Jim Goulart

Follow Sunday's action as it happens: Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Log". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often. Nashville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1 Huntsville: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1 Brevard County: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_pbcafa_1 West Virginia: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

Sunday's Daily Menu: All times Central; pitchers subject to change -- Nashville: RHP Tim Dillard at Omaha (Royals), 1:20 PM pre-game; 1:35 PM gametime Audio link: www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/ Huntsville: LHP Steve Hammond at West Tenn (Mariners), 12:50 PM pre-game; 1:05 gametime Audio link: www.huntsvillestars.com/ Brevard County: RHP Will Inman at Palm Beach (Cardinals), 11:55 AM pre-game, 12:05 PM gametime; huge post-season implications with this series Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp West Virginia: LHP Zach Braddock at Lexington (Astros), 4:55 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime Audio link (game will also archive at this link): www.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp

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Final: West Tenn (Mariners) 10, Huntsville 2 Huntsville Site Game Summary: Link, text follows -- www.huntsvillestars.com/n...ewsId=1206 Diamond Jaxx Down Stars Behind Rohrbaugh, Oliveros Robert Rohrbaugh spun six solid frames and Luis Oliveros collected three hits and drove in a pair to push West Tenn past Huntsville 10-2 Saturday night at Pringles Park in the middle game of a five-game set Jackson, TN. The Stars slipped to 33-28 on the season but lost no ground and remain tied for the top spot in the North Division after Tennessee fell at Carolina, while the Diamond Jaxx won for the second time in the series to improve to 28-35 on the season. The Stars and Smokies have done exactly the same thing, win or lose, for ten straight days and have seven games left in the first half to determine a winner. Stars? starter Corey Thurman pitched a scoreless first inning but surrendered a leadoff home run to Marshall Hubbard in the home second to make it 1-0 West Tenn. It was the fifth leadoff long ball allowed by Thurman and the 11th straight run he had allowed that scored on a home run. Brent Johnson walked and scored on a triple by Luis Valbuena, who then scored on a Luis Oliveros base hit to make it 3-0 before Charlton Jimerson completed the rally with a two-out, two-run double. Thurman was lifted after just two frames, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out three. He had walked only three batters in 14 relief appearances covering 26 2/3 innings but has issued a trio of free passes in each of his two starts. Bo Hall took over and gave up a two-out run scoring single to Oliveros that made it 6-1 in the third, marking the third straight appearance in which he has been scored on. The right-hander worked scoreless relief in the fourth and fifth innings before being lifted with two outs and Sebastien Boucher at third base so left-hander Jeff Housman could face the lefty-swinging Hubbard. The Stars? southpaw issued back-to-back walks to Hubbard and Matt Tuiasosopo before Brent Johnson drove in all three runners with a double to push the home team?s lead to 9-1. Seven of the ten runs plated by the Diamond Jaxx were scored with two outs. The only run the Stars managed against Rohrbaugh came in the third when Michael Brantley singled in his first double-A at-bat, moved to second when Yohannis Perez walked and scored when Chris Minaker could not field a Steve Moss ground ball. Guilder Rodriguez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners but they did not move, as both Steve Sollmann and Brendan Katin grounded out. Rohrbaugh fanned six, struck out two and allowed only two singles to pick up his sixth win of the season. West Tenn?s two left-hand starters in the series have held the Stars to a lone run on five singles over a combined 14 frames. The series continues Sunday afternoon when the Stars send southpaw Steve Hammond to the mound against Diamond Jaxx? right-hander Joe Woerman. Coverage of the game begins at 12:50 p.m. central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com. Huntsville Box Score: Michael Brantley in left field as Steve Sollmann played first base... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1 Huntsville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wtdaax_1

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Starting Pitcher Zach Jackson: www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-9.mp3

By the way, I put together that Nashville post during the Texas Ranger 9th inning -- did I miss anything?

