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Each year the Collegiate Baseball Foundation presents the Brooks Wallace Award to the nation's collegiate baseball player of the year. Evan Longoria and Jared Hughes have been named to the watch list for the award. The list will be trimmed to 12 finalists in May.

For those who were wondering, yes I am still alive. After fall practice is over, there's not much college baseball news...so I took a little break.

This from the Western Christian High School baseball program website (take a look - there's a couple of nice pictures of Evan):

Long Beach State star Evan Longoria has dedicated a bit of community service to the Western Christian High School Baseball program. Longoria has made a commitment to new Head Coach Mark Gabbard to come in once every two weeks to talk and give fundamental instruction to the Lancer infielders. Longoria was recruited by and played for Coach Gabbard at Rio Hondo College during his tenure there as Assistant Head Coach. At Rio Hondo Longoria earned All-Conference, All-State, and All-American honors as a freshman before earning a scholarship to nationally ranked Long Beach State University .

Once at Long Beach , Longoria started at short stop for the #14 ranked Dirtbags before moving to third base upon the return of Troy Tulowitski (#7 overall pick in 2005 draft). Longoria went on to earn All-Conference honors there in 2005. Last summer Longoria went to play in the Cape Cod League with the best college players in the nation. By summer's end he proved to be the best of the best earning Cape Cod Most Valuable Player while leading the league in Home Runs and Runs Batted In. Longoria is a projected first round draft pick in the 2006 draft.

Coach Gabbard is more than excited to have his former recruit and player lending a helping hand with his athletes. "Evan is an amazing talent," says Gabbard. "He is the complete package of physical, emotional, and most importantly mental. Watching him blossom into one of the top players in the country has been a blessing to witness." Longoria will come in every other Friday working around his Long Beach schedule to evaluate and give pointers. Gabbard goes on to state, "I hope the kids and parents realize how special this is for our kids and our mission of turning the program into a winner. Not many high school kids, let alone private school kids, can say they are being taught by the best in the country. Hopefully they will begin to understand the commitment and time it takes to become a champion. This is truly a blessing to our mission."

From Friday, the Kansas City Royals website has this:

RHP Chris Demaria -- In the past week, Demaria worked four scoreless innings over three games to lower his ERA to 3.95. He also compiled a 1-2 record in nine relief appearances.

In addition to Willie Cabrera and Jason Tweedy, Baseball Resource has TJ Mittelstaedt, a shortstop at Mission Viejo HS, and Kyle Harper, a RHP with Orange Coast College signing National Letters of Intent with Long Beach State.

TJ Mittelstaedt holds the Mission Viejo HS Diablos record for doubles in a season, for the 10 he hit in 2004. He's 2nd on the all-time home run list, with 10 in 2005. He bats left and throws right. He also pitches for the Diablos. Last season he batted .350, with a .464 on base percentage, and slugged at .800 (courtesy MaxPreps).

Kyle Harper pitched at Fresno State as a freshman in 2004, appearing in only 3 games (1.0 innings). I'll post more on Kyle later.

...has this on former Dirtbag Jered Weaver:

...RHP Jered Weaver (Angels) turned in his best start of the AFL campaign, fanning 10 batters in 5 scoreless frames of 3-hit ball. Weaver's ERA was a soft 5.47 and opponents hit .294 against him in his 7 starts. On the sunny side of life, Weaver struck out 35 batters and walked just 4 in 24.2 innings pitched. There's a good chance that Weaver makes his big league debut next year...

From the L.A. Daily News:

Pierce College baseball player Willie Cabrera, a former Chatsworth High All-American, committed to Long Beach State. The second baseman/outfielder had a state-record 72 hits as a senior at Chatsworth, helping the Chancellors go undefeated en route to the 2004 City and national championship. He was the City Co-Player of the Year and Daily News Player of the Year that season.

Chatsworth HS was Baseball America's 2004 High School Team of the Year. Here's BA's comments on Willie Cabrera:

The one-sided affair was something Chatsworth was accustomed to. The Chancellors cruised to run-rule wins in 17 of their 35 games, outscoring their opposition 372-67. They batted .418 as a team and set a school record with 49 home runs.

It all began with senior second baseman Willie Cabrera, who held down the leadoff spot a year after a knee injury ended his junior season early. Cabrera led the team in average (.545) and runs (60) but more significantly provided the pivotal play Chatsworth needed to complete the season undefeated.

The Chancellors trailed Kennedy High of Granada Hills 7-1 in the semifinals of the sectional playoffs before Cabrera hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning. The home run sparked a rally, with Chatsworth scoring five times in the inning and plating four more in the fifth on its way to a 10-7 victory.

