The people at Topps took to their twitter account yesterday with some info for the upcoming 2012 Bowman Baseball product.  Not only did they ask for the masses to supply them names we’d like to see, but they also showed some sneak peak pictures of select cards.  Below you’ll see some  images that you can make your judgement on….YAY or NAY?

You can also see that they released a picture of a product (or insert???) caled Bowman Black. The Bryce Harper card above just looks super sweet, but also very much like the Topps 60th autographs.  Nice product idea, but one does wonder if they will be condition sensitive.  Could be a nice chase for the grading gurus if they catch on with collectors & prospectors.

When more images hit the internet, we’ll keep updating, so check back daily.

It’s that time again and we have a great 9-innings of work by our friends at Prospect Nation.  Not only are they some really cool people and love USA baseball like us, but they really go the extra mile to give you the information you need.

This is the WEEK #7 installment of the USA Collegiate Updates, featuring some constant performers and some new names to the mix.  Be sure you always check out their site and their supplemental blog when you’re done.  You can also support them (and make some money at draft time!) by buying their first web-only promotion for 2010 Topps USA Retail Box Sets.

Welcome, to the 9 glorious innings of NCAA baseball….

1^st: LSU junior OF Mikie Mahtook has gotten ink on our 9-Innings most every week for his offensive prowess; this past week, Mahtook outperformed all of those previous week’s accomplishments; even his 4-homerun season-opening series couldn’t match his 9-for-14 (0.643) 2 triple, 2 HR, 7 RBI and 3 stolen-base weekend; along the way he extended his hitting streak to 14 games and counting; Mahtook now ranks 2^nd among all NCAA Division-I players in homeruns (10) and tied for 9^th in RBI’s (32);  for his efforts, he was named the SEC Player of the Week…

[LINK: Mahtook named SEC Player of the Week]

2^nd: TCU junior RHP Kyle Winkler is another name that just keeps popping up on this weekly list; not to say it hasn’t been deserved as one glance at his cumulative 1.05 ERA, 5-1 record and 0.74 WHIP will certainly say otherwise; this week, Winkler outdid even himself as he faced 26 batters over 7-innings and fanned 15 of them while allowing just one run on four hits and walking one;  his 15 K’s are the most a TCU player has posted since Matt Purke set the club record with 14 in last year’s playoffs; barring one anomalous start, Winkler is one of only a handful of pitchers to be so consistently good most every time out; here are his weekly numbers since the start of the season to prove the point:

ERA	W	L	APP	GS	CG	SHO	CBO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	2B	3B	HR	AB	B/AVG
0.00	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	7.0	1	1	0	0	8	0	0	0	22	0.045
0.00	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	7.1	6	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	25	0.240
0.00	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	8.0	4	0	0	0	9	0	0	0	27	0.148
0.00	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	6.0	3	1	0	1	7	1	0	0	22	0.136
4.50	0	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	8.0	8	5	4	1	11	2	0	2	31	0.258
1.13	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	8.0	5	1	1	3	9	0	0	0	28	0.179
1.29	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	7.0	4	1	1	1	15	2	0	0	26	0.154

Said head coach Jim Schlossnagle, “”He’s an elite Division I pitcher. He’s as good as we’ve put out there, including [Matt] Purke, [Jake] Arietta, [Lance] Broadway, Clayton Jerome. He’s going to play baseball for a long time, I think.”

[LINK: Winkler named MWC Pitcher of the Week… again]

3^rd: Clemson sophomore 2b Richie Shaffer went 7-for-15 (.467) with a double, triple, grand slam and five RBIs in four games; he scored seven runs and recorded three walks while posting an .867 slugging percentage and .556 on-base percentage and wa s also perfect in the field, committing no errors in 12 chances at third base and first base; in the final two games at No.6 North Carolina, Shaffer went 5-for-7 with two walks, reaching base in seven of his nine plate appearances; in Shaffer’s biggest play of the week, he broke open a close game with a grand slam in the sixth inning to propel the Tigers to an 11-5 win over Georgia; for his accomplishments, Shaffer was named the ACC Co-Player of the Week…

[LINK: Shaffer’s slam propels Clemson to win]

4^th: UCLA junior RHP Trevor Bauer gave up 2 of 3 total runs in the first inning against Washington before settling down; once Bauer found his groove, he was a lock to nail down his 5^th win of the year; along the way he gave up 1 additional run but fanned 10 and walked 2 in 8-innings; his 10 K’s marks the 6^th time in 7 starts that Bauer has fanned 10+ batters in a game and it’s no surprise that he continues to lead the NCAA in strikeouts…

