the NJCAA with a pair of athletic position players. SS Justin Hawkins has plenty of raw power, a plus arm and average speed. He may outgrow shortstop, but his tools and power should play even if he eventually moves elsewhere. OF D.J. Neal was drafted by the Braves in the 32nd round out of high school, but he headed to South Carolina to play wide receiver. After catching eight passes for 104 yards for the Gamecocks in 2015, he transferred to Sumter to play baseball. He’s a plus runner with plenty of bat speed and power potential that could blossom into a high draft pick with a strong season.

• Oakton (Ill.) CC won 38 games last year in NJCAA Division II, but has now moved down to NJCAA Division III where the Owls should be a national championship contender. LHP Brandon Nowak, a Miami signee, is back after striking out 11.5 per nine innings in 53 innings as a freshman. Freshmen C Pablo Custidio and 3B Thomas Smart will be counted on to be immediate contributors.

• Palm Beach State (Fla.) CC has a trio of intriguing pro talents. Sophomore SS Matt Morales, a bounceback from Stetson who was a Nationals’ 38th-round pick out of high school, has soft hands and a strong arm to go with intriguing hitting ability and athleticism. Freshman RHP Gio Arrierra has shown a heavy low-90s fastball during fall workouts while freshman LHP Jared Johnson has shown advanced control with an 88-92 mph fastball.

• LSU-Eunice, one of the top teams in NJCAA Division II, is rebuilding after losing 10 NCAA Division I signees. But it has restocked with a significant number of transfers from Division I schools. SS Braden Comeaux, a Texas Christian bounceback who has signed with Rice; Micah McHugh, a bounceback from Mississippi, and Cameron Horton, a bounceback from Louisiana-Lafayette, will give LSU-Enuice a rebuilt infield. C Hunter Feduccia, a Louisiana State signee, is a draft prospect with a strong arm, solid receiving skills and lefthanded gap power.

• If you’re looking for who is the fastest player in junior college, North Iowa Area CC CF Aaron Kubal has to be on the short list. Timed at 6.4 in the 60-yard dash, he’s following in the footsteps of North Iowa’s Malique Ziegler, a 22nd-round draft pick of the Giants last year. Kubal is rangy in the outfield and unlike many speedsters he can also throw.

• Speaking of speedsters, Patrick Henry (Va.) CC CF Montae Bradshaw is a 6.4-6.5 runner in the 60-yard dash who runs down balls with aplomb in center field. He’s the son of former big leaguer and current Royals’ hitting instructor Terry Bradshaw. Patrick Henry also has an intriguing catcher in Pittsburgh signee Jake Jessell. Jessell has a strong arm and power potential and will likely also pitch this year.

• Tallahassee (Fla.) CC has a slew of crafty pitchers with solid stuff as well as one high-octane 93-95 gunslinger in Florida signee Nick Blasucci. The Eagles will also have a strong defense with a speedy outfield led by Jordan Curtis and quality shortstop in South Alabama signee Deyvid Silva.

• Harford (Md.) CC blew most of its opponents off the diamond last year, scoring 687 runs and hitting 119 home runs in 65 games as opposing pitchers posted an almost indescribable 11.85 ERA. But there’s a good chance that Tom Eller’s 2017 squad could end up being even better offensively. The outfield will lead the way with Kentucky commit Ryan Shinn, speedy CF Nick Atkinson and OF Toby Sponseller. C Luke Johnson and 1B Ryan Calhoun give the Fighting Owls additional punch in the lineup. RHP Will Reed is the arm to watch as the West Virginia signee pitches with a mid-90s fastball.

• State JC of Florida will have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the country, led by the No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation, LHP Brendon Little. Little, a transfer from North Carolina who impressed in the Cape Cod League, could be a dominant ace with a 92-95 mph fastball and a power breaking ball. But Little, 12th on the Top 100 College Prospects list, does need to prove that his control and feel will work as a starter. Little, a Liberty signee, is one of three Manatees’ pitchers who have already signed with NCAA Division I schools, as he’s joined by RHP Jackson Tetreault (South Florida) and RHP Jordan Gubelman (Missouri). Tetreault is a skinny and projectable 6-foot-5, 170-pounder with a present 90-93 mph fastball that could bump up. The lineup should also be fine thanks to 3B Ryan Karstetter (a transfer from Virginia), SS Austin James, OF Jaren Shelby and 2B Keshawn Lynch.

