Stanford 2012 Baseball World Series Capsule

Stanford Cardinal
Pac-12 (38-16, 18-12)

 
Stanford was one step away from reaching Omaha last season. This year they could very well take that next step. The Cardinal have played a brutal schedule and still come out with a very impressive record and few teams in the nation sport as much talent as Stanford. This year Stanford has the experience to make it to the College World Series.

Big Wins: 3/10 Rice (11-6), 4/15 Oregon (4-2), 4/29 at UCLA (7-2)
Bad Losses: 3/2 at Fresno State (4-7), 3/26 USC (4-8), 5/1 at San Jose State (5-8)
Coach: Mark Marquess (36 seasons at Stanford)

Why They Can Surprise:
In Mark Appel, Stephen Piscotty and Kenny Diekroeger, the Cardinal have three extremely experienced superstars who will be drafted, again, by the time Stanford is out of the NCAA Tournament. Those three juniors are a great group to build around and that is what Stanford has done for three years. Appel is one of the best pitchers playing college ball right now and has a bright future in the professional ranks. He has had yet another dominating season and rarely will the Cardinal lose when he is on the field. Piscotty is an extremely consistent hitter who has played at first base and in the outfield during his collegiate career. He does not have a ton of power, but it seems like Piscotty is always getting on base. Diekroeger has not put up great numbers during his junior campaign, but he is still a defensive leader in the infield. Even though the offensive numbers are not eye popping, Diekroeger is still more than capable of having some great games offensively. Even when he does not, he will find a way to make a huge impact.

Why They Can Disappoint:
Appel, Piscotty and Diekroeger could lead this team to Omaha on their own, but they will need some help if Stanford hopes to make history. On the mound Brett Mooneyham will likely be starting when Appel needs a rest. The southpaw has had some superb outings, but he has not been particularly consistent during his junior campaign. When it comes down to it, Mooneyham and the Cardinal may not be able to afford a bad outing. At the plate there are a few more options. Austin Wilson and Alex Blandino have emerged as quality power hitters and Brian Ragira and Eric Smith are solid contact hitters. This group has been tested time and time again throughout the 2012 season, but they will need to get hot at the right time to beat the best of the best in June.

Key Field Players:
Stephen Piscotty, Junior, UTL, .319 BA, 54 RBI
Brian Ragira, Sophomore, UTL, .318 BA, 47 RBI
Eric Smith, Junior, C/IF, .329 BA, 31 RBI
Austin Wilson, Sophomore, OF, .290 BA, 9 HR, 46 RBI
Kenny Diekroeger, Junior, IF, .267 BA, 27 RBI
Jake Stewart, Junior, OF, .295 BA, 7 HR, 27 RBI

Key Pitchers:
Mark Appel, Junior, RHP, 2.37 ERA, 9-1 W/L, 110.0 IP, 116 SO
Brett Mooneyham, Junior, LHP, 4.05 ERA, 7-5 W/L, 80.0 IP, 88 SO
David Schmidt, Freshman, RHP, 3.41 ERA, 3-1 W/L, 31.2 IP, 14 SO

By the Numbers:
Batting Average: .291 (60th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Offense: 6.8 (23, 2)
Doubles per Game: 2.1 (22, 1)
Triples per Game: 0.24 (133, 6)
Home Runs per Game: 0.80 (27, 1)
Slugging Percentage: .433 (36, 3)
Stolen Bases per Game: 0.56 (264, 10)
Earned Run Average: 3.10 (22, 2)
Fielding Percentage: .965 (159, 10)
Double Plays per Game: 0.64 (236, 10)

Recent Postseason Appearances:

*all team stats through 5/20

 
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