By Nick Brockman, Messenger Staff Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com
The Tradewater Pirates pitching staff continued to take shape with the club's latest addition of three hurlers this week.
Tradewater's most recent announcement pushed its roster size to 16 players with a maximum of eight more places to fill.
Ryan Tabor and Shane Waller headline the newest group to join the Pirate squad. Tabor, a junior, and Waller, a sophomore, each bring experience to an otherwise young Tradewater team.
Assistant coach Brad Cowan will assume pitching responsibilities of the bullpen for the upcoming season and said it's pivotal to have a couple seasoned arms on the staff.
"We like to have young guys because they're eager to win and they want to learn, but at the same time you have to have some of that veteran leadership too," Cowan said.
"A lot of these guys by the time they get to us, they're coming off their first (collegiate) season, whether they played in the season or redshirted, they're still young to it. These (older) guys can voice things to the other guys that may be different, like maybe something they learned from their own pitching coach."
Tabor, a reliever from the Georgia College and State University, will enter the 2009 collegiate season after redshirting the previous year. In 2007, the 6-1, 195-pound left-handed Tabor made 15 appearances and posted a 2-0 record with a 3.19 earned run average. During his 36.2 innings on the mound, Tabor struck out 20 batters.
Tradewater's most recent announcement pushed its roster size to 16 players with a maximum of eight more places to fill.
Ryan Tabor and Shane Waller headline the newest group to join the Pirate squad. Tabor, a junior, and Waller, a sophomore, each bring experience to an otherwise young Tradewater team.
Assistant coach Brad Cowan will assume pitching responsibilities of the bullpen for the upcoming season and said it's pivotal to have a couple seasoned arms on the staff.
"We like to have young guys because they're eager to win and they want to learn, but at the same time you have to have some of that veteran leadership too," Cowan said.
"A lot of these guys by the time they get to us, they're coming off their first (collegiate) season, whether they played in the season or redshirted, they're still young to it. These (older) guys can voice things to the other guys that may be different, like maybe something they learned from their own pitching coach."
Tabor, a reliever from the Georgia College and State University, will enter the 2009 collegiate season after redshirting the previous year. In 2007, the 6-1, 195-pound left-handed Tabor made 15 appearances and posted a 2-0 record with a 3.19 earned run average. During his 36.2 innings on the mound, Tabor struck out 20 batters.
With Tabor's addition, the Pirates currently boast two left-handed pitchers, something Cowan said he appreciates greatly since he was also a lefty in his playing days.
"I love having left-handers," he said. "They're hard to come by, hard to get. I feel very fortunate to have the ones we have."
Cowan also said Tabor brings solid summer ball experience to the team after previously playing in Virginia's famed Shenandoah Valley League.
"His coach told me he's going to the their No. 1 guy out of the pen," Cowan said. "He's a mid-to-upper 80s guy who played in the Valley League a couple years ago.
"He's got some experience in the Valley, which is a little bit older league. He's going to be a good guy for us. He's a junior and he's played summer ball before, so he's going to be a good addition."
Waller, a 6-0, 190 pound pitcher, will also provide leadership from a starting role. After beginning his college career at the University of North Florida, Waller transferred to Northwest Florida Community College.
Cowan said he has not met the right-handed Waller, but his reputation precedes him.
"He's a strike-thrower, I can tell you that much," Cowan said. "He goes after guys and that's what I want, especially with it being a wood-bat league. We have the ability to pitch in on these guys a lot."
Reliever Christian Stutts rounds out Tradewater's group of most recently signed pitchers. Stutts graduated from South Aiken High School (SC) and will enter his freshman season at the University of South Carolina-Aiken this spring.
Cowan pitched during his college career at Aiken and said he has a solid relationship still in place with his former coaches, which led to Tabor's signing.
"Me and the pitching coach over there talk on a regular basis and he's a good kid," Cowan said. "He was a catcher and they converted him to a pitcher because he's got a good arm. I think that will help him a lot too because he's going to be a smarter pitcher because of the fact he was a catcher at one time."
Stutts has a 6-0, 230 pound frame and uses an 86-88 mile per hour fastball with a good slider, Cowan said.
"I love having left-handers," he said. "They're hard to come by, hard to get. I feel very fortunate to have the ones we have."
Cowan also said Tabor brings solid summer ball experience to the team after previously playing in Virginia's famed Shenandoah Valley League.
"His coach told me he's going to the their No. 1 guy out of the pen," Cowan said. "He's a mid-to-upper 80s guy who played in the Valley League a couple years ago.
"He's got some experience in the Valley, which is a little bit older league. He's going to be a good guy for us. He's a junior and he's played summer ball before, so he's going to be a good addition."
Waller, a 6-0, 190 pound pitcher, will also provide leadership from a starting role. After beginning his college career at the University of North Florida, Waller transferred to Northwest Florida Community College.
Cowan said he has not met the right-handed Waller, but his reputation precedes him.
"He's a strike-thrower, I can tell you that much," Cowan said. "He goes after guys and that's what I want, especially with it being a wood-bat league. We have the ability to pitch in on these guys a lot."
Reliever Christian Stutts rounds out Tradewater's group of most recently signed pitchers. Stutts graduated from South Aiken High School (SC) and will enter his freshman season at the University of South Carolina-Aiken this spring.
Cowan pitched during his college career at Aiken and said he has a solid relationship still in place with his former coaches, which led to Tabor's signing.
"Me and the pitching coach over there talk on a regular basis and he's a good kid," Cowan said. "He was a catcher and they converted him to a pitcher because he's got a good arm. I think that will help him a lot too because he's going to be a smarter pitcher because of the fact he was a catcher at one time."
Stutts has a 6-0, 230 pound frame and uses an 86-88 mile per hour fastball with a good slider, Cowan said.
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