• Jones County (Miss.) JC won the Division II title last year and is a favorite to do it again this year. The Bobcats bring back a surprising amount of experience for a junior college team led by sophomore CF Fred Franklin, a plus runner who stole 22 bases last year to go with a .378/.444/.532 slash line. He’s signed with Southern Miss. Louisiana Tech signee 3B Tanner Huddleston and Southern Miss signee 1B Erick Hoard return after outstanding freshman seasons. Hoard hit .409 with 18 home runs last year while Huddleston hit .392 with 12 home runs. RHRP Tyler Spring, a 6-foot-5 sophomore has added a cutter to go with his low-90s fastball, curve and change. He’s signed with Alabama. LHP Logan Robbins, the younger brother of pro pitchers Mason and Walker Robbins, is an athletic 88-91 mph lefty with a quality changeup. He’s signed with Louisiana Tech. Freshman RHP Will Freeman has started to catch scout’s eyes with his 92-93 mph fastball, power breaking ball and changeup.

• Central Arizona JC will be able to try to blow hitters away with a pitching staff that includes nine pitchers who can top 90 mph. The pitching staff will have to try to make up for a lineup that may be a little deficient in power. LHP Ryley Widell, a North Carolina commit with an 89-92 mph fastball; RHP Gio Lopez, a Missouri commit with a potentially plus breaking ball and a 90-94 mph fastball, and RHP Peyton Remy, a New Mexico State commit with a 90-94 mph fastball, and RHP Bradley Gonzales, a 92-96 mph big-bodied pitcher who is committed to Dallas Baptist give the Vaqueros plenty of quality arms.

• JC of Central Florida RHP Nate Pearson has the best combination of top-end velocity and control in this year’s junior college class. The transfer from Florida International has touched 100 mph this fall and ranks 41st on Baseball America’s Top 100 College Prospects.

• 2B/3B/RHP Alex Wisely doesn’t project all that well for pro ball because he’s 5-foot-10, 180 pounds but he’s an excellent college player. The South Florida signee should star both as a hitter and pitcher for Gulf Coast State (Fla.) JC. LHP Dylan Cyphert and RHP Austin Krzeminski gives the Commodores a pair of draftable pitchers.

• McClennan (Texas) JC is deep and talented once again with a chance to reach double digits in Division I signees. 3B Brendan Venter (.385/.447/.685), an Auburn signee, is back after leading the Highlanders in most offensive categories last year. RF Joe Breaux, an Alabama signee, CF Chris Roller, a Texas-San Antonio signee, and C Nic Motley, a Virginia Tech signee, gives the Highlanders a strong lineup. But the pitching staff should be even better than the lineup thanks to a bevy of freshman power arms. Among the most notable are RHPs Jase Embry (91-93 mph), Josh Breaux (93-95) and Logan Freeman (90-92).

• Dyersburg (Tenn.) State JC may send its entire lineup to NCAA Division I ball after the season. But before they leave, they should get solid production from SS Chase Slone, CF Hagan Severance, C Bentley Jones and OF Chandler Adkins.

• If Chipola (Fla.) JC can find a solid catcher, there’s not really another blemish on a club that once again should be a national title contender. Chipola has the rare luxury of having 17 sophomores, making this a more experienced team than most JUCO clubs. LHP Evan Steele—a Vanderbilt transfer and Auburn signee—has a projectable 6-foot-5 starter with a funky delivery. He also has two quality breaking balls to pair with his 88-92 mph fastball. RHP Bowden Francis has firmed up his body which has helped bump up his fastball to the 89-93 mph velocity he showed in the fall. OF/1B Reynaldo Rivera, a Mississippi State signee, has a chance to be a five-tool player but his baseball feel hasn’t caught up to the tools yet.

• The JC of Southern Nevada brings back its second baseman, shortstop and third baseman from last year’s club and will throw arm after arm at teams from a well-stocked pitching staff led by RHP Isaiah Blaylock, 6-foot-8 RHP Herbie Good and LHP Sage Diehm.

