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Auburn Baseball Notes: Speas Signs with Rangers; Price Named Strength Coach

By Jake Mastroianni

Aug 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; American pitcher Alex Speas (16) throws a pitch against the National team during the first inning in the Under Armour All America Baseball game at Wrigley field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; American pitcher Alex Speas (16) throws a pitch against the National team during the first inning in the Under Armour All America Baseball game at Wrigley field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
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The College World Series is still underway, but unfortunately Auburn baseball has been finished for quite some time. With that, we start preparing for 2017 and that’s exactly what head coach Butch Thompson is doing.

Thompson and his staff are working on putting together another top recruiting class for 2017 with two players in the top 100 already on board in Tanner Burns from Decatur, Ala. and Steven Williams from Albany, Ga. Perfect Game has Auburn ranked with the 22nd best recruiting class in the country from 2017.

Six players from Thompson’s 2016 recruiting class were taken in the 2016 MLB Draft. That class also included two players in the top 100 in Alex Speas from Powder Springs, Ga. and Davis Daniel from Montgomery, Ala.

Speas has decided not to fulfill his commitment to play for Auburn baseball, and instead has decided to begin his professional career with the Texas Rangers. They were able to snag him away with a $1,024,900 signing bonus. We wish Speas all the best at the next level.

Rangers’ second-round selection Alex Speas already has family connection to Arlington

It’s looking like Daniel, Jordan Balazovic, Trevor Hillhouse, Edmond Americaan and Ryan Watson will all play for Auburn baseball after being drafted as there are no reports of them signing thus far.

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The one big question mark remaining is JUCO transfer Josh Anthony who was taken in the 16th round by the Atlanta Braves. Anthony is trying to capitalize after a big year in which he hit .444 with 25 home runs, 84 RBIs, scored 112 runs and stole 49 bases in 65 games. In 2015 he hit .425 with 25 home runs and 71 RBIs, while leading Western Oklahoma to the NJCAA Division II World Series.

Some reports suggest that the Braves are making a push to get him signed as Anthony is a big Braves fan. He always wears the number 10 and said he grew up watching the Braves and was a big fan of Chipper Jones. Can’t say I blame you if you sign with the Braves, but we’d love to have you play for Auburn baseball for a year or two first.

Regardless, this will still be one of the best incoming classes Auburn has seen in a long time, and I can’t wait to see them play at Plainsman Park.

In other news, Auburn baseball has brought on Brett Price as the team’s new strength and conditioning coach. He previously worked with Rapid Sports Performance in Woodstock, Ga. as well as Cressey Sports Performance in Jupiter Fla., which is considered the national leader for baseball strength and conditioning.

His main focus has been developing and implementing training programs specifically designed for baseball players at both the high school and professional level, and Thompson hopes he can do the same for Auburn baseball.

Price is from Prattville, Ala., played two seasons of college baseball at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham from 2010-11, and received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Troy University, so he should feel right at home with Auburn baseball.

Next: MLB Draft: Grier, Palacios and Four Other Auburn Players Selected

I know 2016 was a disappointing year for Auburn baseball, but the future is looking bright with the talent that Thompson is bringing in both in recruiting and on the coaching staff.

War Eagle!

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