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 Congratulations
to 2008 Big 12 Champions and Super Regional Participant
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A&M Ranked #10 by Collegiate Baseball
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"Strike out Parkinson's Disease" and honor Former Aggie
Coach Tom Chandler
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Big 12 Coach
of the Year Rob Childress
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Rob Childress continues to improve the Aggie baseball team and
his three years in Aggieland have the program firmly established as one of the
top teams in the Big 12. Despite disappointing losses to Rice in both the 2007
and 2008 Super Regional round of the NCAA playoffs, Childress has won more
games than any other team in the Big 12 and is the only team to advance to
super regional play out of the Big 12 the past two seasons.
By year two Rob Childress has the Aggies on the right track
compared to the coaching starts at of Steve Smith at Baylor and Aggie Garrido
at Texas and had completely surpassed them this last season. We are comparing
"apple to apples" as it had been one season since Baylor was in NCAA
play when Smith took over at Baylor in 1994 and Texas had won the SWC and had
been in the tournament the year before Garrido became coach of the 'Horns in
1997. Texas A&M was also one year removed from tournament play when
Childress was named head coach. Year three again shows how the Aggie coaches
and players have Texas A&M poised for even higher expectations in 2009 and
beyond.
Rob Childress has an overall record of 119-68-1 (.636
winning percentage) and his record in year two and three is 94-38 (.712
winning percentage)
Steve Smith had an overall record of 89-78 (.527 winning percentage) and his
record in years two and three was 64-50 (.561 winning percentage)
Augie Garrido an overall record of 88-80-1 (.524 winning percentage) and his
record in years two and three was 59-58-1 (.504 winning percentage)
A&M Set the Big 12 record of 16 straight conference victories and swept
five conference series in 2008 (it took Texas ten years to sweep five series
and Baylor has never done it)
Won the Big 12 Regular Season Championship (it took Texas and Baylor both six
years to win their first championship)
Childress was named Coach of the Year in year three (it took Garrido and Smith
both six years to earn that honor)
In year two, A&M won the Big 12 Tournament Championship (it took Texas
five years and Baylor never has won it)
In year two, A&M went to Super Regionals (it took Texas four years and
took Baylor five years)
Went to Super Regionals in back to back seasons (it took Texas five years and
Baylor has never done it)
In year two, A&M won 48 Games (it took Texas six years to win at least 48
games and Baylor has only done it in 1999)
Won 46 or more games in back to back seasons (it took Texas seven seasons and
Baylor never has done it)
A&M improved record by 23 wins last year (21 games is Texas' largest
improvement in year six and 17 is Baylor's in year 11)
In Year two, A&M had four players drafted in the first 10 rounds (it took
Texas seven years and Baylor six years)
In Year two, A&M finished the season ranked as high as 11th (it took Texas
four years and took Baylor five years)
A&M finished in the Top 11 in back-to-back seasons (it took Texas seven
years and Baylor has never done it)
In Year two, A&M had three All-Americans (it took Texas five years and
Baylor four years)
In Year two, A&M had a freshman All-American (it took both Texas and
Baylor three years)
A&M has back to back newcomers of the year (it took Texas five years and
Baylor had never had a Newcomer of the Year)
He has accomplished this despite having significant losses
in his two previous recruiting classes. In 2006, LHP Clayton Kershaw (first
high school player taken), LHP Zach Britton and OF Matt Sulentic
signed after being drafted in the first three rounds and LHP Kevin Angelle
and SS Nick Papasan, who signed in August, forgoing their scholarships
at A&M as well. In 2007 it happened again, SS Kevin Ahrens (ninth high
school player drafted), OF Eric Eiland, SS/P Will Middlebrooks and LHP Drake
Britton all took the pro dollars and never enrolled. This year the Aggies
have finally caught a break with the MLB draft with their four prime time
prospects expected to arrive on campus next fall instead of playing pro
baseball. SS Adam Smith and LHP Ross Hales are considered the top
prospects at their position in the State of Texas by professional baseball. Randall
Thorpe was considered to be the third best outfielder in the state and Nathan
Eovaldi was in the top 10 RHP in the state this year. Having the top four
high school prospects of this years recruiting class come to school instead of
signing pro contracts has the Aggies poised to "kick the door in"
next season and advance to the College World Series.
