Next in Line
May 01, 2008 03:54 PM | General
May 1, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – During the past 15 years there have been many productive catchers working behind the plate at Hawley Field.
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| Freshman Tobias Streich looks to be the next in a long line of outstanding catchers at West Virginia.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
Jason Frushour was an outstanding and well-rounded catcher for the Mountaineers during the mid-90s. He was one of the leaders on the 1996 team that won the Big East tournament, serving as the team’s No. 3 hitter and throwing out runners with great proficiency.
Brad Elwood replaced him in 1997 and 1998, and had an outstanding career for the Gold and Blue before being selected in the 19th round of the 1998 draft by the New York Yankees.
Josh Cisneros came from California to catch for the Mountaineers, transferring from Long Beach City College and having two solid seasons as a great catch-and-throw guy and a solid hitter in 2000 and 2001 before being selected in the 23rd round by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Travis D’Amico starred behind the plate in Morgantown in 2002 and 2003, becoming the first catcher to start as a freshman before an injury late in his career ruined his chances for professional baseball.
More recently, David Carpenter gunned down runners with great regularity while also providing a capable bat in the Mountaineer lineup. He was selected first-team all-Big East before being taken in the 12th round of the draft by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.
If you’ve been paying attention, then you have noticed that the next great catcher has arrived at West Virginia in the form of true freshman Tobias Streich. The Johnsonburg, Pa., native has started 41 games for West Virginia behind the plate, becoming the first freshman since D’Amico to do that.
“I think he’s done a tremendous job,” West Virginia Coach Greg Van Zant said. “The hardest position to start at as a freshman is catcher because you have to learn the pitching staff and learn how to call a game for each pitcher. He’s jumped in and done a nice job.”
Streich came to West Virginia after an accomplished high school career in which he was named to the Louisville Slugger, Under Armour and Rawlings All-American teams his senior year at Johnsonburg High. He also participated in the Cape Cod High School Classic and East Coast Showcase, becoming one of only three players to ever compete in the showcase in both his junior and senior years.
Streich is perhaps the most heralded catcher to ever attend WVU, being selected in the 26th round by the Oakland Athletics and then turning down scholarship offers from traditional baseball powers South Carolina, Clemson and Oklahoma State.
“I see a lot of catchers in the summer and I thought he was as good as any catcher east of the Mississippi that I saw,” Van Zant said. “There were two or three other guys in his class that were really outstanding but he is the cream of the crop.”
Streich is well aware of the West Virginia’s ability to produce top-flight catchers and that legacy influenced his college choice.
“That made the decision to come here a lot easier because Coach (Patrick) Sherald does a great job with the catchers and they have had great catchers here year-in and year-out,” Streich said. “I’m just proud to be the next one in line.”
Streich has had a successful transition to college behind the plate, sporting a perfect fielding percentage while throwing out 18 of 33 would-be base stealers.
“He receives well. His blocking has gotten way better. He’s really cut down on the amount of balls getting past him the last three weeks,” Van Zant said. “He’s got a tremendous arm and a really good sense of the game which is a testament to his coaching at lower levels.”
The adjustment hasn’t been without challenges. Other than the obvious speed of the game and the adjustment from high school to college pitching, Streich says the grind of catching more than 50 games is starting to catch up with him.
“In high school we played about 20 games last year. It’s tough on your legs, it really is. I’m not fast as it is but when I run you can really tell now that I’m even slower than I usually am,” Streich said with a laugh. “My legs are tired but once the game starts the adrenaline gets going and it feels like the first day of the year.”
One of the things that can help with that is a commitment to physical conditioning, something that Van Zant says Streich has improved by leaps and bounds since he set foot on the WVU campus.
“He’s gotten in such great physical condition since he’s been here and a year from now he’ll be in even better physical shape,” Streich said. “The stronger he gets, the better he’s going to be.”
Streich is also still developing as a hitter. While a .275 batting average is nothing to sneeze at in baseball, on a team that boasts a nation’s-best .359 team average - including five players that are batting over .400 - the catcher is still searching for more consistency in the batter’s box. That is something his coach believes will come with time.
“He’s a good hitter. He’s got juice in his bat,” Van Zant said. “I think he went through a phase a few weeks ago when he might have gotten a little worn down mentally but he’s bounced back and swung the bat really well for us the last couple of weeks.”
If his first season in Gold and Blue is any indication, Streich looks like the next standout in a long line of great Mountaineer catchers.
“We’ve had some good catchers over the years since I’ve been coaching here and Tobias has a chance to be one of the best,” Van Zant said.
