BASEBALL PREVIEW Editor Matt Watts . Assistant Editor John Boothe . Cover Illustration Dana Burke and Matt Watts Alligator . Friday, February 17, 2012 The Priceof AdmissionWhitson brings major-league talent to top-ranked Gators BRYAN HOLT “It wouldn’t matter if we were Arizona Diamondbacks but failed a Alligator Writer here or on the road,” he said. physical and is now in Single-A for “Wherever he pitched, they were the Texas Rangers. Both pitched in hipley is a panhandle town there.” college. with 3,766 residents and 11 In the 2010 Major League Base- Another top-10 pick, righty police officers. ball First-Year Player Draft, Whit- Aaron Crow turned down a deal CFor nearly his entire life, Andy son was picked No. 9 overall by the in 2008 out of Missouri, but signed Compton has called it home. He San Diego Padres. with Kansas City in 2009 after being graduated from Chipley High in drafted 12th. 1982, played baseball a half-hour He is the only one so far to make away at Chipola College and ulti- it to the majors. mately returned to his alma mater By the signing deadline, Whit- Since 2001, 43 high school play- to coach baseball, basketball and son’s contract offer reached $2.1 ers have been drafted in the top 10 football. million. — only Whitson has decided against “It’s where I’ve always wanted to Median income for a household signing. be,” he said. in Chipley is $21,686. Whitson’s His mother admitted it was Compton is in his 24th season as mother teaches at Roulhac Middle tough to see her son bypass a chance a baseball coach at Chipley and still School, and his father is self-em- at professional baseball. has difficulty matching words to the ployed in the electrical business. “He always says, ‘It wasn’t coach best player he has ever coached. The deadline passed without a O’Sullivan’s job to entice him away In 2007, sophomore pitcher deal, making Whitson just the fourth from the Padres, it was the Padres’ Karsten Whitson came to Chipley top-10 draft pick in the past 10 years job to entice him away from coach from Bartow. His grandparents’ to not sign his contract. O’Sullivan and the UF program,’” health was declining and his mother Kendall Rogers, managing editor his mom said. was from the area. of baseball scouting service Perfect . His father, Kent, played col- Game, said decisions like Whitson’s lege basketball at Chipola and ultimately come down to family. roomed with Compton. Whitson was in class- “Karsten was not in He has all the natural tools; he has es at Florida one week favor of the move, but he all the mechanical tools. ... He’s a after rejecting his MLB understood why we need- contract. ed to relocate,” Melissa freak athlete. He’s a freak pitcher. Any regrets he may have had about not go- Whitson said in an email. Kendall Rogers Bartow’s loss was ing pro ended quickly. Chipley’s treasure. Whitson stood managing editor at Perfect Game During the fall of his freshman out immediately, but he made his year, he told Yahoo! Sports he biggest stride his junior year after “In his situation, I think he fac- was glad he chose Florida, say- adding a slider to his repertoire, tored it down to a Florida educa- ing he “hardly could walk” after the striking out 73 batters in 42.1 in- tion,” Rogers said. “Obviously it first week of college workouts and nings with a 1.49 ERA. After com- surpassed what the Padres wanted may have not been ready for a pro- mitting to Florida and head coach to offer him.” fessional regimen. Kevin O’Sullivan, his recruitment Right-handed pitcher Wade But once spring came around, took on a more major-league feel. Townsend, a No. 8 pick in 2004, Whitson mended into Gainesville Alligator File Photo In August, the calls flooded into turned down the Baltimore Orioles in spectacular fashion. He was im- Florida sophomore pitcher Karsten Whitson was picked No. 9 overall in the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Chipley High from scouts wanting before being drafted No. 8 by the mediately injected into the week- to know when and where Whitson Tampa Bay Rays the following year. end rotation, serving as the Sunday Player Draft by the San Diego Padres. But he decided not to sign a contract, instead choosing to attend UF. would be pitching. Townsend’s minor-league run end- follow-up to right-hander Hudson Whitson was held to limited pitch ida’s best relievers fresh to support O’Sullivan feels that Whitson’s Compton said as many