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New Texas Collegiate League Team in B/CS
I just interviewed Infinity Pro Sports CEO Uri Geva and TCL commissioner Darren Hall about the Brazos Valley Bombers, a new team in the Texas Collegiate League. I can't wait until next summer when wood bat summer baseball come to the Brazos Valley. They can have (and will have the league maximum) four Aggie players on the Brazos Valley Bombers. When you add in recruits (who count against their old school, i.e. Dane Carter was listed as a Vernon JC player) and the Aggies that will be on opposing teams, I might be able to see ten Aggie players on the Travis Field for a TCL game in my back yard. You can go to their website and check out everything they have to say about playing TCL baseball in the Brazos Valley.http://www.bvbombers.com/You can hear the interview this afternoon sometime between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Chip Howard's Sportstalk on KZNE 1150 or www.kzne.com
2007 Roster Updated...
I updated the 2007 Aggie roster today. Several of the positions could change during practice but I put each player at the position they played last year at A&M or that they played in JUCO/High School. The only exception was shortstop and second base as Parker Dalton has played both positions and both Carter and Whittenberg were shortstops. I also put some other positions (secondary) that they could play this year as well. This recruiting class has very good balance, they coaches have brought 13 freshmen, three sophomore transfers and ten junior transfers in the class. It also shows the coaches focus at improving the offense for 2007 as there are 17 position players as opposed to nine pitchers in the class.http://www.aggiebaseball.net/2007_roster.htm
Three more signees for 2006-07
Joey Register Outfielder, Texarkana Junior College
He hit .313-9-48 with 26 stolen bases, sixth in the league, for Texarkana, playing mostly left field but he can catch and play other positions as well. He hit .308-6-31 his freshman season as the designated hitter and had 5 saves while serving as Texarkana’s closer. He signed with New Mexico out of high school but chose to play at Texarkana.
Zane Lynch, Pitcher, Texarkana Junior College
As one of the top three starters at Texarkana JC, he went 7-4, 2.83 ERA with 44 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 63.2 innings. In conference play he went 5-2 with a 2.16 ERA (third in the league) and he struck out 29 batters in 41.2 innings pitched. He broke his hand during conference play as freshman and did not pitch again until the JUCO World Series. Here is a story about his coming back for that game.
Lynch appears in relief
Tuesday, May 31, 2005 9:05 AM CDT
By JOHNNY GREEN
Sports Director
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.-Zane Lynch admitted to being a little nervous when he took the mound for Texarkana College in the fifth inning of Monday's second-round game against Wallace State (Ala.) in the JUCO World Series.
It marked the first appearance since March 25 for the Tyler, Texas, right-hander, who on that day broke his pitching hand when he slugged the dugout wall in a fit of anger. At that time he had no way of knowing that the next competitive pitch he threw would be here in the World Series.
"I was a little nervous," Lynch said. "I've been hurt a long time, and I mainly wanted to come in and throw strikes. I wasn't really trying to throw hard. I guess I did OK, and this should give me some confidence next year."
Lynch did more than OK. After allowing an RBI single to the first batter he faced, he gave up just two more hits, no runs and struck out three over the final 4 1/3 innings.
Justin Whittenberg, Infielder, Midland High
Justin Whittenberg, a three-year letterwinner who was in his first full season at shortstop, led the Midland Bulldogs by hitting .450 with five home runs and led the team with 41 RBI. He tied for the team lead by scoring 39 runs. He also went 3-1 on the mound for Midland while recovering from injury. Whittenberg was named first team All-State THSBCA, the Texas Sports Writers Association tabbed Whittenberg as second team All-State shortstop behind another Aggie signee in Nick Papasan (Midland eliminated Papasan’s Granbury team in the playoffs) and he was honored as Academic All-State. He was named to the THSBCA North All-Star Team and he played on the champion Team Texas in the Sunbelt Tournament this year in Norman. He went 2-for-3 against first round draft pick Kyle Drabek in Midlands 5-3 loss to The Woodlands in the state semifinals. He hit two runs in the regional final showdown against El Paso Socorro to punch Midland’s ticket to the final four. He picked up the deciding win in game three of the Area playoff against Lubbock Coronado by striking out six batters in 2.1 hitless innings. He hit .441 and drove in 14 runs in district games.