Final: Nashville 8, Omaha (Royals) 5 Nashville Site Game Summary: Link for Brad Nelson photo, text follows -- www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1 Sounds Blast Their Way Past Royals, 8-5 OMAHA ? The Nashville Sounds belted a season-high four home runs and held off a late Omaha rally to post an 8-5 victory over the division-rival Royals on Saturday evening at Rosenblatt Stadium. With the win, Nashville (35-27) notched its eighth victory in the club?s last 10 games. All 13 runs scored in the game came plateward on home runs. The Sounds used the power of the longball all evening long, crushing four home runs against Royals pitching to tie the club?s best single-game effort of the season. Nashville has erupted for seven home runs in the last two games against Omaha. Adam Pettyjohn (1-1) earned his first Sounds victory after allowing five runs on seven hits, including a pair of homers, in eight innings of work. The left-hander was very efficient for the majority of the evening, throwing only 39 pitches, including 33 strikes, through his first five innings and faced two batters over the minimum through seven innings before losing a shutout bid in the eighth, when he surrendered five runs. First baseman Brad Nelson gave Nashville a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a two-out, three-run homer to right off Omaha starter Billy Buckner. The blast, his eighth of the year, snapped an eight at-bat hitless streak for the slugger. Callix Crabbe and Chris Barnwell, who opened the game with consecutive singles, scored on the roundtripper. AUDIO: Brad Nelson Three-Run HR -- www.nashvillesounds.com/a...%206-9.mp3 Barnwell got into the act in the fourth for Nashville, belting a two-out, three-run home run of his own off Buckner to double the lead to 6-0. It was the shortstop?s fourth longball of the season and also scored Charles Thomas and Crabbe. Joe Dillon pushed the Nashville advantage to 7-0 in the fifth when he crushed Buckner?s first pitch of the inning over the left field wall for his ninth home run of the season and second in two games against the Royals. Buckner (4-2) took the loss for Omaha after being touched for seven runs on nine hits, including three homers, in only 4 2/3 innings of work. Thomas wrapped up the Sounds? scoring in the eighth with the club?s fourth and final home run of the night, a two-out solo shot to right off Roberto Giron. It was the outfielder?s second four-bagger of the year. Omaha broke up Pettyjohn?s shutout bid with a pair of longballs of their own against the left-hander in the bottom of the eighth. After Mitch Maier opened the frame with a double, Jorge Padilla touched the left-hander for a two-run homer to left on an 0-2 pitch to put the home club on the board and make it an 8-2 game. The longball was Padilla?s fourth of the season. Billy Butler made it an 8-5 contest later in the frame with a two-out, three-run home run to left-center that didn?t leave the yard without controversy. The blast, Butler?s 11th home run, prompted an argument from Sounds manager Frank Kremblas, who was ejected by third-base umpire Joe Stegner while discussing that the ball may have struck the outfield wall instead of clearing it. It was Kremblas? first ejection of the season. Steve Bray took over on the Nashville hill in the ninth and worked a scoreless inning to secure the victory and earn his first save in his first opportunity of the year. The teams wrap up the series with a 1:35 p.m. finale on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Tim Dillard (3-3, 3.68 ) will toe the rubber for the Sounds to face Omaha right-hander Jason Shiell (0-2, 2.93). Nashville Box Score: Y'know, 24-year-old Callix Crabbe is having a heck of season and probably really should be on the Power 50 (who has a hand in putting that together, anyway? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif ), OBP of .383, more walks than strikeouts, slugging over .400 -- yeah, that's an oversight... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1 Nashville Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_omaaaa_1

Link Report Reminder -- Here's our Official Draft Pick Thread from the Draft Forum, this link happens to begin at Round 20, because we've included many article links on the posts for players chosen from Rounds 21-47 today, hopefully several of which you'll find interesting. We'll be working on locating newspaper and web items such as these on the players from the earlier rounds during the overnight and into Sunday, and you'll be notified again. Please do not add to the posts in the linked thread, there are discussion threads on the Draft Forum for that purpose, thanks. p092.ezboard.com/fbrewers...mp;stop=50

Final: West Virginia 10, Lexington (Astros) 0 West Virginia Site Game Summary: POWER SHUT OUT LEGENDS TO WIN SIXTH IN A ROW The West Virginia Power pitched their third shutout of the season as they defeated the Lexington Legends 10-0 at Applebee?s Park on Saturday night to win their sixth game in a row. The first half champs took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Jimmy Mojica scored on Ralphie Henriquez?s throwing error and Andrew Lefave?s RBI groundout. The Power sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the third and scored four times. Chuckie Caufield?s RBI single was followed up by Andy Bouchie?s run-scoring double and Steve Chapman knocked in the last two runs of the inning on an opposite field double. West Virginia added another run in the fifth inning when Caufield doubled and scored on a wild pitch. In the seventh, the Power sent eight batters to the plate again and scored three more times. Kenny Holmberg drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly and John Alonso plated the final two on a double. Jeremy Jeffress (2-0) pitched five scoreless frames of four-hit ball and struck out three to get the victory while Sergio Severino (1-4) was tagged with the loss and didn?t get out of the third inning. Jeffress, J.T. King, D.J. Lidyard and Jared Sutton combined to pitch the six-hit shutout. The Power improved to 43-16 with the win and the Legends fell to 27-35 with the loss. Chuckie Caufield and Jimmy Mojica paced the Power with three hits apiece while Steve Chapman and Andy Bouchie both chipped in with two. Caufield?s three-hit game gives him a league best 80 hits on the season. The power scored ten runs on 12 hits, marking the tenth straight game that they?ve recorded double digit hits. The Power will finish the four game series against Lexington Sunday night. Lefty Zach Braddock (3-1, 1.30) is expected to come off the disabled list and make the start. Lexington will counter with lefty Dave Qualben (6-4, 3.41). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM (5:05 Central). West Virginia Box Score: The somewhat unexpected Jeremy Jeffress promotion to the Power is working out fine after three starts; it must be the uniform -- this team's incredible... www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1 West Virginia Game Log: www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_lexafx_1

