Not wanting to rock the boat, TDR this week is split right down the middle. On the college side of things, we've got four of the better bats available as we look again to the Tar Heel State for two of them, then west to Arizona and Southern California for the other two.
Then we hit the high school circuit for three bats in the Lone Star State, including two on the same team. But we didn't want to leave pitching out of the equation completely, so we made sure to include one hurler from New Jersey for good measure.
Of course, we continue the tradition of checking in on another arm. Some may call him the arm of the 2009 Draft class, Stephen Strasburg.
Strasburg Update
Last outing: March 27
Opponent: TCU
Result: 11-5 win
Game stats: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 14 K
Season stats: 5-0, 42 1/3 IP, 24 H, 8 ER, 8 BB, 88 K, .161 BAA, 1.70 ERA
Now, on to the report.
The College Bats
Dustin Ackley, 1B/OF
University of North Carolina
The Tar Heels first baseman didn't have a particularly good series against Clemson in early March, going a combined 2-for-14. That's been a rarity as the junior is hitting .421 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 28 games. He's slugging .729 and getting on base at a .530 clip. Complete Report
Grant Green, SS
University of Southern California
In a Saturday game against PAC-10 rival UCLA, Green continued his resurgence after a slow start by going 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs. He's gotten his batting average up to .366 with a pair of homers, 10 RBIs and eight steals in 22 games (he missed a doubleheader after a minor ankle injury). He has a .447 on-base percentage and .573 slugging percentage. Complete Report
Jason Kipnis, OF
Arizona State University
In a weekend series against arch rival Arizona, Kipnis went 3-for-7 with five walks, two stolen bases, five runs scored and six RBIs. Much of it came from a grand slam he hit in one game. The redshirt junior is having a huge season, hitting .469 with nine homers and 39 RBIs. He's got a .561 OBP and .919 SLG while going 11-for-13 in stolen-base attempts. Complete Report
Kyle Seager, 2B/3B
University of North Carolina
Another Tar Heel, Seager had a better overall weekend against Clemson than Ackley. The infielder went 6-for-14 with five runs scored, highlighted by a 4-for-4, four runs scored performance in the series finale. For the year, he's hitting .376 with a homer, 11 doubles and 20 RBIs in 28 games. He has a .523 SLG and .461 OBP and is a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen-base attempts. Complete Report
The High School Bats
Slade Heathcott, OF
Texas HS, Texarkana, Texas
Playing in the New Iberia Tournament earlier in March, Heathcott showed some pretty serious tools, both offensively and defensively, as well as an intense competitive nature. More recently, he sprained his left shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield but is expected to be just fine. Complete Report
Jacob Morris, OF
Coppell HS, Coppell, Texas
Seen over a two-day stretch against The Woodlands and Plano West, Morris had his best tool -- speed -- on display, especially defensively. It's a question of how he can learn to use that speed as a hitter that will help dictate the future of this Arizona State recruit. Complete Report
Jonathan Walsh, C
Coppell HS, Coppell, Texas
Also seen in those two games, Walsh didn't show his best catching tools. The switch-hitter flashed a little ability with the bat, though it remains to be seen if he'll want to sign instead of heading to the University of Texas. Complete Report
The High School Arm
Chris Jenkins, RHP
Westfield HS, Westfield, N.J.
Pitching in March in New Jersey can be challenging, but the big (6-foot-7, 230 pounds) right-hander did just that against Brearley High on St. Patrick's Day, a scrimmage that marked his first outing of the 2009 season. Even though it was early, he showed plenty of arm strength. Complete Report
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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