Alumni Report: Hitting, Pitching His Way to Success

Before George Herman “Babe” Ruth became known as the Sultan of Swat and the King of Crash, he spun dazzling gems from the pitcher’s mound. Nowdays, nobody expects a pitcher to be much of a hitter.

But Saint Anslem sophomore Robert Kelly (Santa Margarita) is a throwback. At a time when specialization is emphasized even among Little Leaguers, Kelly has spread his abilities across the diamond, wherever he said he could help his Hawks squad.

That’s been virtually everywhere. He concluded the 2011 season as the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year and his team's leader in nearly every offensive category. He led the conference in home runs (12), total bases (113) and slugging percentage (.685), while ranking second in doubles (15), third in batting average (.364), fourth in hits (60) and fifth in both runs batted in (41) and on-base percentage (.446). He also led the Hawks in runs scored (38) and walks (24).

Kelly started all 45 games and hit safely in 39 of them, including 27 of 29 to wrap up the season. He produced 17 multiple-hit performances and at one point had a 15-game hit streak, which was the longest of any Saint Anslem player. As a first baseman, he made only one error in 334 chances for a .997 fielding percentage.

Kelly was also his team’s leader in wins, finishing 6-2 with a 3.45 ERA. He pitched three complete games, including one shutout, and over 60 innings, had 35 strikeouts and held opponents to a .242 batting average.

Given his success as both a pitcher and position player, it should come as no surprise that Kelly enjoys both facets of his game.

“There are parts I love about both hitting and pitching,” he said. “I’ll have to choose one at some point, but for now I like both.”

Pulling double duty has also meant doubling his efforts.

“Yeah, I have to [practice longer than teammates],” he said. “With classes and working on my pitching and [practicing in the batting] cage, it gets busy.”

The path less taken is a familiar one for Kelly. As a prep recruit he flew under the radar despite garnering All-Trinity League honors. As a result, he trekked about as far from home as possible without leaving the continental United States to attend Saint Anslem, a NCAA Division II college in Manchester, N.H.

The decision wasn’t one that Kelly came to arbitrarily, though. Major League Baseball scouts may have missed on him coming out of high school, but he’s doing everything he can to ensure that they won’t again.

“The Northeast-10 uses wooden bats,” he explained. “It‘s one of the few conferences that use the wood instead of aluminum bats.”

Kelly has designs on a professional baseball career, making the conference's wooden bat policy a primer for the pro style. The league made the switch from more regularly used aluminum bats in 2002.

He’s a rare commodity among MLB prospects, regularly seeing the wooden bat from both perspectives, and scouts seem savvy to that. Kelly said “four or five” clubs have expressed interest. He has the opportunity to bolster his profile this summer by playing in the renowned Cape Cod League.

The league will also present Kelly an opportunity to establish where on the diamond his future lies. Of course,  should his 2011 summer unfold like his 2010, when he hit .323 for the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League’s North Fork Ospreys but also went 4-2 on the mound, his options can stay wide open.

Just the way Kelly likes it.

Polishing the Diamond

Purdue is locked in its penultimate Big Ten Conference baseball series this weekend, hosting Illinois with the league tournament only two weeks away. The Boilermakers sit at 32-16 overall with designs on an NCAA Tournament berth.

Relief pitcher Lance Breedlove (Los Alamitos) has appeared in 21 games for the Boilermakers, striking out 26 while compiling a 4.17 ERA.

Elsewhere on the diamond, fellow Griffins alum and senior reliever Brandon Compton ended the 2011 season as the University of Sioux Falls’ career leader in saves. Compton racked up seven during the 2011 campaign for the NAIA's Cougars, bringing his career total to 18.

Senior Garrett Leon (Fountain Valley) has paced Biola University in its NAIA postseason run. The Eagles blasted St. Francis (Ill.) 12-1 Saturday to stay alive and force an elimination game with Oklahoma Baptist. Leon has a team-leading seven stolen bases and a .318 batting average.

Sophomore Zach Nuno (Laguna Beach/Laguna Beach High) ended the 2011 season as Saddleback College’s wins leader at 6-5. The sophomore compiled a 3.34 ERA with 47 strikeouts.

Junior Joe Cochrane (Mission Viejo) and the Georgia Southern Eagles are keeping pace in the Southern Conference, hosting Davidson for a weekend series and aiming to bridge a 4 1/2-game gap between them and conference leading Elon. Cochrane is batting .333 with six home runs and 50 RBIs.

Causing Quite a Racquet

Freshman Hailey Hogan (Newport Beach/Corona del Mar High) helped the ninth-ranked Johns Hopkins women’s tennis team score a 5-0 victory over Methodist on Saturday. Hogan won her singles match, 6-2 and 1-0, then teamed with Nandita Krishnan to win in doubles play.

Hogan is 18-4 in both singles and doubles for the Blue Jays (17-2), who advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year and will face the winner of the Tufts-Hunter match today.

Lacrosse Tournament Heating Up

Chapman advanced in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Assn. tournament last Sunday, toppling Arizona State, 11-9, to win the Southwest Lacrosse Conference championship.

An El Toro High contingent of freshman midfielder Matt Lyons, senior defenders Eric Baril and Andrew Salcido and sophomore midfielder Ryan Hemmelich helped the Panthers finish 13-3 in the regular season. Lyons won 116 of 189 face-offs to help spur his team's offense.

Chapman meets Lonestar Alliance Conference champion Texas on Tuesday in the Division I tournament. The Panthers are on the same side of the bracket as West Coast Lacrosse League champion Cal Poly San Luis Obisp, which bested Stanford, 11-6, for the automatic bid.

The SLO Mustangs earned a ninth seed in the tournament and drew Oregon in the first round. Sophomore defensemen Jonathan Garcia and Rory Weinnel (Laguna Niguel/Dana Hills High), and freshman midfielder Nathan Ortiz (San Clemente) have played key roles in reserve.

Cal State Fullerton outlasted top-seeded Concordia, 12-11, on the Division II side of the Southwest Lacrosse Conference bracket in the second of two nail-biting postseason contests to elevate the Titans to the MCLA Tournament. Fullerton needed two overtimes to topple UC San Diego in the semifinal.

Another El Toro product, senior attacker Mike Ansel, entered the postseason with 63 goals and 78 overall points for the Titans, and senior midfielder JR Grubert (Mission Viejo/Santa Margarita) had 27 points.

The Titans earned the No. 15 seed to the MCLA Tournament, and will face St. Thomas (Minn.) Tuesday.

Against Fullerton in the conference title match, freshman attacker Thomas Seaman (San Juan Capistrano/San Clemente High School) had four assists for Concordia. He ended the season with 32 assists and 33 goals. Concordia did not receive an at-large bid to the Division II MCLA Tournament despite winning the SLC regular-season crown.

Freshman attacker Brendan Moyers (San Juan Capistrano/JSerra High) finished with 58 points, second most on the team.