Louie Lechich

Lechich was a key recruit for Cal in the fall of 2010, but he transferred to San Diego after his freshman year, after the Golden Bears announced their intention to cut baseball. He has been a solid-two-way player for three years at USD, but going undrafted as a junior last year motivated him, and he posted his best season this spring, hitting .342/.396/.542 with seven homers while going 8-3, 2.51 in 13 starts off the mound. Lechich has a lean, athletic 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame and garnered some Division I football interest as a wide receiver out of high school. He is a solid-average runner whose speed plays up in center field, where his instincts make him a plus defender with a strong arm. Lechich generates significant bat speed from the left side but needs to refine his grip-it-and-rip-it approach by learning to work counts better and use the middle of the field. His bat remains a project, but scouts still seem to prefer him as a position player. He is ultra competitive and very high-energy, and his temperament seems better suited to playing every day. On the mound, he works in the high 80s and can throw three pitches for strikes, but he lacks an out pitch. As a money-saving senior with legitimate ability, Lechich looks like a strong bet to be drafted in the top 10 rounds.