Top prep prospect Jameson Taillon of The Woodlands High School in Texas bounced back from a mediocre outing last week to toss a no-hitter and strike out 19 batters Tuesday night. He walked just one and reportedly touched 97-mph with his four-seamer.
Taillon has had recent difficulties with command and due to a fairly straight fastball at times, locating the high-velocity offering is critical to setting up his curveball. He was better Tuesday night, according to one area scout.
"He found a rhythm sometime during warm-ups, I guess," he said. "It's one of the better showings I have seen from Taillon, and he's had more than a few. He just kept pounding the strike zone and they just couldn't hang."
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound Taillon may end the spring as the No. 2 talent on a lot of draft boards, but even though it's too early to attached clubs to specific players, it's difficult to imagine the right-hander going any higher than No. 3 to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, who chose fourth a year ago and tabbed Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez, may be on a path to seek high-probability talent to complement Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and the rest of what is among the youngest rosters in baseball.
A healthy Anthony Ranaudo of LSU might be a fit, as might Georgia Tech RHP Deck McGuire, but a prep arm -- which typically takes at least three or four years to reach the big leagues unless his name is Rick Porcello -- may be deemed too much of a risk and too far away from helping the Pirates compete in the near future.
But it seems Taillon is going to make that a difficult decision.
Around the Diamond
• Brito High School (Miami, Fla.) shortstop Manny Machado, a Florida International recruit, had five hitsTuesday, including two doubles. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Machado hit .636 with eight home runs a year ago and is off to an even better start this season. He went 3-for-4 last Thursday and belted a home run to raise his season average over .650.
• Georgia Tech infielder Derek Dietrich had four hits and four RBI Tuesday versus Mercer, but all four hits were singles and Dietrich hasn't been showing the kind of power this season that traditionally profiles at third base -- Deitrich's likely position in pro ball.
• Clemson's Kyle Parker continues to hit and hit for power, collecting two more hits Tuesday including his 10th home run of the year. The outfielder is hitting .413/.527/.840 with 12 extra-base hits and a 17-12 BB/K ratio in 20 games in 2010.
• Louisville 1B Phil Wunderlich continues to hit his way onto the radar screen, slugging his 10th homer of the year Tuesday. The 6-foot, 225-pound Wunderlich, a left-handed hitter, improved to .376/.419/.812 with 16 extra-base hits in 20 games this season.
• Kansas 3B Tony Thomspon returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing the first four weeks with a hairline fracture on his kneecap. The junior hit .389/.442/.753 with 21 home runs as a sophomore and is considered a potential first-day talent. He went 0-for-4 versus Creighton Tuesday, however.
• Ball State 2B Kolbrin Vitek doubled and walked twice versus Notre Dame, improving to .390/.458/.659 in 20 games.
• Tennessee 1B Cody Hawn went 1-for-3 with two walks and catcher Blake Forsythe hit his third home run of the year as the Vols tune up for LSU this weekend.
• Speaking of LSU, the plan remains the same for RHP Anthony Ranaudo. Barring a setback, Ranaudo is slated to go Sunday versus Tennessee in Knoxville.
• Texas-Arlington's Michael Choice singled, homered and walked twice Tuesday -- and is now hitting .387/.525/.787 with 13 extra-base hits and a 24-19 BB/ ratio in 21 contests.