CAL RIPKEN SR. LEAGUE
TOP 25 PROSPECTS, 2008

Compiled by Allan Simpson; written by David Rawnsley
In Association with League Managers and Scouts

Official League Website: www.ripkensrcollegebaseball.org

The story of the 2008 Cal Ripken Sr. League was simply Youse’s Maryland Orioles and their continued, unprecedented dominance. The Orioles, who are managed by Baltimore Orioles mid-Atlantic scout Dean Albany, finished the regular season far in front with a 35-7 record and then swept to three straight playoff wins. But that was only part of the team’s success.

The Orioles also won the Baltimore City League title for the 60th year in a row, going undefeated in the process. That success earned the O’s a berth in the annual All-American Amateur Baseball Association tournament in Johnstown, Pa., and they went on to win a record sixth consecutive championship and the 26th in the franchise’s rich history—most under the direction of the late Walter Youse, the team’s general manager from 1957-2003.

Overall, the Orioles finished the summer with a 54-8 overall record and a No. 2 spot in PG Crosschecker’s final ranking of the nation’s summer league teams.

The Orioles roster was noteworthy not only for its talent but for the number of young players who excelled. Four players, including top prospect Quinton Miller, were graduated high school seniors who signed pro contracts before the Aug. 15 signing deadline—depriving the O’s of some of their best talent at the most critical stage of their season. There were a number of other Orioles players who were drafted in June, turned down signing opportunities and will be making their college debuts this year.

Not surprisingly, the league’s top prospect list also looks like a copy of the Orioles roster. Aside from Miller, who signed a $900,000 contract with the Pirates as a 20th-round pick, the rest of the top 10 prospects were all Orioles, along with 15 of the top 20. The top “non-Orioles” prospect was Alexandria first baseman Jared Norris, a Yavapai (Ariz.) CC product who has moved on to Oregon State.

Unheralded College Park infielder Mike Celenza (Salisbury, Md.) was the league’s most dominant offensive player and fell just two home runs short of winning the league Triple Crown (.395-5-28). Bethesda righthander Matt Hiserman (San Francisco), a crafty, 5-foot-8 rising college junior with a mid-80s fastball and command of six different pitches, ran the table on the league in the pitching department, throwing 33 innings without allowing an earned run (only three unearned) while going 3-0, 0.00 with 10 saves.

FAST FACTS
Year League Established: 2005.
States Represented in League: Maryland, Virginia.
Level of Competition (1-to-4 Scale): 3.
No. of Teams in League: 8.
Regular-Season Champion: Maryland Orioles.
Post-Season Champion: Maryland Orioles.
Teams, PG Crosschecker Summer 16/Final Ranking: No. 2 Maryland Orioles (Orioles won All-American Amateur Baseball Association national tournament, Johnstown, Pa.).
No. 1 Prospect, 2007 (per PG Crosschecker): L.J. Hoes, of, Maryland Orioles (St. John’s College Prep, Washington, D.C.; Orioles ’08, third round).
First 2007 Player Selected, 2008 Draft: Evan Fredrickson, lhp, Bethesda Big Train (San Francisco; Brewers ’08, supplemental first-round).

Most Valuable Player: None selected.
Most Outstanding Pitcher: None selected.
Top Prospect (as selected by league): None selected.

BATTING LEADERS (League games only)
Batting Average: Mike Celenza, 3b-1b, College Park Bombers (.395).
Slugging Percentage: Mike Celenza, 3b-1b, College Park Bombers (.605).
On-Base Average: Patrick Long, 3b-2b, Maryland Orioles (.496).
Home Runs: Drew Lee, 2b-ss, Bethesda Big Train (7).
RBIs: Mike Celenza, 3b-1b, College Park Bombers (28).
Stolen Bases: Gerard Hall, ss, Maryland Orioles (30).

PITCHING LEADERS (League games only)
Wins: Scott Schneider, rhp, Bethesda Big Train (6).
ERA: Matt Hiserman, rhp, Bethesda Big Train (0.00).
Saves: Matt Hiserman, rhp, Bethesda Big Train (10).
Strikeouts: Kevin Brady, rhp, Maryland Orioles (59).
Opponent Batting Average: Scott Swinson, rhp, Maryland Orioles (.132).

BEST TOOLS
Best Hitter: Reed Gragnani, 2b, Maryland Orioles.
Best Power: Mike Celenza, 3b-1b, College Park Bombers.
Fastest Base Runner: Derrick Gibson, if, Maryland Orioles.
Best Defensive Player: Leon Landry, of, Maryland Orioles.
Best Velocity: Kevin Brady, rhp, Maryland Orioles.
Best Breaking Ball: Quinton Miller, rhp, Maryland Orioles.

TOP 25 PROSPECTS

  PLAYER POS. TEAM B-T HT WT YR 2009 SCHOOL
1. Quinton Miller RHP Maryland Orioles R-R 6-2 185   SIGNED/Pirates
SCOUTING REPORT: Miller was an Aflac All-American in 2007, despite arm problems that sidelined him for much of his junior year at a New Jersey high school. He came back strong during his senior year, but a seemingly unyielding commitment to North Carolina slid him to the 20th round of the draft in June. On raw talent, Miller projected as a solid second-rounder. He continued to show his top-level stuff in the Cal Ripken Sr. League during the summer, going 1-2, 4.36 in 24 innings while pitching between 90-95 mph with a power slider and deceptive changeup. When the Pirates decided that they couldn’t or shouldn’t sign their injured second-rounder Tanner Scheppers, they took that money and offered it to Miller, who accepted the $900,000 offer right at the Aug. 15 signing deadline.
 


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