That production has come to be expected from a three-year letterwinner who started his career playing right field and second base, moved to third base last season and went to short this year. Whittenberg has also been an outstanding pitcher when healthy, although a broken foot last season and shoulder surgery last summer limited him as a senior. "He's a guy who can play lots of positions," MHS coach Barry Russell said. "He plays the game hard and plays it right. He's not a real vocal guy but he leads by example."
While surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder was expected keep Whittenberg from pitching for about the first month of the season, he was still be able to play short and hit third for the Bulldogs. As a junior, he hit .467 in district last season, and as a pitcher was 2-0 while striking out 26 in 17 innings.
Two more 2006 outfield prospects:
Daman Aaron, Outfielder, Howard JC
Daman Aaron might have been overshadowed by teammate Darby Brown but his ability to play made his recruitment by the Aggie coaches a no-brainer. He hit .428-9-62, 19 SB while earning All-Conference honors at Howard Junior College. The 6-3, 205 left-handed outfielder will give the Aggies some pop from the left side of the plate as he comes in to compete for a starting job in the outfield. He was honorable mention member of the WJCAC baseball team after his freshman season as well when he hit .454-9-45 while stealing 12 bases.Named to the 2003 All-District 2-5A baseball team selected by league coaches as a pitcher while at Lubbock Monterey High. Monterey advanced to the Regional Finals his senior year. With two senior starters in front of him his senior season was his first and only as a full-time varsity starter. He recorded a 5-0 record with 42 Ks and a 1.14 ERA in 37 innings. He also started in left field and is hit .338 with 20 runs batted in the regular season. Keith McInnerney, Outfielder, North Central Texas College
This left-hand swinging, sophomore to be, outfielder hit .391-4-44 with 14 stolen bases in his only season at NCTC. He is from Elk City Oklahoma and played summer ball with the Oklahoma Travelers. Was named the “Player of the Week for the Conference” on May 1. Player of the Week: Keith McInnerney, NCTC. McInnerney, a freshman from Elk City, OK, went 8-13 (.615) with four doubles and two triples this week in non-conference play, driving in six and scoring five runs.
At Elk City High he was a four-year letterman, two times all-tournament team in Altus Tournament as well all-tournament team in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He earned All-District, Western Oklahoma All-Star and All-State Alternate after being named team MVP with a .463 batting Average. In football, he was All-District quarterback and pre-season Southwest Region Quarterback of the Year. He earned his teams Hustle Award. Off the diamond he was Salutatorian, All-Around Boy, NHS Honor Roll, National Leader of Tomorrow and Most Athletic at Elk City High.
More more recruits to look at:
Dane Carter, Infielder, Vernon JC
Infielder Dane Carter comes to Aggieland from Vernon JC and Graham High School. He is the prototype of the Aggie athlete that Childress will bring into the program in the future. He hit .451-0-28 as well as stealing 26 bases in 54 games. Carter was the starting shortstop for the Graham Roughnecks of the Texas Collegiate League. After a slow start, in June he hit .162-0-2 in his first 16 games, he was among the best hitters in the league with a .330-2-13 performance over the last 32 games. His on-base percentage was an outstanding .444 over the last 32 games. He ranked eighth in the league with 29 runs scored, tenth in the league with 17 stolen bases and tied for second with 31 walks. He was the NTJCAC Player of the Week April 17, 2006.
Texas JUCO All-Star before his sophomore season, honored after his freshman season when he was named 2005 1st Team All Conference. Player of the Week: Dane Carter, Vernon. Carter, a sophomore shortstop from Graham, went 14-27 on the week (.519) with 5 doubles, 2 stolen bases, 5 runs scored, and 6 RBIs.
His freshman and sophomore seasons were spent at Vernon College, where he received numerous honors in his college career, including offensive player of the year and MVP his sophomore year, as well as first team all-conference selections both years. He was also named to the Texas-New Mexico All-Region Team his sophomore year.