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread", Round 21 -- RHP Connor Hoehn's college commitment is to the University of Alabama. He has pitched in the mid-90's. From tidefans.com: *Consistently works down in the zone with a heavy 90-93 mph fastball with good sink and run complemented with a hard "frisbee" slider. While internet scouting reports always have to be taken with a grain of salt, they can still provide a fairly helpful basis for projection. Hoehn would appear to have future closer written all over him. ***Baseball America Blog Entry Posted Apr. 11, 2007 by Alan Matthews ANAHEIM?As luck would have it, the best games in Tuesday?s quarterfinal action were all held at one location, so I saved some gas money and settled in for a couple of intriguing matchups. One of the benefits of the National Classic is seeing the different styles of play from teams from different parts of the country, and hitting has prevailed over pitching for the most part this week. Connor Hoehn?s name has been whispered frequently this spring, and there were a few dozen scouts on hand to see him strut his stuff against one of the best hitting teams in Florida, Palm Beach Central (Wellington, Fla.). Hoehn?s a well-built, 6-foot-2 righthander from St. John?s College High in Washington, D.C. He?s had some helium this spring thanks mostly to a fastball that has been up to 93 mph. The Alabama signee touched 91 Tuesday, and discovered just how tough Palm Beach Central?s lineup can be. Hoehn hung tough through five innings, departing with a lead before Palm Beach rallied, but his secondary stuff and overall command are behind that of some of the country?s elite arms. He threw a couple of above-average sliders at 77-80 mph, but he tends to get underneath and around the ball upon release, which causes his fastball to flatten out and his slider to spin side-to-side without depth. Because of his arm strength and frame, there could be a team out there that drafts him in the fourth- to seventh-round range, depending on his signability.

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread", Round 22-- Cline perseveres after sibling tragedy Dirtbag has brother with him By Bob Keisser, Long Beach Press-Telegram Staff Writer LONG BEACH - Matt Cline wasn't born with his nose in the fine red clay of a baseball field, but he's certainly comfortable once he gets there. As much as anyone on the 2007 Dirtbags, the senior second baseman embodies the team philosophy and spirit that has made it a postseason perennial, and the team wouldn't be hosting a regional Friday at Blair Field if not for the contributions of Cline on and off the field. He's as driven as Rickey Henderson looking to steal a base, Russell Martin taking a collision at the plate and Ken Griffey planting his face on the center-field fence to make a catch. But there is another aspect of Cline's personality that few people know of. In 2003, in his CIF champion senior year at Edison High School, Cline's older brother Michael was killed in an accidental gunshot incident. Michael was seven years older than Matt and had been the prototypical big brother in a family that had gone through divorce and its attendant pain. Matt's mother and father split when he was a toddler. His mom Cheryl moved to the South. His dad, Randy, stayed in Southern California, and brother Michael became a stabilizing role in his life. "It was particularly hard on my mom," Matt said. "For me, I had looked up to him for a long time. He's still with me." Before every game, Matt uses his cleats to write Michael's name in the dirt around second base. His brother's passing led Matt Cline to figuratively take his place. Michael was married with two kids, and in the ensuing years, Matt has become more than an uncle to his nephews. "I'm not their dad," he said. "Michael will always be their dad. But it was difficult for them, and I want them to have someone in the family to look up to." For all of his aggressive play on the field, Cline has always been more of a quiet leader on the team, his intensity sometimes turned inwards. He takes losses harder than anyone in the team. The Dirtbags are his family, too, and he obviously takes family seriously. When the team hit a bad patch of play in late March, losing six of seven and throwing the ball around the park like kids playing T-Ball, Cline and his veteran teammates called for a team meeting away from the ballpark and without the coaches, just so everyone could let whatever they were feeling out. Two days later, the team went on its 21-3 spree. Cline played two years at Orange Coast College after high school, earning JC All-American honors as a sophomore. He was a late recruit by Long Beach State for 2006, not arriving until the January workouts began, putting him four months behind everyone else. "He had a lot of catching up to do," coach Mike Weathers said. "There's a long learning process, and coming in January was difficult. The jobs on the team were already more or less won." By the third week of the season, Cline was earning playing time with incumbent Chuck Sindlinger, and by season's end he was the starter. He hit .308 for the season batting out of the ninth spot. He came back strong this season, then erupted with the bat at midseason and now is third in the team at .332, with a .426 on-base percentage and tied for second in hits with 63. His hot streak led Weathers to move him up into the No. 2 spot in the batting order. He's worked himself into being a prospective draft pick next month despite his size. "Matt is much more familiar with the program now," Weathers said. "He understands his role and understands what he's capable of. He's always been the kind of guy who will battle you, a hard-nosed Dirtbag, and did everything pretty well. Now he's doing some things extremely well." "The team's entire motivation this year was to just play hard, be a team and see what happens," Cline said. "This (getting to the postseason) was our goal all season long, and we're really ready to make something of it." In Cline's case, he's actually playing for two families, one that wears baseball uniforms and another that now leans on Matt the way he once leaned on his brother.

