For many of the Ole Miss faithful, the name Danny Hultzen probably rings a bell. He was in Oxford just last summer making a name for himself at the plate, in the field, and on the mound. It's hard to believe he was a freshman just last season, and he has definitely not had a sophomore slump. All you ever wanted to know is after the jump.
Hultzen was just a high schooler in Bethesda, Maryland. He had a good senior year and garnered all sorts of accolades such as First Team All-American by Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. Teams thought so highly of him that he was drafted in the 10th round out of high school by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Instead of chasing money and fame, he chose to go to school. As a freshman, he contributed at the plate and on the mound. He batted .327 at the plate last season with 199 at bats. In the Super Regional, he went 4-for-13 (.307) against our pitching, which is pretty good accomplishment. On the mound, he finished his freshman year with a 2.17 ERA and a 9-1 record. He went 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA in four starts in the post season. Against us, he went 5.1 innings with 5 hits, 1 walk, 2 earned runs, and 5 strike-outs. He got a no-decision as that game went 12 innings. His spectacular season garnered him ACC Freshman of the Year (1st in Virginia's history) and 1st team All-ACC.
This season, he has focused on pitching. Hitting wise, he only has 57 ABs on the season and a .281 average. However, I think this endeavor has paid off for the sophomore southpaw. He is 9-1 on the season with his only loss coming against Wright State in a 2-1 decision. He has dominated in ACC play with a 2.43 average. Opponents are batting a paltry .184 against him which is why he has only allowed 62 hits in 92.2 innings. He's also struck out 111 batters. He only allows 6.02 hits per nine innings, which is good enough for eighth nationally. His great season garnered him ACC Pitcher of the Year honors (once again, Virginia's first).
Now you know a little more about Danny Hultzen. It is unknown which game he'll pitch this weekend, but I would love to see the ACC POY face off against the SEC POY.