I am constantly amazed by the number of former Hamilton County high school athletes who go on to collegiate careers.
It matters not the season - fall, winter, spring. It matters not the sport.
If you’ll check out the weekly college notes feature each Wednesday in the Daily Times, you’ll find Hamilton County young people playing from the east coast to the west coast; from Florida to Michigan; from south to north.
And, we know we’re missing some. Not a week goes by that someone doesn’t call or e-mail to let us know there are others. If you know of others, please let us know - coaches, parents, grandparents, please give us a call.
I’ve pulled out from our college notes this week four athletes who deserve a little extra attention. All four are playing baseball in the Big Ten.
We have at Purdue University former Carmel slugger Dan Black and two pitchers from Hamilton Southeastern, Kyle Cook and Matt Morgan.
Black, a sophomore, transferred from the University of Mississippi to Purdue.
What are the odds of two pitchers from the same high school class playing on the same Big Ten team? Morgan and Cook, both, a year ago were slinging for Hamilton Southeastern. They are freshmen who have stepped up for the Boilermakers this spring.
The fourth player I’m writing about is Chris Fetter, a senior pitcher from Carmel who is the ace of the staff at the University of Michigan.
No, there won’t be a backyard reunion of these four players this season. Not unless they should meet in the Big Ten postseason tourney. Michigan and Purdue aren’t scheduled to meet during the regular season.
Purdue, after dropping 11 games on a season-opening spring trip, finally got to play at home last weekend when the Boilermakers swept a pair of double-headers from Western Illinois.
Purdue’s pitching was terrific. In a Saturday double-header, the Boilers blanked Western Illinois 6-0 and 8-0 and then on Sunday Purdue won 11-2 and 22-10.
The sweep was Purdue’s first since sweeping Minnesota in 2005.
Purdue’s pitching staff has the best ERA in the Big Ten.
Black played a big part in the Saturday 6-0 win. He collected two hits in four trips to the plate and drove home two runs. In the second Saturday game, Black was 1-for-3, scored a run and had two RBIs.
Cook was the winning pitcher in the 8-0 Saturday win. He started, hurled five innings, allowed two hit and no runs and fanned two batters.
Black was held hitless in the Sunday opener, but did drive home a run. He had a big game in the Sunday nightcap with two hits in four trips three runs scored and two RBIs. He smashed his third double of the season.
Morgan got his first pitching action of the season in the Sunday nightcap He worked two innings and allowed three hits and three runs.
For the season, Black is hitting .266 with 19 runs batted in. Cook has a team-best 0.68 ERA. He has fanned seven batters and walked four in 13.1 innings.
Fetter and Michigan still haven’t played a home game. After a spring trip to Florida, Arizona, South Carolina and North Carolina, Michigan’s home opening weekend against IPFW and Oakland was cancelled because of bad weather.
Fetter hasn’t pitched since beating Ball State in South Carolina on March 15. He was scheduled to hurl one of the games last weekend.
The former Carmel Greyhound has pitched in 26.2 innings in this his senior season. He is 3-0 with 26 strikeouts and just nine walks and he has a 2.70 ERA.
Michigan is 9-6 on the year.
