9/10/2008 11:19:30 AM | Baseball
ESPN and Baseball America both have named Jacksonville State pitcher Ben Tootle as one of the top prospects in the country and is projected as a first-round draft pick in 2009.
Baseball America named Tootle as the fourth-best prospect from this summer's Cape Cod League, while ESPN's Keith Law has named the Gamecock pitching ace as the 13th best prospect in the country for the 2009 season.
Tootle, a junior from Oxford, helped Jacksonville State to the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season Championship with a Conference-record 23-4 mark.
The 6-foot-1, right hander was a relief pitcher for Falmouth this summer and was selected to the Cape Cod All-Star Team after posting a 1.97 earned run average in 22 appearances. He finished with a 3-3 overall record with five saves.
“He had easy velocity and the best slider in the league,” Falmouth manager Jeff Trundy said.
Tootle, who throws his fastball from 94 to 98 miles an hour, dominated Cape hitters and was the most consistent pitcher in the league, according to several scouts and managers.
“Ben had an outstanding season on the mound for us a sophomore and was one of the reasons we won the Ohio Valley Conference,” said JSU head coach Jim Case. “He worked really hard and had a terrific summer in the Cape Cod League and we're excited about his junior season here at JSU.”
Tootle was named first-team All-OVC after leading the conference with an impressive 10-2 record with two shutouts. He finished the season with 79 strikeouts, which was the second most in the OVC, and had a 3.87 earned run average. He was named OVC Pitcher of the Week three times during the season after going a perfect 8-0 against conference members.
BASEBALL AMERICA CAPE COD TOP 30 PROSPECTS
ESPN's TOP PROSPECTS FOR 2009
Baseball America named Tootle as the fourth-best prospect from this summer's Cape Cod League, while ESPN's Keith Law has named the Gamecock pitching ace as the 13th best prospect in the country for the 2009 season.
Tootle, a junior from Oxford, helped Jacksonville State to the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season Championship with a Conference-record 23-4 mark.
The 6-foot-1, right hander was a relief pitcher for Falmouth this summer and was selected to the Cape Cod All-Star Team after posting a 1.97 earned run average in 22 appearances. He finished with a 3-3 overall record with five saves.
“He had easy velocity and the best slider in the league,” Falmouth manager Jeff Trundy said.
Tootle, who throws his fastball from 94 to 98 miles an hour, dominated Cape hitters and was the most consistent pitcher in the league, according to several scouts and managers.
“Ben had an outstanding season on the mound for us a sophomore and was one of the reasons we won the Ohio Valley Conference,” said JSU head coach Jim Case. “He worked really hard and had a terrific summer in the Cape Cod League and we're excited about his junior season here at JSU.”
Tootle was named first-team All-OVC after leading the conference with an impressive 10-2 record with two shutouts. He finished the season with 79 strikeouts, which was the second most in the OVC, and had a 3.87 earned run average. He was named OVC Pitcher of the Week three times during the season after going a perfect 8-0 against conference members.
BASEBALL AMERICA CAPE COD TOP 30 PROSPECTS
ESPN's TOP PROSPECTS FOR 2009
Wednesday, May 13
Sunday, May 10
Sunday, April 26
Saturday, April 25
