2015 baseball recruiting

The Michigan staff continues to fill out its 2015 class in advance of the early signing period in November, today gaining two more commitments, both right-handed pitchers.

Troy Miller

Miller is a 6-3, 205-pound righty out of Soquel H.S. in Soquel, California, located near Santa Cruz. Miller was voted Pitcher of the Year for the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League, after going 6-1 in 11 regular-season appearances with 44 strikeouts and a 2.53 ERA in 51 1/3 innings. He has a four-pitch arsenal: a two- and four-seam fastball, circle change, and curveball. His velocity has increased this summer, with his fastball clocked at 91 mph recently.

Miller was recently selected to compete for the Oakland A's team at the "prestigious and heavily scouted" Area Code Games to be held August 4–9 in Long Beach.

"Being with the top 240 players in the country — it's a real honor," Miller said Wednesday. "I'm excited for where my baseball career, with the help of my coaching, is taking me right now."

That article (from July 23) indicates that Miller had earlier committed to Saint Mary's College but decomitted at the beginning of this summer. It also mentions plans of official visits to Michigan and Baylor and an unofficial visit to UC Santa Barbara, but he changed those plans today with his verbal commitment to Michigan.

I don't have rankings info on Miller—Prep Baseball Report doesn't cover California, and the Perfect Game rankings are paywalled. His credentials above seem quite good, however. It's also encouraging to see the Michigan staff continue to be able to attract players from California, having already brought in Ramsey Romano and Jackson Glines, with juco transfer Cody Bruder joining the team this year.

Ricky Karcher

I haven't been able to dig up much on Karcher, but here's what I've found: Perfect Game has him as a 6-4, 175-pound righty, with a best-recorded fastball of 88 mph. For at least the last two years, he has attended and played baseball at Ponte Vedra H.S. in Ponte Vedra, Florida, located near Jacksonville, helping his team win a state championship in 2013. But he's apparently moving to Saline for his senior year of high school, attending Saline High. It's possible he's originally from Saline, and his family is now returning there.

Again, any rankings are n/a. PBR recently expanded to Florida, but they don't yet have rankings for that state.

Michigan baseball added to its 2015 class today, with the commitment of Jack Bredeson, a 6-6, 235-pound right-handed pitcher out of Arrowhead H.S. in Hartland, Wisconsin. Prep Baseball Report has him ranked #19 in Wisconsin and #222 overall. Here's their scouting report on him from earlier this year:

6-foot-6, 235-pound, strong framed pitcher with a four pitch mix. Has a tall and fall delivery with choppy rhythm, clean lines, and above average effort. Arm works short and quick from over the top. Fastball worked downhill for strikes. Was 83-86 mph with arm side run and heavy finish. Throws a slider with strong shape and bite, 71 mph. Had feel for the changeup, throwing it with fastball arm speed, 75-77 mph with slight sinking action. Curveball was 68-69 mph with 11/5 shape.

He's also the older brother of Ben Bredeson, a Michigan football offensive tackle target in the class of 2016.

Jack Bredeson is also the high school teammate of Dominic Clementi, a left-handed pitcher who committed to Michigan for the 2016 class in January (see Hello post).

EDIT: Perfect Game has Bredeson with a grade of 9, which translates to "potential top 10 round draft pick and/or highest-level college prospect." In their scouting report from February of this year, they call him a "raw arm strength prospect with the potential to improve."

Here's Michigan's 2015 class as it currently stands:

• Nick Azar – 6-3 SS, #37 in MI, unranked overall (Hello post)
• Jack Bredeson – 6-6 RHP, #19 in WI, #222 overall
• Andrew David – 5-10 SS, unranked (Hello post*)
• Charlie Donovan – 5-11 SS, #1 in IL, #6 overall (Hello post)
• Ben Keizer – 6-2 LHP, #9 in MI, #98 overall (Hello post)
• Ako Thomas – 5-7 2B/MIF, #19 in IL, #86 overall (Hello post)

*Hello post is Ace's from the front page. David will be on a football scholarship, but he evidently also plans to play baseball at Michigan.

Erik Bakich and his staff have picked up their 7th commitment in the 2015 class as Ben Keizer has announced his commitment to Michigan. Keizer is a 6-2, 175-lb. left-handed pitcher out of Portage Northern H.S. in Portage, Michigan. He plays travel ball for Midwest Athletics, the same team as 2016 Michigan commit Jack Weisenburger (see Hello post). Prep Baseball Report reported in November that Keizer was being recruited by Louisville, Ball State, Michigan State, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan.

