Monday, February 21, 2011

Dodgers Draft Pick Showing Nothing But Gaus

Dodgers draft pick Kevin Gausman got his first start at LSU this past week, and was gunning at 98 MPH, according to the Shreveport Times:

BATON ROUGE – The radar gun does not lie.

LSU freshman right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman registered 98 mph on the radar gun behind home plate and was regularly in the mid-90s Saturday in his first collegiate start as the Tigers edged Wake Forest 4-3 at Alex Box Stadium.

Gausman, a 6-foot-4 sixth round draft choice by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Centennial, Colo, did not get the win, but he performed as advertised with six strikeouts and no walks through five and two-thirds innings. He allowed six hits and two earned runs.

“What else can you expect out of a kid who has never thrown in this place? He was on it,” said junior closer Matty Ott, who got the save in the ninth. “I mean he throws into the sixth inning. He was something.”

Gausman was getting close to 90 pitches when he left the game in the sixth with the score tied 2-2.

“It was just unreal out there,” he said. “Just the adrenaline rush you get from this place was awesome. It’s an unbelievable environment. You go to two strikes on a hitter and you can hear the strikeout lady in the stands.”

The “K Lady” is longtime fan Anita Haywood, who has for years religiously hung “K” cards near the LSU dugout after every strikeout by an LSU pitcher.

“It was really something out there,” Gausman said. “My arm felt great. I felt like I could’ve thrown nine if coach had wanted me to.”

We need a K Lady in Chavez Ravine, come to think of it. Any volunteers?

3 comments:

Greg Hao said...

So is he one of those draft and follows or did the Dodgers lose rights to him since they didn't come to an agreement on the contract?

Kyle Baker said...

K Lady for Chavez Ravine - gotta be Karina!

Jason said...

@Greg - Draft and follow was eliminated a few years ago (after the '07 draft if memory serves). Gausman will be eligible in this year's draft.

Also eligible: prep outfielder Ryan Garvey, son of Steve.