MINNESOTA

2007 FOLLOW LIST  

OVERVIEW: It was a very good year forMinnesota ’s top two college programs. The University of Minnesota, the state’s only Division I program, stood at 40-16 as it entered NCAA post-season play.

Division II Mankato State was upset in regional play, but finished the 2007 season at 45-10 and could send more players into pro ball this summer than its Division I counterparts.

 

It wouldn’t be completely surprising, though, to see the highest-drafted Minnesota collegian come from neither school, but from Division III St. Olaf College. Outfielder Andrew Schmiesing has the type of raw tools that scouts rarely see in Minnesota , a 6-foot-4 lefthanded hitter with plus speed.

 

The Minnesota high school class has four standouts—none at the level of 2006 prospect Aaron Senne, now at Missouri , but all quality players. How their signability stacks up remains to be seen as it is rare for Minnesota high school players to sign until they’ve gone to college. Righthander Dustin Klabunde has pro profile tools at 6-foot-4, with a low-90s fastball, and 6-foot-4, 230-pound catcher-first baseman Tyler Rank looks like a young Travis Hafner. Klabunde has signed with Minnesota, while Rank is going south to Nebraska .

 

STRENGTH: Solid high-school/small-college athletes.

WEAKNESS: Top 5 round talents.

OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 2.

 

Best Out-of-State Prospect, Minnesota Connection: Aaron Jenkins, lhp, Northern Iowa U. (Attended high school in Brooklyn Park ).

Top 2008 Prospect: Kyle Carr, lhp, U. of Minnesota.

 

Highest Pick, Draft History: Joe Mauer, c, Cretin Derham Hall, St. Paul (2001, Twins/1^st round, 1^st pick).

Highest Pick, 2006 Draft: Aaron Senne, of, Mayo HS, Rochester (Twins/13^th round).

 

Best College Team: Minnesota .
Best Junior College Team: Ridgewater JC.
Best High School Team: Cretin-Derham Hall.

 

TOP 10 PROSPECTS / By David Rawnsley

 

GROUPS (College, Junior College, High School)

      1   High-round draft (Rounds 1-3)

      2   Mid-round draft (Rounds 4-10)

      3   Late-round draft (Rounds 11-25)

      4   Chance draft / Player to follow

 

GROUP TWO

Rank  Player                                  Pos.       Yr     B-T      HT     WT     School                              Hometown                 Drafted/(Commit) B’date

     1.   Gary Perinar                         RHP   Jr.     R-R     6-1     200     U. of Minnesota                Shorewood, Ill.          Never drafted       2-10-86

SCOUTING REPORT: Where Perinar goes in the draft will depend on how much scouts remember his previous work as a reliever compared to what they’ve seen this spring as a starter. As a reliever in 2006, Perinar went 5-2, 3.86 with 37 strikeouts in 21 innings and regularly worked in the 94-96 mph range with a hard biting slider. As a starter in 2007, Perinar was just 4-5, 5.10 and averaged barely five innings per start as command problems contributed to high pitch counts and early exits. His velocity was much more pedestrian as well, mostly in the high 80s, touching 92 with a corresponding drop in power to his slider.  Perinar has a high-effort, multi-part delivery that limits his ability to throw strikes consistently and his best role obviously seems to be out of the bullpen.