Arm and hammer Purple Dog Huchingson ace on the mound, cleaning up at the plate
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Chase Huchingson is making his pitch early for an all-state selection. And his pitch doesn’t just involve his work on the mound.
The Fayetteville High junior is the Purple Dogs’ ace southpaw and his bat is as potent as his arm.
Fayetteville skipper Vance Arnold said Huchingson from the outset didn’t want to be known as just a pitcher. That ambition at the plate has been apparent so far this year.
Huchingson added a smidgen more bulk to his lanky frame in the offseason. And he took his gains in the weight room to the plate, where he has cleaned up in the four hole for the Purple Dogs (9-2, 3-1) and is hitting well over. 300. "He’s a great baserunner and swings the bat real well," Arnold said. "He’s
a great athlete and he doesn’t look at himself as just a pitcher but he does know that’s where his meal ticket is." Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn has certainly taken notice of Huchingson’s arm. Jorn sat on the front row with radar gun in hand to watch Huchingson mow down the Springdale Har-Ber line-up through five scoreless innings in an eventual 6-0 shutout win.
Huchingson didn’t miss a beat with one of colleges’ best pitching eyes beating down on him. "The biggest difference between last year and this year is nerves," Huchingson said. "I don’t feel the pressure now like I did last year. I saw [Jorn] there with the gun but it didn’t bother me at all."
Huchingson pitched in mostly a closer’s role last season but logged several innings against AAAAA-West competition, where he experience abundant success. Although he was wild at times, he was effective. "Chase is a lot like Randy Johnson," Arnold said, "when he drops down three quarter and the ball is coming from way out to the side and it’s running everywhere. It can be scary for hitters up there."
Huchingson pitched for a Pioneer League club in Springfield, Mo., over the summer and received a lot of attention, Arnold said. He was clocked at 92 mph and logged a 10-0 record for the Springfield Nationals. He also had the third-best batting average on the team. "I don’t want to sound cocky but I feel more confident this year," Huchingson said. "I pitched over the summer with scouts all around so I am used to people being around and evaluating me. That really hasn’t been a problem."
Huchingson also derives confidence from his pitching pedigree. Huchingson’s father, Stuart Huchingson, was a freshman for the Razorbacks on the 1979 College World Series team that finished second overall.
Huchingson brother, Jamin, pitched for Fayetteville High and played in the minor leagues for two years before developing arm problems.
So far Huchingson’s arm has been sturdy and his repertoire is expanding into a library of effective pitches, making it even harder for hitters to read him. "Chase is intimidating when he steps on the mound," Arnold said. "He’s a guy who everyone knows is a good pitcher so he’s got to be in tune with the game because he’s getting every team’s best effort every time. He’s got a live fastball and he throws sidearm. He has a dynamite curveball and is developing a better changeup."
Huchingson is 3-0 for the Purple Dogs this season. As a sophomore he went 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA. He fanned 53 in 37 1/3 innings. He’s well on pace to better those numbers this year. "Our goal for him is not to strike everyone out but to be around the plate and get ground balls," Arnold said. "We want him to make the hitters swing instead of taking pitches and keep the tempo of the game moving."
Huchingson is the Purple Dogs’ Game 1 starter in conference doubleheaders and the unquestioned leader on the mound. Arnold just hopes Huchingson’s confidence gets more contagious as the season wears on. "He’s the guy that we want the other kids to rally around," Arnold said. "We’ve got several good players on the team and hopefully with Chase’s tempo and confidence on the mound, those guys can relax and not have to press."
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