He also set five Vernon College records, including single season hits (92), career hits (180), single season batting average (.451), career batting average (.423) and single season stolen bases (26).Jason Fuqua, Pitcher Baytown SterlingA tall left-handed pitcher that endured a tough luck senior season, Fuqua earn all-district honors despite a 5-5 overall record. He started the season 0-4 but rebounded with five straight wins. Final district numbers were 5-2 with a 0.19 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched. His Sterling team won district over defending state champion Kingwood but lost in the second round of the playoffs. He was drafted in the 39th round by Colorado in this years draft. He played in the Houston Area All-Star game. Pitched with 2006 Aggie signees Clayton Ehlert and Kevin Angelle for the SE Texas Sun Devils.
Another Top Hitting Prospect in the Class of 2006
The Aggie coaches dipped into Louisiana and picked up a tremendous hitter in Evangel Academys Jeff Hulett. Hulett was name Class A Player of the Year after Evangel won the Louisiana State Championship. He played for the West team in the 2006 Louisiana High School Coaches Association All-Star baseball game. He hit 541-12-41 on the season during his senior season and he hit .373 with 31 RBIs as a junior, playing mostly catcher. He also pitched and compiled an 8-4 record with a team-best 3.35 ERA as a junior. Showing his athleticism on the football field, he lead the team in catches with 57 receptions for 922 yards, through the first five playoff games as Evangel won the state championship in football as well.
He shows tremendous power to all fields and you can see his baseball family background in his quick hitting stroke and solid mechanics. His father was former big league pitcher Tim Hulett (current head coach at Evangel) and his brothers Tug (with Auburn and now in the Texas Rangers organization) and Joe (starting catcher this past season for McNeese State) and he has learned from watching them how to play the game.
Here is a story that ran in the Shreveport Paper after he committed to A&M this past spring.
Baseball: Hulett Commits To Texas A&M
Evangel Christian Academy senior Jeff Hulett has committed to attend and play baseball for the Texas A&M Aggies. Hulett made the verbal commitment Thursday while at the Lufkin, Texas tournament.
The official signing will be around the second week of April. Aggie assistant coaches, Jeremy Talbot and Matt Deggs made the trip to Lufkin to make the offer. Hulett had made an unofficial visit in February to an A&M vs. Northwestern State game, and liked what he saw.
An All-State wide receiver on the Evangel 2005 state championship team, Hulett had offers to play football, but turned them down. Being from a baseball family with his dad and coach, Tim Hulett playing 8 years in the major leagues with the White Sox, Orioles, and Rangers. Older brothers Tug, played for Auburn and is now playing in the Texas Ranger organization while Joe is the starting catcher for the McNeese Cowboys.
Hulett considered going to a JUCO but brother Tug told him," The experience of college was the best time of my life". "He's my idol, so I listened", said Hulett. Other schools that recruited Jeff were L.S.U, Louisiana-Lafayette, Auburn, and Nebraska. By committing early Hulett said," I can now get on with helping my teammates win a state championship". " I can also get that championship ring that my brothers never did". At Evangel, Jeff's played catcher, third base, shortstop, catcher, and pitcher, but his love may not be any of these. On a recruiting visit to L.S.U, the coach asked," If you had a chance to play any one position, what would it be?" Hulett replied," I'd want to be the hitter". The Aggie coaching staff projects him to either play the infield or catcher, but what sealed the deal was "Hulett the Hitter".
2006 Recruiting Class Full of Talent
The JUCO players that Rob Childress has recruited this year will turn the baseball program around in short order. I have made several posts about the players coming in this summer but this week I will take a look at some of the new recruits that have been below the radar.
A lot negativity was brought up on message boards about the players that signed pro contracts, did not have their scholarship renewed or decided to transfer. Since the Aggie coaches will not “oversign”, the only way the coaches were going to get more players into the program was to have scholarship money come free. The Aggie coaches did not sit on that scholarship money, they went out and signed 16 players since the fall period and of those the last player brought in may play the biggest role in this team making the NCAA playoffs.