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread", Round 24-- White likely to choose college over Brewers Saturday, June 9, 2007 By Danny Parker Shelbyville (TN) Times-Gazette At youth baseball parks all across the country, youngsters handle bats, balls and gloves with aspirations of taking the field one day in Major League Baseball. In his first year of draft eligibility since leaving high school, Vanderbilt redshirt sophomore Jonathan White was selected with the seventh pick of the 24th round (731 overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers. "It's been my goal since I was a little kid to play professional ball," said White, who grew up watching big leaguers like Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds. White admitted he would like to see the field more during his time in college but was proud to be called upon to produce against some right-handed pitching and as a pinch hitter this past season for a Commodore squad that finished 54-13 and won the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles. The money tossed at second-day picks is a small fraction of that placed in front of first-rounders. Barring injury, he should be able to improve his stock substantially by returning to play under national coach of the year Tim Corbin in '08. "I will probably come back," White said. "I've grown a lot. It was really my first year being an integral member of the team. All the time I put in my freshman and sophomore year really paid off. I was just glad to be a part of it." With the Brewers' Class AA affiliate being in Huntsville and their AAA team in Nashville, his friends and family from Shelbyville would be around an hour away from seeing him play. But, he said that would not be a factor in his decision-making process on whether or not to sign. The local boy follows VU teammates David Price (Devil Rays), Casey Weathers (Rockies), Dominic de la Osa (Tigers), Cody Crowell (Blue Jays), Ty Davis (Diamondbacks), Tyler Rhoden (Reds) and Stephen Shao (Rockies) as draft selections this week. White hit .289 with three home runs and 14 runs driven in for Vandy. The 6-foot-2, 198-pounder was tabbed by Baseball America as the top pro prospect out of the New York Collegiate League last summer despite going down with a broken hand. White carried a .365 batting average with Glens Falls and stole 11 bags without being thrown out. He will play for the Newport Gulls this summer in the New England Collegiate League with Vandy teammate Brad French. White, the son of Jeffrey and Betty White, hit .481 with six home runs, 43 RBIs and 29 stolen bases during his senior season at Shelbyville Central under coach Scott Hall in 2004. NOTE: On a personal note, I've attended NECBL games in Newport, R.I., about 40 minutes away. I'm sure I can work some savvy persuasion on Jonathan for Jack Z. and company - Jim ***Jonathan White penned a weekly column for his local paper this spring -- the various links can be found here: Jonathan White columns among the links here

Ty Taubenheim (Overbay / Bush trade) gets some face time on MiLB.com with his AAA complete game seven-inning two-hitter tonight: web.minorleaguebaseball.c...;fext=.jsp His YTD numbers (struggling otherwise): web.minorleaguebaseball.c...pid=457458

Final: Brevard County 5, Lakeland (Tigers) 3 Brevard County Box Score: With Luis Pena in Huntsville, the 'Tees didn't have a formal closer -- promoted from West Virginia, submariner E.J. Shanks takes care of that, getting his customary two ground balls here; Darren Ford with a walk, sacrifice fly, stolen base, and run scored in his high-A debut; Micheal Bell three hits... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...p;sid=t503 Brevard County Game Log: Nice three-run rally in the 8th to win it... web.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_breafa_1

