Baseball Team Hosts Annual Scout Day
10/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Oct. 9, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - For the 20 draft-eligible players on the Alabama baseball team, the Crimson Tide's annual Scout Day was a time show of their skills on the diamond as well as listen to the scouts about how the draft process works as the college baseball season draws near.
The Alabama baseball team held its annual scout day earlier this week at Sewell-Thomas Stadium with scouts from more than 25 Major League Baseball teams attending the event. The scouts interviewed the players, ran them through various skills tests and then evaluated the group during a round of batting practice, pregame infield/outfield and a six-inning scrimmage.
"First of all scout day is always an exciting day for all of our players, but in particular those draft-eligible guys," Alabama head baseball coach Mitch Gaspard said. "It gives the scouts a first-hand look each year when they come and gives them an opportunity to meet with our players and get to know those guys that may potentially be drafted come June."
The Tide's list of draft eligible position players included catcher Brock Bennett, first baseman Clay Jones, infielder/outfielder Jon Kelton, outfielder David Kindred, shortstop Josh Rutledge, catcher Chris Smelley, infielder John David Smelser, third baseman Jake Smith, infielder Cal Tinsley, catcher Cody Trotter and second baseman Ross Wilson.
The list of pitchers included David Head, Nathan Kilcrease, Jimmy Nelson, Adam Scott, Jonathan Smart, Jason Townsend, James Tullidge, Brett Whitaker and Tyler White.
"Considering we have only been going two weeks as far as team practice goes, I think some guys certainly stood out on Wednesday," Gaspard said. "I thought our position players, particularly the older guys, did a really good job of swinging the bat and doing some things defensively. Jimmy Nelson had a good day. One of our newcomers, Jason Townsend, threw the ball well.
"So from a scout standpoint, I think their main concern is to get their first look and really bear down on some of the pitchers just to get an idea velocity-wise of where they are and to start getting an idea of how some these guys need to be followed throughout the remainder of the fall and the beginning of the spring. I thought overall it was a good day. I thought everything went pretty clean and smooth. I thought some guys certainly helped themselves out as far as putting themselves on the map or helping the cause of where they were already at as a prospect."
Following the Scout Day scrimmage, the Crimson Tide had the weekend off for a two-day fall break at the University of Alabama. The team will resume practice Monday, Oct. 12.
