Chris Emanuele – Northeastern, Senior

Outfielder

6’0”, 195
2/17/84

.313/.381/.547

50 GP 214 AB 44 R 19 2B 2 3B 9 HR 35 RBI 17 BB 30 K 16/20 SB

Chris Emanuele’s at bats from the Northeastern-Hofstra game from May 5, 2006:

1^st – 0-1 double hammered off the top of the wall in left center (ties NEU’s all-time hits record)
3^rd – 0-1 line out to third base
5^th – 0-0 first ball breaking ball lined to left field for a single (the hit makes him NEU’s all-time hit king)
7^th – NEU is losing 3-1, man on third base, two outs: slider (0-1), fastball (1-1), hard slider check swing – barely held up (2-1), inside curveball on corner (2-2), low and away cut fastball – swing and a miss, struck him out
9^th – NEU still down 3-1, men on first and second, two outs: strike inside corner (0-1), strike outside corner (0-2), ball fouled straight back (0-2), RBI double to left center

Emanuele was Northeastern’s best hitter this year and is one of the best ever players to ever play for the Huskies. The problem with Emanuele is that he is a tweener – he has the base stealing ability of a leadoff man, but strikes out like a power hitter; he has the gap power of slugger, but the body of a singles hitter. The fact that he is a tweener may work against him in the short-term (read: draft day), but it actually may be beneficial to his career. Emanuele is a diverse enough player that he profiles well as a reserve outfielder – he has power (leading NEU in slugging), base stealing ability (16/20 SB), and is a tremendous defensive centerfielder with an arm capable of playing anywhere in the outfield. His BB/K rate is nothing to brag about and he gets his steals more on craftiness than pure speed (hardly a negative, but worth noting), but the positives of his game and the fact he’ll be a low risk, late round pick make him a sleeper to pay some attention to (both the Angels and Giants have been doing just that – scouts from both teams have been to just about every NEU game I have been at).

Matt Morizio – Northeastern, Senior
Catcher/Righthanded Pitcher/Outfielder

6’3”, 215
12/14/83

.312/.395/.457

48 GP 173 AB 28 R 10 2B 0 3B 5 HR 35 RBI 21 BB 25 K

Morizio is surprisingly nimble for being such a big guy. He made a very nice play in a game I saw where he sprang out of his crouch to field a dribbler in front of the mound. He then unfurled a perfect throw with plenty on it to get the force out at third base. He is a smooth runner (a long strider, very fluid) and an excellent all-around athlete (he has seen time in the outfield). For all his athletic ability, the results haven’t translated onto on the field production. He hasn’t been bad by any means (.312/.395/.457 with a 21/25 BB/K ratio is fine), but you can help but watch him play and expect more. He is a big, strong kid, but his 6’3”, 215 pound frame only produced 5 homers; he is faster for his size, but only swiped two bases.

Morizio is a tough player to project because he has potential both as a position player and as a pitcher. As it stands now, Morizio’s best chance to get drafted is for a team to believe in him as a catcher. His defense behind the plate is difficult to assess because of his somewhat limited experience at the position. He flashes a very strong arm (he is a pitcher after all), but is limited by a slow release. All in all, Morizio is an under the radar player and second strongest draft eligible bat on the Northeastern roster with a chance to emerge as once of the few decent catching prospects to come out of this year’s draft.

Dan Milano – Northeastern, Junior
Catcher/Outfielder

6’1”, 200
8/25/85

.317/.422/.559

48 GP 161 AB 32 R 10 2B 1 3B 9 HR 27 RBI 25 BB 31 K

Dan Milano’s ability to use the whole field and go the opposite way with his short, level swing make him an intriguing bat to keep an eye on. His defensive versatility is also a plus though he would be best served by making the full-time to conversion to catcher to take full advantage of his plus arm. There are a lot of similarities between Milano and fellow Husky Matt Morizio with the one notable difference being their one year gap in college eligibility; Morizio is a senior with no eligibility remaining while Milano has one more year to go back and prove himself at NEU. Milano would be best served by following Morizio’s path taken last year and return to the Huskies for his senior season.