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread", Rounds 23 and 25 -- Hawn, Bell, must decide between college and minors Three players drafted from South-Doyle By JESSE SMITHEY, smitheyj@knews.com June 9, 2007 Fresh off Friday lunch at R.J.'s Courtyard in Alcoa, South-Doyle High School third baseman Cody Hawn plopped down at the ol' computer and popped open the live draft tracker on the Major League Baseball Web site. Up came his name, the Milwaukee Brewers selecting him in the 23rd round with the 701st pick overall. That was a third of the surprise. The Brewers got his high school teammate, Chad Bell, minutes later in the 25th round and the 761st overall pick. "He went right after me," said Hawn. "It was crazy." Then in the 30th round, Cleveland took South-Doyle centerfielder/pitcher Bryce Brentz with the 917th pick. The draft lasted 50 rounds. Previously, only two South-Doyle players had been selected out of high school: Chris Kirkland (2004, Florida, 49th round) and Anthony Stevens (2002, Pittsburgh, 28th round). While Kirkland was a late-round pick, South-Doyle coach Robby Howard said the Marlins still offered him a "boat load" of money to lure him from the college ranks. Kirkland recently finished his junior season at Memphis. The three 18-year-olds will make the same pro or college decision in the upcoming months. Hawn and Bell signed with Arkansas and Memphis, respectively. Brentz is set to join Middle Tennessee State. Hawn liked Arkansas so much he committed last July. But he missed the 2007 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during gym class. "I was just excited to get drafted," said Hawn. "I figured my knee and not getting to play would affect where I got drafted. But I'm happy with where I went." The left-handed hitter has ample power in his swing. As a junior, he hit .564 in the regular season with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs; that following a sophomore campaign that featured a .419 batting average, 11 home runs and 37 RBIs. The Brewers called Hawn on Friday, alerting the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder of a forthcoming visit to discuss possibly signing. Hawn said he doesn't know what to expect in those negotiations. "I love Arkansas, and I still plan on going," said Hawn, the Brewers' 22nd pick of the draft. "It just depends on what happens in the money situation." Bell didn't suffer a pitching loss in 2007 until the Class AAA state title game against Bartlett. The 6-3 left-hander was 14-1 with a 1.31 ERA and 141 strikeouts. "I got a really good scholarship to go to Memphis," said Bell, who was in Panama City, Fla., following the draft online. "It would take a lot (to forgo that). I feel like if I go to school and get a lot better in the next three years, I could do a little better than 25th (round). We haven't set an exact (offer) number yet. But I'll talk with my family when I get back." Having three players drafted in one year was a first for South-Doyle. "It starts with talent," said Howard. "They were pretty good players when they got here. Hopefully we did some things to help their games. "It makes you very proud today that people think your kids are good players and good people."

In progress: Lakeland (Tigers) 3, Brevard County 2, after seven innings Former West Virginia pitcher Mike McClendon, not Rafael Lluberes, was your starter, fine job, one run in six innings -- Ben Stanczyk on now; Angel Salome is 3-for-3 with three doubles (he has the Manatees' lone RBI and three of their four hits thus far) -- tougher time behind the plate for Salome, he and the pitchers have watched Lakeland runners swipe eight bases in eight attempts thus far, including two double steals, two Salome passed balls in the 7th.... ***In progress: West Virginia 2, Lexington (Astros) 0, after two innings Have to love Jeremy Jeffress' below -- Lexington Bottom 2nd - Max Sapp singles on a line drive to right fielder Stephen Chapman. - Koby Clemens flies out to center fielder Chuck Caufield. - Jhon Florentino singles on a ground ball to center fielder Chuck Caufield. Max Sapp to 2nd. - Ralph Henriquez reaches on fielding error by shortstop Brent Brewer. Max Sapp to 3rd. Jhon Florentino to 2nd. - Andrew Holder strikes out swinging. - Nicholas Moresi strikes out swinging. ***In progress: Nashville 7, Omaha (Royals) 0, bottom of the 5th in Omaha Looks like this one got underway an hour earlier than advertised; Brad Nelson, Joe Dillon, and Chris Barnwell have hit home runs to back Adam Pettyjohn...