"It was one of the biggest hits of the season, if not the biggest," coach Tom Meusborn said. "Here was a guy chasing a record, we're trailing in that game and seven was the most we had given up all year. When Willie hit that home run, you just got the feeling, 'OK, here we go.' "

Cabrera's home run fueled Chatsworth's comeback and also broke the California record for hits in a season, topping current Rangers catcher Gerald Laird's mark of 68, set with La Quinta High in 1998. Cabrera's finished the season with 72 hits.

From The Argus:

Tweedy decides Dirtbags are right fit for him
Long Beach State's successful baseball program attracts Ohlone star
By Steve R. Waterhouse, STAFF WRITER

FREMONT - A year ago Jason Tweedy suffered a dislocated ankle and missed the fall-ball baseball season at Ohlone College.

That after the shortstop was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 26th round of the amateur draft in June of 2004 out of Newark Memorial High.

"It was hard knowing I couldn't go out there," said Tweedy, who missed six months. "I knew if I was patient, it would work out."

He made his way back to the field this year, but it wasn't until midway through the season that he felt 100 percent.

On Thursday at Ohlone - with family, friends and former and current coaches surrounding him - Tweedy signed on the dotted line to continue his playing and educational careers at Long Beach State.

Tweedy will finish his sophomore year at Ohlone and plans to leave for Long Beach in August.

"The last few months have been hectic," Tweedy said. "This definitely takes the pressure off. I'm looking forward to this year."

Long Beach State, whose mascot is the 49ers, but the baseball team's common nickname is the Dirtbags, began to show interest in Tweedy last spring. He was also recruited by Fresno State, UNLV, Houston and Hawaii. But in the end, it was the school with the best reputation that won the battle.

"Once they showed interest, I was interested," Tweedy said.

In a press release, Tweedy said: "I'd like to play beyond college, and the best way to make that happen is to play great competition. At Long Beach, I'll be competing against great players in every practice, and we'll face great teams in every game."

Tweedy said he'll get the opportunity to battle for a starting position as soon as he arrives.

Tweedy, who throws right but bats left, was an All-Coast Conference infielder last year. He batted .314 with an on-base percentage of .393.

He led the team in hits (44), runs (26), RBIs (26) and doubles (11). His five home runs tied him for the team lead as Ohlone went 17-21 overall.

Long Beach State is one of the top baseball programs in the country. The Dirtbags have been in the College World Series four times in the past 17 years. They've won four CWS titles, been to 15 regionals and won seven Big West Conference crowns. They have 13 former players playing in the major leagues.

Tweedy joins a long list of Ohlone players to play for a Division I program. Since 2002, 31 former Renegades have moved on to a four-year college.

"Jason Tweedy is an exceptional player," coach Paul Moore said in a press release. "He's made an outstanding choice. Jason has turned down bigger offers to attend Long Beach State because he has higher goals and sees the Dirtbag program as a better way to reach those goals. It's attitudes like these which make Jason attractive to both players and coaches, which says a great deal about him as a person."

Playing shortstop at Long Beach could bring a lot of exposure for Tweedy. Oakland A's shortstop Bobby Crosby was a the 25th pick back in 2001 out of Long Beach. And last year, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was selected higher than any other Dirtbag in history when he was taken with the seventh overall pick by the Colorado Rockies.

Long Beach State finished 37-22 overall mark and a No.18 ranking in the Collegiate Baseball final poll last season.

...on the upcoming season from the Rosenblatt Report (no link to the story and message board - paid subscription area). Here's some quotes from head coach Mike Weathers:

"We practiced for 14 days and one of our goals was to see how well each player played after completing individual workouts. Overall, I thought the guys displayed an impressive work ethic with several freshmen standing out."

"The plus for our club this fall was the fact that we had 18 youngsters, so our competitiveness level was at an all-time high. Six or seven freshmen threw extremely well on the hill, while several impressed in the field as well."

On the competition between Tito Cruz and freshman Kip Masuda for the catching spot:

"I thought freshman Kip Masuda held up very well this fall. Perhaps even more impressive was the fall pieced together by veteran Tito Cruz, a guy that might have been the MVP of our scrimmages this fall."

On the experience factor:

"Our only concern right now is probably that the younger guys still have work to do in terms of learning our system. That ultimately won't come into play until January, but we could end up being a team that doesn't click right off the bat."

According to Kendall Rogers at the Rosenblatt Report, the coaches were particularly impressed by the work of Andrew Carpenter and Vance Worley on the mound. That may be why LongBeachState.com has them penciled in as weekend starters. And as the above quote indicates, it sure looks like there's some healthy competition for playing time at catcher.

