Round 30 | Zachary Robertson | LHP | U Iowa | SIGNED

[Miamarlin21]

Discuss. Last one so make it count...

[tjfla]

But for players such as Zach Robertson, who recently wrapped up his final season at Iowa, there is no choice. There is only the waiting game.

The crafty lefty

Robertson didn’t mind the anxiety of being called on in pressure-packed situations as a relief pitcher for the Hawkeyes in 2010. He relished it.

As the MLB draft creeps closer, however, he admits his anxiousness continues to climb. A trip to Cincinnati last week for a workout with the Reds made him realize what awaits him.

“[It was] a bit overwhelming,” he said. “You get to go into their big-league ballpark and work out where they play every night. It was just a great experience.

“It was awesome getting in front of not only other players who are looking forward to the upcoming draft, but also there are scouts and personnel for the Cincinnati Reds.”

David Rawnsley, the national scouting director for Perfect Game USA and a former assistant scouting director for the Houston Astros, lists Robertson as the eighth-best prospect among draft-eligible players in the state of Iowa.

Rawnsley said he expects Robertson to be the first Hawkeye drafted, somewhere around the 10th to 15th round. The knock on the Des Moines native is the lack of heat — his fastball is listed at 87-89 mph on the Perfect Game website — but he counters by being a left-hander who can throw three pitches for strikes.

“Left-handers don’t need the raw tools,” Rawnsley said. “You see a lot of guys in the big leagues who are left-handers and have similar stuff to somebody like Robertson, who just get by on changing speeds and spotting [pitches] exactly where they need to.”

The southpaw will work on the Hawkeye youth baseball camp in Iowa City on Tuesday, but he plans to have his phone on him just in case.

“This is kind of the moment I’ve been waiting for my whole life,” Robertson said. “I’ve always wanted an opportunity. When you’re younger, you think, ‘I want to be a professional baseball player.’ But how many kids actually get to live that?”

[emkayseven]

Zach Robertson is the model of adaptability. The lifelong starting pitcher moved to the bullpen this season and thrived in the role.

The senior from Des Moines led the Hawkeye pitching staff with eight wins and held Big Ten hitters to a .195 batting average. His performance down the stretch — a 5-0 record and 2.60 ERA in the team’s final 14 games — led Dahm to call him a “huge difference for the team.”

But Robertson is quick to deflect the credit.

“I’m just someone who can throw numerous pitches for strikes,” Robertson said. “I think I gained maturity by facing tough Big Ten competition.”

Given his maturity and team-first attitude, Robertson’s teammates weren’t surprised when the Florida Marlins selected the lefty in the 30th round.

“The kid put himself in a great position,” Muller said. “He works extremely hard, and he accepted his role. He really took one for the team, and if he does the same thing for the Marlins, he’ll be even more successful.”

Robertson will fly to Florida on Saturday to take the next step in his career, but he said he will never forget his time at Iowa.

“I’ll miss it a lot,” the senior said. “But I’m excited — as a senior, it was my last chance, and all I wanted was the opportunity to keep playing baseball. It’s the best feeling.”

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2010/06/10/Sports/17432.html

[LocoMarlinFan]

Signed

http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft....php?team=1027