[ayaghmour2]

Had some extra time today, so here's a double dose of Cougars baseball! Well, in this case Cougar prospects, as I think I may get a few more of these out before we resume play on Monday.

3rd Round, 45th Overall: 1B Dudley Sapp
School: Union City Bulldogs
Commit School: Carolina Poly Cardinals
1947: .474/.557/.874, 115 PA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 36 RBI, SB
Career: .485/.564/.848, 458 PA, 31 2B, 6 3B, 31 HR, 136 RBI, 19 SB

A rare early round first basemen, Dudley Sapp didn't have the best end to his four year career at Union City, setting lows in average and on-base percentage. Granted, a .474/.557/.874 batting line is pretty impressive, and when it comes with 9 homers and four times as many walks (12) as strikeouts (3), it's more then acceptable. It was enough to earn him a spot on the mock as well, listed as the first player to go in the second round. The towering Jersey native has tremendous power due to his size and strength, and can absolutely knock the stuffing out of pitches that are left in the heart of the plate. On top of that he'll make consistent contact, and while maybe not at the level of a .300 hitter, he's not going to be one of those guys that hovers around .250. There are some concerns about his work ethic, but all the physical tools are in place to develop a truly gifted hitter. 19 in September, he seems a bit ahead of most prep prospects, and considering we have just one (23, 234: Cal Rice) first basemen prospect in our top 50, there's really going to be no one in his way. Ray Ford and Dick Walker are old enough where they won't block him, with the only potential obstacle an aging Leo Mitchell or a converted Otto Christian. Mitchell may have been the last legitimate first base prospect we had (Ford came up as a second basemen, if you can believe it), so it will be interesting to see the trajectory Sapp's career takes, and if it will even be as a Cougar.

4th Round, 61st Overall: LHP Mike Emerson
School: Jamesville Bullets
Commit School: College of Cairo Pharaohs
1947: 11-0, 116 IP, 1.09 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 31 BB, 184 K
Career: 40-1, 431.2 IP, 1.13 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 98 BB, 615 K

This may not have been the best pick (he ranks 27th on Dixie Marsh's pitcher list), but as I mentioned on draft day, there weren't many exciting pitchers, and other then like Les Ledbetter, there weren't many guys as successful as Mike Emerson. He followed up his 11-0 season as a junior with a matching record as a senior, finishing his four year career 40-1. His lone loss came as a sophomore, which was the only season he had an ERA above 1.10. And while his senior year was very similar to his junior year, there was one big difference; he was striking out way more batters. After 150 strikeouts in 116.2 innings, he struck out 184 this season while getting two less overall outs, increasing his K/9 from 11.6 to an outstanding 14.3. This topped his previous high of 13.9 as a freshman, and I'm curious if he was throwing a bit harder this season. Dixie still has him in the 85-87 range, but that could also mean an improvement in his pitches. He throws four, with the change projected to be the best, and his cutter the main offering. It's not the greatest pitch, but Emerson isn't really a stuff guy. He gets weak contact and has hitters roll over his pitches, so command will be key. If he can keep the walks down, he could be a solid back-end guy. But if he leaves too many pitches in the heart of the plate, he'll be lucky to be trusted for anything more then a mop up role. Like all prep pitchers, the risk is extreme, but he's definitely worth developing and he could surprise with some solid coaching.

4th Round, 64th Overall: SS Roy Gass
School: Council Grove Braves
Commit School: Oklahoma City State Wranglers
1947: .437/.557/.641, 134 PA, 6 2B, 6 3B, HR, 28 RBI, 14 SB
Career: .445/.549/.701, 455 PA, 27 2B, 20 3B, 8 HR, 106 RBI, 80 SB

I was hoping for a big season from the Topeka native, but unfortunately for him, Roy Gass did not perform well in his fourth and final season for the Braves. 18 in August, Gass saw all three triple slash categories decline from the following season, with less doubles, homers, and steals and more strikeouts. Granted, going from 5 strikeouts to 6 isn't too bad, but combined with everything else, it was somewhat concerning. He did walk (20 to 25) at a higher rate and his 2.2 WAR was good for second of four, but part of that could have been from playing 26 games with a previous high of 22, where he was worth .2 wins higher. For someone who works as hard as he does, it's a bit shocking he didn't perform that well, and he may get passed over by 5th Rounder Buddy Jenkins. Both are listed in the mock, but Jenkins (2nd) a round earlier, while also seven spots higher on Dixie Marsh's list. I'm hoping (and thinking) that's more due to Jenkins improving then Gass regressing, as Dixie still labels him a future "above average, everyday big league player." He's a contact oriented hitter who could hit around .300, and he has a good eye for the ball. His defense is solid as well, and he should have no trouble sticking at short. With his height (6'2'') he could add muscle to his 165 pound frame, which could lead to an average amount of home runs. One thing I don't like is he hits the ball on the ground a lot, but that is something that could change with added strength. Gass is committed to bettering himself, and I think we'll be able to get the most out of him.