Team Draft Needs: Wolfpack

by David Castle

	WOLFPACK
	Nomination Order:  #5
	Biggest Need(s): The Wolfpack have a pretty solid core right now, covering almost all of their essential needs; Number 1 and 2 arms and an elite bat. They’ll pretty much look to draft three people to get them playoff eligible, but at least one of those players has to be a threat at the dish to take some of the pressure off of Greg’s back. The only snag in all of this is their lack of draft money ($86), which is second least only to the Aces. It’ll be interesting to see what Greg does on draft day.
	Top Targets: David Buhr: He’s a seasoned vet with an above average eye at the plate that is overdue for a bounce back year. With this year's draft pool not being very deep and availability coming at a premium, David Josiah could end up going for more money than most people expect. Mark Brannan: He may be the linchpin for the Wolfpack’s 2016 season. If they don’t end up getting him, they could be in a heap of trouble. The good news is that his less than stellar 2015 season might scare off some captains come draft day, which might knock his stock down a bit. I could also see some captains driving up the bid just because of his namesake and ties to the Wolfpack.

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Team Draft Needs: Islanders

by David Castle

	ISLANDERS
	Nomination Order:  #4
	Biggest Need(s): The Islanders go into draft day March 5th with the most draft dollars with $160. They don’t have that bad of a roster going into the draft with a good number two arm in Kevin Doby and 2 average hitters in Alex Linebrink and Michael Giguere , but they desperately need a number one arm and another threat at the plate.
	Top Targets: Nate Gendron: He would help the Islanders out both at the plate and on the mound as he is a well above average hitter and pitcher. He is only in his second year in WSEM so there is a bit of an unknown that comes with him as well as questionable consistency. He has a very high ceiling and the Islanders would be drafting him based on his very high potential. Zac Adams: He would be a good fit on the Islanders. Zadams may not light up the stat sheet, but he gets on base at a good clip and he’s been around the game long enough that he’d serve as a good veteran presence on an Islander team looking to get back to the playoffs.

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Team Draft Needs: Flying Squirrels

by David Castle

	SQUIRRELS
	Nomination Order:  #6
	Biggest Need(s): The Squirrels go into draft day with a pretty good roster that features a number one arm in Craig Skinner, and good number two arm in Ray Brown, and a good bat in Dylan Braden. That being said, I think they will have a balanced approach on draft day and focus on not over spending on anyone and look at getting guys that have good availability.
	Top Targets: Nate Bellinger: He’d be a safe pick for the squeaks. He has an underrated bat and can hold his own in the field. He’s almost a sure lock to get playoff eligible. He might not be an easy get, as many of my sources have confirmed that he’s on many team’s radar. John Sharlow: He is one of the few left handed bats in the draft that can give pitchers a different look at the plate. He’s got sneaky power and would be a perfect fit with his old team. Sharlow becomes an interesting player in this years draft considering that the draft pool isn’t very deep. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes for north of $25 when he’s nominated.

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Team Draft Needs: Holy Balls

by David Castle

	HOLY BALLS
	Nomination Order:  #3
	Biggest Need(s): On paper, their roster as it stands right now is pretty good. However, if RJ pulls the crap he did last year, the Balls are in a heap of trouble. When it comes to the draft, they’ll look to draft mostly offence since Paquin, Pearson, and Fisher are all capable of pitching.
	Top Targets: Mike Bayley: He’s more of an all or nothing hitter that is very capable of hitting good pitching. He would also give the Balls a diamond digit caliber outfielder. The Balls will make a hard push to get Bayley, but they won’t be the only ones. Josh Nagorski: He’s an above average hitter than can also give you some solid innings on the mound. He’s one of the more liked guys in the league and is familiar with playing with Pearson. I think he’d make a solid fit with the Balls.

