Diamond Dawgs Finish Season

For a team that has been to Omaha every third year in the past ten, this season was just about as head scratching as you could possibly imagine.  After the late, late night (American Time) finish Sunday, the Dawgs end up with a winning record, advancing to the NCAA regional finals, making a run in the SEC tournament from the losers bracket, yet making us all feel like we could have, should have had more.

I was going to make this a Profiles in Hope article, but since I don't want to steal PWD's meme, and can't spell porfiles profiles, or hope, without spell check, I took the easy way out.  This team is stocked with guys that have a year or three left.  Of course, the trick is how many of them get drafted high enough for a bonus to lure them away.  You have to think Palazzone is out, since he's been drafted twice.  This season has done nothing but made him look very likely to get a top three or four round pick, at worse.

Zach Cone is already off the board, getting taken last night in the Sandwich Round (between 1st and 2nd rounds) by the Rangers.  Signee Dante Bichette, Jr. (Orangewood Christian, Maitland, FL) was drafted by the Yankees in the Sandwich Round, as well. Nick Delmonico and Tyler Greene are other Georgia signees that bear watching over the next couple of days.  Both are projected top 3 rounders.   Depending on who you talk to (I prefer my liquor store owner), top two rounds is super bonus money, but what is a $100K among friends? Getting them to Athens would be spectacular, but getting one of the two to Athens would be a good goal at this point.  Losing Bichette, Delmonico and Greene to the South Atlantic and Texas Leagues would hurt.

Perno started this season on thin ice, IMHO.  It might be too early to say it, but getting so many players back, coupled with what could have been in 2011 will make it a very interesting year in 2012.

TD
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UPDATE: Delmonico gets drafted by Baltimore early in the 6th. Tyler Green comes off the board to Philly with the last pick of the 11th round.  If I had to guess, I'd say we still get one, but not both of these guys.

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