Patrick Merkling, LHP

[tjfla]

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[emkayseven]

Player Note
Long legs and arms, 87 fb has arm side movement

http://www.perfectgame.org/players/p....aspx?ID=74214

from last year when he was drafted by the Orioles:

The Baltimore Orioles drafted former Etowah standout Patrick Merkling with the fourth pick in the 44th round Wednesday on the final day of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.

Merkling just completed his sophomore season as a standout pitcher for Chattanooga State Community College, where he led the Tigers with an 11-1 record and a team-high 85 1/3 innings pitched in 17 appearances.

"I'm really excited to have been drafted by the Orioles," said Merkling, who was also named a NJCAA Division I second-team All-American on Wednesday. "They're a great organization with great history. I owe a lot to my head coach, Greg Dennis, and pitching coach, Robert Long. They worked my butt off and got the most out of me this season."

A 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-hander, Merkling completed the 2011 season ranked among the top 25 junior college players in the nation in strikeouts and ERA, finishing ninth with 103 strikeouts and 20th with a 2.00 ERA.

Coming out of high school, Merkling signed a scholarship to play at Auburn, but when things didn't work out there, he continued his baseball career as a freshman at Snead State Community College in Alabama.

"Snead State just wasn't the right fit for me either," Merkling said. "I wasn't getting as much work on the mound as I wanted, so I went to Chattanooga.

"Working with coach Dennis and coach Long has been great. Overall, I think they've made me a smarter pitcher. I've grown up, matured and I've gotten stronger. My velocity is getting better and so are my pitches. They've taught me how to become a better pitcher."

Merkling recently signed a scholarship to pitch for Lee University, an NAIA school in Cleveland, Tenn. The Flames are fresh off a deep run in the NAIA World Series, placing third overall.

But now, with Wednesday's selection in the draft, Merkling will wait to hear what the Orioles have to say before deciding on his next career move.

"I expect the Orioles will call sometime in the next week, and we'll talk numbers," he said. "The coaches at Lee have been very respectful and are giving me time to decide what I want to do. They obviously want me to go there, but they know this is a big decision. Hopefully, I'll know more by the end of the month."

Etowah won its first region championship in 2009 behind Merkling's efforts as he led the team with a 1.84 ERA and 84 strikeouts.

"I had (Merkling) for that one season," said Etowah coach Greg Robinson, whose first year at the helm was '09. "He was the kind of guy that, when the season started, he wanted the ball in his hands in a must-win situation. He was such a competitor. I knew he'd have a successful college career, and now he has options.

"He's a lefty who throws the ball hard, he's athletic and he competes. I'm really excited for him and I'm glad to see that he has this opportunity ahead of him. The Orioles are a good organization."

http://cherokeetribune.com/view/full...ry_left_column

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_5oCdUYe04[/ame]

[LocoMarlinFan]

Merkling called by Marlins
by William Bretherton
June 06, 2012 11:49 PM | 321 views | 0 | 10 | |

One year after being drafted in the 44th round by Baltimore, former Etowah pitcher Patrick Merkling was taken 26 rounds sooner, this time by the Miami Marlins.
After being selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 44th round of last year’s Major League Baseball draft, former Etowah pitcher Patrick Merkling saw his stock improve Wednesday.

Merkling was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 18th round, with the 557th overall selection.

The junior raised his draft stock after moving on from Chattanooga State Community College to Lee University, an NAIA program in Cleveland, Tenn.

“I got a lot more looks from scouts this year, being at Lee,” Merkling said. “I got more publicity in front of scouts, and there were more guys taking a look at me.”

Those extra looks were apparently enough to sway Merkling’s future. He said that he intends to sign with the Marlins, even with a year of eligibility remaining at Lee.

Merkling said he would likely be reporting to the Marlins’ instructional facility in Jupiter, Fla., though he’s still awaiting instructions from team officials.

From there, he will look to start his professional career in earnest and attempt to reach the majors by the quickest route possible.

“I just want to move as quickly as I can,” Merkling said. “I’m just going to take it one step at a time. There’s always room for improvement.”

Merkling became more appealing to the scouts, developing several new pitches since his time at Etowah. In high school, he stuck primarily with a two-seam fastball, occasionally working in a slider that pitching coach Mike Roga helped him develop.

“He just had a lot of movement,” Etowah coach Greg Robinson said. “As a lefty, the ball really moved away from (opponents) as a righty. His senior year, he developed a slider. I’m sure, by now, he’s added the changeup to his arsenal and will be a good force whether he starts or comes out of the ’pen.”

Merkling said he now has five pitches that he can throw for strikes, including his standby two-seam fastball, a four-seam fastball, a breaking ball, a slider and a new changeup.

“Since last year, I’ve increased my velocity a little bit,” Merkling said. “I’ve looked into developing my changeup a little bit. They wanted to see if I could use a changeup efficiently. I didn’t have a changeup last year, so I developed one this year.”

Through the majority of his career, Merkling has been used as a starter. In his first season at Lee, he went 9-2 record in 15 starts, pitching two complete games and a shutout in 82 1/3 innings pitched. He also had a 2.08 ERA, 103 strikeouts and 51 walks.

Merkling said he would be open to working out of the bullpen if necessary, even though he only closed out on game in his only season at Lee and was only used sparingly out of the bullpen through the rest of his career. Still, Robinson could see why scouts believe that Merkling could be successful working out of the bullpen.

“I could see him being that (Atlanta Braves reliever Jonny) Venters-type because he just comes in and throws hard,” Robinson said. “He always got a lot of groundballs. He’s got the mentality and temperament for that. He throws strikes, so I could see that.”

More than anything else, Merkling is focused on baseball, and baseball alone. When asked if he had any other future plans outside of furthering his baseball career, he said he was not worried about anything else other than the sport he loved.

“Not at this moment right now,” he said. “If you’re going to go into this profession, you have to give it 110 percent, so that’s what I plan on doing.”

http://cherokeetribune.com/view/full...ry_left_column

[Bucklin12]

Signed according to BA: http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft....php?team=1027

[Mainge]

Sounds like a LOOGY.