Tagged: Evan Marzilli
The latest from Spring Training
by Ben Catley
94 days before the Season Opener and Home Opener
Well, the Major League Baseball season starts in two weeks. Yup, two weeks. I will let that set in for a moment …
Can you only imagine how this will all play out? No matter where your allegiances lie, there is plenty of intrigue about to play out all over the place.
Except in Center Field and at the top of the order for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where it is looking more and more like Adam Eaton (2010 Osprey) has taken full advantage of his opportunity and locked down that job. Eaton was featured in a MiLB Prospect Q&A recently, sharing a number of things, especially the reason why he doesn’t mind being a magnet for baseballs while he is at-bat. By the way, Eaton is hitting .358 this spring, with a pair of home runs and nine RBIs. Continue reading
The Upton Trade from a former Osprey angle
by Ben Catley
So the Arizona Diamondbacks finally pulled the trigger on trading Justin Upton. To the D-backs, they were waiting to make the right deal, and while some of their targets changed, and some of the names from the Atlanta Braves are not what most had hoped for, they managed to be able to make a move in mass numbers to make it a deal worth doing.
Of course, if you ask what the general feel is on the trade … well, some really don’t like it. Others felt it wasn’t the best idea, but it could turn out fine. And others will wait to see what happens with anxiousness.
The tendency, however, for a Missoula Osprey fan to be wondering is – what does this mean for our guys??
This can be looked at from two levels – the most recent wave of players who have been here, and the current Osprey alumni roaming the outfield on the D-backs roster. Continue reading
Happy New Year!!
First of all, Happy New Year from all of us with the Missoula Osprey!! We hope that you celebrate the new year in style, but please celebrate safely, and don’t drink and drive. Every bar in the area will help you get a cab if you need it, and U Call Us will also transport you home safely.
Now, to the final post of 2012 – which is a big thank you to all of our readers here on Bird Droppings!! We’re hoping to stay in the MLB.com Top 100 blog list, and if the early numbers are any indication, we have a chance of doing just that! Bird Droppings 2012 by the numbers: Continue reading
The skinny on Picks 4-10
Here’s the breakdown on the Arizona Diamondbacks Draft Picks in Rounds 4-10. The final five picks information will be coming in a later post.
Round 4 – Chuck Taylor, OF, Timberview HS/Mansfield, TX – S/L – 5-10, 175
Has signed letter of intent to play baseball at Texas-Arlington … Info hard to find on this pick, outside of his football prowess … Named the ESPN Dallas Offensive Player of the Year in football, accounting for nearly 4,000 yards of offense and 39 touchdowns, 23 of which were rushing, scoring a team-high 142 points … Played football for three varsity seasons … Also an All-District pick.
Round 5 – Ronnie Freeman, C, Kennesaw State/Lawrenceville, GA – R/R – 6-1, 195
Hit .352 in his junior season at Kennesaw State, with a .426 on-base, .500 slugging percentage and drove in 52 runs for the Owls … Had a 42-game hit streak (spanning two seasons) during his freshman-sophomore seasons, the fourth-longest in NCAA Division I history … Hit .392 with 20 doubles in his sophomore year … Also played for USA Collegiate National team in 2011 … Named to numerous Freshman All-American teams after hitting a team-high .365 in 2010 … Won a state title in 2008 and made three straight appearances at state tournament while at Brookwood HS … Team was ranked 3rd nationally in 2008.
Round 6 – Jacob Lamb, 3B, Washington/Seattle, WA – L/R – 6-3, 215
Hit .326 for his three seasons at Washington, with 10 home runs and 88 RBIs … Batted .321 in 2012, with 16 extra-base hits and 30 RBIs, while swiping a career-high four bases … Earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 … led the Huskies in games, doubles, RBI, walks, on-base average and slugging percentage … Earned Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 honors while leading the Huskies in at-bats, games, hits, triples, home runs and runs batted in … Played summer baseball for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League … Had a career-best .347 average as a freshman, with four home runs and 32 RBIs, finishing with 18 extra-base hits … Named to the Freshman All-America team by Collegiate Baseball while earning honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors … Metro League MVP as a senior at Bishop Blanchet HS, when he also earned first-team all-state and ESPN Rise all-area first team … Hit .412 as a junior and .429 as a senior … led the Braves to the state tournanment in each of his last two years … Drafted by the Pirates in the 38th round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
Round 7 – Andrew Velazquez, SS, Fordham Prep/Bronx, NY – S/R – 5-8, 175
Signed a letter of intent to play at Virginia Tech … Hit six home runs this past spring for the Rams … Wrote a blog for the New York Post during the high school baseball season … Hit .422 with four home runs, 14 RBIs and 15 stolen bases as a junior for the Rams.
Round 8 – Evan Marzilli, CF, South Carolina/Cranston, RI – L/L – 6-0, 185
Was the third current Gamecock player to be selected in this year’s draft … Earned 2012 SEC All-Defensive Team honors and is one of two players to have started all 60 games … hitting .288 with 12 doubles, three triples, a pair of homers, 30 RBI and 50 runs scored … Earned selections to SEC Academic Honor Roll and NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team in 2011 … Hit .370 while earning a spot on College World Series All-Tournament Team, helping the Gamecocks to the National Championship in 2010 … Helped lead Bishop Hendricken HS to back-to-back Rhode Island state titles (2008-09) … 2009 Louisville Slugger Preseason HS All-American … 2008 Rhode Island All-State team after hitting .386 with eight HR … Played 2009 summer baseball on 18-U Diamond Devils AAU team … Played on 2008 17-U Diamond Devils summer team that won the 17-U World Wood Bat Association National Championships as well as the Continental Amateur Baseball Association 18-U Wood Bat World Series.
Round 9 – Jeff Gibbs, RHP, University of Maine/Toronto, ONT – R/R – 6-4, 210
Struggled in 2012 after having a solid career for the Black Bears … Was 3-4 with an 8.40 ERA in 60 innings this past spring, striking out 56 batters, but also walked 42 … Was 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA as a sophomore … Posted a 5-4 mark with a 3.94 ERA as a freshman … A two-time selection to the All-America East team … Won the Ontario High School Provincial Championship with Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute … Won a national title with the Ontario Youth team in 2008 … Majored in Business.
Round 10 – Daniel Poma, OF, Hofstra Univ./Monterey, CA – R/R – 6-1, 220
Had one of the best offensive seasons in the nation this past spring – led the country with 76 runs scored and 31 doubles, while his .435 batting average and 97 hits rank second in the nation. He has also added 26 stolen bases, 149 total bases, a .504 on-base percentage and a .668 slugging percentage, which lead the Colonial Athletic Association … Led the Pride with seven home runs and is second on the team with 47 RBIs … Set Hofstra single season records for hits, runs and doubles … Semifinalist for Dick Howser Trophy, which is awarded to the nation’s top player, and a Golden Spikes Award nominee, which is presented by USA Baseball to the top amateur in the country … Is the first Pride player to ever receive the Bill Brooks CAA Player of the Year Award. … Ranks 11th all-time in hits (170), third in doubles (48), ninth in runs (116) and eighth in stolen bases (49) … Earned All-Western State Conference North honors his freshman season at Cuesta College in 2009, hitting .318 with eight doubles, four triples, four home runs, 25 RBIs and stole 10 bases … Lettered in baseball and basketball at Monterey High School … Named Offensive Player of the Year in baseball as a senior after compiling a team-high .500 batting average.