• Howard (Texas) JC plays in NJCAA Division I Region 5, which is normally one where a 5.00 ERA is a pretty impressive mark. But the Hawks will try to do better than that with a well-stocked rotation led by RHP Isaac Guerrero, a 92-94 mph freshman with a power slider, RHP Andrew McInvale, a sophomore transfer from Baylor with a three-pitch mix that inclues an 89-93 mph fastball, and RHP Shayne Nance, a redshirt freshman with a 90-93 mph and an above-average changeup.

• John A. Logan (Ill.) JC hadn’t had a top 10 round pick in 13 years before RHP Matthias Dietz was picked in the second round last year. Now Logan could have its second top 10 round pick in two years as RHP Zack Haake, a Kentucky signee, is drawing plenty of attention thanks to an 89-95 mph fastball with plenty of sink and run and a hard slider. New coach Kyle Suprenant, who ascended from assistant coach to replace the retired Jerry Halstead, will also be able to rely on SS Cody Grosse, RHP Trent Johnson and C Marshall Gilbert.

• There are now two Correa brothers starting up the middle for Texas teams. While Carlos Correa is a fixture as the shortstop for the Astros, his younger brother Jean Carlos Correa will be the second baseman for Alvin (Texas) CC. Alvin should be able to score plenty of runs as they have a lineup filled with power and speed. OF Bakari Gayle is a speedy outfielder who uses the whole field. OF Troy Alexander runs well for a big man, but is more notable for his power potential and OF Ryan Benavidez provides lefthanded power. Alvin’s top pitchers should be LHPs Cameron Kremers and Noah Sills.

• Cypress (Calif.) JC has produced the most drafted players of any California junior college since 2010 and again has a talented group that should keep the Chargers in contention for the California Community College Athletic Association title. Texas bounceback Matt Schmidt and Pepperdine bounceback Tyler Smith give the Chargers two versatile INF/OF hybrids who can hit while 3B Willie Aguilar and SS Paul Gomez return to anchor a stout lineup and infield. Sophomore LHPs Andrew Quezeda and Henry Martinez and RHP Connor McCollum, a San Diego State bounceback, lead the pitching staff.

• Riverside (Calif.) JC has long been a go-to destination for pitching in southern California and again appears to be in 2017. LHP Kyle Hatton, a UC Santa Barbara bounceback, and RHPs Ryan Mota (San Diego State) and Cole Young (USC) give the Tigers three legitimate Division I caliber arms. RHPs Vini Haro, Daniel Argramont and Christian Stiegele and LHPs David Barela, Gary Fayard and Blake Tuthill highlight the rest of a deep, intriguing group on the mound.

• Orange Coast (Calif.) JC was a popular destination for Oregon bouncebacks, with SS Travis Moniot, LHP Kyle Robeniol and RHP Cameron Jabara all leaving the Ducks for OCC. Moniot, who has signed with Arizona, is one of California’s top junior college draft prospects, while Robeniol is headed to Utah. C Daniel Hawkins gives the Pirates considerable thump in the middle of the order and RHPs Ryan Randel and Austin Moore return to the staff after highly successful freshmen campaigns.

• Santa Rosa JC (Calif.) is the defending CCCAA champion and returns multiple key contributors from their championship squad, including RHP Jared Noonan and 1B Ryder Kuhns. LHP Justin Buihl, a Cal Poly bounceback, and C Trevor Mallett, from Sonoma State, lead the newcomers.

2017 TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS

1. Brendon Little, lhp, State JC of Florida

2. Nate Pearson, rhp, JC of Central Florida

3. Evan Steele, lhp, Chipola (Fla.) JC

4. Zach Haake, rhp, John A. Logan (Ill.) JC

5. Tyler Ivey, rhp, Grayson (Texas) JC

6. Brendan Venter, 3b, McLennan (Texas) JC

7. Troy Bacon, rhp, Santa Fe (Fla.) JC

8. Blake Pfulghaupt, lhp, Galveston (Texas) JC

9. D.J. Neal, of, South Carolina-Sumter JC

10. Ricky Karcher, rhp, Walters State (Tenn.) JC

11. Matt Kroon, 3b, Central Arizona JC