PBR ran this scouting report on Keizer in a rundown of an August 2013 event at which they considered him the top pitching prospect:

6-foot-2, 175-pound lanky pitcher. On the mound he has a tall and fall style delivery with rhythm and an athletic finish. Throws with a loose, quick arm, from a high ¾ slot, with easy effort. Throws his fastball on a downhill plane, with occasional cut, sitting 83-85 mph, touching 86 mph one time. Has solid feel for his curveball that he throws with arm speed similar to the fastball. It has an 11/5 shape, occasionally flashing a true 12/6 shape, and comes in at 61-64 mph. His changeup has occasional sinking action and is 71-73 mph. His loose arm and easy effort, combined with his lanky frame give him solid projectability. Keizer is one of the top Class of 2015 graduates in the state of Michigan and is a high follow in the Midwest.

Rankings-wise, PBR has Keizer #12 in the state of Michigan for the 2015 class and #97 overall in their ten-state coverage area.

photo of Keizer from PBR profile page

Below are the PBR overall rankings for Michigan's seven 2015 commits. Plummer and Goslin are PBR's #2 and #3 players from the state of Michigan in the 2015 class, so Michigan now has commitments from 3 of the top 12 in-state prospects for that class.

• 14. Charlie Donovan 5-10 SS (Hello post)
• 20. Nick Plummer 5-10 OF (Hello post)
• 43. Collin Goslin 6-3 LHP (Hello post)
• 67. Ako Thomas 5-8 2B (Hello post)
• 97. Ben Keizer 6-2 LHP
• 228. Andrew David 5-10 SS (Hello post*)
• 235. Nick Azar 6-3 SS (Hello post)

*Hello post is Ace's from the front page. David will be on a football scholarship, but he evidently also plans to play baseball at Michigan.

The five top 100 PBR commitments for Michigan is the most of any Big Ten school. Ohio State is second with four commits, but their highest ranked is #25, with the other three at #54, #73, and #92. Purdue is the only other Big Ten school with a commit in the top 25—they have the #11 recruit, but they have only one other top 100 recruit (#27).

The Michigan baseball coaching staff, which has been actively pursuing a number of 2015 and 2016 pitchers, today landed a big one: 6-3, 180-lb. southpaw Collin Goslin—one of the top in-state players in the 2015 class. He attends Dearborn Divine Child, so with his commitment to Michigan he's following in the footsteps of two notable former Wolverines, Alan Oaks and Patrick Biondi. Goslin also continues a strong trend from the 2014 class of the Michigan staff stockpiling left-handed pitchers; recently signing with the Wolverines in that class were lefties Michael Hendrickson, Oliver Jaskie, and Grant Reuss.

In a Chris Webb blog item posted in October, Goslin indicated that Vanderbilt, Louisville, Michigan State, and Ohio State were the main schools recruiting him, in addition to Michigan; Kentucky and Northwestern had reportedly also expressed interest. His full list of offers isn't known, but he did pick one up from OSU in October. Webb said that Goslin has "a strong three-pitch arsenal led by an upper-80s fastball," and he also notes that Goslin has played quarterback for Divine Child for the last two seasons. (Note that Goslin's Divine Child teammate, Dion Henderson, who's mentioned in Webb's post, recently committed to Kentucky.)

Here's a more detailed scouting report from Prep Baseball Report, included in an October rundown of top left-handed pitchers:

Ranked third in the state, Goslin is a strong-bodied lefty with a projectable 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. He sat 86-88 at the Midwest Future Games and featured a mid-70s curveball that has swing-and-miss potential. He also mixes in a changeup at 78-79. He’s a good athlete with some effort to his delivery and pitches from a high three-quarter slot.

PBR has Goslin ranked #43 overall in the 2015 class.

photo of Goslin from PBR profile page

Below are the PBR overall rankings (encompassing their ten-state coverage area) for Michigan's six 2015 commits. Note that Nick Plummer was recently bumped up from #30 to #20. Plummer and Goslin are PBR's #2 and #3 players from the state of Michigan in the 2015 class, so Erik Bakich and his staff continue to do well with their in-state recruiting efforts.

• 14. Charlie Donovan 5-10 SS (Hello post)
• 20. Nick Plummer 5-10 OF (Hello post)
• 43. Collin Goslin 6-3 LHP
• 67. Ako Thomas 5-8 2B (Hello post)
• 228. Andrew David 5-10 SS (Hello post*)
• 235. Nick Azar 6-3 SS (Hello post)

*Hello post is Ace's from the front page. David will be on a football scholarship, but he evidently also plans to play baseball at Michigan.

