Crack of the Bat

by David Rawnsley

 

FRESHMAN WATCH UPDATE (4/5/05)

Many of the freshman featured in the first PG "Freshman Watch" continue to excel.  Along with highlighting those future stars, we'll try to introduce a number of other freshman from across the country whose college careers are off to fast starts.  We're proud of all the Perfect Game and WWBA alumni who are contributing right away at the college level.

If there are any freshman who have not been mentioned in the Freshman Watch, please feel free to email their name and school to admin@perfectgame.org for future inclusion.

Georgia Tech's two freshman standouts continue to impress for the 23-6 Rambling Wreck.  CF Danny Payne has fallen off his potential NCAA record pace for runs and walks during ACC play but is still hitting .341, 3, 23 with 52 runs and 35 walks.  OF-RHP Matt Wieters has stepped up his hitting in league play, though.  He's hitting .432, 4, 30 at the plate and is 1-1, 3.86 with 2 saves in 23 innings.  Most impressively, Wieters has a 24/7 walk to strikeout ratio at the plate.  Another GT freshman, 3B Michael Fisher, has seen increased playing time lately and is hitting .333, 2, 15.

2B Taylor Harbin (Clemson) was featured in the last Freshman Watch and continues to play well for the Tigers, hitting .368, 4, 24.  The Clemson website features an ESPN.com style poll, though, asking which of the team's freshman, Harbin, SS Stan Widmann, CF Brad Chalk and RHP David Kopp are having the most influence on the Tiger's fortunes.  That a program of Clemson's caliber has quality freshman at the important up the middle positions bodes well for the next couple of years.

RHP Sean Morgan continues to thrive as Tulane's closer, compiling a 4-0 record with 4 saves and a 2.25 ERA in 16 games for 25-5 Tulane.  2B Brad Emaus is among the team leaders in home runs (6, 2nd) and Rbi's (25, 3rd) and is hitting .364.

Morgan isn't the only freshman closer.  Florida Atlantic's Mickey Story has even better numbers, with a 2-1 record, 7 saves and a 1.23 ERA.

C J.P. Arencibia of Tennessee has moved into second place on the Volunteers HR and RBI list with 6 and 28 respectfully, while hitting .325.  LHP James Adkins continues to roll on the mound with a 5-1 record and a 1.71 ERA in 57 innings.

LHP/1B Sean Doolittle continues to lead Virginia in home runs with 5 and is second in RBI's with 21.  He is also 1-0 on the mound with a 1.71 ERA and 25 K's.  Fellow freshman Brandon Guyer has stepped into the starting 3B spot and is warming up at .262, 2, 15.

Rice lost three starting pitchers to the first round of the 2004 draft but has filled one slot with 2-way freshman Joe Savery.  Savery has been the Owls hard luck pitcher, putting up a 2.33 ERA with 64 K's in 54 innings but only posting a 2-4 record.  He lost 1-0 last week with a run in the bottom of the 9th inning.  Savery is also hitting .402, 1, 18 with 25 runs scored.

Another hard luck freshman starter is San Diego State's Bruce Billings.  Billings has a 3.40 ERA, nearly 3 runs better than the team's next starting pitcher, but is only 2-3, with 52 K's in 50 innings.

Surprising Louisiana Lafayette has started off the season 25-6 with the help of three freshman.  C Jonathan Lucroy has been getting more time recently and is hitting .333, 3, 14 in only 36 at bats.  LHP C.J. Blue and RHP Buddy Glass are each 2-1 and have moved into the starting rotation.

RHP Shawn Haviland is another freshman starter with a 2-1 record in early play, along with a 3.78 ERA for Harvard.

The 2005 freshman class seems to feature a number of top middle infielders who have been starting since opening day.  Among them are:

SS Ross Brezinsky (Notre Dame):  .313, 0, 7
SS Michael Hollander (LSU):  .284, 1, 12
2B Jordan Pacheco (New Mexico):  .410, 7, 24
SS Andrew Romine (Arizona State):  .266, 0, 15, 21 runs
2B Josh Satin (California):  .379, 2, 23
2B Joe Spiers (Hawaii):  .336, 0, 14, 29 runs, 23 SB's