2016 Auburn Baseball Preview
Newcomers
Offense:
Niko Buentello – Niko is a junior college transfer from Grayson College in Texas where he hit .394 with 10 home runs as a sophomore, while driving in 66 runs. He played as a freshman at Oklahoma and hit .276 in 44 games. He’s listed as an infielder so it’s possible he gets some playing time at third, but most likely he will be used as the DH.
Daino Deas – Playing shortstop in high school, Deas hit .410 as a senior with 23 RBIs and 43 runs scored, while swiping 11 bases. I don’t see Deas getting much playing time this year other than as a pinch runner, but he could assert himself as the Tigers shortstop as soon as next year.
Josh Palacios – Another junior college transfer, Palacios played at San Jacinto College in Texas last year before transferring to Auburn. He was drafted in the 31st round of the 2014 draft but decided to go to college. He hit .376 as a freshman and .364 as a sophomore and stole 29 bases. He will likely compete for one of the corner outfield spots for the upcoming season and can hit at either the top or bottom of the lineup.
Keaton Weisz – Coming all the way from La Jolla, Calif., Weisz will play as a freshman this year for the Tigers. As a senior in high school he hit .309 in 31 games as a shortstop and stole 16 bases. Like Deas, it’s not likely he’ll receive much playing time in 2016, but he could be the second baseman of the future.
Pitching:
Ben Braymer – Braymer is a junior college transfer who played at LSU-Eunice last year where he struck out 138 batters in 94.2 innings, while piling up a record of 9-1. The lefty had a 2.57 ERA in 15 starts and threw two complete games as a sophomore. He’s definitely in contention for a spot in the Tigers rotation this year.
Marc Frazier – Frazier will be a senior for the Tigers this year after playing one year at Chipola Junior College and two years at Nicholls State. Last year at Nicholls State he compiled a 3.55 ERA in 21 games (11 starts), while striking out 60 batters in 76 innings. In 2014 he had a 0.92 ERA in 13 appearances and struck out 14 batters in 19.2 innings. Frazier will most likely serve as bullpen depth for Auburn this year and could fill in as a midweek starter.
Gabe Klobosits – A junior college transfer from Galveston College, Klobosits put together a 2.33 ERA as a sophomore last year in 77.1 innings with 82 strikeouts. He also had a record of 7-1 and threw a complete game. Klobosits could make a push for a spot in the rotation this year, but will most likely be an innings eater out of the bullpen.
Andrew Mitchell – Yet another junior college arm, Mitchell played for Delgado College in New Orleans, La. last year where he had a 7-2 record in 13 games (3 starts), and struck out 56 batters in 47.1 innings, while compiling an ERA of 5.13. He was just a freshman last year after redshirting in 2014, so he has three years of eligibility left at Auburn. In 2016 he will most likely be used as depth out of the bullpen.
Casey Mize – Mize is a freshman from Springville, Ala. where he posted a 1.83 ERA with 34 strikeouts as a senior. He was rated the fourth best prospect in Alabama last year, and the second best pitcher. The big 6-foot-3, 190 pound Mize could eventually be a workhorse for the Tigers, but as far as 2016 goes he’ll most likely get some innings out of the bullpen.
Tavo Rodriguez – The junior college transfer from Navarro College went 5-3 as a sophomore and struck out 43 batters in 51 innings. He pitched in five games for Oklahoma as a freshman before transferring to Navarro. Rodriguez will add depth to the bullpen and could get some midweek starts.
Daniel Sprinkle – Sprinkle is a pure athlete as he was rated as a three-star defensive end/tight end in football, but he chose to play baseball at Auburn – smart kid. The 6-foot-4, 226 pound freshman was ranked the 76th right-handed pitcher in the nation, and the third best player out of Arkansas. We were unable to pull up any stats on Sprinkle, but I can’t wait to see this big guy pitch.