re: LSU Baseball 2021 (and beyond) Recruiting Thread - OLD THREAD

it will probably be 20 rounds this year. Could be as many as 30.

I think they already have confirmed it will be 20 rounds since the minors were restructured in the offseason

Agreed.

Class is very top heavy, going to be "interesting".

Gervase lists himself as a 6'10" 230lb Sophomore on Twitter.

Fastball 92-94 T95. Also throws a slider and change up. Threw 83 mph in HS.

I looked up his game log on the NJCAA site. Looks like he has been used as a closer. Dominant in his 8 or so appearances with few walks. Great news.

Every so often I find a player in JUCO or the transfer portal we should at least look at as an option. We're going to need starting pitchers next season. LaSalle University in the A10 is disbanding their program. Their best starter this season is a true freshman from Miami. He's going deep into games and striking out more than a batter an inning.

Frank Elissalt
He's in the portal already because LaSalle won't have a program next year anyway. Even without the new transfer rules he'd have immediate eligibility wherever he goes. I have no idea what his stuff is like and the competition isn't outstanding, but he's got starter experience in division 1.

My biggest takeaway is that his walk numbers are way down from his past couple years. So something may have clicked for him. Being 6'8" (or maybe 6'10") it usually takes a while for those guys to get the type of body control that will allow for command and control of pitches. I'm putting his stats together right now to get some rate stats. 18 Ks in 8.1 innings is really good, but I want to see it as a percentage of batters faced.

ETA: 53% K rate, 3% BB rate. He has a decent amount of HBPs and WPs though. I found a Wildness stat that captures Walks, HBPs, and WPs divided by IP, to kind of approximate control. He's at 1.08 instances per inning pitched, so he's still got a ways to go in harnessing his stuff. Even though I haven't done the calculations, I can tell you it's a vast improvement over the last two years in that category simply because he's walking fewer guys.

quote:

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Every once in a while in this thread I will throw a name out there of a (normally JUCO) player that I hope we recruit. Looking on PBR at the JUCO trackman measurements for the various scout days they've done across the country.

There is an outfielder from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M named Mathieu Vallee that was at the top of the list for 60 time (6.26), 2nd in OF throwing velo (95 mph), and also had 95 mph exit velo. His hand speed and bat speed are well above average. I don't think we necessarily need to add a JUCO outfielder to the class, but in the interest of recruiting the best players available, he'd be worth a look.

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I checked to see how this kid is doing this season:
.495/.602/.726 with 13 2Bs, 3 HRs, 30 SBs.
NJCAA Stats

Ian Moller 104th draft prospect

Moller has a chance to become the first Iowa high school position player selected in the first three rounds since Kellen Sweeney in 2010. He began the summer as the highest-rated prep catcher in his class but his stock took a bit of a hit after an up-and-down performance on the showcase circuit, and he hasn't helped himself with a lackluster spring. There are some mixed opinions on his bat and receiving, but a club that believes in both could take him in the second round.

Moller has the strength and bat speed to provide 20 homers on an annual basis. He's at his best when he uses the entire field and lets his power come naturally, such as when he roped an opposite-field double at the Perfect Game All-American Classic in September. But there also are times when he gets power-conscious and his right-handed swing gets too uphill, leading to swing-and-miss issues.

Athletic for a catcher, Moller has solid arm strength and can demonstrate similar receiving ability. He also can get inconsistent behind the plate, has struggled to stop basestealers this spring and there are evaluators who think he's an average defender at best. He's part of a Louisiana State recruiting class that also includes the other top catching prospect from the Midwest, Carter Jensen (Park Hill HS, Kansas City, Mo.).

If Moller wants to get his career started he’ll be picked early enough to sign, but if that kind of report is the consensus it would be enough to slide him out of the top 10 if he sticks to a big bonus number or is serious about potentially coming to school.