Top 25 Chat (March 13)

Teddy Cahill: Welcome to this week’s college chat. It was another fun weekend of games around the country, so let’s get right to your questions.

Thomas LaMotte (Lake Charles, LA): Do you feel that Florida's pitching is so good that it justifies still putting them in the top 5? Their offense has been awful and showing little to no signs of getting better.
Teddy Cahill: I do. I addressed this at some length on the podcast, so look for that when we get it posted this afternoon. Florida is hitting .249 as a team and has some guys really scuffling. But, ultimately, I think they’ll get it going and they won’t ever need to score a ton of runs to be successful as a team. The rotation of Alex Faedo, Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar means that Florida can win a lot of low-scoring games. When we ranked the Gators No. 3 in the preseason it was largely based on their pitching staff. I still believe in the offensive potential, but their strength is always going to be on the mound this year.

Russell Campana (Greenville, SC): As a Cal State Fullerton grad living in the south, I look to you guys for clarity each season. What is it with Seabold not getting the offensive support on his opening nights? He seems to be pitching decently, is it that the opposing pitchers have just been better than our batters?
Teddy Cahill: Friday night pitchers tend to be really good, but Fullerton has played some outstanding ones so far. Kris Bubic, Seth Romero and Eli Morgan are all really, really good pitchers. Those are probably the best three pitchers the Titans face in the regular season. Along with Darren McCaughan at Long Beach State, those are probably the best pitchers they will face in the regular season. So I wouldn’t worry too much. The good news is that Seabold is plenty good enough to keep Fullerton in those kinds of games.

Joshua (NC): Charlotte has been a good run up until the series loss to ECU, Should the 49ers but considered a front runner in CUSA going forward?
Teddy Cahill: I was at Charlotte’s win against East Carolina on Friday night and the 49ers looked solid. I’m intrigued by the Niners, though admittedly I’m still trying to figure them out a bit. I would not install them as the CUSA favorite. Southern Miss and FAU look good, as usual. Louisiana Tech is off to a really good start and is a veteran club with a lot of the same players that went to regionals last season. And I’m not writing off Rice yet. Basically, CUSA just looks really good again this year. Charlotte can be in that mix, but its going to have competition.

Alex (Atascocita, TX): You say ECU's lack of depth was exposed this week thus dropping from 8 for Omaha...but how so? If anything, they showed their depth. Their true freshman are the reason for their 4-1 week. Yes, upper classmen had some moments but the depth caused that 4-1 week. Bridges, Lanier, Brickhouse, Brown, Agnos, Tyler Smith, etc.

 

Big Erv (Raleigh, NC): Great week for ECU grabbing 2 wins at CofC midweek and then taking the series at home against a really talented UNC Charlotte Club. What have you seen from the Pirates thus far that you like/don't like? Is this a team that looks Omaha worthy?
Teddy Cahill: As for ECU, the Pirates have really rebounded well since opening weekend, as we figured they would. I had them in Eight for Omaha since the end of last season, up until today, when I dropped them for Louisville. I still think they have Omaha potential. But the need to get healthy first. Yes, they’ve been fine so far without Kruczynski for a start and Williams-Sutton for a couple weekends, but they really need those guys to come back and be stars for them. Jake Agnos pitched very well on Friday night and is going to be a really good player for the next few years, but the staff loses something without Kruczynski. And Williams-Sutton is just so dynamic – it’s hard to replace a player like that. By the time the tournament comes, ECU needs them back and rolling to hit its potential, I think.

Riley (Dallas): My question is probably one that has been asked here before, but given the numbers he's putting up as a pitcher, why are there any questions as to whether or not Brendan McKay should go number one in the draft let alone stick as a pitcher?
Teddy Cahill: Well, to answer the second part of the question first, because his numbers as a hitter are exceptional as well. I mean, he’s hitting .548/.621/.905 and may have the best feel for hitting in the country. That’s loud. As for whether he goes 1-1, well, there are a lot of good players in the country. McKay is in that discussion, but Royce Lewis and Hunter Greene are tooled up prep stars, Alex Faedo and J.B. Bukauskas offer polished, power arms and Jeren Kendall is a dynamic college hitter. There are options there. McKay is also a bit of a strange profile at 1-1. If he’s a hitter, you’re drafting a college first baseman first overall. If he’s a pitcher, you’re not taking a guy that’s sitting 96 mph. So even though he looks like the best college baseball player in the country, there are going to be some questions. And there should be. We’re talking about a huge investment for a club. They should ask as many questions as they can and examine the situation from as many angles as they can before settling on a player.

Matthew Clements (Chapel Hill, NC): What are the chances of North Carolina making it into the post-season this year in your opinion?
Teddy Cahill: We ranked them No. 17 coming into the year – we feel pretty good about UNC making it to regionals. And nothing that’s happened this season has changed that opinion. It’s a very talented group that really made a statement this weekend against Virginia. This weekend against Georgia Tech will be another test for UNC, but the Heels have certainly looked the part so far. You can read more about them in Off the Bat: https://www.baseballamerica.com/college/off-bat-north-carolina-makes-strong-acc-statement-college-baseball/#lwQtXRI50PtkvVlC.97

Matt K. (South Philly): This Faedo kid in Gainesville is looking legit. Is this the result of weak competition or is he taking a step forward that will solidify him as the best college arm in the draft?
Teddy Cahill: I am a well documented believer in Alex Faedo. He was No. 1 on our college top 100 going into the year and I’d probably put him there again, though McKay and Bukauskas are doing their best to make me reconsider. But Faedo has a really long track record of performance. So even if you wanted to ignore this year’s numbers, just take a look at his 13-3. 3.18, 133 strikeouts, 21 walks in 104.2 innings as a sophomore or his 3-0, 0.56, 21 strikeouts, three walks in 16 innings this summer for the College National Team. Or his mid-90s fastball and filthy slider, both of which rate easily as plus pitches. What I’m trying to say – and I hope I’m conveying this as much as possible – is, I really, really like Alex Faedo.

