University of Tennessee Athletics
Baseball America Ranks Three Vols Among Top 100 Prospects
December 12, 2008 | Baseball
Dec. 12, 2008
Baseball America named Tennessee as one of only two schools to have three players ranked in the top 50 on the national publication's list of Top 100 College Prospects for 2009. Baylor also had three players named in the top 50.
Sophomore outfielder Kentrail Davis was the top-ranked Volunteer at No. 9. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Bryan Morgado was next at No. 35 followed by fellow pitcher Nick Hernandez at No. 43.
Davis was recently among a number of collegiate standouts named to the 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List. The Alabama native earned Freshman All-America honors last season while becoming just the ninth Vol in school history to win the team triple crown and the first since 2002. He led the Vols in batting average (.330), home runs (13), and RBI (44), while also pacing the team in hits (68), triples (3), total bases (120), hit-by-pitches (15) and on-base percentage (.435).
Last season Morgado ranked among the nation's strikeouts leaders with 104 Ks through just 80 1/3 innings pitched, and recorded the second-highest single-season strikeout total ever by a Tennessee freshman. He also earned a spot on the prestigious Roger Clemens Award watch list and was among the first 12 players in the nation to accept an invitation to USA Baseball's 2008 National Team Trials.
Hernandez made 14 appearances with 13 starts in 2008 and led the Vols in innings pitched (83 2/3) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.0). He led the SEC and ranked fourth nationally with 0.97 walks allowed per nine innings (nine walks in 83 2/3 innings pitched) and was the only pitcher in the SEC to start at least 10 games and not issue multiple walks in any of those starts. Hernandez also competed in the prestigious Cape Cod League this summer. During the Cape's regular season, the left-hander posted a 6-3 record with a 2.54 ERA in nine starts spanning 56 2/3 innings. He struck out 48 batters while issuing only 13 walks.
Recent signee Drew Steckenrider joined Davis, Morgado and Hernandez to give Tennessee four players on Baseball America's list of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft's Top 100 Prospects.
Steckenrider is ranked by PGCrosschecker.com as the No. 19 overall prospect in the county and as the No. 4 overall prospect in the state of Georgia. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native has played in numerous showcases including the 2008 AFLAC All-American game.
