Former ODU aces having major success in minors

Old Dominion's 2008 baseball season was filled with disappointment.

With four strong pitchers on the roster, the Monarchs started the year ranked in the top 25 in various national polls. But they finished 25-27 and made a quick exit in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, dropping two straight.

"There was a lot of pressure riding on that season," said Anthony Shawler, a starting pitcher on that team. "That definitely gets to you."

Barely two weeks after that downer of a season ended, things were looking up for Shawler and fellow pitchers Dan Hudson, Dexter Carter and Ryan Bergh. All four were all taken in the first 26 rounds of Major League Baseball's draft.

About 15 months later, they're all proving they can thrive under the pressure of professional baseball:

• Hudson, a fifth-round pick of the Chicago White Sox, has worked his way up to Double-A Birmingham (Ala.), where he is 7-0 with a 1.60 ERA.
• Carter, a 13th-round pick by the White Sox, went 6-2 with a 3.13 ERA and struck out 143 in 118 innings for Class A Kannapolis (N.C.), impressing the San Diego Padres enough that they wanted him as part of a late-July trade which sent former Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy to Chicago.
• Shawler, a ninth-round pick by the Detroit Tigers, is 5-3 with a 4.03 ERA for Class A West Michigan, but is 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA since June 1.
• Bergh, a 26th-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies, is 3-4 with a 4.24 ERA for Class A Lakewood (N.J.). His 12 saves rank among the South Atlantic League leaders, though he's served as closer for only about half the season.

"All those guys know they can pitch," Old Dominion coach Jerry Meyers said. "They are very competitive and they all had the confidence level and ability to pitch all along."

Three of the four are Hampton Roads products: Shawler from Oscar Smith, Carter from Greenbrier Christian and Hudson from Princess Anne.

The biggest reason for their success is an ability to throw strikes. Hudson has struck out 63 and walked only 10 in 56 1/3 innings for Birmingham. Carter, now with Class A Fort Wayne (Ind.), has struck out 148 and walked 35 in 121 1/3 innings between his two clubs.

Shawler (67 strikeouts, 18 walks in 73 2/3) and Bergh (42 and 15 in 57 1/3) also are showcasing fine control early in their careers.

That's fewer than 2.4 walks per nine innings in each case, accuracy rare among young pitchers. In the South Atlantic League, where Hudson, Carter and Bergh have all spent time this season, pitchers are averaging about 3.1 walks per nine innings.

"A lot of guys are scared to give up hits so they throw to avoid contact," Shawler said. "I want them to make contact. That keeps my pitch count down."

As impressive as the foursome's numbers have been is the route they've taken to their success. Hudson worked his way from low-A to high-A to Double-A in less than three months. Both Shawler and Bergh served primarily as starters in college, but are being used as relievers in the pros.

And when Carter reached the minors last season, he needed to block out an atrocious 2008 college campaign during which he went 3-4 and posted an 8.76 ERA.

"Sometimes, when you're that tall and lanky, it takes time to put things together," Meyers said of Carter, who at 6-foot-6 and 195 pounds is tied for tallest Fort Wayne pitcher on the roster but only No. 6 in weight.

Sent to Rookie level Great Falls (Mont.), Carter began working with the team's pitching coach, Curt Hasler, who noticed the righthander was fading toward the third-base line on pitches instead of toward the plate.

"Some guys don't get it," Hasler said. "Dexter got it right away. He saw what he was doing wrong and worked incredibly hard to fix it."

Once that error was corrected, Hasler focused on getting Carter to keep the ball low in the strike zone. The results: Carter went 6-1 with a 2.23 ERA and, along with Hudson, helped Great Falls win the Pioneer League title.

Carter credits his confidence in throwing strikes as the main reason for his success.

"You've got to pitch to contact," Carter said. "If you don't do that, it's 3-0 and something bad will happen."

Carter said all four pitchers work out together when possible and remain close.

The uniqueness of their success is not lost on them either. The 10 other CAA teams had a total of eight pitchers drafted in 2008; in 2009, the entire league had a total of seven pitchers drafted.

"You see all these guys, and that helps in recruiting," Shawler said. "It gives ODU the recognition it deserves."

Mike Connors, (757) 446-2366, Michael.Connors@pilotonline.com