Continuing to clean up in the Chicago area, Erik Bakich, recruiting coordinator Nick Schnabel, and the entire Michigan staff received more good news tonight, with word of the verbal commitment of Ako Thomas, a 5-8, 150-pound second baseman from Chicago's Mount Carmel High School, class of 2015. Prep Baseball Report had this to say about him in a July 2013 hotlist:

At 5-foot-7, 150 pounds, Thomas may be one of the smallest participants at the Midwest Future Games, but he plays big on the field. He served as Mount Carmel’s starting second baseman on the Caravan’s Class 4A state championship squad, teaming with shortstop Jerry Houston (Oregon recruit) to comprise arguably the best infield in Illinois. Thomas is a hard-nosed player who makes everything look routine. He also has a knack for barreling up baseballs and getting on base.

Here's more from PBR taken from an August rundown following the Midwest Future Games:

It’s not often that a high school second baseman, much less one that is 5-foot-8, stands out. But Thomas proved over the three days that he can flat hit. He seldom swings and misses, and always seems to find the barrel. He led Team Illinois with five hits, including a leadoff double.

PBR also published a feature on Thomas in September—Diminutive Ako Thomas Not Limited by Size—that mentions him planning to visit Michigan in November and also having been in contact with Missouri and Iowa. Perfect Game mentioned Thomas in an item on a September event:

Ako Thomas is also an intriguing prospect. Listed at just 5-feet-8, 150-pounds, he hits cleanup in Gravel’s batting order and has proven time and again he can handle himself well both at the plate and while patrolling second base. Thomas (2015, Chicago) was named the Most Valuable Player at the 15u PG World Series after hitting .455 (10-for-22) with 12 runs scored and five RBI.

“I was just feeling good; that was the best tournament I had that year,” he said Friday. “I knew there was a ring in it for us and I really wanted to win that ring.”

PBR has Thomas ranked #15 in Illinois and #69 overall in the 2015 class. I don't know his current Perfect Game ranking, but in late 2012 he was ranked #150 nationally.

Here are the PBR overall rankings (encompassing their ten-state coverage area) for Michigan's five 2015 commits:

• 8. Charlie Donovan (Hello post)
• 30. Nick Plummer (Hello post)
• 69. Ako Thomas
• 193. Nick Azar (Hello post)
• 217. Andrew David (Hello post*)

*Hello post is Ace's from the front page. David will be on a football scholarship, but he evidently also plans to play baseball at Michigan.

The latest Michigan baseball commit is Nick Plummer, a 5-10, 185-lb., left-hand-hitting outfielder out of Birmingham Brother Rice, class of 2015. Plummer attended last week's Top Prospect Games, an invite-only showcase held at Ray Fisher Stadium. Presumably, his performance there led to a Michigan scholarship offer and then to his commitment today.

Last month, PBR included Plummer among four in-state "impact prospects" for 2015:

Nick Plummer, OF, Brother Rice HS, 2015 - Plummer has been impressive thus far this spring and arguably has one of the most advanced approaches in the Class of 2015.  Most noticeably, Plummer has been extremely aggressive on the basepaths.  The patient Plummer is hitting .323 on the year with 31 walks and only 17 strikeouts.  He has swiped 18 bags and only been caught 3 times at an 85% success rate.  Plummer's approach allows him to carry a quiet and calm confidence about him.  He, too, will be attending Top Prospect Games and Midwest Futures this summer.

And here's a bit of hyperbolic prose from Scott Burnstein in a MI Prep Zone profile titled Nick the Quick:

The best way to describe Plummer's talent is 5-TOOL!!!

My boy Nick the Quick has speed, strength, athleticism, a killer clutch bat and a sick arm from the outfield.

Plummer earned a spot as a starter on the state powerhouse Warriors varsity roster as only a ninth-grader and Brother Rice skipper Bob Riker has shown nothing but confidence in his talented young star, throwing him into the fire right off the bat, so to speak, hitting him at the top of his order.

Plummer helped lead Brother Rice to the state Division 1 title game this season, where they lost to Bay City Western (featuring 2013 Michigan signee Brett Adcock). Plummer also plays quarterback for Brother Rice, and his gridiron skills are featured in this highlight video.

Plummer is Michigan baseball's third 2015 commit, following Charlie Donovan (Hello post) and Nick Azar (Hello post).

michiganprepzone.com photo

EDIT: Forgot to note that Plummer is a high school teammate of Ty Kiafoulis, a 2014 Brother Rice outfielder who committed to Michigan in April.

EDIT2: Prep Baseball Report currently has Plummer ranked #7 in the state of Michigan in the 2015 class.