BlueSox discover local pitching help
In manager Cody Herald's words, the 2017 Butler BlueSox “can hit with anybody.”
Pitching, at least in the early part of the season, has been a different story. Butler entered this weekend with a team earned run average of 6.52.
“You need relief pitching to win in this league,” Herald said. “Starters are often on strict pitch counts.”
The BlueSox pitching staff is getting additional help now — and the team didn't have to look far to find it.
Butler graduates Wyatt Daugherty and Zach Henderson, along with Seneca Valley graduate Connor Coward, all joined the BlueSox within the past few days.
Daugherty, who wrapped up his sophomore season at Slippery Rock University in the spring, will work out of the Sox bullpen. Henderson, a starting pitcher as a West Virginia Wesleyan freshman, will soon shift to a relief role for Butler.
Coward, who will be entering his senior year at Virginia Tech as a starting pitcher, will become a starter for the BlueSox. He is scheduled to pitch Wednesday at West Virginia.
Coward pitched for the BlueSox the past two years as well. He picked up a win during an impromptu relief appearance for the Sox Thursday night after signing with the team earlier that day.
“I figured on getting drafted this year,” Coward admitted. “I talked to 12 to 15 major league teams beforehand and they had me slotted somewhere in the 20's (in terms of round).
“When I wasn't picked, I needed a place to play. I haven't pitched in five weeks.”
Coward was 5-4 with a 4.75 earned run average as a starter with the Hokies this past season. He had 59 strikeouts in 72 innings.
Coward is still holding out hope of pitching in the prestigious Cape Cod League at some point this summer.
“My (college) coaches are still trying to get me in there, but I don't consider this a compromise at all,” he said. “This is good competition and this ballpark is my favorite place to pitch in the world.“The crowd is always energized and the atmosphere is great. I'm here to help this team any way I can. And I can still get drafted after my senior year in college.”Herald figures professional baseball's loss is the BlueSox' gain.“Connor is a tremendous competitor who will take a spot in our starting rotation,” the manager said. “His arrival enables us to move Zach back into the bullpen.”Henderson was 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA as a freshman starting pitcher at West Virginia Wesleyan. He had signed on to pitch for a summer team in Florida.His host family situation did not materialize and Henderson would have had to pay for his own lodging to stay there.“It wasn't going to work for me financially there,” Henderson said. “I wanted to pitch for the BlueSox originally, but the communication got messed up. I was trying to contact the old coach (Jason Radwan), not knowing there was a change in manager.“I'm thrilled to be here. I'm going to work on some pitches, make myself better and hopefully make the team better at the same time.”Henderson has already made one start for the BlueSox and is slated to make another before moving to the bullpen.“I was able to work with Zach a little bit with the Butler high school team last year, so I know what kind of stuff he has,” Herald said. “I know he can help us.“Wyatt Daugherty is good enough to pitch in this league, too. I have no doubt about that.”Daugherty was 2-2 with a 3.34 ERA out of the SRU bullpen this spring. He struck out 36 and walked 11 in 32 innings.“We wanted Wyatt from the start, but he was taking a summer class at SRU and he's wrapping that up now,” Herald said. “He'll provide valuable late inning help.“Like I said, you can't win in this league without an effective bullpen ... and we're building one.”
