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December 28, 2008

Kendall Rogers
Rivals.com College Baseball Editor

It's never a bad thing to dream big.

Though it obviously never will happen, I take an inside look at my dream weekend rotation, which includes San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg, North Carolina's Alex White and Oklahoma State's Andy Oliver.

Strasburg is the nation's best returning pitcher while White's stock rose after an impressive sophomore campaign and stellar showing in the College World Series. Oliver, meanwhile, also is coming off a great sophomore campaign.

After reaching an NCAA super regional last season, N.C. State also is a hot topic in this week's mailbag. The Wolfpack certainly has a plethora of holes to fill at the plate this spring, but the pitching staff is in great shape.

In this week's mailbag, we also take an inside look at TCU's quest to become a national power, Arkansas' rebuilding process and Ole Miss' chances of finally taking the next step this spring.

Dream weekend rotation

This is a tough question, but I like it.

If I was a coach and had to pick a weekend rotation, there are several pitchers across the country I'd consider. However, my weekend rotation this spring would include San Diego State's Stephen Strasburg, North Carolina's Alex White and Oklahoma State's Andy Oliver.

Strasburg being on my list is a no-brainer. Though his team has failed to make a statement on the national stage the past few seasons, Strasburg certainly isn't part of that equation. The talented right-hander, who probably will be the top pick in the 2009 MLB Draft, had a phenomenal '08 campaign. Strasburg started 13 games last season and had a 1.57 ERA in 97 1/3 innings. He also struck out 133 and walked 16, while opponents hit him at a .181 clip.

If anyone saw his performances in Omaha last June, you know why White made my list. Though calm and collective off the field, White is as gritty as it gets during a game. He's also a model for consistency. Last season, White started 15 games and had 20 appearances. He also had a 2.83 ERA in 101 2/3 innings. The righty struck out 113 and walked 42, while opponents hit him at a .215 clip.

Though we'll soon find out how much Oliver actually pitches this spring because of a lingering battle with the NCAA, he's still a great pitcher that I'd love to have anchoring my weekend rotation. Oliver had a tremendous '08 campaign. He started 14 games and had a 2.20 ERA in 98 1/3 innings. He also struck out 96 and walked 36, while opponents hit him at a .211.

Other pitchers were close to making my list but I consider Strasburg, White and Oliver the cream of the crop entering the spring.

Checking in on N.C. State

The Wolfpack couldn't be happier that a talented class of newcomers arrived on campus this past fall. To say the least, the N.C. State offense will need some immediate help this spring.

The Wolfpack took a step forward last season by reaching the super regional round, but hopes to take the next step this spring with fewer resources at the plate but more talent on the mound.

N.C. State finished last season with a .299 batting average. But from that lineup, it must replace five of its top six hitters, including Ryan Pond, Matt Payne, Marcus Jones, Jeremy Synan and Tommy Foschi.

With those departures, returning starters Pat Ferguson and Dallas Poulk must greatly increase their production. Ferguson hit .320 with nine homers and 41 RBIs last season, while Poulk, who was a Rivals.com Freshman All-American two seasons ago, hit .286 with eight homers and 33 RBIs last season.

It'll be interesting to see how quick some of the newcomers make the transition, especially JUCO transfer and former North Carolina player Drew Poulk.

Though the offense certainly leaves something to be desired entering the spring, the pitching staff actually is in good shape. The Wolfpack must replace Eric Surkamp, Clayton Shunick, Drew Taylor and Eryk McConnell, but welcomes back Jimmy Gillheeney, Sam Brown, Kyle Rutter, Joey Cutler, Jake Buchanan and Alex Sogard.

If the newcomers can take some pressure off offensive cogs Pat Ferguson and Dallas Poulk, the Wolfpack could be in business this spring. For now, though, I view N.C. State as a team that won't allow a lot of runs, but also won't score many runs until the newcomers gain some experience.

No matter what happens this season, the program has a bright future.

