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Chase Williams’ baseball career has barely started, yet he’s already a draft pick and may be one again in June. He is also signed with Wichita State as part of coach Todd Butler’s pitching-heavy first full recruiting class.
“Pitching was the big key,” Butler said. “The majority of our scholarships will be in our pitching. We tried to get guys that can locate and run it up there pretty good, and I think we’ve done that.”
Williams, a redshirt freshman, once considered basketball his path because of his 6-foot-6 height. He played basketball for Broken Arrow (Okla.) as a sophomore and junior before an injury sent him back to baseball as a senior. He pitched two innings for the varsity, in relief of Archie Bradley, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2011 draft by Arizona. The scouts who hung around to watch Williams saw enough potential, after also watching him throw in practice, that Colorado drafted him in the 39th round.
“That’s how talented he was, and still is,” Eastern Oklahoma State coach Craig Price said.
Williams is in need of a lot of polishing. In 14 2/3 innings this spring he has walked 23 and hit four batters, while striking out 18. He throws 92-95 mph after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his elbow in June 2012. He didn’t pitch last season.
“All things considered, he’s doing pretty good,” Price said. “This is really his first year, and when you’ve never been on a varsity baseball team and there’s lot of scouts watching, you’re puckered up a little bit. He’s athletic and he’s the hardest worker on our team.”
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Chase Williams’ baseball career has barely started, yet he’s already a draft pick and may be one again in June. He is also signed with Wichita State as part of coach Todd Butler’s pitching-heavy first full recruiting class.
“Pitching was the big key,” Butler said. “The majority of our scholarships will be in our pitching. We tried to get guys that can locate and run it up there pretty good, and I think we’ve done that.”
Williams, a redshirt freshman, once considered basketball his path because of his 6-foot-6 height. He played basketball for Broken Arrow (Okla.) as a sophomore and junior before an injury sent him back to baseball as a senior. He pitched two innings for the varsity, in relief of Archie Bradley, the No. 7 overall pick of the 2011 draft by Arizona. The scouts who hung around to watch Williams saw enough potential, after also watching him throw in practice, that Colorado drafted him in the 39th round.
“That’s how talented he was, and still is,” Eastern Oklahoma State coach Craig Price said.
Williams is in need of a lot of polishing. In 14 2/3 innings this spring he has walked 23 and hit four batters, while striking out 18. He throws 92-95 mph after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his elbow in June 2012. He didn’t pitch last season.
“All things considered, he’s doing pretty good,” Price said. “This is really his first year, and when you’ve never been on a varsity baseball team and there’s lot of scouts watching, you’re puckered up a little bit. He’s athletic and he’s the hardest worker on our team.”
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