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread", Round 26-- Aggies' Feltner hopes to steal Longhorns' thunder Former Cedar Park player didn't start in high school; now he's in left field for A&M By Alan Trubow AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Wednesday, May 16, 2007 Ben Feltner's baseball career should have been over long ago. It should have vanished into thin air, along with the dreams of being an astronaut or Michael Jordan. After all, high school baseball players who hit .200 and never start for a full season don't play Division I college baseball. Somehow, though, Feltner will be on the field this weekend when Texas takes on Texas A&M in a three-game series. And he will be a pest. Three years after graduating from Cedar Park High, where he was a self-described utility player, Feltner will return to the Austin area as the Aggies' starting left fielder and the Big 12's leader in stolen bases. Quite a jump for the 5-foot-11-inch, 180-pound speedster. "When I was in high school, my coach told me that I would never be a college baseball player," Feltner said. "I didn't even start most of my senior year in high school. After a bad game I was benched and a sophomore took my place. "Right out of high school, nobody would have guessed that I would have been playing here. It's pretty amazing." Texas A&M (40-12, 13-10 Big 12) will try to ruin the Longhorns' shot at the Big 12 regular-season title when the series begins at 6 p.m. Friday in College Station, before returning to Austin for games on Saturday and Sunday. Feltner, a junior, will play a big part for the Aggies. A junior who bats second, he has 27 stolen bases this season to lead Texas A&M, which has a conference-high 119 steals. Texas ranks second with 74. The Aggies have three players ? Feltner, Brandon Hicks and Blake Stoeffer ? among the top five in steals in the Big 12. Feltner's the fastest. "Ben's an exciting player to watch. By far and away, I think he's the fastest player in the Big 12," said Texas A&M coach Rob Childress. "The running game has been an important part of our offense this year. Last year we did it because we had to create opportunities. This year we're doing it because we want to put pressure on our opponents' pitchers and defense." Feltner said, "It keeps them from throwing a lot of breaking balls and makes sure they can't put the ball in the dirt. Basically, they have to throw strikes." It shows in the Aggies' team batting average of .322. Feltner has done his part, hitting .330 with 20 RBIs. On the heels of his high school career, Feltner found his way onto the Temple College team after a tryout. As a freshman, he was used strictly as a pinch runner, but he continued to work hard. "I never gave up. I used what my high school coach told me as motivation," Feltner said. "I was going to keep playing baseball and prove everybody wrong." He did that in his sophomore season at the junior college. Feltner, a natural righty, started switch hitting under the advisement of his coach. Starting for the Leopards, he hit .377 and stole 39 bases. "Everything turned around then. I had pro scouts contacting me," said Feltner, who was drafted in the 38th round by the Chicago Cubs in 2006. He passed on a pro contract to sign with A&M, and now looks forward to this weekend's games in Austin. "It's going to be fun," he said. "I'll have a lot of friends and family there. Hopefully I'll be able to steal a few bases for them."

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread" -- By Guy Cipriano - gciprian@centredaily.com Pennsylvania The Milwaukee Brewers took State College graduate and Harvard junior third baseman Steffan Wilson in 28th round. Wilson was drafted for the first time. Wilson was not surprised by the team that called his name. Wilson said before the draft that the Brewers and Washington Nationals showed the most interest. The Brewers turned their interest into action when they used the 851st overall pick on Wilson who hit .331 with three homers this past season. Wilson is the second member of his family to be drafted. Wilson's older brother, Jon Wilson, was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 27th round of the 2005 draft. Steffan is currently with the Wareham Gatemen in the Cap Cod League while Jon pitches for the Class A Bakersfield Blaze. ***Same newspaper source, day prior Two former Central Penn League standouts also could hear their names called today. State College graduate and Harvard junior Steffan Wilson and Philipsburg-Osceola graduate and West Virginia redshirt sophomore Adam White are draft eligible after posting solid numbers at Division I schools. Hollidaysburg third baseman Brett Weibley, a Kent State signee, also has a chance to be selected during the two-day, 50-round event. "It's pretty cool seeing guys like that get recognition," said Wilson, who played against White and Devin Mesoraco in high school. "Pennsylvania is more spread out than most states and there's not a lot around even town-wise in the central part of the state. It's great for the small towns to have a lot of good players who go onto the next level." White and Wilson's route to this point are stark contrasts to the one Mesoraco has experienced. Wilson spent this year balancing draft talk with team goals. Wilson, Baseball America's No. 4 prospect in Massachusetts, will enter the draft with no clear idea where he might be selected. He recently attended a workout with the Nationals and has signed a temporary contract with the Wareham Gatemen of the prestigious Cape Cod League. Wilson was scouted heavily last summer when he hit .241 with 18 RBIs for Wareham. Wilson, a third baseman, endured a challenging junior season. He broke the hamate bone in his hand and underwent surgery last December. He then hit .331 with three homers and 17 RBIs for a Harvard team that fell short of qualifying for NCAA regional play. Wilson is hoping to become the second member of his family drafted. The Texas Rangers selected Wilson's older brother, Jon Wilson, in the 27th round of the 2005 draft. Jon is currently pitching for the Bakersfield Blaze of the Class A California League. "This is sort of something you envision when you are real young," Steffan said. "As a freshman, it seemed a long way away and all you can do is take it one day at a time. When my brother got drafted, I was excited for him and I always hoped that I could follow in his footsteps. But a lot of things are up in the air. I have no idea who's going to call or even if I'm going to get called." Wilson needs to complete two semesters to graduate. Harvard doesn't begin classes until mid-September meaning Wilson could play professionally this summer without missing the fall semester. Professional teams often include school expenses in contracts and Wilson said he will enter today "open-minded" about his future. "I don't have it in my mind one way or another that this is what I'm doing," Wilson said. "I'm hoping I have a decision to make rather than have somebody else make one for me."

Mystery man Ryan Jensen (originally listed as no school) is from Walnut Grove, British Columbia, and played for the premier traveling club team in the area, the Langley Blaze.

