2008 Woodie Awards
Freshman Pitcher Gets By Despite Rocky Start
Baseball
Jim Merritt
Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: Sports
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He didn't even have one perfect inning on the mound.
But Glynn did the one thing he had to - give the ball to the Huskies bullpen with a lead, which with the combined effort of Will Musson and David Erickson, enabled UConn to win its first Big East series of the year.
Glynn, who pitched four and a third innings and gave up one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts, turned the ball over to Musson in the top of the fifth inning, where he shut the door and preserved the Huskies (13-11, 5-4) then-three-run lead. Erickson picked up the three-inning save to close the books on the 8-3 win over Villanova at J.O. Christian Field Sunday.
Despite failing to get two more outs, which would have given him the win, Glynn did just what Huskies head coach Jim Penders said he wanted from the freshman after UConn's 7-2 loss to the Wildcats Saturday.
"As I said, five or six, yesterday - it was more like 4.1," Penders said. "We'll take it."
Penders has shown an increased confidence in Glynn over the course of the season, starting him in center field and designated hitter in addition to his pitching duties.
Although being the workhorse of the team so far, Glynn knows his UConn career is just beginning - and there is a lot of work left.
"He has shown a lot of confidence in me, which is good," Glynn said of his coach.
"I don't know if I've completely earned it yet. I mean I'm hitting in the high-.270s, you know, struggled a little bit on the mound. I'm a freshman but I definitely expect more form myself," he added.
Glynn said that in high school, the situation was similar - playing the field and hitting on non-pitching days - but said that the college schedule is more grueling for a player who pitches and plays every day as well.
Glynn said he played three games per week in high school - Long Beach Wilson in Los Alamitos, Calif., - and he is still getting used to the workload at the next level.
"I'm still working on it," Glynn said. "My arm does get a little tired."
But joining Glynn in the infield today were four other freshman, also getting their first season of college baseball under their belts.
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