Dusty Coleman

Coleman offers more all-around potential than most shortstops in the 2008 draft. He's a versatile 6-foot-2, 185-pound athlete who also starred as a quarterback and point guard in high school and has taken the mound on occasion for Wichita State. He has good strength and power potential for a shortstop, and he drew a lot of attention when he homered twice in three games at Long Beach State's unforgiving Blair Field early in the season. Coleman homered just four times in his next 50 games, however, as teams were more reluctant to challenge him. He'll need to cut down on his swing, do a better job of recognizing breaking pitches and tighten his strike zone to do damage on a more consistent basis. He's a solid-average runner with good instincts on the bases. Defensively, Coleman has smooth actions and a strong arm. He has been clocked as high as 92 mph and flashed an intriguing slider in his infrequent outings on the mound. Coleman's talent warrants a fourth- to sixth-round selection, but his extra leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore could scare teams off. If he returned to Wichita State and improved offensively, he could factor into the first three rounds of the 2009 draft.