Post by The Cats on Dec 22, 2012 8:28:43 GMT -5
It's 55 days until first pitch at Hennon Stadium against Washington State.
While we're waiting, let's get to know this year's team.
Starting with the seniors.
#30 Preston Hatcher
Class: Senior
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
High School: Roswell HS
Height / Weight: 6-2 / 210
Position: RHP
B/T: R/R
2012 (Junior): Made a team-high 29 appearances out of the WCU bullpen as the closer, tossing 52.0 innings to rank fourth on the squad ... Finished with a 1.73 ERA on the year, only allowing 18 runs - 10 of which were earned ... Seven of the 42 hits he allowed went for extra bases ... Recorded 55 strikeouts on the year, tallying at least one punch-out in all but three outings (26-of-29) and three-or-more K's nine times ... Worked 60 ground ball outs and 27 fly outs ... Matched the team-high with six wins, finishing 6-2 with a career-best 10 saves ... His 10 saves ranked him tied for second in the WCU single-season record books ... Named to the first team All-Southern Conference as a relief pitcher by both the league's head coaches and voting media ... Was additionally selected second team All-SoCon as a reliever by College Sports Madness ... Named to the 2012 University Division All-State Baseball Team by the Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) ... Earned the first victory of the season in the opener against Fordham (February 17), throwing the final two innings in a 9-8 win ... Later on opening day, picked up his first save against the Rams, striking out one in an inning and a third of two-hit, one-run relief in the 12-9 win ... Tallied the save against No. 8 Georgia (February 29), fanning two in an 1.2 innings of hitless, scoreless relief ... Struck out a season-high five in a long of five innings of work against UNC Greensboro (March 24) to score his fourth victory of the season ... In late April, was among 45 pitchers named to the official watch list for the 2012 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award ... Earned the win over No. 24 Appalachian State (May 17) for his sixth seasonal tally, tossing 2.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts against the Mountaineers ... Suffered the loss in two of the final three games of the year including the finale in the conference tournament against eighth-seeded Furman (May 24); Summer League: Played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summer of 2012 ... Joined the squad later in the summer ... Made 14 relief appearances, tossing 15.0 innings with a 3.00 ERA and an 0-1 record ... Struck out 18 batters against eight walks on the summer.
2011 (Sophomore): Appeared in 13 games on the season making four starts on the mound with a 2-2 record ... Allowed 37 runs, only 29 of which were earned with a 7.15 ERA ... Opponents recorded a .291 batting average against ... Struck out 17 batters while issuing 23 walks on the year ... Just 10 of the 37 hits he allowed on the year went for extra bases ... Earned the starting nod on Sunday of the season-opening series against Morehead State (February 2) ... Took his first loss of the season in relief at Eastern Kentucky (March 1) after giving up two runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts ... Scored his first win of the year with five strong scoreless, three-hit innings against High Point (March 29) ... It was his second victory over HPU in his first two seasons ... Struck out a season-high four in three and two-thirds innings relief against Georgia Southern (April 16).
2010 (Freshman): Pitched in 13 games including five starts on the season, tossing 22.1 innings with 12 strikeouts against 20 walks with an 8.06 ERA and 1-2 record ... Tossed two thirds of an inning in relief in the 14-11 road win over Georgia Southern, entering the game after an injury to Daniel Ottone ... Earned his first career start against UNC Greensboro, throwing three and a third and suffering his first collegiate defeat ... Garnered his first college victory at High Point, throwing five and a third against the potent Panther offense, limiting HPU to five runs - only one of which was earned - on five hits ... Started against OVC Champion, Tennessee Tech, striking out a career-high six in four innings but suffered the road loss ... Only eight of the 27 hits allowed on the season went for extra bases, holding foes to a .287 seasonal batting average ... WCU won nine of the 13 games in which he pitched ... Pitched for the Atlanta Astros of the Sunbelt Summer League.
High School: Spent four years as a varsity pitcher at Roswell High School in Roswell, Ga. ... Held a 2.50 ERA with a 6-1 record during his senior season ... Threw a career-high 62 strikeouts during his junior campaign, adding 50 during his senior year ... Earned All-Southeastern honors from Rawlings and Perfect Game ... Named a Rawlings All-American Honorable Mention.
Personal: Full name is Preston James Hatcher ... Son of Thomas and Sharon Hatcher.
