While Kevin Gausman may not be a well-known name at the moment, the world of college baseball will soon know him. Gausman is a native of Colorado, hailing from Centennial. The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him out of Grandview High School in the sixth round of the MLB draft last June, but he elected to pitch for the LSU Tigers.
Gausman was recently named the No. 3 freshman (subscription req'd) in the Southeastern Conference for the coming season, as well as the No. 3 prospect for the 2012 draft. Born on Jan. 1, 1991, Gausman will be 21 in 2012, making him eligible to be drafted.
According to numerous scouting reports, Gausman, 6-foot-4, 186 pounds, can throw a fastball in the mid-90s and works in a changeup, a slider and a curveball. He will pitch in the weekend rotation.
Will he be able to join the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay, who was born in Denver and attended Arvada West, as the latest Colorado-born pitcher to reach success in the majors? Luke Hochevar, who emerged from Fowler, CO, before heading to the University of Tennessee, has failed to do much of anything in the majors with the Kansas City Royals.