After the jump you will find all the information worth having on the internet about each of the potentially new Future Redbirds from rounds 21-30.

Round 21, Pick 650:
Christopher Kirsch – LHP
Lackawanna College

Height: 6/2”
Weight: 185 lbs
DOB: 11/15/1991

Kirsch was previously drafted in the 13th round last year by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Here’s some info from last year’s draft on Kirsch from Max Preps:

He’s averaging between 87-89 mph and he’s touched 90 mph a few times. … Kirsch has developed a high leg kick, adding more velocity on his fastball. He already had a pretty curveball, a grip he plans on keeping a secret. He’s working on a change-up, which is starting to become more accurate. Mostly, Major League scouts are looking at Kirsch’s projectable 6-3 frame, the kind of build that can add about 20 to 25 pounds of muscle, and possibly another 8 or 10 mph on his fastball.

Here’s another scouting report on Kirsch:

Strengths: He has that good, projectable frame that scouts seem to love and he can touch 90 MPH with his FB.

Area for Improvement: Is still very raw after moving around and playing so many different positions. Even though he’s settled into pitching he’s had to rework his mechanics and is still learning the art of pitching.

Overview: He’s one of the only prep lefties that the Pirates drafted this year so he’s intriguing for a team that isn’t exactly loaded with lefties in their system. If signed he would be more of a developmental project for the team but he could benefit greatly from professional coaching since he already has the size and the pure stuff, it’s just a matter of him getting innings.

This is the bonus that Kirsch was looking for last year and did not get that he is probably looking for again this year:

“Chris was looking for something in the six figures and the Pirates weren’t able to get to that area,” said Jeff Randazzo, Kirsch’s adviser. “At this point, the kid has so much on-tap potential that, if he goes out and makes baseball his top concern for a year, his name is already out there and it’s only going to improve his resume.”

Round 22, Pick 680: William (Justin) Kamplain – LHP
Walker HS, AL

Height: 6’0”
Weight: 175 lbs
DOB: 2/13/1993

Kamplain has signed with Alabama and was one of the draft prospects to visit Busch Stadium a few weeks ago. Here’s what we had to say then:

Justin Kamplain, LHP, Walker HS (Ala.) … 6-0, 160 … Age: 18 – The prep lefthander Kamplain pitched a perfect game and hit two home runs in the same game this season. He has committed to Alabama.
Per Insider Baseball: Raw mechanics with nice arm strength

Might be a difficult sign.

“Playing for Alabama has been my lifelong dream,” said the 6-foot, 165-pound Kamplain, who graduated last week.
“Last year he threw between 83 and 87 (miles per hour). This year it went up to 88 to 92,” Ware said.
This season alone, Kamplain finished 7-2 with a pair of perfect games, one save and an ERA of 1.38. In 66 innings, he struck out a staggering 115 batters while allowing just 28 hits.

Round 23, Pick 710: Patrick Deese – RHP
Western Carolina

Height: 6’2”
Weight:
DOB: 10/31/1988
Class: RS Junior

This year, Deese struck out 22 and walked 15 for Western Carolina as a reliever.

Per Cardinals MLB writeup: Deese was a reliever in college, making 13 appearances this season and compiling a 3.31 ERA. Opponents hit .125 against him in 2011 and he fanned 22 in 16 1/3 innings.

Here’s a post-draft article about Deese in the local paper:

Meanwhile Deese, a redshirt junior who went to Clemson out of high school, has to decide whether to join the St. Louis Cardinals after they selected him in the 23rd round (710th overall).

Deese, whose fastball has been clocked at 94 miles per hour, struggled early this spring while recovering from offseason arthroscopic surgery.

He improved as the year went on and finished with a 3.31 ERA. He struck out 22 and walked 15 in 16 1-3 innings. He’s undecided on whether he’ll turn pro but feels like he’s got a better shot to sign with the Cardinals than with another team that courted him Tuesday.

“I was excited,” Deese said about being drafted. “I had a call around the 15th round from the Devil Rays, and I turned them down because they didn’t have much money for all the first-round draft picks they had. I was just hoping somebody else would get me and give me a better offer, and they did.”

And as that article alludes to, Deese is already signed and assigned to Johnson City.

Round 24, Pick 740: Jonathan Cornelius – LHP
Florida Tech

Height: 6’
Weight: 200 lbs
DOB: 5/31/1988

Tampa Bay.com had this to say when Cornelius was drafted by the Cards:

As a senior at Florida Tech, Cornelius went 8-1 with a 2.39 ERA in 15 appearances. The Southpaw struck out a NCAA Division II-best 129 batters in 98 innings. That mark was a single-season Florida Tech school record for strikeouts.