One night earlier, fellow junior RHP Gerrit Cole tossed a complete game for the Bruins to earn his 3^rd win on the year; it was the second time this year Cole went the distance as he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits, fanning 10 and walking 2… *NOTE: the article below on Cole is highly recommended

[LINK: Bauer roughed-up early, finds groove for 5^th win]

[LINK: UCLA Coach says Cole could be pitching in Majors by September]

5^th: Arizona sophomore OF Robert Refsnyder posted a 10-for-22 (.455), 2B, 2 HR’s, 9 RBI’s and 17 total bases on the week; it was business as usual for the super sophomore who is batting .347 on the year with 3 HR’s and 26 RBI’s…

[LINK: Refsnyder delivers in 9^th inning to ensure win for Wildcats]

6^th: Virginia senior RHP Tyler Wilson was pitching out of the bullpen last year; Wilson was then drafted in June by the Cincinnati Reds in the 35^th round but did not sign and returned for his senior year; he didn’t know it at the time, but almost one year later he would be the Cav’s #2 starter (behind Danny Hultzen) and having the year of his life; it’s safe to say his draft stock has improved considerably; this past week Wilson notched his 4^th win (4-0 overall) with a dominating performance; he tossed 7 shutout innings, giving up 5 hits and fanning 10 while walking 2 of the 26 batters he faced…

[LINK: Wilson having career-year]

7^th: Kansas senior RHP T.J. Walz also returned for his senior year after getting drafted late (50^th round by the Oakland Athletics); and although he hasn’t been as good as Wilson, he’s still the Jayhawk’s ace; this past week, facing #19 Baylor, Walz notched his 3^rd win going 7.2 innings and allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, but fanned 11 and walked 3; it was the fourth time this year Walz reached 10+ K’s…

[LINK: Walz notches win against #19 Baylor]

8^th: Hawaii junior OF Kolten Wong may be the most underrated offensive player in Division-I baseball; naturally quiet and laid-back, Wong hasn’t garnered the same type of publicity as fellow prospects Anthony Rendon and George Springer; but Wong continues to consistently display an offensive prowess that is going to make him a 1^st-round draft pick come March; says Aaron Fitt in today’s weekly Baseball America College Chat, “He’s a great all-around player and a likely top-half of the first-rounder. I think he’s the nation’s best second baseman, and there are a lot of good ones this year.”  Now that’s some serious praise; this past week, Wong  was 8-for-16 with a 3B, HR, 9 RBI’s and 2-of-3 on stolen base attempts…

[LINK: Wong excelling even with minor injury]

9^th: Florida State RHP Sean Gilmartin pitched 6 shutout-innings to earn his 6^th win on the year (6-0 total);  Gilmartin faced 20 batters and allowed 3 hits, walked 3 and fanned 9; on the year, Gilmartin has notched 53 K’s over 48.1 IP with a WHIP of 0.74 (3^rd best among our group of pitchers)…

[LINK: Gilmartin cruises again in ‘Noles victory]

Here is the week #6 installment of USA Collegiate Player Updates, broken down into 9 action packed innings.  The folks at Prospect Nation have done a great job of highlighting the best performances, along with some outside links highlighting the players within.  Don’t forget to check out their first website only special – 2010 Topps USA Retail Box Sets – featuring the only card of Rice 3B Anthony Rendon.

1^st: UCLA junior RHP Trevor Bauer pitched two of the best games of his career this past week and has been named the PAC-10 Pitcher of the Week as well as the prestigious Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week; Bauer notched 2 consecutive wins during a rare 2-start week following a week-long vacation for the Bruins; he fanned 12 batters over 7-innings on Monday to combine-on-shutout against Cal Poly; he followed that up with a Friday night 1-hit complete game shutout over rival USC that saw him fan 14 batters, taking a no-hit performance into the 8^th inning; Bauer is now the NCAA Strikeout Leader…

[LINK: Bauer tosses complete-game 1-hitter]

[LINK: Bauer named PAC-10 Pitcher of the Week]

[LINK: Bauer named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week]

2^nd: Stanford freshman 1B Brian Ragira entered the Cardinal’s history books as he hit for the cycle this past week; Ragira did it on 5-of-5 hitting that included an early triple followed by a double, homerun (his first collegiate round-tripper) and two consecutive singles; on the week, he was a combined 9-for-21 with a 2B, 3B, HR, and 6 RBI’s…

[LINK: Ragira hits for cycle, collects first collegiate double, homerun]

