Towson finally got some home cooking this weekend, and while the first couple of courses were a little bitter, the dessert was sweet and delicious. Friday was an ugly loss, essentially decided by two innings which should be killed with fire and erased from all of our memories, while Saturday’s game was a different kind of contest for the Tigers – a hard fought pitching duel that Albany squeaked out with two late runs. Sunday, which was a big day for yours truly, seemed like it was bringin’ on the heartbreak as well, until a late rally set the stage for a walk-off victory and jubilant celebration.
When I previewed this series the big theme was the opportunity this weekend represented for Towson’s pitching staff to right the ship. While control issues continued to manifest themselves, there were quite a few positives to take from the series. Albany scored multiple runs in only three innings over the entire series, Friday’s two-innings-which-must-not-be-named and the top of the second on Sunday, when the Great Danes scored four runs, three unearned. All three of Towson’s starting pitchers had good games, compiling a 1.27 ERA over 14.2 innings, with 18 strikeouts and a 2.5 GO/AO. They need to figure out how to limit walks and hit batters, and how to limit big innings – already this season they have given up four or more runs in nine separate innings – but this weekend was at least a step in the right direction.
For this week’s recap, I’m going to update the Watch List, then just dump a bunch of my observations from Sunday’s game. But, first, a couple of reminders about the Watch List:
- The Watch List is basically the final remnant of my original intention when I started following Towson (before my focus broadened to the entire program), which was to look for pro prospects before they were drafted or signed. Therefore, players having excellent seasons may never appear on this list, either due to age, past performance, or perceived tools.
- I’ve become quite fond of the #NotAScout hashtag, which is a quick way to say, “I’m an idiot and I really don’t know what I’m doing.” If you think I’m totally missing the boat on a guy I should watch more closely, please, please, please let me know, either in the comments or on Twitter.
On to the list!
The Watch List
One new addition and I’m not dropping anyone this week.
Richie Palacios, SS – I guess this was a slow weekend for Palacios, who only had one hit in each game, slashing .300/.533/.500 for the weekend. Good lord. For the season the shortstop is at .400/.512/.829. He isn’t a physically imposing guy, though his head coach says he is pound-for-pound one of the strongest guys he’s ever seen, as well as one of the best ballplayers he has ever coached (which includes at least one first round draft pick).
At the plate he has a quiet set-up, with no extraneous movement, and a short, compact swing. He is patient and seems to wait for a pitch he can drive. Here’s a video of his only hit on Sunday, though the angle isn’t great. He has good speed, too, which you will see as he takes second on this play.
He did have one error on the weekend, which I saw, a bobble on a potential double-play ball behind second base. It was a tough play, though one he should probably make. Later he ended the same inning on a successful twin killing, looking smooth in the process. The arm isn’t a cannon, but appears to be strong enough, and he looks like a shortstop. He made a great play to end the top of the second on a pop foul down the left field line, tracking the ball at full sprint and catching it up against a 15 foot high fence.
Andrew Cassard, OF – Cassard, son of a former Towson player, kind of looks like a right-handed Palacios at the plate, with a balanced stance and not much pre-pitch movement. He has only walked once this year, but doesn’t appear to be a hacker. Maybe he’s just one of those guys who makes easy contact, we’ll see. He sandwiched two good games around an 0-4 Saturday, including his first extra-base hit of the season, a double. For the season he’s at .292/.320/.333. He also stole his first base on Sunday, and appears to have good speed (that’s him going first to third on Palacios’ hit above).
Bo Plagge, OF – Plagge the outfielder only had two plate appearances on Friday, striking out and drawing a walk. He made up for it with one heck of a game on Sunday, though, going 3-4 with two walks and the walk-off game winning RBI.
The sophomore only has ten at bats on the season, but he’s made the most of them at .600/.733/.900 and twice as many walks as strikeouts.
Bo Plagge, P – Plagge the pitcher came into Saturday’s game in the sixth inning, pitching a clean inning before allowing a run in the seventh on zero hits. Two walks, a hit batter, and a wild pitch ultimately scored the winning run for Albany. He struck out three in 1.1 innings and was stuck with the loss. For the season Plagge has struck out nine in 7.1 innings, but suffers the same issues with walks, hit batters, and wild pitches as the rest of the staff.
David Marriggi, P – I didn’t get to see Marriggi on Saturday, but he did everything he could to keep Towson in the game, going five shutout innings. He struck out six and is averaging nearly a strikeout per inning (15K’s in 15.1 innings), but has walked nearly as many (13BB). I can’t wait to see him in person so I can get an idea of what kind of stuff he has.
Dirk Masters, 2B – Our new addition! I was really impressed by Masters, who I briefly mentioned in my second Towson post. He’s a bit undersized (listed at 5′ 7″, 150lbs), but he’s a ball of energy on the field and made several fantastic plays at second base while I was watching, showing great range and a quick, accurate arm. His numbers at the plate are nearly identical to Andrew Cassard’s, except for a superior on base percentage, .292/.433/.333. Sunday he was 3-5 and scored two runs, including the game winner. He has a lot of bat waggle before the pitch is delivered, but his open stance looks a lot cleaner and more consistent that it did on the video that I found of him in high school (see the post I linked to above). If he can add some strength, there might be something here.
More Notes from Sunday’s Game
- Dean Stramara’s numbers on the season aren’t great, but he’s one Towson pitcher who is trending in the right direction, with his control improving with each appearance. The junior was great on Sunday and earned the win with 3.1 innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits and zero walks. He’s only 5′ 10″, 160lbs, and doesn’t appear to be overpowering, but he was hitting his spots against Albany. I love his delivery.
- Michael Adams, a big right hander, was Sunday’s starter and his own worst enemy in the second inning, hitting two batters (both appeared to be breaking pitches that got away from him and, to be fair, several of the Albany players stood right on the plate) and throwing away a comebacker that could have ended the inning. Other than that, he was great, consistently getting ahead in the count and putting hitters away, finishing with seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
- I saw some of the players messing with a radar gun in the dugout before the game, but the only one I saw in the stands belonged to Albany. I am going to ask about it next chance I get; I have no frame of reference for how hard any of these guys are throwing.
- The Tigers defense up the middle is excellent, with Richie Palacios and Dirk Masters at short and second, Mark Grunberg in centerfield, and Trey Martinez behind the plate. I made a joke previously about ignoring Martinez because his favorite player is Yadier Molina, but you can kind of tell. Martinez looks solid behind the plate and did a good job trying to keep his pitchers on an even keel. His arm is pretty clearly plus and he showed it off nailing a would be Albany base stealer (not to mention Dirk Masters with a little “El Mago” on the tag).
- Grunberg hit third in this game, after leading off for most of the season. From what I understand, that’s been a trouble spot in the line-up this season. Grunberg went hitless, but sent a rocket to center in his first at bat that was, unfortunately, caught.
- You’ve got to respect a guy like Colin Gimblet. He’s on his fifth year of eligibility and, according to Coach Tyner, came back to try and help the program kick off this new era. He is off to a slow start this season, but got two hits in this game. Hopefully it kicks off a hot streak.
- The players were into the game for all nine innings and there were great instances of hustle, including Andrew Cassard beating out a double play grounder in the first. If anything, they’re trying too hard. A few victories would really do these guys some good.
- Bring cash when you go to Schuerholz Park – the concession stand doesn’t take cards.
