Post by The Cats on Dec 23, 2012 12:52:37 GMT -5
It's 54 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.
#32 Hunter Brister
Class: Senior
Hometown: Pleasant Grove, Ala.
High School: Pleasant Grove HS
Last College: Gadsden State
Height / Weight: 6-0 / 190
Position: LHP
B/T: L/L
2012 (Junior): Used primarily as a left-handed specialist, made 26 appearances on the season to rank third on the WCU pitching staff, officially tossing just 11.1 innings with a 6.35 ERA ... Recorded 11 strikeouts against six walks, fanning two batters three times ... Made his Catamount debut in the second game of the season against Fordham (February 18) ... Held the opposition scoreless in 18 of his appearances with 14 hitless outings ... Four of the 17 hits he allowed on the season went for extra bases; Summer League: Started the summer with the Smokey Mountain Big Train in the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League ... Left the Tennessee Big Train to join Rockbridge in the Valley League ... Three of his four appearances with Tennessee were starts, posting a 2-1 record ... With the Rapids, made six relief appearances for a combined 4.2 innings ... Finished with a 13.50 ERA, allowing seven runs on seven hits, only one for extra bases ... Struck out three against four walks.
Prior to Western Carolina: At Gadsden State: Posted an 8-7 overall record with one save for head coach Josh Johnson ... Tossed a combined 118 innings with 86 strikeouts against 44 walks in this freshman and sophomore seasons ... Was a part of a 32-9 region champion squad in 2010 and a 2011 team that finished 30-11, again winning the region championship ... During the summer prior to enrolling at WCU, posted a 5-2 record with a 2.25 ERA for the Smoky Mountain Big Train squad in the Carolina-Virginia League; In High School: Recorded a 13-4 overall record and one save in his final two seasons as a prep, tossing 88.1 innings with 76 strikeouts against 23 walks ... Was named the West region Pitcher of the Year and was first team All-State.
Personal: Full name is Garrett Hunter Brister ... Is the son of Rusty and Danata Brister ... Was born in Birmingham, Ala.
Note: Brister assisted neighbors in his hometown of Pleasant Grove, Ala., following a series of devastating tornadoes on April 27, 2011. Brister drove to nearby Hueytown and walked more than three miles to reach his home. "It was like a war zone," Brister told the Asheville Citizen-Times. "Everything was completely torn apart." To remember the event, he writes the numbers "427" in the mound each time he pitches ... His story was named a finalist for the Tom Walter College Baseball Inspiration Award ... The Tom Walter College Baseball Inspiration Award recognizes examples of inspiration in baseball at the collegiate level and is named for Tom Walter, the head coach at Wake Forest who donated a kidney to freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan prior to the 2011 season.
Courtesy WCU Sports Information
While we're waiting, let's get to know this year's team.
Starting with the seniors.
#32 Hunter Brister
Class: Senior
Hometown: Pleasant Grove, Ala.
High School: Pleasant Grove HS
Last College: Gadsden State
Height / Weight: 6-0 / 190
Position: LHP
B/T: L/L
2012 (Junior): Used primarily as a left-handed specialist, made 26 appearances on the season to rank third on the WCU pitching staff, officially tossing just 11.1 innings with a 6.35 ERA ... Recorded 11 strikeouts against six walks, fanning two batters three times ... Made his Catamount debut in the second game of the season against Fordham (February 18) ... Held the opposition scoreless in 18 of his appearances with 14 hitless outings ... Four of the 17 hits he allowed on the season went for extra bases; Summer League: Started the summer with the Smokey Mountain Big Train in the Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League ... Left the Tennessee Big Train to join Rockbridge in the Valley League ... Three of his four appearances with Tennessee were starts, posting a 2-1 record ... With the Rapids, made six relief appearances for a combined 4.2 innings ... Finished with a 13.50 ERA, allowing seven runs on seven hits, only one for extra bases ... Struck out three against four walks.
Prior to Western Carolina: At Gadsden State: Posted an 8-7 overall record with one save for head coach Josh Johnson ... Tossed a combined 118 innings with 86 strikeouts against 44 walks in this freshman and sophomore seasons ... Was a part of a 32-9 region champion squad in 2010 and a 2011 team that finished 30-11, again winning the region championship ... During the summer prior to enrolling at WCU, posted a 5-2 record with a 2.25 ERA for the Smoky Mountain Big Train squad in the Carolina-Virginia League; In High School: Recorded a 13-4 overall record and one save in his final two seasons as a prep, tossing 88.1 innings with 76 strikeouts against 23 walks ... Was named the West region Pitcher of the Year and was first team All-State.
Personal: Full name is Garrett Hunter Brister ... Is the son of Rusty and Danata Brister ... Was born in Birmingham, Ala.
Note: Brister assisted neighbors in his hometown of Pleasant Grove, Ala., following a series of devastating tornadoes on April 27, 2011. Brister drove to nearby Hueytown and walked more than three miles to reach his home. "It was like a war zone," Brister told the Asheville Citizen-Times. "Everything was completely torn apart." To remember the event, he writes the numbers "427" in the mound each time he pitches ... His story was named a finalist for the Tom Walter College Baseball Inspiration Award ... The Tom Walter College Baseball Inspiration Award recognizes examples of inspiration in baseball at the collegiate level and is named for Tom Walter, the head coach at Wake Forest who donated a kidney to freshman outfielder Kevin Jordan prior to the 2011 season.
Courtesy WCU Sports Information