August 23, 2009

Lineup Card

Lineup Card is a new feature on CollegeBaseballInsider.com, highlighting notes from around college baseball.

August 17-23, 2009

Kentucky lefty James Paxton (left) will return for his senior season after being a supplemental first-round pick (37th overall) of the Toronto Blue Jays. A native of Ladner, British Columbia, Paxton was the highest drafted college player to return to school this year. He was 5-3 with a 5.86 ERA this past spring. Paxton was third in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings (13.2). He walked 20 and fanned 115 in 78.1 innings.

Longtime Baylor assistant coach Mitch Thompson has been promoted to assistant head coach. He is in his 16th season on the staff of head coach Steve Smith. Thompson is a 1989 graduate of Fort Hays State. He was named ABCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2006.

Matt Myers has been promoted to associate head coach at Western Kentucky. He has been the pitching coach for the Hilltoppers for the past two seasons, helping WKU to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Myers and head coach Chris Finwood worked together at Auburn in 2005 before reuniting in Bowling Green.

San Jose State head coach Sam Piraro announced that the Spartans will play three-game road series against nationally-renown programs over the next three seasons. SJSU will visit Wichita State on April 23-25, 2010. The Spartans will play at UCLA on Feb. 25-27, 2011. SJSU will travel to Arizona on Feb. 24-26, 2012.

Western Carolina will have its alumni golf tournament on Friday, Oct. 23, in conjunction with Family Weekend. Head coach Bobby Moranda also announced the formation of the “1002 Club”, a baseball-oriented booster club. The “1002” rally cry started during the Keith LeClair era and represents the mileage from Cullowhee, N.C., to Omaha, Neb., the site of the College World Series.

Paul Mainieri of LSU was named 2009 National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, to be awarded on January 8 in Dallas at the annual national convention. Mainieri led the Tigers to the national title. LSU posted a 56-17 record, the second-highest win total in school history.

Kent State junior pitcher Robert Sabo, drafted in the 38th round by the Cleveland Indians, chose to return to the Golden Flashes in 2010. Catcher Jason Bagoly (Colorado Rockies, 40th round) and pitcher Addison Dunn (Chicago Cubs, 45th round) did not sign after being picked out of high school and will be incoming freshmen at Kent State.

Georgia State will welcome David Buchanan to campus after the hurler did not sign with the New York Mets after being selected in the sixth round of the MLB Draft. The junior was 4-2 this past season at Chipola Junior College in Florida.

Outfielder Adam Bailey and pitcher Mike Nesseth will return to Nebraska after not signing professional contracts. Nesseth was taken in the 15th round by the Los Angeles Angels, while Bailey was chosen in the 38th round by the New York Yankees. Three high school players were drafted but chose to join the Cornhuskers: RHP Thomas Lemke (Texas Rangers, 10th round), RHP Kurt Giller (Toronto Blue Jays, 21st round) and RHP Ryan Hander (Los Angeles Dodgers, 38th round).

Mike Clement is the new volunteer assistant at Texas A&M. He will work with the catchers, coach first base, assist with the hitters and help with on-campus recruiting. Clement was an assistant the past four seasons at UTSA.

Three signees for Southern Miss were drafted but did not sign and will play for the Golden Eagles: freshmen Geoffrey Thomas (RHP, Houston Astros, 12th round) and Chase Fowler (C, Cincinnati Reds, 16th round) and junior college transfer Marc Bourgeois (OF, Minnesota Twins, 42nd round). Southern Miss did lose signee Patrtick Corbin in June. He was taken in the second round by the Los Angeles Angels and signed.

Pitcher Bryan Morgado will return to Tennessee for his junior season. He was a third-round selection of the Chicago White Sox, but did not sign. Morgado struck out 75 in 52.1 innings in 2009 while posting a 4-2 record with two saves and a 6.36 ERA.

Several South Carolina baseball players did not sign professional contracts to return to Columbia. Juniors Sam Dyson (Oakland Athletics, 10th round) and Parker Bangs (Pittsburgh Pirates, 46th round) and senior Nick Ebert (New York Yankees, 32nd round) will return to the Gamecocks for the 2010 campaign. Dyson was 9-4 with a 5.21 ERA in 2009. He walked 37 and fanned 94 in 102 innings. Ebert was second team All-SEC at first base. He had 23 home runs and 72 RBI while hitting .321. Bangs hit .328 with five homers and 36 RBI. He was also 3-2 in 15 appearances on the mound with 39 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. South Carolina signees Adrian Morales (INF, Houston Astros, 45th round), Colby Holmes (RHP, Atlanta Braves, 47th round) and Christian Walker (1B/3B, Los Angeles Dodgers, 49th round) have chosen the Gamecocks over professional baseball.

Former Baylor right-hander Kendal Volz signed with the Boston Red Sox. Volz, a ninth-round selection, was 12-15 in three seasons with the Bears with 228 strikeouts and 55 walks in 224.2 innings.

(photo courtesy of UK Media Relations Office)