Aaron Blair has faced the best hitters in the country this summer and beat them. Now the 21-year-old right-hander from Las Vegas, NV will anchor The Herd pitching staff in 2013.
Blair made 14 weekend starts last season for The Herd and posted six quality starts, although he tallied just two wins. He ranked fourth in Conference USA with 82 strikeouts and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Southern Miss. His performance during the regular season was good enough to catch the eye of the Cape Cod League, where the nation’s top prospects go to play during the summer and gain valuable exposure in front of Major League scouts.
“Going up to the Cape, Aaron was a good pitcher obviously his record [at Marshall] didn’t indicate that but I think he just proved to himself too that he’s one of the best,” said Head Coach Jeff Waggoner.
Blair excelled this past summer pitching for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, going 6-0 and leading the league with a 1.17 ERA in 38.1 innings of work during the regular season. Blair continued his dominance into the playoffs where he went 2-0 as the Red Sox advanced to the league championship. When the summer concluded, Blair had fanned 60 hitters in 51.1 innings or a tick over one batter per inning.
“He’s one of the best, he know faced the nation’s best this summer and I think it showed that team that anyone can be successful in our program and be one of the best and he did that and showed our programming,” explained Waggoner.
Waggoner is counting on Blair to be the ace of the staff this year and in a college game where the bats don’t have the same pop they had just three years ago Waggoner is excited about Blair’s chances of having a big season. Since the NCAA required the BBCOR bats, that react much more like the wooden bats in the majors, pitchers have not had to live in fear of a good pitch low and away being golfed over the rightfield fence off the end of the bat. Pitchers can be aggressive and attack the zone and that plays into the hands of Blair.
Not only did Blair hone his skills on the mound this summer in the Cape Cod Leauge, Waggoner says he developed the leadership required to be a staff ace. His success during the summer gives him instant credibility with the younger pitches and allows Blair to lead by example.
“I think what it helps is it shows that younger guys that have goals of wanting to accomplish things like that and obviously it brings that leadership there and things that he’s been able to accomplish and hopefully that’ll rub off on some of our younger pitchers,” said Waggoner.
Blair’s first outing of the season didn’t quite go as planned. Although he struck out seven batters, Blair last just four innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits. Waggoner is betting that kind of performance will be the exception and not the rule for the junior who was named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
Blair will get his next shot on the hill against North Carolina A&T.