BATON ROUGE — LSU outfielder Ryan Schimpf and left-handed pitcher Blake Martin appear on Baseball America’s Top 10 lists of prospects that played in the summer collegiate leagues.
Schimpf, a sophomore from Covington, La., was rated the No. 7 prospect in the Central Illinois Collegiate League, and Martin, a junior from Boaz, Ala., was rated the No. 9 prospect in the Northwoods League.
Schimpf was one of the top hitters in the CICL, batting .265 (45-for-170) with 10 doubles, two triples, two homers, 26 RBI, 30 runs and six stolen bases. He also participated in the CICL All-Star Game as a member of the Danville (Ill.) Dans.
Baseball America describes Schimpf as a versatile player who showed good bat speed and an advanced approach at the plate. The magazine reports Schimpf showed great maturity despite being one of the youngest players in the CICL and impressed coaches around the league with his outstanding work ethic.
Martin, a junior from Boaz, Ala., made 18 relief appearances for the Wisconsin Woodchucks, recording a 2.72 ERA in 39.2 innings while posting 38 strikeouts. Martin, who transferred to LSU last fall from Birmingham-Southern, received a medical redshirt last season after undergoing hip surgery.
Baseball America writes that Martin has a plus fastball from the left side, sitting in the low 90s and touching 95 mph. He has a loose arm action, according to the magazine, and some deception in his delivery that makes his stuff seem even harder than it is.
LSU will begin its five-week fall practice session on Saturday, September 15 in Alex Box Stadium. The 2008 season begins on February 22 when the Tigers play host to Indiana.