A former 24th round draft selection by the Houston Astros, John Wiedenbauer is 10-1 in his collegiate career, and has been a vital cog for the Spartans since joining the club. He's also a valued member of the Ping!Baseball blogging team. Check out his blog here.
Spotlight
Player of the Week David Wood Texas State University
One of the big reasons the Texas State Bobcats have 21 wins
through their first 30 games (and a nearly perfect Southland
Conference record – 8-1) is the big bat of senior first
baseman David Wood (Long Island, N.Y.). After a hop-around
start to his collegiate baseball career, Wood has found a
home at Texas State after pit stops at Stony Brook (N.Y.)
University and Temple (TX) Junior College.
Wood has started all 30 games for the Bobcats this season
and has a robust .370 batting average while leading the team
in hits (50), doubles (15), home runs (6), runs batted in
(40), and slugging percentage (.630). Wood spearheads an offense
that is averaging over seven runs per game and is hitting
.316 as a team.
In 2006, Wood swung at a .311 clip while slugging 14 doubles
and seven home runs for the Bobcats. Wood’s versatility
was more prevalent during last season’s campaign as
Wood played first base, center field, and took the mound for
Texas State. Wood made 16 appearances for the Bobcats on the
bump (12 in relief and four starts), finishing with a 2.77
earned run average (ERA). Wood struck out 18 in 26 innings
of work, recording a 2-2 won-loss record while also posting
a save.
In his single season at Temple College, Wood starred on the
mound and at the plate, leading the team to a 36-22 record.
Wood hit .360 with six home runs and 39 runs batted in (RBI)
along with an impressive 10-1 record, 2.20 ERA, and 59 strikeouts
on the hill.
Wood is far from a one-man show as a pair of Bobcat hitters
from Austin, Texas have posted solid numbers. Laurn Randell,
a freshman center fielder, is hitting .350 and leads the team
with 10 sacrifices while senior right fielder Aaron Garza
is batting .345 while scoring 31 runs and stealing 11 bases.
Hurlers Eric Weaver, Mike Hart, Justin Fiske, and Jason Baca
have led the way on the mound for Texas State. Weaver (junior;
Deer Park, TX) leads the Bobcats with a 2.17 ERA in a team-high
17 appearances. Hart (sophomore; Staten Island, N.Y.) has
a team-best 6-1 record in nine starts with a 2.53 ERA while
recording a team-leading 54 strikeouts in 53 and one-third
innings pitched. Fiske (senior; College Station, TX) has posted
a 4-1 record and 2.91 ERA while striking out 53 batters in
just 46 and one-third innings. Baca (senior; Sweeny, TX) has
been impressive out of the bullpen with a 2.97 ERA and 38
strikeouts in 16 appearances.
Texas State steps out of conference to take on ranked Big
12 opponent Texas A&M on April 3 before returning to conference
action at home against Sam Houston State on April 5.
One of the big reasons the Texas State Bobcats have 21 wins
through their first 30 games (and a nearly perfect Southland
Conference record – 8-1) is the big bat of senior first
baseman David Wood (Long Island, N.Y.). After a hop-around
start to his collegiate baseball career, Wood has found a
home at Texas State after pit stops at Stony Brook (N.Y.)
University and Temple (TX) Junior College.
