The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
In recent history, two Pointers baseball players have been selected in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. J.P. Feyereisen is in line to be the third.
Feyereisen, a junior pitcher from River Falls, Wis., could join Jordan Zimmermann and Cody Koback as recent Pointers drafted in the first 15 rounds.
In his sophomore season Feyereisen won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year award after posting a 7-2 record with a 2.69 earned run average.
After the season, Feyereisen joined a summer wood bat league with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League.
Photo by Jack McLaughlin.
J.P. Feyereisen throws a pitch for the Pointers during a game last season.
With the Rafters, Feyereisen began garnishing the attention of professional scouts. He posted a record of 3-1 with 11 saves and an ERA of 1.16 in 22 relief appearances.
“The Northwoods League prepared me because I got to face a lot of the best Division I athletes,” Feyereisen said. “Facing those guys everyday makes you learn that you have to make every pitch count.”
After the Northwoods League season, Baseball America recognized Feyereisen as one of the leagues top ten prospects.
More recently, Baseball America named J.P. the number one Division III prospect, a high honor by the best prospect publication according to Pointers head coach Pat Bloom.
“There is no publication that I respect more than Baseball America,” Bloom said. “Their writers and staff work hard at digging deep into each conference, big or small.”
Bloom is certain Feyereisen will be drafted.
“The likelihood of him getting drafted this year is very high, provided that he stays healthy and stays on the progressive path that he’s been on.”
The question is not whether Feyereisen will be drafted, but in what round.
“I would say that we’ve heard anything from the front of the top ten rounds to the top 15 rounds,” Bloom said.
While Feyereisen said it was too early to tell where he would be drafted, he has been contacted by a majority of Major League teams and has met with two scouts.
The jury is still out on where Feyereisen will be drafted, but he would be honored to be selected anywhere.
“Baseball has been my life,” Feyereisen said. “It’s been a dream of mine to be drafted so it would just be a great achievement.”
While some are quick to compare Feyereisen to Zimmermann, All-Star pitcher for the Washington Nationals, Bloom wants to make it clear they are two different people.
“I think that J.P. wants to carve his own path, earn the recognition and lay claim to his own place, not only as a Pointer but also at the pro level,” Bloom said.
Bloom said that in early practices this season, Feyereisen has touched 94 miles per hour with his fastball and that his slider is a strikeout pitch.
Bloom knows Feyereisen can grow this season.
“I think he’s only scratched the surface of his potential,” Bloom said.
Feyereisen knows that the best way to help his draft stock this season is to go out and perform.
“I have to go out there and do my thing every single game,” Feyereisen said. “All I have to do is get outs and win games.”
Will Rossmiller
