| 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.
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