There's a nice piece up over at Baseball America on the start Rice senior Matthew Reckling had on Saturday. After a disappointing Friday night for pitchers Austin Kubitza and John Simms, Reckling really came through without great stuff.
↵How did he do? 6 2/3 innings, four hits with two runs allowed. That brings his season total to a 2-0 record with 23 strikeouts in 22 innings and a 0.89 ERA.
↵On Saturday, Reckling's fastball sat around 90 MPH, but that was lower than he normally throws. Add in his out-pitch curve and the change he used very effectively when his curve didn't work, and Reckling has a very nice repertoire for a senior.
↵To be a viable draft prospect, Reckling probably needs to improve that velocity. If he can throw around 93 or 94 with good control on the fastball, he'll be a very intriguing prospect just from his secondary stuff. If nothing else, that curve/change combo could make him a pretty decent relief prospect who could move through a team's system quickly.
↵Oh, and the other thing about Reckling? His grandfather not only played at Rice, but the new ballpark is named after him. So, the younger Reckling is playing in a ballpark named after his family. How cool is that??
↵