{"id":14682,"date":"2017-01-05T02:17:38","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T02:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.axcessbaseball.com\/?p=14682"},"modified":"2017-01-07T17:51:31","modified_gmt":"2017-01-07T17:51:31","slug":"freshmen-that-could-have-an-immediate-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axcessbaseball.com\/2017\/01\/05\/freshmen-that-could-have-an-immediate-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Freshmen That Could Have an Immediate Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was once a time when\u00a0freshmen had no choice but to watch from the sidelines.<\/p>\n

It didn’t matter how talented they were, how quickly they retained information or how much leadership ability they possessed.<\/p>\n

In 1968–finally–the NCAA ruled that freshmen were now eligible to play. The NCAA still has\u00a0bizarre rules and finds ways to hold people back from prospering, but at least they got this one right.<\/p>\n

Coaches these days do not care about anything aside from a player’s ability to help a team win ballgames. There’s no reason to discriminate on anything aside from talent. This year, there are a number of talented freshmen that will play crucial roles among the local teams. Here is a list of the top ones…<\/p>\n

2017 tryouts will be Jan. 15 at MacArthur HS<\/p><\/div>\n

Sean Hogan, Molloy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

He was named All-League at Holy Trinity four times. The backstop was praised by his teammates for his work ethic in the fall. He could be a critical member of the Lions as a freshman and will be stepping into a role of handling a veteran pitching staff. One source said he looks “ready to play at this level right now.” He also ran track in high school, which means he will certainly not be a liability on the bases.<\/p>\n

Noah Lorenzo, LIU Post<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Lorenzo fits the mold of a crafty lefty. I watched him pitch last year against St. Anthony’s<\/strong> and he fired a CG against a difficult Friar lineup. More importanty, he wiggled out of a bases loaded, none-out jam in the sixth inning with consecutive strikeouts and an infield popout despite not possessing elite velocity. He commands both sides of the plate. His time playing for Coach John Habyan<\/strong> certainly benefited him. Among a staff that has 17 (!) arms, he could be the freshman that rises to the top. One teammate noted he has a penchant for expanding the strike zone based on the hitter’s tendencies. That is not common among 18-year-olds.<\/p>\n

Kyle Martin, Fordham<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This kid had an unbelievable high school career and he earned basically every accolade possible last year, including first-team All-State and Nassau County Diamond Award. We named him the ninth best prospect on Long Island. He entered Fordham as a potential two-way player but Coach Leighton told me he will be exclusively on the mound come the regular season. He has a wicked slider and great command of an upper 80s fastball. He has that bulldog mentality. I watched him shut down a powerful Massapequa lineup last year in blustery conditions. I can see him beginning the season in a middle-relief role but quickly working his way into the mid-week rotation by the middle of the year, similar to Chris Pike<\/strong> did for them in 2010.<\/p>\n