From Baseball America’s John Manuel via Space Coast Baseball from last year’s draft:

The need for lefties could also push Florida Tech’s Jonathan Cornelius up some boards, as he has an 85-89 mph fastball and a nice breaking ball that helped him strike out 95 in 91 innings. He’s ticketed for the 10th-15th round range.

Cornelius is signed and assigned to Batavia.

Round 25: Pick 770: Todd McInnis – RHP
Southern Mississippi

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 140 lbs
3/26/1988
Class: Senior

A starter with Southern Mississippi in 2011, McInnis struck out 87 and walked 32 in 98+ innings. He had a schedule adjusted FIP of 3.49. McInnis was drafted in the 32nd round by Oakland last year.
Southern Miss Baseball has the news:

McInnis, the school’s all-time victory leader with 33 wins, learned his fate in the 25th round when he was the 770th selection by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brandon, Miss., produce also finished his Golden Eagles career as the school’s top person in innings pitched (395.1) and games started (68).
He was chosen the Conference USA Pitcher of the Year for the second time on the strength of an 8-3 record and a 2.65 ERA with 87 strikeouts over 98 2/3 innings as the ace of the Golden Eagle staff.

In 2010, McInnis was rated the best changeup in Mississippi (seriously) by MLB Bonus Baby.

McInnis continues to prove doubters wrong as he puts together yet another solid season as the Friday starter for Southern Miss. Surprising 2009 College World Series entrants, the Golden Eagles rode McInnis to success. However, McInnis is not as highly touted in the scouting community as he is in the college baseball arena. A lightly-recruited arm out of high school, McInnis was on his way to an excellent freshman campaign when he went down with a back injury that cost him his season. He redshirted and returned to start for the Golden Eagles the next year. However, he battled forearm stiffness in the back half of the year, which limited his success and durability. Out of that history, scouts questioned his pro prospects, as he has one of the skinniest, smallest frames of major Friday starters in college baseball. They question his durability and many see him as a reliever in pro ball. He went undrafted after a solid redshirt sophomore campaign a year ago, but he’s a likely top ten rounds draftee this year. He uses an average fastball sitting 88-91, an average curveball, and an above-average changeup to carve up hitters, and though he has #5 starter or swing man upside, he could be a valuable commodity as a 22 year old with a lot of experience. Projected Draft Range: 6th-10th Round

Here’s a video of McInnis being interviewed after a Conference USA tournament game.

As a senior, McInnis was a quick sign and is assigned to Batavia.

Round 26, Pick 800: Brett Graves – RHP
Francis Howell HS, MO

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 170 lbs
DOB: 1/30/1993

A local product and two-sport star is committed to Missouri to play baseball.
Prep Baseball Report:

To complement a fastball that reportedly touched 91 mph this past summer, he has begun throwing his curveball with greater velocity and is also learning to throw a splitter with consistency. Graves is also hoping to incorporate a change up into his arsenal this spring, a pitch that he has struggled to get a feel for thus far.
“It’s something that I will constantly be working on,” he said. “There are nights where I lay in bed holding a baseball, trying to get a feel for the grip.”
Although he has already committed to Mizzou, Graves figures to be one of the most intriguing draft prospects in the state. His 6-foot-1 frame and overall athleticism suggest that he will continue to physically develop in the coming years. In addition to a fastball that has already cracked the 90 mph plateau, Graves’ commitment to improving his secondary pitches has him poised for a successful 2011 season and beyond.

Per Rob Rains:

Baseball America said Graves might have the best arm in the state of Missouri. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder throws in the low to mid 90s.

Here’s a post-game interview with the kid and his Bryce Harper eye-black.

Round 27, Pick 830: Gary Apelian – RF
Santa Ana College

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 185 lbs
DOB: 5/25/1990
Throws, Bats: R

Gary Apelian lead his team with a .382 average and 122 total bases in 186 at bats. He had only 22 strikeouts, but only 8 walks so the kid wants to swing the bat.
Here’s a small scouting report from his senior year in high school:

Gary Apelian was a 2d team all league selection last year and has been a hitting machine since his 9 year old travel ball days; A dead pull hitter, he’s a senior now

Here’s a fuller scouting report on Gary:

In the batter’s box Gary now stands in the middle-back with a slightly open stance, compared to last season when he used similar box placement but stood with a more closed stance. “I’m near the back of the box so I can have a little more time to judge the pitch,” Apelian said.
His hitting ability is well known. He hits for average and power.
“Gary is our best hitter. He’s a weapon when it comes to hitting. Everyone is confident in him at the plate,” said Andy Peterson, freshman second baseman, said.
Hitting is not the only thing Gary does well. He possesses a broad depth of baseball knowledge.
“Gary helped me work on becoming better, running better routes to the ball in the outfield, helping me tweak my swing. He’s always trying to make everyone better,” said Seth Smith, sophomore pitcher and outfielder.
Gary could not be the player he is today without a strong work ethic. “He is what coaches want in players,” Head Coach Don Sneddon said. “He works hard in the weight room, and in the batting cages. He has a lot of self-discipline. I don’t have to be there watching him. He wouldn’t be the player he is today with his self-discipline. It also helps that he doesn’t accept failure very well.”

