Stanford Cardinal
Overall Rank: #34
Conference Rank: #4 Pac-12
Stanford really struggled to score runs last season and ultimately that kept them out of the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinal ranked tenth in the Pac-12 in on-base percentage and runs scored. And it is not like they were able to take advantage of those limited base runners by getting them into scoring position on a regular basis either. This is not a squad that will steal a bunch of bases and manufacture runs that way. However, the good news is that Stanford returns much of their lineup. That could be bad news too if the same issues that plagued the 2016 campaign return in 2017.
2016: 31-23, 15-15
2016 Postseason: None
Coach: Mark Marquess
Key Departed Players:
Tommy Edman, .286 BA, 0 HR, 24 RBI
Key Returning Players:
Tristan Beck, P, 2.48 ERA, 83.1 IP, 76 SO
Colton Hock, P, 2.03 ERA, 57.2 IP, 61 SO, 6 SV
Andrew Summerville, P, 2.90 ERA, 59.0 IP, 34 SO
Chris Castellanos, P, 3.41 ERA, 87.0 IP, 42 SO
Alex Dunlap, C, .292 BA, 4 HR 21 RBI
Quinn Brodey, OF, .280 BA, 7 HR, 41 RBI
Matt Winaker, 1B/OF, .254 BA, 1 HR, 23 RBI
Duke Kinamon, IF, .243 BA, 2 HR 11 RBI
Mikey Diekroeger, IF, .220 BA, 4 HR, 26 RBI
Projection:
The pitching staff is certainly where Stanford shines. Tristan Beck, a 6-4 sophomore, is one of the best pitchers in the Pac-12. As a freshman last year he went 6-5 with a 2.48 ERA and 76 strikeouts. With other starting talent returning like Chris Castellano, Andrew Summerville and Kris Bubic, the Cardinal have plenty of proven options. Freshman Erik Miller has more than enough talent to claim a regular spot in the rotation as well. Colton Hock may be the most dominating pitcher on the roster though. The 6-5 junior made 27 appearances out of the bullpen last season and struck out 61 batters in 57.2 innings of work. He recorded six saves and had a mere 2.03 ERA. This pitching staff does not need too much run support, but they need more than what they got in 2016. Coach Mark Marquess knows what he has to work with and will get enough out of his offense for Stanford to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Baseball Tournament
Madness 2017 Baseball Recruit Rankings:
#51 Daniel Bakst
Madness 2017 Draft Rankings:
#13 Tristan Beck
#28 Colton Hock