Wildcars (AZ): Am I wrong to say that when I squint and look at Nick Quintana, I see Senzel?
Teddy Cahill: Having already covered Faedo, let’s get to the weekly Nick Quintana question. I swear I’m not planting these. I really like Nick Quintana, as regular readers have probably figured out by now. But Senzel, I’m not sure about that. Quintana is smaller than Senzel, who is listed at 6-1, 205. Quintana is listed at 5-10, 187, and even if he continues to grow (he is just a freshman) I’m not sure he ends up being as physical as Senzel. Quintana does have some work to do defensively, like Senzel did. Quintana has already committed seven errors, but is making up for that offensively, where he is hitting .426/.500/.611 through 15 games.

Charles (NC): Where is wake Forest? Beat Coastal and NC State and 13-4 overall.
Teddy Cahill: Wake Forest was heavily discussed in the rankings meeting. Ultimately, the 1-3 opening weekend was their undoing this week. Right now there are just too many teams for the 25 spots. But the Deacs are very much on the radar. They’re off to a really nice start.

Riley (Dallas): I don't know if you answer these types of questions but I'm in a dynasty league and just picked Luken Baker with my last pick in the futures portion. He reminds me a lot of Zach Collins as far as profiles go, so my question is: is he a first rounder when he's draft-eligible? Or did I blow that pick?
Teddy Cahill: Large caveat here: I no longer play fantasy baseball, so I probably can’t properly evaluate whether you did well with the pick. But to answer the broader question, Baker looks like a first rounder next year. He has 80 power and a really good feel to hit. So the fact that he’s limited to first base won’t be a huge concern. As Mike Lananna and I talked about briefly on the podcast last week, the 2018 college first base class looks very strong and we’re looking forward to seeing how guys like Baker, Seth Beer and Joe Davis grade out.

Vince (Inland Empire): Do you see some one settling in as Fullerton's 3rd starter or should Hook keep a mix of pitchers readily available for the 3rd game?
Teddy Cahill: I imagine when Colton Eastman is healthy you’ll see Fullerton go with a set rotation. But while he’s out, the approach Fullerton has used is working pretty well. There’s certainly enough depth on the Titans pitching staff to make it work for now.

Nick (Missouri): Mizzou has won 15 in a row, no love in the poll? What's up?
Teddy Cahill: Missouri is another team we talked about last night. That 15-game winning streak is loud. The competition hasn’t been the strongest, but the Tigers are winning the games they need to win. They’re rolling going into SEC play this weekend at Alabama.

Jeff (Troy, IL): Is St. Louis the favorite in the A-10 now?
Teddy Cahill: That’s fair to say, I think. The Billikens have rolled this season and almost matched their best start in program history, before Northern Illinois snapped their nine-game winning streak Sunday. Rhode Island and VCU look pretty good in that league as well, but I’d probably install SLU as the favorite now.

Francisco (Atlanta, GA): Pilkington and Casey Mize are off to a great start. Are they guys to be considered in the first round of 2017 draft ?
Teddy Cahill: Those guys both have that kind of potential. Konnor Pilkington was really good on the Cape over the summer and ranked No. 14 in the league coming off his freshman year. I’ve been very impressed by him. I feel like Casey Mize sometimes gets overshadowed because of how good Keegan Thompson is, but Mize has really good potential as well. I ranked them both in the top 10 2018 SEC prospects coming into the year and I think they’ve solidified that status so far.

Erik (Omaha): Couple things: Not a top 25 team, but is Nebraska done this year? Massively underachieving. Who could be this year's Coastal? I'm leaning Wilmington. You?
Teddy Cahill: I haven’t been able to bear down on Nebraska yet this season, but its start feels similar to Indiana’s last year. Not going to write off the Huskers yet, but it has not been an encouraging start. As for this year’s Coastal, the realistic answer is that there won’t be one. That’s part of what made the Chants so special. But I feel pretty good saying it won’t be UNC Wilmington because if the Seahawks burst through to Omaha this year it will be an even better story than the Chants were. UNCW is off to a 5-9 start and while most of the losses have come against ranked opponents, they’ve already lost half as many games as Coastal did all season last year. I feel good about UNCW getting things turned around, but they’re fighting it a little bit right now. If you’re looking for a smaller conference team capable of making a deep postseason run, I’d go with St. John’s, Florida Gulf Coast, San Diego or Wright State.

Titan taco eater (SanTana, Ca): How awesome is Galespie at UCI? Approaching 80 years young and still making noise with the anteaters. Sorry that was a loaded question lol.
Teddy Cahill: Mike Gillespie is a legend. The Anteaters had a great weekend against TCU and have emerged as a team to watch in the Big West, especially with UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly struggling so far.

Teddy Cahill: That’ll do it for today. Thanks to everyone for the questions. As always, if I didn’t get to your question, leave it in the comments and I’ll come back and get it there.