Apelian is already signed and in Johnson City.

Round 28, Pick 860: Ryan Sherriff – LHP
West Los Angeles College

Height: 6’1”
Weight: 185 lbs
DOB: 5/25/1990
Sherriff was drafted in the 33rd round by the Washington Nationals in 2010, but did not sign.
Here is his 2010 stats: 7 starts, 4.58 ERA, 42 hits allowed, 35 K and 8 BB in 35 and 1/3 IP and the West Los Angeles College site is terrible.
Here’s a post draft story on Sherriff:

Sherriff, who was drafted in the 33rd round by Washington Nationals last year, admitted the wait to hear his name was getting somewhat frustrating until the Cardinals tabbed him with the 860th overall pick.
“I was watching along [on the computer] and all of a sudden my name popped up,” Sherriff said. “I was sitting next to my dad and I told him, ‘If I don’t go in this round, I’m going to get kind of mad and then all of a sudden it says Ryan Sherriff. Then we got all excited and the Cardinals called.”
Sherriff is coming off a strong season at Glendale college, in which he went 5-4 with a 2.45 earned-run average in leading the Vaqueros to the state championship tournament. He is also a member of the Angelenos.
“Honestly, in the 20-plus years I’ve been involved in scouting, this is the [talent] heaviest draft I’ve ever seen,” Angelenos team president and coach Tony Riviera said. “The fact that a player like Ryan Sherriff was still out there [as long as he was] shows that. This is a guy who would have gone by the 10th round any other year.”
Sherriff said he was told he could go anywhere from the 10th to the 15th round, and more realistically 15th to the 20th. After first strongly believing that the Milwaukee Brewers might take him, Sherriff got a call from the Cardinals in the 12th round saying they were looking at him, and the wait continued.
“Things happen, people slip,” Sherriff said. “Hopefully we can get a good deal done and I can go out and play some pro baseball. … It’s been my dream since I was 3 years old.”

Here’s two videos of Ryan Sherriff in action: One – Two and a bonus one from distance.

As you can see from the photo above, Sherriff is already in Johnson City Cardinals gear.

Round 29, Pick 890: Christopher Matulis – LHP
Central Florida

Height: 6’6”
Weight: 217 lbs
DOB: 4/9/1990
Class: Junior

Matulis did not even play this season after transferring from LSU.

Also not a stranger to the MLB Draft, Matulis was first picked in the 2008 edition by the Tampa Bay Rays after he graduated from Park Vista High School. The lefty was recruited by Rooney at LSU where Matulis played his first two years of college ball from 2009-10. He had an 11-5 record with the Tigers including a 6-2 mark as a freshman.

I’m going to speculate that he might be a hard sign considering he sat out last year just to go to UCF.
Matulis has also already had Tommy John surgery while he was at LSU. Which is what helped his willingness to transfer and sit out a year.

Round 30, Pick 920: David Bergin – RHP
Tennessee Wesleyan College

Height: 6’2”
Weight: 235 lbs
Class: Junior
DOB: 8/25/1989
Meaningless stats:

Bergin went 9-2 as a right-handed pitcher. He also hit .430 and tied for the national NAIA lead in home runs with 23.

Here’s an interesting article on Bergin leaving his high school baseball team right before the playoffs. Not really interesting because of the article, but because of the comments. These people really are getting fired up about this. Lots of opinions about the kid and the coach, most probably unfounded, but interesting none the less.

I believe that is what they call in the business, “makeup issues”.

Also interesting that Bergin is no longer at Georgia Southern, where he got a scholarship after high school. It looks like Bergin transferred two times in college:

Coming from Florida State College after first going to Georgia Southern out of high school, Bergin has batted .430 with 23 home runs, 11 doubles and 67 RBIs for coach Billy Berry and the Bulldogs. He hit five homers in one game.

From Tennessee Weslyean’s site:

David Bergin- 6 foot 3, 230 pound Junior Right Handed Pitcher and Designated Hitter from Tampa, Florida. Bergin played at Florida State College for Chris Blaquiere. In 2009, he had 2 wins and 6 losses. He had a 4.56 ERA. His batting average is .300 with 4 doubles, one triple, and 9 homeruns. He had 6 stolen bases and 31 RBIs. Bergin attended Georgia Southern University out of high school.

Bergin is already signed.  He reports to Johnson City.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 15th, 2011 at 1:00 pm and is filed under 2011 MLB Draft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.