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread" -- Recordnet.com The Milwaukee Brewers selected Curtis Pasma, a senior pitcher from Pacific, in the 40th round with the 1,086th pick. Pasma intends to sign with the Brewers. Pasma felt fortunate to be drafted following a 16-43 season at Pacific. "It's kind of like a happy, shocking feeling, and kind of a feeling of relief, too," said Pasma, who went 3-6 with a 4.50 ERA this season. "It hasn't fully hit me yet, but it's nice."

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread" -- Rindal Keeps It Simple At First Base Mt. Vernon native is lone Husky senior April 19, 2007 By James Schleicher The Daily (University of Washington) With two men on base in the ninth inning of a game against UC Riverside, Husky first baseman Curt Rindal stepped up to the plate against pitcher Joe Kelly, who had yet to have a run scored against him this season. After fouling off pitch after pitch, Rindal finally saw the one he wanted and blasted it through the gap between short and third. The ball streamed out onto the grass as Jake Rife rounded third and scored the winning run to complete a three-game sweep of UCR. This is a perfect example of what Rindal does best. "I was just trying to fight there with two strikes," Rindal said. "He hung one up and I did what I did with it." With a closer look at what this 23-year-old redshirt senior does during every at-bat, one can see that hitting is almost second nature to him now. His physical ability, organization, ability to take advice and use it and spirit of competition all play a role. One of the biggest forces comes in his ability to push himself. But to him the formula has all been simplified. When he talks about hitting, his smile seems to echo his love of the game and the challenges it gives him. "I like competing, but the thing I like most is hitting," Rindal said. "I love to hit, and man, I like hitting home runs. It's always been something I've worked at and gotten better at, and I think that's why I play, maybe, is to hit." Before Rindal even steps into the batter's box, he takes a few deep breaths to calm himself and focus on the task at hand. "All I'm thinking is, get my foot down and go," Rindal said. This calmness and focus may have developed on the Skagit River while fishing quietly with his father and brothers. He may have learned it while sitting nearby in a marsh, hunting ducks with lifelong friend Travis Storrer. It shows in the most pressure-filled situations, as Rindal seems to just calmly stay focused on connecting with the ball. He usually sees it pretty well. This eye for the ball comes from some 15 years of having pitches thrown to him. It shows in his .346 batting average. At age 8, Rindal started playing baseball and met Storrer. The two would soon become almost inseparable. They started playing on the same baseball team at age 10, when they outgrew slow pitch and started playing fast pitch with the older 12-year-olds. In their free time, the two would almost inevitably end up hitting balls in Storrer's barn, where he had a batting cage, or in Rindal's rec room, where he had a pitching machine for wiffle balls. "He'd come over and we'd want to go do something, and we'd wind up just staying up there and hitting," Rindal said. "We'd make games of it and that's where we got the most practice." Rindal's mother Teresa said the two were characters. "They would egg each other on, and it was kind of like `iron sharpens iron,'" she said. "They would practice, and shoot these fly balls up in space, and then they'd practice catching fly balls." Rindal said playing baseball has always been an activity he loved to do. "It was never something we were forced to do at all, and I think that's why I'm still playing it," Rindal said. "That's what makes it fun, that you can't take it too serious. I look forward to going out and playing [in the big leagues]." Now years later, all the hard work has obviously paid off. Rindal leads the Huskies in home runs (8), RBI (37) and hits (47). "He's always been a hard worker," Storrer said. "He's got a really good strong family background, and he believes in the Lord. He's just an all-around great guy." Along with their hours upon hours of hitting practice, Rindal and Storrer also played other sports to stay in shape for baseball during high school. At Mount Vernon High, they played doubles tennis, where they won a league championship, and played on the basketball team. Then, of course, came baseball in the spring, where both played pivotal roles in helping their team to two top-five finishes in the state. Teresa Rindal said her son's competitive nature and athletic ability showed up at an early age. "His brothers, if they would race, they all had to have numbers, they had to have a start and finish line," she said. "He was always competitive." Growing up as the middle child in a pack of five, Curt had the best of both worlds. His older brother and sister set the example for him and gave him a way to follow, while he tried to lead his two younger brothers. "At home he's just a hard worker; his dad taught him how to work hard and re-finish [his] desk and do things like that," Storrer said. His mother homeschooled the five children through eighth grade and taught them how to motivate themselves and take initiative. Along with school lessons, the Rindals taught their children how to work by teaching them to do jobs like mowing the fields on their 28-acre property in Conway, Wash., or cleaning their father's chiropractic clinic. "We just had opportunities for them to learn how to work and have a job," she said. "His dad was always out with them showing them what to do, and then they could go do that." Instead of mentioning professional baseball players or coaches, Rindal said that his dad was the person he looked up to the most in life. "He's been a big influence in my life, teaching me about hard work and having a work ethic," Rindal said. This work ethic shows both on and off the field. Rindal earned his economics degree in four years, despite the demands of baseball practice and games. Last year, when Rindal did not get picked up in the Major League draft, teams told him that the biggest factor for not picking him was history. Despite the fact he was All-Pac-10, he had only one big year in the Husky lineup because of his sophomore year injury. He played backup to Kyle Larsen his junior year. "I had a good year and played well enough that I figured I would get picked up, and once I didn't it was disappointing," Rindal said. "I had to make that decision to come back, but at this point I still want to keep playing. I still want to pursue it, but if I don't [get picked], I've done everything I can." This year, as the Huskies' lone senior, most of his longtime friends on the team have graduated and been drafted. "It's different not having any of those guys I've been playing with for years," Rindal said. "But it's been great; I like the guys that I'm playing with. I'm glad to be back and still be playing." On the team, he has led by example with his hard work at the plate and good defense at first. The draft in June sits on the horizon, but before that he will try to make sure the Huskies make the playoffs - he'll see what happens from there. If he makes it, Rindal looks forward to playing even more and finding new challenges at the next level. If he does not get drafted, he said he plans to take a break and enjoy his free time. "I haven't had any free time for awhile," Rindal said. "I've never had a spring break in my entire life. I don't even know what it is." Not knowing what the future will hold, Rindal will continue step to the plate and try to keep it simple. http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/wash/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/1065435.jpeg

