Wahl of Defense

[rebeljim]

Before Bobby Wahl and Alex Yarbrough set out for the Cape Cod League last summer, Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco told them what he expected from them.

For Wahl, who had just completed a freshman season in the bullpen that was solid but did not live up to his expectations, it was about working on all his pitches.

"My thing was locating my breaking ball for strikes and getting ahead in counts and not just relying on my fastball the whole entire game," Wahl said. "I went up there with that mindset, that I needed to locate all my pitches for strikes, throw them down in the zone and out and away."

Wahl was a relative unknown in a league filled with the finest college players, but he did just fine for himself - 16 games, 22 innings and three earned runs.

Wahl struck out 38 batters and gave up 15 hits, earning a spot in the All-Star Game.

"It was so much fun to watch him," Yarbrough said.

But Wahl was in the bullpen for the Cotuit Kettleers, and he only started one game for Ole Miss last season. That'll change this season, which starts with a Friday game at TCU. Bianco is handing Wahl the ball on Friday nights.

The decision is partly based on the situation: the Rebels lost the four pitchers who started 52 of 55 games last season. The three new weekend starters (R.J. Hively on Saturday and Mike Mayers on Sunday) all started one game apiece a year ago.

But what's encouraging for Bianco, and why he chose Wahl over the other options, is the talent in the right-hander's arm.

"Although all three kids were really talented and all three drafted and play professional baseball, I think the difference in last year's staff is that we didn't have that big gun," Bianco said. "We're fortunate over the previous 10 years to most of the time throw a guy out there on Friday night that really can compete in the Southeastern Conference. I'm really excited for that to happen again with Bobby Wahl."

The Rebels did not make the postseason in 2011 for the first time since 2002, and were tied for last in the SEC West with a 13-17 record (30-25 overall). Many of the team's better hitters returned, and new assistant coach Cliff Godwin has earned raves for the way he's affected the approach at the plate and diligence throughout practice.

There's a belief that the hitting will be there for Ole Miss to return to the postseason in 2012, but the ability of Wahl to compete on Friday nights will set a tone for a young pitching staff.

"Bobby I think is the total package in the sense that he's a fastball/slider/change guy," Bianco said. "His fastball is electric. He'll throw some balls in the mid-90s, but he also has very good command. He'll work his fastball both sides of the plate and rarely on this level do you see that."

Wahl, the player of the year in the state of Virginia in 2010 and a 39th-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians, also proved his mental toughness by shifting into a bullpen role last season.

Three of his four saves came in the SEC, and he struck out 26 batters in 30 innings (with an ERA of 4.80).

"We had to," Bianco said of the bullpen role. "And he handled it."

Then came the Cape, which Wahl said gives him the confidence he can pitch against the best the SEC has to offer.

"Playing in the summer in the Cape Cod League was a great experience for me," Wahl said. "I would say it helped me out more on the mental side, just being able to tell yourself that you compete with the best competition in the nation and facing guys day-in and day-out that are first-round draft picks, second-round draft picks. Coming into this fall I took that mentality here and just used it to my advantage."

There's nothing that can simulate the actual experience of being the Friday night starter. But Wahl has done all the prep work necessary to give everyone around him confidence that he'll be just fine.

26


Number of wins in 2011, out of 30, recorded by pitchers who left Ole Miss' program following last season, including 16 by the Rebels' top three starters.

Playing in the summer in the Cape Cod League was a great experience for me. ... I would say it helped me out more on the mental side.

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