JR RHP Jimmy Herget (2015)
SR RHP Jordan Strittmatter (2015)
rSO RHP Tommy Peterson (2015)
rSR RHP/OF Casey Mulholland (2015)
rJR OF Buddy Putnam (2015)
SR OF Austin Lueck (2015)
SR 2B/SS Kyle Teaf (2015)
JR C/3B Levi Borders (2015)
rJR SS/2B Nik Alfonso (2015)
JR OF Luke Maglich (2015)
SO OF Luke Borders (2016)
SO 2B Andres Leal (2016)
SO OF/RHP Daniel Portales (2016)
SO RHP Brandon Lawson (2016)
SO RHP Michael Farley (2016)

This year’s South Florida team is littered with players that I consider “eight-year seniors,” a term that began (I believe) when Stewart Mandel (then of Sports Illustrated, now at Fox) observed how certain football players seem to hang around the college game forever. Names like rJR OF Buddy Putnam, SR OF Austin Lueck, SR 2B/SS Kyle Teaf, and rSR RHP/OF Casey Mulholland all qualify for me, but sticking with school could pay off for a few of them come June. Putnam’s tools (power and arm, little bit of speed) are impressive but the production just hasn’t been there. Lueck has similar tools (better speed, less power) and a similar (but better) spotty track record. I like Teaf most of all, as I think he could wind up a useful utility infielder with the right combination of defensive polish, patience, and smarts. The well-traveled Mulholland and JR RHP Jimmy Herget head up the pitching staff. Mulholland has been good when healthy, especially when he can his above-average low-80s split-change over for strikes. Herget is coming off an outstanding 2014 (7.55 K/9 and 2.26 BB/9 with a 1.26 ERA in 107.1 IP) and is talented enough (88-93 FB, good SL, funky delivery) to get consideration as a serious follow this spring.