How the UConn baseball program became an unlikely professional pitching powerhouse (Courant>McFarland)

[huskymedic]

How the UConn baseball program became an unlikely professional pitching powerhouse

At the end of Jim Calhoun Way on the campus of UConn — just a few hundred yards from Gampel Pavilion, where so many figures from modern basketball lore earned their stripes — is a venue…

www.courant.com

>>Over the past decade, UConn baseball has been as successful at recruiting, developing and sending pitchers to the pros as any other program. Since 2011, UConn has had two pitchers picked in the first round of the MLB Draft — Matt Barnes (2011) and Anthony Kay (2016). Had he not missed much of his junior season with an arm injury, Tim Cate likely would have joined that list last year, too. He had to settle for the second round to Washington. The team’s current ace Mason Feole and hard-throwing closer Jacob Wallace could be next to go high.

Beyond the top-of-the-draft guys, UConn has had later-round arms find success in the pros, too. Scott Oberg is one of the Colorado Rockies’ most reliable relievers. P.J. Poulin (11th round, Rockies), John Russell (16th round, Giants), Wills Montgomerie (sixth round, Dodgers) and Patrick Ruotolo (27th round, Giants) are starting to rise up in their respective organizations.<<

>>One scout thinks that toughness is what stands out most about UConn pitchers. They’re high-character guys, and they aren’t afraid of anything.

“They’re going to compete,” the scout said.
“There’s no quit, they play hard, there’s no arrogance. I deal with a lot of schools. Some schools, the players have a sense of entitlement."

He added, “Other coaches have told me, if they hear UConn is on a kid, they’re going to do a double take.”<<

 

[Guapo]

Amazing!

 

[huskymedic]

UConn Insider Podcast: The UConn baseball team continues to produce big league arms. So what’s the secret? The Courant’s Shawn McFarland made his UConn Insider podcast debut alongside Dom Amore to break down the Huskies’ success at priming pitchers for professional careers despite a number of obstacles.