Dirtbags Baseball - Long Beach State 49ers

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Thursday, July 21, 2005

Jared Hughes Featured In Cape Cod Chronicle

From the Cape Cod Chronicle:

...The basis for the A's superlative pitching has been the exceptional play of starters Jared Hughes, Andrew Miller, and Robert Woodard, set-up man Brooks Brown and closer Derrick Lutz, each of whom has put up all-star quality stats and simultaneously increased their status as a major league prospect.

Hughes, a six-foot-seven righty, got off to a rocky start during his first outing in Bourne, hitting the first two batters he faced before walking the third. But the Long Beach State ace benefited from a double play and never looked back, allowing just one run and striking out five over six innings to notch the first of his now five wins.

The Cape League's player of the week June 26, Hughes trumped his performance in Bourne with a dazzling one in Falmouth the following week, flirting with a no-hitter as he struck out 12 Commodores in a complete game two-hit effort.

The Laguna Beach, Calif., native has been just as sharp in his other starts, recording seven strikeouts in six innings against Hyannis, posting seven K's in as many innings against Y-D, and allowing just one run against Wareham on Monday.

Matching power with accuracy, Hughes has fooled opposing batters with his fastball/change-up/slider combination, throwing each pitch with major league caliber movement and velocity, according to his coaches. His highlights have come in spades, but Hughes says his performance against the Braves is the one that truly stands out.

"I was particularly proud of the game against Bourne, just because I was able to come back and keep our team in the game,' said Hughes, relying as much on his brain as his brawn by constantly charting pitches and making scout reports.

"I may not be the best guy in the world to decide how a batter swings and where I should pitch him, but I figure I have to learn sooner or later," said Hughes. "Some guys can get by just on talent, but if I want to be the best pitcher I can be, I have to have a game plan."

That student-of-the-game approach has paid dividends, as Hughes is tied for the league lead in wins (5), ranks second in the league with a 0.77 ERA, and leads the A's with 37 strikeouts (in 30 innings).

"I knew if I came out and threw strikes and threw low in the zone with the stuff I had, I could be productive and a good pitcher in this league," said Hughes. "My whole mentality is to take one pitch at a time, because the next pitch is always the one that matters, never the one before."...

posted on 7/21/2005 by Jeff Agnew

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