Taking the next step

Just to possibly save myself some grief in the future, I'll go ahead and say TCU becoming a national power certainly is possible.

There are several examples of programs in less than stellar conferences becoming national powers. In the state of Texas, Rice won the national title while in the WAC. Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, is a national power despite being in the Big South, which isn't exactly a great conference.

TCU's situation certainly covers both ends of the spectrum. On one hand, the Horned Frogs have many resources and are able to dominate the Mountain West. On the other, they always seem to be overmatched in NCAA regional play, which probably has something to do with playing weak competition most weekends in conference play.

TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle is trying to make sure his program's MWC schedule isn't always a nemesis. For instance, the Horned Frogs recently have put together challenging non-conference schedules. They also have a lengthy contract to play Cal State Fullerton in the future. TCU has figured out if you can't play premier teams in conference, you must do it out of conference to earn respect.

Though the Horned Frogs have yet to make a statement on the national stage, the program has the resources to do it. TCU recently signed another excellent recruiting class, the program has a beautiful new stadium and the university administration has made a commitment to winning on the diamond.

In most cases, those attributes usually pay dividends. TCU hopes it happens sooner rather than later.

Hogs have potential

When the Razorbacks failed to reach the SEC tournament last season, coach Dave Van Horn probably thought his team wouldn't make an NCAA regional. But the Hogs had 34 wins and that proved to be enough, as they earned a bid to the Stanford Regional to end the season.

After sneaking into a regional last season, the Razorbacks hope to leave little doubt this spring. Accomplishing that goal, however, could be tough.

The SEC once again will be strong this season and the SEC west will be even stronger with LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss leading the charge.

The Hogs have something to prove in the important areas. Arkansas finished last season with a .290 batting average. From that lineup, the Hogs must replace Logan Forsythe and Tim Smalling, among others. Chase Leavitt and Brett Eibner hope to have productive campaigns this spring, while Ryan Cisterna has power and could become an elite hitter by establishing some consistency.

While the offense leaves something to be desired entering the season, the pitching staff actually seems to be in good shape. Dallas Keuchel had a strong summer and can be a premier weekend starter this season. James Mahler, Mike Bolsinger, Stephen Richards and Brett Eibner also have strong attributes.

The Razorbacks certainly won't enter the '09 season as a favorite to win the SEC title, but there have been several instances the past few seasons that a team expected to struggle actually rose to the occasion.

The Hogs have some important questions to answer this spring, but as long as coach Van Horn is around, they will have a hard-nosed attitude. In the SEC, that always counts for something.

Ole Miss in good shape again

Ole Miss has been one of the SEC's most successful programs the past few seasons, but still is aiming for the College World Series. Last season, the Rebels put together a solid regular season campaign and entered NCAA regional play with high hopes.

The Rebels eliminated Missouri from the postseason, but were unable to get past host Miami, which advanced to Omaha. Luck once again wasn't on Ole Miss' side last season.

Though the Rebels must replace starting pitchers Lance Lynn and Cody Satterwhite, they still enter this season in good shape. Sophomore left-hander Drew Pomeranz is back this season, while Nathan Baker and Rory McKean also hope to be consistent contributors this season. The Rebels also welcome back All-American right-hander Scott Bittle, who surprised many by returning to Ole Miss for his senior campaign.

The Ole Miss offense also should be in good shape this spring. The Rebels welcome back Zach Miller, Brett Basham, Matt Smith, Logan Power and Jordan Henry, among others. Smith is coming off a powerful campaign while Henry hopes to build off a productive summer.

The Rebels currently don't have a clear-cut ace, but the pitching staff has the ability to be great this spring. The offense has a few questions to answer, but there's enough talent and experience to make things happen at the plate.

I expect Ole Miss to host another NCAA regional this spring.

Kendall Rogers is the college baseball editor for Rivals.com and Yahoo! Sports. He can be reached at rogersk@yahoo-inc.com. Got a question for Kendall's Mailbag? Click here to drop him a note