Keil Renfro, a right hand pitcher from Ennis and Texarkana Junior College, will likely be a weekend pitcher for the Aggies. The 5-11, 230 sophomore was the top pitcher for Texarkana as they made their run to the JUCO World Series in 2005. He went 8-0 with 2.58 ERA (and was 2.02 before heading to the JUCO World Series) with 95 strikeouts and 27 walks in 80.1 innings, and while those are sparking numbers, his performance in conference play was incredible. He went 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA, struck out 61 and only walked 15 in 44.1 innings pitched. He was named an All-Southeast Region performer (along with teammate Kirkland Rivers) following the season. He was a 39th round pick by the Detroit Tigers after the season. The nephew of Tigers scout Dick Egan, Renfro is described as a sinker-slider pitcher with good arm strength. He pitched three straight shutouts and had a string of 30 consecutive scoreless innings going into post-season play. He shared Pitcher of the Year honors with Angelina College sophomore Aaron Odom. Before his arm injury he was named pre-season JUCO All American for the 2006 season. He pitched this summer and decided to skip his sophomore season at Texarkana and the Aggies picked up a player that is as talented as any new recruit coming into the Big 12 this season.
He was named Class 4A All-State his senior season at Ennis High and he was a member of the DBAT select team in Dallas.
Expect Renfro to compete for a weekend starters role for the Aggies both of the next two years. He dominated the Texas JUCO league (only first round draft pick Clay Buchholz from Angelina was better in 2005). This is as important a recruit as any of the pitchers that were lost in the draft. Not one of those players (including Clayton Kershaw) would move in front of Renfro on the depth chart. He excelled at a higher level than those freshman pitchers have ever faced and that experience would be the key.
I will look at other summer recruits this week as well. A&M will have one of the top recruiting classes in the country (based on the players that actually enroll, not just draft position) and these 26 players combined with the 18 returnees has the talent level rising quickly.
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| Farmers win 2008 Fall World Series |
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(click
for complete SID release)
Senior Luke Anders hit a go-ahead, two-run
home run in the top of the eighth inning and the Farmers added a seven-run
ninth to win the decisive fifth game of the Aggie Baseball Fall World
Series, 10-2, over the Plowboys and claim the coveted Omaha Cup Wednesday
evening at Olsen Field.
With the Plowboys up 2-1 entering the
eighth, Dylan Petrich lined a single to left center field with one out to
bring Anders to the plate. The senior delivered, lining a pitch just to
the right of the batter's eye in center field for his fourth round-tripper
of the fall.
Anders' heroics and the late run surge
complemented a tremendous pitching outing by Brooks Raley. The sophomore
allowed both Plowboy runs and all of their three hits on the night in the
first inning, before retiring 20 of the next 22 batters he faced.
"Both teams poured their guts out all
fall and laid it all out on the line," Anders said. "I haven't
been part of a fall like this before. It was amazing."
"When you start talking about the
competition these two teams brought day in and day out, from August 25
until the last pitch tonight, it's very impressive," A&M coach
Rob Childress said. "There was extreme disappointment on the
Plowboys' part, and extreme joy for the Farmers, and that tells you it
meant something to them."
"It was a grind in everything they
did, and it will continue to be," Childress said. "There's a lot
of competition going on this fall, and the more you sweat and invest in
the program, the more it hurts when you lose and the more it means to you
when you win. Now that we can come together as one team, we've got a
chance to do some great things."
2008
Fall World Series Boxscore with box score notes)
2008
Fall World Series Game
Four Boxscore with box score notes)
2008
Fall World Series Game 3 Box Score with Inside the Box Score Comments
2008
Fall World Series Game 2 Box Score, including the "Inside the
Boxscore" in game updates
2008
Fall World Series Game 1 Box Score and Play by Play
2009
Previous
Story Archives (click
to read 2008 Previous Stories)
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Aggie All-American Cliff
Pennington
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| Practice
reports, short Q&A's, and other baseball updates |
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| 2008
Prospect Report |
| 11.16.08 |
| Lion's Ace Miller Signs with Texas
A&M
Major League Baseball draft could also come into play for Brownwood
senior in June
By Derrick Stuckly - Brownwood Bulletin
Published: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 8:54 AM CST
It should surprise no one who has witnessed Shelby
Miller play baseball for the Brownwood Lions that his career will
continue.
Miller officially signed a national letter of intent to
play baseball for the Texas A&M Aggies on Monday, but the June 9 Major
League Baseball amateur draft could alter those plans.
