Auburn baseball's Mike Bianucci prepares for Major League Baseball draftTuesday, June 03, 2008CHARLES GOLDBERGNews staff writerAUBURN - Auburn outfielder Mike Bianucci could always spot the Major League Baseball scouts."They're the ones in Tommy Bahama shirts with their radar guns up."Bianucci hopes he gave the scouts something to remember this college season. His numbers suggest he did. He hit .320 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs, enough for Baseball America to say he's the No. 3 player from the state and the 176th best player nationally heading into Thursday's pro draft.Four of the state's top nine prospects, including signee Tyler Stovall of Hokes Bluff, have ties to Auburn.The Tigers beat the draft odds last year when first baseman Hunter Morris, a second-round pick of the Boston Red Sox, and Kevin Patterson, who was ranked the state's top prep player, both turned down pro money to show up at Auburn.Bianucci stuck around, too. He was selected as a draft-eligible sophomore in the 23rd round by the Los Angeles Angels, but returned to Auburn to improve his contact rate, hit home runs and stay healthy.He's satisfied he did all three, and says he won't come back for his senior season."If you don't come out this year, you've got no leverage next year," Bianucci said.Baseball America says other Auburn players will also get draft interest. Reliever Evan Crawford is the state's sixth-best prospect and pitcher Taylor Thompson, a draft-eligible sophomore, is the state's ninth-best prospect. Also making Baseball America's list were pitcher Luke Greinke, at No. 25; shortstop Matt Hall, at No. 26; and reliever Brian Woodall, at No. 33.Bianucci says he's heard his draft stock has improved since last year, but he isn't making any predictions."Last year they were telling me I'd go in a certain spot and it didn't happen," he said.But he's encouraged because "I was able to stay healthy and I had a lot more walks. I think that definitely helps."Bianucci didn't have much of a chance to improve his draft status in a wood bat summer league that the scouts love. He had to leave the Cape Cod League one year because of an injured hamstring, and left another year because of bad hip flexor.He worked hard on improving his walk-to-strikeout ratio this season. After walking just nine times in 45 games as a freshman, he walked 29 times as a sophomore and 37 times this season.He hit homers throughout. He finished with 35 in his career, tied for the fifth-best total in school history."Teams have never been concerned with my power. It's there," Bianucci said. "It was just whether I could stay healthy for a full season. The things I worked on was getting flexible - and being healthy."He was healthy enough to bat 197 times this year, the third highest total on the team.Baseball America says Stovall, who had a state-record 18 wins and 227 strikeouts, could be among the Top 50 players drafted. Auburn hopes he follows Morris' lead and goes to college.According to BA, Stovall is "the top high school pitching prospect from Alabama."
In case anyone wants to watch the draft, it will be on ESPN2 tomorrow starting at 1:00 central.
Ya'll hosting a drinking party?
My folks will be in Pratt-vegas. I'm gonna try to get back there asap. I took off Friday, and we're all going to the beach this weekend.
How did your brother get the looks and the athletic ability?What did you get, the ability to grow facial hair and drink a lot? Life's not fair, my friend.
BASEBALL DRAFT: Three Auburn players among top state prospectsBy Jay G. Tate • June 5, 2008 AUBURN -- Most players eschew numbers prior to the baseball draft.They don't like building expectations.That never bothered Evan Crawford. The Auburn reliever and Prattville High graduate said he already understands his best-case scenario may not match reality this week."I'm thinking the 10th round is basically where I need to be," said Crawford, a junior who is only a few hours short of a degree. "Anything past that, I'll probably be going back to school. The scouts call and ask what it'll take to draft me. I don't really worry about the money. I think more about the round."Crawford is one of three Tigers gaining attention from professional organizations. Outfielder Mike Bianucci and starting pitcher Taylor Thompson, a St. James graduate, also have been in touch with scouts about draft scenarios.Bianucci has been here before. He was a draft-eligible sophomore in 2007 when he was selected in the 23rd round by the Los Angeles Angels.Negotiations broke down, prompting Bianucci to resume his college career. He showed improved discipline at the plate this spring which helped him finish with a .320 average and team-best 32 extra-base hits.Bianucci, rated as one of the nation's top 200 prospects by Baseball America, still has one year of college eligibility remaining."I'm leaning toward just signing and getting on with it," Bianucci said. "I went through the whole anxious thing last year. I know more about how it works now. I'm not worried about it. I improved and I think (professional) teams know that."Crawford improved as well.After struggling as a starter during 2007 college season, Crawford spent the summer as a reliever in the Cape Cod League. Accuracy, which was Crawford's undoing as a starter, became a strength after the role change.He emerged as Auburn's set-up man in 2008, finishing with a team-best 2.32 ERA."I like being a reliever. It probably fits me a little better," Crawford said. "I'll be anything they want me to be, though. As long as I'm pitching, I'll be happy. I've heard different stuff from a lot of different people about where I'm best. It doesn't really matter to me."Baseball America recently listed Crawford as the state's sixth-best prospect overall.Thompson was only three spots behind, which seemed surprising. After all, the draft-eligible sophomore finished the season with a 6.28 ERA -- worst among Auburn's varsity players -- and allowed 11 home runs in 21 appearances.He was far from overpowering.That didn't stop scouts from noticing his mid-90s fastball. Former Auburn coach Tommy Slater said Thompson always piqued interest with his projectability."He's a guy you know has his best days of baseball ahead of him," Slater said earlier this season. "He has the body of a pitcher. He has the velocity. Once he gets that feel for pitching, he'll be outstanding."
No Auburn players were drafted yesterday after the first six rounds. The other 7 of the state's "top ten draft possibilities" all went.
Evan went to the Blue Jays in the 8th. Bianucci went to the Rangers also in the 8th. Matt Hall went to the Rays in the 10th.
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