Courtesy WCU Sports Information
While we're waiting, let's get to know this year's team.
Starting with the seniors.
#30 Preston Hatcher
Class: Senior
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
High School: Roswell HS
Height / Weight: 6-2 / 210
Position: RHP
B/T: R/R
2012 (Junior): Made a team-high 29 appearances out of the WCU bullpen as the closer, tossing 52.0 innings to rank fourth on the squad ... Finished with a 1.73 ERA on the year, only allowing 18 runs - 10 of which were earned ... Seven of the 42 hits he allowed went for extra bases ... Recorded 55 strikeouts on the year, tallying at least one punch-out in all but three outings (26-of-29) and three-or-more K's nine times ... Worked 60 ground ball outs and 27 fly outs ... Matched the team-high with six wins, finishing 6-2 with a career-best 10 saves ... His 10 saves ranked him tied for second in the WCU single-season record books ... Named to the first team All-Southern Conference as a relief pitcher by both the league's head coaches and voting media ... Was additionally selected second team All-SoCon as a reliever by College Sports Madness ... Named to the 2012 University Division All-State Baseball Team by the Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) ... Earned the first victory of the season in the opener against Fordham (February 17), throwing the final two innings in a 9-8 win ... Later on opening day, picked up his first save against the Rams, striking out one in an inning and a third of two-hit, one-run relief in the 12-9 win ... Tallied the save against No. 8 Georgia (February 29), fanning two in an 1.2 innings of hitless, scoreless relief ... Struck out a season-high five in a long of five innings of work against UNC Greensboro (March 24) to score his fourth victory of the season ... In late April, was among 45 pitchers named to the official watch list for the 2012 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award ... Earned the win over No. 24 Appalachian State (May 17) for his sixth seasonal tally, tossing 2.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts against the Mountaineers ... Suffered the loss in two of the final three games of the year including the finale in the conference tournament against eighth-seeded Furman (May 24); Summer League: Played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod Baseball League during the summer of 2012 ... Joined the squad later in the summer ... Made 14 relief appearances, tossing 15.0 innings with a 3.00 ERA and an 0-1 record ... Struck out 18 batters against eight walks on the summer.
2011 (Sophomore): Appeared in 13 games on the season making four starts on the mound with a 2-2 record ... Allowed 37 runs, only 29 of which were earned with a 7.15 ERA ... Opponents recorded a .291 batting average against ... Struck out 17 batters while issuing 23 walks on the year ... Just 10 of the 37 hits he allowed on the year went for extra bases ... Earned the starting nod on Sunday of the season-opening series against Morehead State (February 2) ... Took his first loss of the season in relief at Eastern Kentucky (March 1) after giving up two runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts ... Scored his first win of the year with five strong scoreless, three-hit innings against High Point (March 29) ... It was his second victory over HPU in his first two seasons ... Struck out a season-high four in three and two-thirds innings relief against Georgia Southern (April 16).
2010 (Freshman): Pitched in 13 games including five starts on the season, tossing 22.1 innings with 12 strikeouts against 20 walks with an 8.06 ERA and 1-2 record ... Tossed two thirds of an inning in relief in the 14-11 road win over Georgia Southern, entering the game after an injury to Daniel Ottone ... Earned his first career start against UNC Greensboro, throwing three and a third and suffering his first collegiate defeat ... Garnered his first college victory at High Point, throwing five and a third against the potent Panther offense, limiting HPU to five runs - only one of which was earned - on five hits ... Started against OVC Champion, Tennessee Tech, striking out a career-high six in four innings but suffered the road loss ... Only eight of the 27 hits allowed on the season went for extra bases, holding foes to a .287 seasonal batting average ... WCU won nine of the 13 games in which he pitched ... Pitched for the Atlanta Astros of the Sunbelt Summer League.
High School: Spent four years as a varsity pitcher at Roswell High School in Roswell, Ga. ... Held a 2.50 ERA with a 6-1 record during his senior season ... Threw a career-high 62 strikeouts during his junior campaign, adding 50 during his senior year ... Earned All-Southeastern honors from Rawlings and Perfect Game ... Named a Rawlings All-American Honorable Mention.
Personal: Full name is Preston James Hatcher ... Son of Thomas and Sharon Hatcher.
Courtesy WCU Sports Information