...has their Dirtbags "Pre-season Prospectus 2006" up. Here's their take...

Here's what Baseball America has to say about former Dirtbag Marco Estrada in their draft report card on the Washington Nationals (no link to story, paid area):

Washington Nationals:

Best Fastball: ... RHP Marco Estrada (6) pitches at 90-93 mph.

Best Breaking Ball: Estrada has a plus curveball and can throw it for strikes.

Here's what Baseball America has to say about former Dirtbag Brian Anderson in their draft report card on the San Francisco Giants (no link to story, paid area):

San Francisco Giants:

Best Pro Debut: RHP Brian Anderson (14) led the short-season Northwest League with 19 saves, going 3-1, 1.95 with a 42-3 K-BB ratio in 28 innings...

Closest To The Majors: Anderson. He has a good slider, an 88-91 mph fastball and good control...

Best Late-Round Pick: Anderson and Pereira among the pitchers,...

Brian was a steal in the 14th round.

...again. LongBeachState.com has the story.

...from the Rosenblatt Report in September (no link to article, paid area):

When it comes to developing quality pitchers, there might not be a better place in the country to be than Long Beach State. Under the tutelage of skipper Mike Weathers and pitching coach Troy Buckley, the Dirtbags have assembled one of the nation's top pitching staffs on a routine basis. But unlike previous seasons, The Beach have their hands full heading into fall workouts.

The first order of business for Coach Weathers and his staff will be finding a few arms to the replace the likes of Cesar Ramos, Marco Estrada and Neil Jamison.

Ramos and Estrada combined to be one of the top one-two punches in the country last season, while Jamison was arguably the nation's top closer, finishing the year with an unblemished earned-run average and 11 saves.

"When we lost guys like Jered Weaver and others in the past, we've always had one or two outstanding pitchers coming back," Weathers said on Tuesday. "But this year, that is not the case, as Jared Hughes is the only weekend starter with experience we have returning this fall."

Hughes will have to grow up quick to take on the role as the staff ace after tossing 89 innings last season and compiling an earned-run average of 2.83 with 87 strikeouts.

"The staff we are bringing in this fall isn't going to have a lot of experience, so Jared (Hughes) coming in this fall with confidence after having such a great summer at the Cape is key for our club."

The Dirtbags will be looking for some newcomers to flex their muscles once fall workouts roll around and it shouldn't be hard finding the diamonds in the rough, as Coach Weathers' club brought in 20 new players, with 12 of them hailing from the high school ranks.

Among the newcomers, there are a few pitchers that head into the fall with high hopes to contribute right off the bat and they include RHP Andrew Carpenter, RHP Vance Worley, RHP Scott Turmail, LHP Shane Peterson, RHP Andre LaMontagne and RHP Brian Shaw.

"These are all guys who have a chance to step right in and contribute for us," Weathers said. "All of these guys except Carpenter are a year removed from high school, so experience is going to be the ultimate key here."

Outside of the pitching staff, the shortstop and catcher positions will be the most important holes to plug up this fall, as the Dirtbags will be without the services of All-American shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and catcher Chris Jones.

At the catcher position, the Dirtbags are looking for big-time production from freshman Kip Musada, while at shortstop; former high school prep star Danny Espinosa has a bright future ahead of him.

"We really feel like we have some talent at both of these positions," said Weathers. "But in the same breath, we have some inexperienced guys, so we're going to have to see how it all works out."

If all else fails at the shortstop position, the Dirtbags are prepared to move Evan Longoria over from third, but it is a situation that Coach Weathers and the staff look to avoid if at all possible.

In the outfield, the Dirtbags should get immediate help from centerfielder Robert Perry, a transfer from Santa Clara.

Perry heads to Long Beach State with impressive credentials after hitting .324 with four homeruns and 19 RBI last season. He also finished the year with an on-base percentage of .427.

Overall, the Dirtbags have a lot of work to do this fall without an experienced group of pitchers back, but history has shown that they will have a solid pitching staff once the spring rolls around.

At least that is what Coach Weathers and his team is hoping for.

Other News: The Dirtbags have begun their conditioning and weight training program, and will start individual workouts next Monday.... Team workouts are slated to begin on October 22nd, running through November 4th....In terms of a fall series to end workouts, LBSU is expected to play a Dirt versus Bags series during the final weekend of fall workouts....Despite having some question marks, particularly on the hill, the Dirtbags feel as if the talent level at the position is just fine, but that experience needs to be gained. The question now is how will the newcomers grasp the new system that they are in? Only time will tell...

The Dirt v. Bags series get under way tonight at 6:30, and continues at 2:00 on Saturday and 1:00 on Sunday. All games are at Blair Field.