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MudBowl 2016: Results

Home runs by player noted in parentheses

POOL PLAY   —   GAME 1
11	... Pirates Giguere (2) Linebrink (1) G. Brannan (1) Buhr (1)	vs	AP Augers Farkas Villarreal (1) Matt Dom	8

POOL PLAY   —   GAME 2
17	TestIcicles Corbett (2) Strojny (3) Pearson (2) Paquin	vs	CoffeeFriday Werner Castle Bayley Sessions M. Phillips	7

POOL PLAY   —   GAME 3
3	CoffeeFriday M. Phillips Bayley (1) Sessions Werner Castle	vs	... Pirates G. Brannan (2) Linebrink (1) Giguere Buhr	10

POOL PLAY   —   GAME 4
24	AP Augers Matt (1) Dom (2) Villarreal (2) Farkas (6)	vs	TestIcicles Corbett (2) Strojny (3) Pearson (6) Paquin	22

PLAYOFFS   —   WINNERS BRACKET: GAME 1
1	CoffeeFriday Werner Castle (1) Bayley M. Phillips	vs	... Pirates G. Brannan Linebrink Giguere Buhr	2

PLAYOFFS   —   WINNERS BRACKET: GAME 2
1	AP Augers Matt Dom Villarreal Farkas (1)	vs	TestIcicles Corbett (1) Strojny (1) Pearson (1) Paquin	3

PLAYOFFS   —   WINNERS BRACKET: GAME 3
6	TestIcicles Corbett Strojny Pearson Paquin	vs	... Pirates G. Brannan (1) Linebrink Giguere Buhr	7

PLAYOFFS   —   LOSERS BRACKET: GAME 4
5	AP Augers Matt Dom Villarreal Farkas	vs	CoffeeFriday Sessions Castle Bayley M. Phillips	4

PLAYOFFS   —   LOSERS BRACKET: GAME 5
10	AP Augers Matt Dom Villarreal Farkas	vs	TestIcicles Corbett Strojny Pearson (1) Paquin	5

CHAMPIONSHIP   —   GAME 1
11	AP Augers Matt Dom Villarreal (1) Farkas (1)	vs	... Pirates G. Brannan (2) Linebrink Giguere Buhr	6

CHAMPIONSHIP   —   GAME 2
5	... Pirates Buhr Giguere Linebrink (1) G. Brannan	vs	AP Augers Matt Dom Villarreal Farkas	4

FINAL NUMBERS ON THE DAY
TEAM	W	L	RS	RA	HR
Long Name... Pirates	5	1	41	33	12
Allen Park Augers	4	3	63	56	15
TestIcicles	2	3	53	49	22
CoffeeFriday	0	4	15	34	2

Team Draft Needs: Red Cox

by David Castle

	RED COX
	Nomination Order:  #7
	Biggest Need(s): Similar to the Wicked Aces, the Cox don’t have many big needs; they have a top notch arm in Scott Kujawa, a top ten bat in Stepen Werner, and an above average two-way player in Kiefer Haffey all returning for 2016. Any moves they make will solidify their roster and make a legit push at the Championship.
	Top Targets: Sam Hatt: If he gets out to at least 10 games in 2016, it’ll be a solid draft pick. He’s a borderline number 1 pitcher that would serve as the Cox number 2 arm. He’s rumored to be on several teams' draft boards, but I think for the right price, he’d be a perfect fit for the Cox. Mark Brannan: He’s more known for his lefty bat, but can spot start if needed to and eat some innings. He had a down 2015, but I think he will definitely adjust and have a comeback year. It would be a smart move for the Cox to draft Mark, but they will almost certainly have to outbid his brother and the Wolfpack to get him.

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Team Draft Needs: El Diablos

by David Castle

	EL DIABLOS
	Nomination Order:  #2
	Biggest Need(s): Two words: availability and pitching. After CJ got screwed over by Ryan Bush, I don’t think he’s going to mess around with what “could” be in this year's draft, and instead draft strictly by need. On the plus side, keeping Dakota and former MVP Kyle Tomlinson for just a combined $55 is an absolute steal.
	Top Targets: Michael Villarreal: He provides both availability and pitching if el Diablos were to pursue him in the draft. He has a slightly below average arm with a more than serviceable bat. He may end up going for more money than people think. Mark Phillips: Aside from the obvious father/son relationship, Mark could fill many needs el Diablos have. His availability would be the key reason why el Diablos go after him, but he can also pitch and isn’t too bad at the plate. For wanting to play part time, he’s a perfect fit.

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