Zach Willeman

Kent State head coach Jeff Duncan and pitching coach Mike Birkbeck have established an assembly line of interesting starters. A year after Eric Lauer turned himself into a top prospect, the Flashes got a solid season out of Willeman, their closer for two years who turned into a starter as a junior. Willeman's 90-95 mph fastball has plenty of sink and he can run it in on the hands of righthanded hitters. His curveball was a little loopier and slower this spring than it was last summer in the Cape Cod League, grading out more as a 40-45 pitch this spring. Some scouts believe he'll end up back in the pen as he has a deep stab in his arm action, but he showed fringe-average control this year as a starter.