Also posted in the "Official Draft Pick Thread" -- Link while active, text follows: Neshannock's Tanner among selections on MLB draft's second day By The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Saturday, June 9, 2007 When Jordan Tanner went to bed Friday morning at 5 after graduating from Neshannock High School, he had no idea he would wake up 12 hours later as a professional baseball player. Tanner, a pitcher and the grandson of former Pirates manager Chuck Tanner, was taken in the 40th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the 1,198th player selected. "I got the call at 5:50, not five minutes after I woke up," said Tanner, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander who was 3-1 this season. Tanner said he wasn't sure he would be drafted. "Some people had talked to my grandfather, but I had more wishful thinking, hoping I would get drafted." Tanner, whose father Bruce is a former Pirates bullpen coach and currently serves as an advance scout for the Detroit Tigers, has not picked a college and is undecided about his future. "I'm waiting to talk to one of the scouts for the Brewers and see what they have to say and go from there," he said. Tanner said he wasn't pushed into baseball by his father and grandfather. "I always loved playing. It has never been something they made me do."

Standings through Friday's action: Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 36 24 .600 - 18-8 18-16 L1 Nashville 34 27 .557 2.5 21-10 13-17 W1 Omaha 31 30 .508 5.5 23-11 8-19 L1 Memphis 27 35 .435 10.0 17-15 10-20 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Huntsville 33 27 .550 - 17-13 16-14 W1 Tennessee 33 27 .550 - 14-14 19-13 W1 Chattanooga 27 35 .435 7.0 17-18 10-17 L1 West Tenn 27 35 .435 7.0 17-15 10-20 L1 Carolina 21 41 .339 13.0 12-15 9-26 L1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brevard County 34 27 .557 - 20-10 14-17 W1 Palm Beach 32 28 .533 1.5 15-15 17-13 W1 Daytona 29 31 .483 4.5 18-12 11-19 L1 Vero Beach 28 32 .467 5.5 18-12 10-20 L1 Jupiter 27 33 .450 6.5 12-18 15-15 W1 St. Lucie 26 34 .433 7.5 13-17 13-17 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 42 16 .724 - 20-10 22-6 W5 Greensboro 32 29 .525 11.5 19-9 13-20 W1 Delmarva 29 29 .500 13.0 18-12 11-17 W8 Lakewood 29 29 .500 13.0 14-17 15-12 L2 Lake County 29 31 .483 14.0 17-13 12-18 W2 Lexington 27 34 .443 16.5 15-18 12-16 L2 Hagerstown 24 36 .400 19.0 14-14 10-22 L4 Hickory 23 35 .397 19.0 10-14 13-21 L3

These links will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds and/or Huntsville Stars are scheduled to play. Normally they are updated an hour or two prior to gametime, with Nashville's usually earlier: Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.nashvillesounds.com/pdf/notes.pdf Huntsville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format): www.huntsvillestars.com/i...eNotes.pdf

Give yourself a treat and listen to Andy Barch's audio archive from June 8th at this link -- listen to the first five minutes as Andy summarizes recent roster moves and talks about the Power's quest for some record-setting victory totals, then the three-run 8th, including Brent Brewer's homer, begins at the 2:11 mark. The Power follow that up with a four-run 9th, including Chuckie Caufield's bases-loaded double to tie the game at 7-7. At the very least, check out that hit at the 2:46 mark. web.minorleaguebaseball.c.../audio.jsp