The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Baseball Preview -- Starting Pitchers
2/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 16, 2006
The following is the sixth and final in a series of bi-weekly stories on UABSports.com examining the 2006 Blazers, position by position. Each Tuesday and Thursday until the first game of the season February 17, we'll preview a different position. Today: Starting Pitchers.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Ask the Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Florida Marlins, Anaheim Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks how to win a championship. They will tell you two words. Starting pitching.
Graduated from 2005 are 24 wins and over 320 innings pitched as this year's squad will look to eight newcomers and nine returnees to lead the Blazers to postseason play. After a fall that saw those pitchers battling for spots in the starting rotation, four have emerged ready to take the ball for head coach Larry Giangrosso.
"We're really excited about our pitching staff," said Giangrosso. "We've got several guys who have pitched and have some experience within the league. We feel like we've got some good, young arms that can help us and give us a lot of depth. How quickly they develop will be key. I know they will develop, but we will have to see how long it will take them. We are confident that we have four or five quality starters."
The honor of establishing UAB in the early going will go to sophomore Heath Tapscott. The native of Hartselle, Ala. carried over a storied prep career into a solid freshman season for the Blazers, throwing 51 innings in his debut. He made nine starts, collecting a 3-3 record on the year. Tapscott showed the ability to keep the ball in the park, allowing just one home run all season.
His best outing of the year saw him allow just three hits in a career-high 7.2 innings in UAB's 3-0 shutout victory at Georgia State. Tapscott mixes in a plus slider to go with a fastball that sits at 88-91 mph range with good sinking action. Fresh off a strong fall that saw him work on better location and keeping his pitch count down, expect a big 2006 for Tapscott. "He has really worked hard to learn how to finish games. He is a very athletic player who has all the tools to be a solid pitcher," said Giangrosso.
Lyle Northington has had an up and down career for UAB during his first three seasons, but 2006 appears to have his star shining as bright as it ever has. The definition of a crafty left hander, Northington has valuable experience to go with good command and a innate ability to set up hitters. He went 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in three games out of the bullpen last season, and picked up the victory with 1.1 shutout innings of relief against Florida A&M March 2.
The Detroit, Ala., product will move into the starting rotation for Giangrosso this season, and the coaching staff expects a big year from their senior southpaw. "He is one of our two left-handers, so we will be counting on him," said Giangrosso. "He had an outstanding fall, and he is going to win some ballgames for us this year."
A junior and sophomore round out the season's early starters for Giangrosso, as Grant Addison and Jim Crew add to a Blazers' rotation that features youth and talent.
Addison wasted little time adjusting to collegiate baseball, logging 33 innings as a freshman a year ago. He started five games on the season, with four of those starts coming against C-USA opponents. The Winfield, Ala., native has proved him self a big-game pitcher, as he started and allowed just one earned run on five hits while striking out a career-high five batters in five innings at No. 12 Alabama.
With 14 career starts under his belt, Addison's numbers are sure to improve as he continues to gain experience and confidence. The ability is there, as he features a solid fastball with a dominating split fingered fastball he can use to finish out hitters. After a promising fall season, expect the third year product to improve his numbers across the board. "Grant's in his third year with us. We expect him to start and win some big ballgames for us this season," said Giangrosso.
Crew will take on the task of the Sunday starter this week against Ball State, and the sophomore is primed to build on a freshman campaign that saw him appear in 10 games for the Blazers. In just over 18 innings on the hill, he finished the season with a 4.91 ERA. The hometown hurler struck out 14 batters, and recorded consecutive one-inning scoreless relief appearances at Samford (April 20) and against Charlotte (April 29).
A durable arm, look for Crew's strong mental approach to allow him to make the transition from middle relief to starting successful. The Birmingham, Ala., native has a full repertoire at his disposal, and his ability to mix speeds and keep hitters off-balance should see him improve on his numbers for a year ago. "He really worked hard on his third pitch this year. He is now a complete pitcher who can help us in a starting role," said Giangrosso.
