If you want a sneak peak at some of these guys, they are playing in the Super Regionals of College Baseball right now!  You can tune in and take a sneak peak at these guys; here is a list of the players and the teams that they are playing on.  I have also included a brief overview of the player courtesy of Paul DePodesta.  (http://itmightbedangerous.blogspot.com/)

LSU

- Matt Clark, 1B, Louisiana St U – At 6′5″ and 230 lbs, one would expect that Clark has big power, and he doesn’t disappoint. Matt hits tape measure home runs and is a threat every time he steps in the box. I don’t have all of the updated stats after regional play last weekend, but Matt was in the top five in the country in home runs.

Miami

-Blake Tekotte, is a true leadoff hitting centerfielder who is an above average runner and defender. The best part is that he’s also a hitter. Going into the regionals last weekend, Blake was hitting .374 with a .487 obp and a .598 slg to go along with 25 stolen bases. Blake is an exciting top of the lineup guy who sets the tone for that Miami team. He always seems to be in the middle of the action.

Stanford

- Erik Davis, RHP, Stanford U – The Friday night starter for Stanford, Erik matched up against all of the other top starters in the Pac 10 this year. His fastball ranges from 86-90, but what separates him is his changeup. He can throw the changeup for strikes any time in the count, and he does a great job of keeping hitters off balance.

Texas A&M

- Kyle Thebeau, RHP, Texas A&M -A strong RHP, Kyle’s fastball normally sits around 92 mph. Used primarily as a reliever, Kyle features a fastball/slider combination, and both pitches grade out as above average at times.

- Omar Gutierrez, RHP, Texas A&M, Corpus Christi – Omar throws his fastball right around 90 mph, though it can go as high as 93. He also throws a curveball, slider, and changeup. We feel that Omar has a nice, loose arm that may have room for even more as a pro.

Rice

- Adam Zornes, C, Rice U – A red-shirt junior, Adam is a strong defensive catcher with a plus arm that holds down the running game. Offensively, he’s not a high average hitter, but he has power and can do damage.

Wichita State

- Rob Musgrave, LHP, Wichita St U – Rob is another pitcher with very good command and an excellent changeup, which is a true plus offering. Over the past two years Rob has allowed just 35 walks in 200 innings while also striking out 173.

Arizona State 

- Jason Kipnis, has played both CF and LF for ASU, though he has become the primary CF as the season has continued. He is a left-handed hitter who hits at the top of their lineup and has had a monster year, hitting .363 with a .484 obp and .677 slg. He’s a pesky player who is a very tough out, hitting the ball to all fields and running the bases aggressively (24 bases so far this year). Over the summer last year, Jason hit .318 with a .505 obp and a .591 slg while stealing 24 bases. Despite a limited projection in terms of physical size, he plays very hard and is surprisingly strong – 13 homers this year and 9 over the summer.

The Padres have the starting rotation to make the post season, and in a short three game series I can really see them advancing.  When you have Jake Peavy and Chris Young throwing for you during the first two games you have got to always like your changes in a series.  Now you can add in Mark Prior who recently signed a one-year contact with the Padres to the rotation in probably June.

The question for the Padres however is their offense.  Will they be able to score enough runs to win the close ballgames at Petco?  You will be hitting a lot more doubles then home runs so you will have to play a lot of small ball.  That is my only question heading into the 2008 season for the Padres.  What do you think?  Do the Padres have enough firepower to make the playoffs in 08?  Leave us a comment and let your opinions be heard.