3^rd: Vanderbilt junior RHP Sonny Gray lost his first game of the season after tossing 7 shutout innings; Gray went the distance but couldn’t garner the run-support to overcome a 2-1 deficit during an otherwise brilliant pitching performance; on the night, Gray finished with 8-innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while fanning 12 and walking 4; the 2 earned runs was the highest he has allowed since opening day, and matched the 2 combined runs allowed over his prior four starts that spanned 29.1 innings…

[LINK: Gray drops first game in hard-luck fashion]

4^th: South Carolina junior OF Jackie Bradley, Jr., shined this week against #1-ranked Florida; last year’s College World Series “Most Outstanding Player” showed again that he could play under pressure as USC handed Florida their first losing series; Bradley was a combined 8-for-19 with a 2B, 2 HR’s and 6 RBI’s…

[LINK: Bradley gets hot after finding new baseball “superstition”]

[LINK: Gators drop first series of season to South Carolina]

5^th: LSU junior OF Mikie Mahtook found his power stroke again; Mahtook opened the season with a four homerun week followed by two consecutive weeks with just one each; he then hit a dry-spell and hasn’t had a round-tripper in over 15 days; that ended this past weekend as Mahtook was a combined 7-for-16 with 2 HR’s, 4 RBI’s and a SB…

6^th: CS-Fullerton pitching tandem Nick Ramirez & Noe Ramirez (no relation) combined-on-shutout against conference rival Hawaii; Noe started the game and pitched 8 scoreless innings, allowing just 4 hits while fanning 8 and walking 2; Nick closed out the shutout with a perfect 9^th inning to collect his 22^nd save on the year…

[LINK: Ramirez tandem blanks Rainbows]

7^th: TCU junior RHP Kyle Winkler took a tough no-decision after a dominating performance this past Friday in a game that coach Jim Schlossnagle called his “worst loss in eight years”; for 8 innings Winkler showed the ace-form that has him projected to be a first-round draft pick in June after suffering his first loss of the season last week; he avenged that loss by fanning 9 over eight frames, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and walking 3…

[LINK: Winkler dominates, bullpen falls apart]

8^th: Kansas senior RHP T.J. Walz knows the season did not start well; over his first two starts he had accumulated two consecutive losses by allowing 9 runs over a combined 5.2 innings of work; Walz got back in the saddle after that and won his next two consecutive starts; since then he got a no-decision and a tough loss with a decent outing; this past week he pitched the best game of his senior season, going 7.2 innings and allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while fanning 10 and walking one…

[LINK: Walz delivers sterling performance, loses heartbreaker]

9^th: Virginia senior RPH Tyler Wilson was converted to a starting role from relief this year and has responded well to the move; on the year, Wilson is 3-0 over 6 starts with a 2.27 ERA and has fanned 45 in 35.2 IP; this past week he got his 3^rd no-decision but pitched very well, going 7.1 innings and allowing just 1 earned run on 4 hits, fanning 11 and walking one…

[LINK: Wilson logs career-high innings, strikeouts]

Each week we will be featuring the Team USA College Player Update, brought to you by the fine folks at Prospect Nation.  They do an absolutely amazing job at covering USA baseball, so it’s only fitting that we join forces in a sense.  Be sure to check out their FULL SITE and SUPPLEMENTAL BLOG for all your prospect needs, including USA alumni news.

1^st: Indiana junior OF Alex Dickerson owned the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational this past week; over the course of five games, Dickerson was a combined 9-for-23 with 1 2B, 3 HR’s and 6 RBI’s; for his performance, Dickerson was named the Big Ten Player of the Week, the fourth time he has earned that distinction…

[LINK: Dickerson Big Ten Player of the Week]

2^nd: Oregon junior LHP Tyler Anderson surpassed UCLA’s Trevor Bauer for the strikeout lead with 52 as compared to Bauer’s 46; to be fair, UCLA had the week off and Bauer did not get a chance to pitch; still, Anderson has really come on strong since his first outing and keeps turning out brilliant performances, notching double-digit strikeout games in his last four consecutive starts (12, 14, 12, and 11); this past week, Anderson tossed eight shutout innings, fanning 11 and allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk…

[LINK: Anderson delivers nearly untouchable performance]

3^rd: Vanderbilt junior RHP Sonny Gray has been “lights out” this year, and his most recent performance, 7.1 shutout innings that saw him fan 10 batters, walk 4 and give up just 4 hits, wasn’t even his best outing; over his past two games, Gray hasn’t allowed a single run to cross the plate and has allowed only 2 runs over his past four games (29.1 IP)…

[LINK: Vandy’s ace wins SEC opener]

