Pitcher Shooter Hunt Named Preseason All-American
Feb 8, 2008 | Baseball
Feb. 8, 2008
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane University baseball standout Shooter Hunt added to his ever expanding list of preseason accolades as the junior right-handed pitcher was named second-team Preseason All-American by Baseball America.
A native of Wycoff, N.J., Hunt was named to the preseason All-America team after going 6-6 with a team-leading 2.62 ERA and a .232 opponent batting average while ranking second on the Green Wave staff with 104 strikeouts and 99.2 innings pitched.
"Baseball America relies so heavily on what the professionals see and Shooter has been seen by a lot of scouts both in the fall and the preseason already," Tulane head coach Rick Jones said. "I think that had a lot to do with it because of the type of fall and preseason that he has had. Couple that with the type of year he had last year and the summer he had, I think it's a very valid preseason honor for him."
Hunt's Baseball America distinction is the third preseason honor as he was named to the preseason All-Conference USA team on a vote of league head coaches and claimed a spot on the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Watch List by the College Baseball Foundation.
A first-team All-Conference USA honoree and second-team All-Louisiana recipient in 2007, Hunt finished third in C-USA in ERA, total strikeouts, strikeouts looking (35) and opponent batting average, and fourth in innings pitched. He also ranked 44th nationally in strikeouts, 57th in ERA and 58th in strikeouts per nine innings with a 9.39 clip.
Hunt posted a 3.47 strikeout-to-walk ratio with just 30 bases on balls as a sophomore and tallied seven or more strikeouts eight times. Included in the multiple-strikeout list are a pair of nine strikeout performances against East Carolina - in the regular season on March 31 and the C-USA Tournament on May 23, 10 Ks in 5.2 innings against North Florida on Feb. 18 and a career-best 13 with no walks in 7.1 innings at UCF on April 28.
His longest outing of the year came at Marshall on March 24 when he fanned seven and allowed just one unearned run in 8.0 frames. Hunt also tossed 7.0 shutout innings against Houston on April 21. A standout in the classroom as well as on the diamond, Hunt was a member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Tulane's 3.0 Club in 2007.
During the summer, Hunt suited up for the second consecutive year as a member of the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League, the nation's premier summer wooden bat league. After leading the CCCBL in strikeouts with 54 in 2006, Hunt followed that up with a 48-strikeout performance in 2007 which helped him claim the No. 11 spot on Baseball America's list of top pro prospects in the Cape Cod League.
A transfer from the University of Virginia, where he saw action in 17 games as a true freshman, Hunt's career numbers include a 3.16 ERA, 137 strikeouts and a .241 opponent batting average.
Baseball America's announcement comes in conjunction with the Green Wave wrapping up week one of spring team practice. With first pitch of the 2008 season just two weeks away, Jones was both guarded and excited about the expectations of the team that will take the field on Feb. 22 against Illinois-Chicago.
"Like any team during this time of year, you've got concerns about certain areas and you're excited about certain areas," Jones said. " We're only one week in so I don't want to pass judgment yet on anything, but I do think we made some progress this week. There's no question about that, and we've made progress in some important areas.
"From the first intrasquad (game) to our second, the pitchers were much more consistent in the strikezone. Defensively, for the most part, we have been sound and staying within ourselves. Offensively, it's just so early for us to be able to make a call on certain guys because they haven't been able to get into a rhythm. But I thought we showed signs today and I look forward to it over the weekend, that guys are starting to get comfortable in the box."
The team will practice twice over the weekend with both Saturday and Sunday's drills slated to begin at 10 a.m. The team will play nine-inning scrimmages both days, enjoy a day off on Monday and host Media Day on Tuesday.
The Green Wave begin the 2008 season on Friday, Feb. 22, when they open the new Greer Field at Turchin Stadium with a 7 p.m. first pitch against Illinois-Chicago. For more ticket information, contact the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office at (504) 861-WAVE.