Competing at various MLB combines and camps across the
nation over the last few months, Miller's stock has skyrocketed. That
could lead to a tough decision for Miller if he is selected in the early
rounds of the draft, but he isn't planning to cross that bridge until he
gets there.
"When the draft comes around I'll take it as it
comes," Miller said. "As far as I know right now I'll be going
to college. If (the draft) is there, it's there and it will be my decision
when it gets here. It's a win-win situation. There's not a bad route, and
whatever I pick is obviously going to be what's best for me and my
family. Hopefully it all works out perfect."
Miller, a senior, has put up staggering numbers for the
Lions in his first two years on the varsity roster.
As a sophomore, Miller was 10-5 on the mound with a 2.36
ERA and 127 strikeouts and 38 walks in 86 innings. At the plate, Miller
batted .446 with four home runs, 31 RBIs, 12 doubles and 28 runs scored as
the Lions reached the regional semifinals.
Last season, Miller earned Class 4A second-team
all-state status by the Texas Sportswriters Association.
He tossed two no-hitters and a perfect game in
succession en route to finishing with an 8-2 record and a 1.11 ERA with
119 strikeouts and 30 walks in 57 innings. With the stick, Miller hit .413
with nine home runs, 32 RBIs, six doubles and 24 runs scored.
Miller's impressive high school seasons earned him
invitations to MLB combines in both California and Florida.
"It's been fun," said Miller of competing
against the top competition in the nation. "Going out to Florida and
California have been great. I've met a lot of new guys and played with
high-level competition. It's definitely not high school baseball. We're
out there with future draft picks who are going to be in Major League
Baseball."
As for his decision to sign with Texas A&M, Miller
stated he was sold on the Aggies after attending a camp this past
December.
"I went there last year and I really loved it
there," Miller said. "The coaching, the atmosphere, the crowd
and the student life there is great. Everything is perfect there for me. I
knew what I wanted when I got there."
As for the upcoming high school season, the Lions will
be competing in District 2-3A with the defending state champion Snyder
Tigers. Miller feels the Lions can not only compete for a playoff spot,
but capture the district title.
'Snyder won it all, obviously, but I seriously think
we're going to be the best team in district and go deep in the
playoffs," Miller said. "We should have a good team and we've
set our goal to win district."
As for what Miller would like to personally accomplish
this season, he pointed to continuing his development.
"I should be way better this year, maybe throwing
in the high 90s hopefully," Miller said. "I'd also like to get a
couple more no-hitters."
Hobson lived up to reputation, led Mustangs to title
BY ZACH EWING, Californian staff writer
zewing@bakersfield.com | Saturday, Jun 21 2008 10:05 PM
Last Updated: Saturday, Jun 21 2008 10:07 PM
When K.C. Hobson, son of an everyday Major League
Baseball player and manager, moved across the country to Bakersfield and
Stockdale High School, his reputation preceded him.
Stockdale's K.C. Hobson led the Mustangs to the Central
Section Division I championship. Hobson is The Califorian's All-Area
baseball player of the year.
"Greyhound's disease is when a kid gets off the bus
and loses about four inches in height and drops about 30 pounds (from an
exaggerated description)," Stockdale coach Dan Lemon said.
"K.C. definitely didn't have Greyhound's
disease."
And Hobson, who came from Nashua, N.H., was good as a
sophomore. Good enough for a .463 batting average, a 2.33 earned run
average on the mound and a Californian All-Area selection.
But, Lemon said, he also led the team in "butt-chewings"
because of some swing problems and never really got his feet completely on
the ground.
"It was a little bit of an off-year last
year," Hobson said. "... I was pressing too much, doing too
much, trying to show everybody what I can do. So this year I said, 'Forget
everyone; I'm just going to do what I know I can do.' And it worked out
for me."
Indeed it did. After a junior season in which Hobson hit
.505, more than doubled his home run total to seven, was 10-0 with a 3.03
ERA and had the game-winning hit in the Central Section Division I
championship game, he is The Californian's Baseball Player of the Year.
"One thing I have learned from being around the
game such a long time is, if you're not having fun, it's not worth
playing," Hobson said. "The night before the championship game,
I was thinking to myself, 'It's just another game.'"