4^th: TCU draft-eligible sophomore LHP Matt Purke was at “about 70% of his normal self” during his last outing according to head coach Jim Schlossnagle; so if Purke can get 7.2 innings without giving up an earned run, strikeout 11 batters and walk just 1 when he’s “70%”, what kind of freakish numbers would a 100% outing look like?; the reigning National Freshman of the Year is getting back into form following a sore shoulder and blistered finger; can’t wait to see that 100% form…

[LINK: Purke puts on show for scouts]

5^th: Someone forgot to tell Miami LHP Bryan Radziewski that freshmen aren’t supposed to make it look this easy; Rad has been Miami’s Friday night ace since a season opener that saw him go 6IP, allowing just 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and notching 8 K’s; this past week he pitched his best game so far, tossing 6.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 unearned run, 2 walks and notching 10 K’s; however, this game wasn’t head-and-shoulders above 3 of his other starts and that should tell you something about how consistently good he has been…

[LINK: Radziewski nearly flawless as Hurricane’s down Deacons]

6^th: Air Force freshman LHP Kyle Van Alstine made his college debut this week; that’s about all that was notable as Van Alstine was yanked after 0.2 innings after appearing in a relief role; his line: 0.2IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 4AB; welcome to D1 baseball!

[LINK: Van Alstine makes college debut]

7^th: Bethune-Cookman junior C Peter O’Brien was named the MEAC Player of the Week after a weekend that saw him hit a 2B, 2 HR’s, and 4 RBI’s; among our group of sluggers, O’Brien sits atop the lead in HR’s with 6 total, but it’s a spot he shares with LSU junior OF Mikie Mahtook who also has 6 round-trippers …

[LINK: O’Brien MEAC Player of the Week]

8^th: CS-Fullerton freshman Michael Lorenzen was NOT one of the recently suspended Titans (Nick and Noe Ramirez weren’t either);  citing a “violation of team rules”, Titans’ coach Dave Serrano suspended 8 players from this past weekend’s games; Lorenzen chipped in to fill the hole by going 7-for-14, with a 2B, 3B, 3 RBI’s and 3-3 on stolen base attempts; if he keeps hitting like this, one of those suspended players may not have a job to come back to; here’s an excerpt from a recent post on TitanCentral.com, and it reflects what a lot of people are saying:

“It is good to see Michael Lorenzen playing everyday.  He is a super star in the making!!! I was in Baton Rouge and saw him play – his confidence is going way up.  His swing looks great and let me tell you his arm is awesome.  I saw his throws from right field to the plate and they were a thing of beauty.  You might remember Clark Hardman?  His arm was great – I believe Michael’s is even better.”

[LINK: Lorenzen thanks God for “college, baseball, and having fun”]

9^th: UCONN junior OF George Springer didn’t get off to a good start this year; Springer showed what the hype was all about last week going 7-for-17 with 3 2B’s, 1 3B, 1 HR and 7 RBI’s; we were waiting to see if he could sustain it and he did, sort of; although his weekly AVG of 0.364 was the result of 4-for-11 hitting, all of those hits were singles and he drove-in one single run; however, Springer did a lot of the “little things” that oftentimes go overlooked; yes, he only hit a few singles, BUT, he did go 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts and he was hit 3 times by pitches; Springer hasn’t seen many good pitches to hit this year because there’s not much in the lineup behind him; so he has resorted to doing those little things to try to help the team; that’s not one of the “5-tools” that gets lots of press, but it’s one of the intangible things winners possess; as expected, people are speculating about the impact on Springer’s draft status; one of the featured posts on today’s BA College Chat with Aaron Fitt:

Jeff Sullivan (Belchertown MA): Still early, but how far has George Springer fallen on draft boards? Still in the top ten?
Aaron Fitt: He’s doing fine. He entered the season as the No. 2 college position player on the board after Rendon, and he still might be that guy, just because of his upside. His tools are just so loud — it’s huge raw power, big-time speed and defensive ability. We’ve said all along that there’s some risk with Springer — he’s not a finished product as a hitter, but you draft him for his upside. He’s certainly still a likely top 10 pick.

[LINK: 3/21/2011 BA College Chat with Aaron Fitt]

Also, don’t forget to check out their eBay store, which is full of USA Baseball cards.  They have been in the game for years now and have one of the most complete inventories around, ready for buyers to keep supporting the stars and stripes.

If you’re looking to pick up a 2010 Topps 65-card boxed set, they have a special running on their site for $17.99 per set.  These feature the only USA card of Anthony Rendon, the projected #1 pick overall and top position player in the 2011 draft.