First Scouting of Tim Murphy, SP UCLA

[Stotle]

I haven't re-watched the game and assigned actual scores, but here was my initial take on Murphy after watching him against Bethume-Cookman:

Fastball -- Started at 91 and was still at 89 in the 9th. Spotted it well throughout the game. A little flat at times.

Curveball -- Great break. Not great command in the zone. Can throw for a strike or bury it as a chase pitch. Fairly consistent staying on top; few "spinners" and "hangers". Threw it as a 2-plane pitch multiple times.

Other -- Didn't throw mutch else -- maybe an occassional "show-me" changeup.

Motion -- very slow, smooth and repeatable. Consistent stride and solid line through to home. As the game wore on, he stopped driving his lead shoulder (right) occasionally, which lead to a dipped left and the ball up in the zone.

Command -- Very good. Could spot his fastball both in and out of the zone and kept his curveball over the plate, burrying it for SOs when needed.

Fielding -- was very good off the mound. Soft hands and quick to the ball. Strong accurate throws.

Overall performance -- Dominating performance. Ended with a complete game shutout and 10 Ks, 6 of which game in the first two innings. Good endurance, ending at or slightly above 100 pitches and maintaining his velocity. Still early in the season, so this isn't necessarily telling.

Side-Note -- Bethune-Cookman had last weekend's games rained out, so the team was generally rusty. Doesn't take anything away from Murphy' performance, but important to keep in mind.

Initial Thoughts -- Murphy bumped up my board a bit and is currently neck-and-neck with Thompson (UVA) in my SP list. I look forward to seeing him throw in conference play against some of the PAC 10 offenses, especially ASU and OR St.

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Also scouted last night -- Brandon Crawford, SS UCLA; Jermaine Curtis, 3b UCLA; Nick Buss, CF Southern California

Unavailable to scout -- Ryan Babineau, C UCLA (DNP)

[Greg Pappas]

I haven't re-watched the game and assigned actual scores, but here was my initial take on Murphy after watching him against Bethume-Cookman:

Fastball -- Started at 91 and was still at 89 in the 9th. Spotted it well throughout the game. A little flat at times.

Curveball -- Great break. Not great command in the zone. Can throw for a strike or bury it as a chase pitch. Fairly consistent staying on top; few "spinners" and "hangers". Threw it as a 2-plane pitch multiple times.

Other -- Didn't throw mutch else -- maybe an occassional "show-me" changeup.

Motion -- very slow, smooth and repeatable. Consistent stride and solid line through to home. As the game wore on, he stopped driving his lead shoulder (right) occasionally, which lead to a dipped left and the ball up in the zone.

Command -- Very good. Could spot his fastball both in and out of the zone and kept his curveball over the plate, burrying it for SOs when needed.

Fielding -- was very good off the mound. Soft hands and quick to the ball. Strong accurate throws.

Overall performance -- Dominating performance. Ended with a complete game shutout and 10 Ks, 6 of which game in the first two innings. Good endurance, ending at or slightly above 100 pitches and maintaining his velocity. Still early in the season, so this isn't necessarily telling.

Side-Note -- Bethune-Cookman had last weekend's games rained out, so the team was generally rusty. Doesn't take anything away from Murphy' performance, but important to keep in mind.

Initial Thoughts -- Murphy bumped up my board a bit and is currently neck-and-neck with Thompson (UVA) in my SP list. I look forward to seeing him throw in conference play against some of the PAC 10 offenses, especially ASU and OR St.

---------------------

Also scouted last night -- Brandon Crawford, SS UCLA; Jermaine Curtis, 3b UCLA; Nick Buss, CF Southern California

Unavailable to scout -- Ryan Babineau, C UCLA (DNP)

Outstanding report, thank you. I look forward to more.