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Summer's Incoming Class of Kettleers May Be One of the Best
Freshman
Wieters Leads Way with Banner Spring
April
10, 2005
COTUIT,
MA — Georgia Tech freshman Matt Wieters has literally done
it all this spring for the 25-7 Ramblin' Wreck.
Twice already named the ACC Player of the Week
through April 9, Wieters was highlighted in Sports Illustrated's
"Faces in the Crowd," in last week's edition, and has
done everything from being ranked second on the team in hitting
with a .423 average, 4 home runs and 32 RBI in 27 games, to tossing
3.2 innings of 1-hit relief, to stepping behind the plate as catcher.
Although he has yet to attempt a stolen base
this season -- one of the trademark statistics coveted by Kettleers'
field manager Mike Roberts -- it may matter little as Wieters' bat
has provided an unexpected punch to the Georgia Tech lineup -- the
freshman catcher has started 27 out of 28 games played this spring,
leads the team in putouts and is averaging almost two hits per game,
including a pair of hits yesterday in a 12-9 loss to Winthrop.
Further South, South Florida righty Casey Hudspeth
-- a second-year Kettleer coming into this summer -- has been busy
shutting down he opposition with a 6-1 record and 59 strikeouts
in just 57.1 innings pitched. What may be most telling about this
hard-throwing sophomore is his pinpoint control -- he has walked
just 13 batters this spring.
Of equal note is a pair of LSU up-and-coming
players who will don the maroon and white of Cotuit this summer:
southpaw Clay Dirks and freshman shortstop Mike Hollander who has
earned himself and almost unprecedented starting role this spring
in perhaps the most critical infield position for the Tigers.
Dirks, a lefthander, has the best win-loss record
for LSU this spring at 7-1. He is sporting a team third-best 3.16
earned run average and has 35 strikeouts in 51.1 innings of work.
Hollander is batting .277 thus far this season
with one home run and 10 RBI and is 2-2 in stolen base attempts.
--
Sean Walsh/Cotuit Athletic Association
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2005
