Three years of free tickets and a family connection wasn’t enough to compel Matt Harvey to so much as consider going to Connecticut. Harvey was the top prep prospect in the class of 2007. He played for Fitch High in Groton, Conn., less than 50 miles south of UConn’s campus in Storrs. He was coached by his father Ed, a member of the Huskies’ 1972 College World Series team.
Still, UConn coach Jim Penders couldn’t get a sit-down with Harvey, and when Harvey’s draft stock fell, he left the Nutmeg State for North Carolina, where he went on to become a first-rounder in 2010.
“Today, I think we’d have a good chance at Matt Harvey,” Penders said.
Rightfully so. Penders has led the Huskies to each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, most recently a decisive third game in the Palo Alto Super Regional that could have culminated in UConn’s first CWS trip since 1979. Instead, the Huskies settled for the program’s first 50-win season and back-to-back Big East Conference regular season and tournament championships.
A program that finished better than sixth in its conference only once in the first six years of Penders’ tenure is now a heavy favorite to make it five straight trips to a regional and not an outlandish pick for Omaha. It got there by treating its supposed disadvantages as advantages. Chief among them was geography.
“Geography, we’ve always been told that it’s a disadvantage for us. I’ve always disputed that and just will not accept it,” Penders said. “We live in the greatest part of the country.
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Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