That's using experience to fulfill expectations. Hobson
has both because he grew up at Fenway Park in Boston. His dad, Butch
Hobson, played for the Red Sox from 1975-80, for the California Angels in
1981 and for the New York Yankees in 1982, then managed the Red Sox from
1992-94 before moving on to minor-league ball in Scranton, Pa., and
independent-league ball in Nashua.
"Living in New Hampshire, my dad's team was right
there -- five, 10 minutes from my house," K.C. Hobson said. "So
I was there every day. I got to hit (batting practice), I was in the
locker room, in the dugout. And the atmosphere does help a lot."
Problem was, winters last long enough in New Hampshire
to cut into baseball season. High school teams typically play no more than
15 games, and being on the field year-round is impossible.
Enter Bakersfield. Hobson's mother, Christine, and Butch
moved the family to Kern County to be closer to her parents, who moved
here for real-estate business, and for baseball.
"I don't want to say baseball in New Hampshire is
not what it is in California, but that's how it is," said Butch
Hobson, who helps out on Stockdale's coaching staff and now coaches the
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the independent Atlantic League during the
summer. "These young players need to learn by playing games."
K.C. Hobson said he's better for the decision. After a
short transition period in the summer, Hobson quickly met some friends at
Stockdale during football season and is now completely at ease.
"K.C. just absolutely loves Bakersfield,"
Butch Hobson said. "He's found himself a home."
That's a home he's currently terrorizing on the diamond.
Hobson, a left-hander who can throw 90 mph or more pitching, maintains
he's a doubles hitter and first baseman by trade.
"He's a doubles hitter, but every now and then, he
will just powder one," Stockdale assistant Greg Showers said.
"Last year at Clovis, there was a track meet going on. They were
getting ready to start an event, and K.C. gets a hold of one and the ball
lands on the track and stopped the track meet."
He hit another tape-measure shot in the first inning of
the section championship game, a come-from-behind 7-6 victory for
Stockdale that Hobson ended in the eighth inning with a single almost to
the wall in right field.
"As soon as football ended, I got in the (batting)
cage," Hobson said. "The main thing was to be the best hitter I
could be and help my team win a lot of games."
Now there are no limits. K.C. Hobson is spending the
summer traveling to different showcase events, will return to Stockdale
next year and then anticipate a high MLB Draft selection.
"He's much better than me," Butch Hobson said.
"He's much stronger, and as he matures, he learns to be more patient.
But he's way ahead of where I was (at his age)."
This, no doubt, is one reputation you can consider
well-earned.
more in our archives>>
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Recruit profiles, rankings, season updates, leanings, visits, and commitments |
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| 2009
Baseball Commitments |
| 11.17.08 |
| 2008-09 TEXAS
A&M BASEBALL SIGNING CLASS
Name Pos. Yr-Exp. Ht. Wt. B/T Hometown (High School/College)
Jake Feckley RHP Fr-HS 5-10 180 R/R Wylie, Texas (Wylie)
Todd Glaesmann OF Fr-HS 6-4 200 R/R Waco, Texas (Midway)
K.C. Hobson 1B/LHP Fr-HS 6-3 210 L/L Bakersfield, Calif. (Stockdale)
Mason Leavitt LHP Fr-HS 6-0 160 L/L Frisco, Texas (Legacy Christian
Academy)
Kyle Martin RHP Fr-HS 6-7 185 R/R Austin, Texas (St. Michael's Academy)
Dylan Mendoza LHP/OF Fr-HS 5-10 170 L/L Austin, Texas (Lake Travis)
Shelby Miller INF/RHP Fr-HS 6-1 180 R/R Brownwood, Texas (Brownwood)
Cody Rogers OF Jr-TR 6-2 175 L/R Hallsville, Texas (Hallsville/Panola
College)
Michael Wacha RHP Fr-HS 6-5 195 R/R Texarkana, Texas (Pleasant Grove)
Brandon Wood OF/RHP Fr-HS 6-4 190 R/R Fort Bend, Texas (Clements)
Texas
A&M Press Release on Aggie Fall Signees
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Opening Day 2009 Countdown!
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