Here's what Baseball America has to say about former Dirtbags Cesar Ramos and Neil Jamison in their draft report card on the San Diego Padres (no link to story, paid area):

San Diego Padres:

Best Pro Debut: LHP Brent Carter (16) went 6-2, 1.71 with a 79-8 K-BB ratio in 84 innings, and he won both his starts in low Class A after beginning at short-season Eugene. RHP Neil Jamison (6) had eight saves, a 1.69 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 37 innings at the same two stops...

Best Breaking Ball: Jamison's slider...

Closest To The Majors: ...LHP Cesar Ramos (1) is also very polished, throwing four pitches for strikes...

Assessment: In Carrillo and Ramos, the Padres started their draft with two pitchers named Cesar who can help them quickly...

Here's what Baseball America has to say about former Dirtbag Kenny Maiques in their draft report card on the St. Louis Cardinals (no link to story, paid area):

St. Louis Cardinals:

Best Fastball: RHP Mark McCormick (1) hit 98 mph during the spring and pitched at 91-96 mph through instructional league. RHP Nick Webber (2) has a 91-94 mph fastball that's more notable for its sink than its velocity. One scout compared its movement to a Wiffle ball's. RHPs Tyler Herron (1), Josh Wilson (2), Mitch Boggs (5), Jason Cairns (8) and Kenny Maiques (37) all have touched 94.

Kenny required "Tommy John" surgery, which the Cardinal's were aware of when they drafted and signed him. St. Louis took the gamble that he'd fully recover.

Huh?, you say! Read on. Here's what Baseball America has to say about current Dirtbag Vance Worley in their draft report card on the Philadelphia Phillies (no link to story, paid area):

Philadelphia Phillies:

...The One Who Got Away: All three players the Phillies couldn't sign among their top 20 picks are intriguing prospects. RHP Vance Worley (20) might have snuck into the supplemental first round if he hadn't come down with a sore elbow just before the draft. He didn't need surgery and ultimately decided to attend Long Beach State...

Their loss...our gain!

...has played out his option with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the independent Northern League, and is a free agent.

...that former Dirtbag Caleb Balbuena has signed with the Boston Red Sox. Caleb was playing for the Kansas City T-Bones in the independent Northern League this season when he was signed in late July by the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies assigned him to Modesto in the Advance Class A California League, where he pitched 17.0 innings over 12 relief appearances, going 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA.

I can't verify that the Baseball America report is accurate. I've seen nothing indicating that the Rockies had released him, or that he was a free agent following the season. I also cannot find any other published report of Caleb signing with Boston. I'll post an update when I have more information. I invite any reader with info to email me at dirtbagsfan@yahoo.com.

Here's what Baseball America has to say about former Dirtbag Steve Hammond in their draft report card on the Milwaukee Brewers (no link to story, paid area):

Milwaukee Brewers:

...Best Fastball: Inman, RHP Kevin Roberts (5) and LHP Steve Hammond (6) all can touch 94 mph...

Closest To The Majors: ...Hammond, who pitched just 24 innings as a junior setup man for Long Beach State, also could move fast as a lefty with a plus arm.

...will be pitching for the Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League, making his debut for the team this week.

Here's what Baseball America has to say about former Dirtbag Troy Tulowitzki in their draft report card on the Colorado Rockies (no link to story, paid area):

Colorado Rockies

...Best Athlete: Not only does Troy Tulowitzki (1) have the defensive skills to play shortstop, but he also has enough offensive ability that the Brewers considered taking him fifth overall to fill their hole at third base. Tulowitzki's makeup is outstanding as well...

Best Pure Hitter: Though Wimberly also won the NCAA Division I batting title with a .462 average at Alcorn State, Tulowitzki gets the nod.

Best Raw Power: Long Beach State's Blair Field, a pitcher's best friend, helped mask Tulowitzki's power in college. But he has the swing and strength to hit 25-30 homers annually in the majors, not to mention the boost he'll get from Coors Field. Often compared to Bobby Crosby, his predecessor as 49ers shortstop, Tulowitzki has more pop....

Best Defensive Player: Tulowitzki has more arm strength and range than Crosby, and proves that a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder can play a good shortstop. ...

Closest To The Majors: A quadriceps pull slowed Tulowitzki in his first summer as a pro, but he's not going to waste much time getting to Colorado.

Assessment: The Rockies were elated to get Tulowitzki with the No. 7 pick after it looked like the Mariners were zeroing in on him at No. 3. He should form Colorado's infield of the future with Todd Helton and recent first-rounders Ian Stewart and Chris Nelson.