as 30 ed in 2010, and he is now a profes- Randall and left-hander Brian John- counts by O’Sullivan. Whitson. greatest strides will come in the us- scouts would be at every game, forc- sional poker player. son. The use of Randall — who ranked As a freshman, Whitson aver- age of his secondary pitches. ing the school to clear out a section Three picks before Whitson was For the Gators, the combination third in the Southeastern Confer- aged about five innings per start and If he can learn to better control behind home plate to accommodate taken in 2010, right-handed pitcher worked well. ence with 124.1 innings pitched — went his deepest in a 6.2-inning out- his slider and rely less on his fast- them. Barret Loux was selected by the In his first year of college ball, as a Friday night starter kept Flor- ing against Alabama on April 24. ball, it will only make the scouts “Sully was really protective of drool more. me last year, and I’m grateful for “He looks a little more comfort- that,” Whitson said. able,” Johnson said. While Whitson’s pitch counts “You don’t have to worry about were contained by O’Sullivan, his the freshman thing. You know innings were often self-limited. what’s coming and you know what Whitson, a strikeout pitcher, to expect.” tended to rely too much on his fast- At Saturday’s scrimmage, Whit- ball as an out pitch and let batters son made a lone mistake when he consistently take him deep into allowed senior right fielder Preston counts. Tucker to deposit a ball past the He finished fifth in the SEC in McKethan Stadium visitor’s bullpen strikeouts (92) and sixth in ERA in right-center field. (2.40) but was angered at times by Whitson recovered to strike out early exits from games. the side, notching three of his six “You could tell in the dugout punch-outs on the day. He threw when they would take him out of a 68 pitches to complete the five in- game, he was frustrated,” Compton nings. said. “He’s a guy that really wants During the 2011 regular season, to go.” Whitson pitched five innings or Regardless, Whitson’s freshman fewer nine times and averaged 78.3 year was an overwhelming suc- pitches. cess. He was named a Freshman “I try not to put too many expec- All-American by Baseball America, tations on him,” O’Sullivan said. and Perfect Game named him the “He’s got his own expectations. … National Freshman Pitcher of the He’s in a good place right now.” Year. He finished 8-1, surrendering When Whitson decided against just a .235 batting average to oppos- signing his contract in 2010, it was ing hitters. easy to question what there was to “You look at the developing he’s gain. already done under Sully both phys- For those closest to him, the deci- ically and mentally,” Rogers said. sion is no mystery. “He’s become a better pitcher.” Whitson would like to be a le- gitimate four-pitch guy when he re- . enters the draft. He wants to iron out any possible Whitson is no longer the 19-year- maturity issues, a common byprod- old known solely for spurning a $2.1 uct of three or four years of living million opportunity. on your own. Now a sophomore, he will be fac- He would like a faster road to ing an expanded role in 2012. the majors, something high school Most noticeably, he will be pitchers don’t typically get. moved from Sunday starter to Sat- He doesn’t want to be No. 9 after urday starter and will see his work his junior season. load increase. He wants to be the best. “He’s got one year under his Rogers sees that happening. belt,” Randall said. “He has all the natural tools; he “That’s a huge year to have un- has all the mechanical tools,” Rog- der your belt. ers said. “He’s a freak athlete. He’s a freak pitcher.” Alligator File Photo “He’s just going to have more ex- “Obviously, he’s going to be a As the Gators’ Sunday starter last season, Whitson went 8-1 as a freshman, allowing opposing hitters to hit just .235. Baseball America named him perience, learning how to hold run- very good prospect next year, prob- a Freshman All-American and Perfect Game picked him as its National Freshman Pitcher of the Year. ners better, get deeper into games hopefully.” ably No. 1 overall.” When he was hired, Will Muschamp said he would curb arrests. But is that turning out to be an empty promise? Not officially associated with the University of Florida Published by Campus Communications, Inc. of Gainesville, Florida We Inform. You Decide. See column, page 14.