The class of 2010 has gotten off to a tremendous start with the additions of four
nationally rated high school prospects but none of them are ranked as high as
the 6' 3", 195 pound hard throwing right handed pitcher out of West Springfield
(VA).
"Perfect Games rates me as the #1 player in Virginia and the #51 overall
player in the country," stated Bobby Wahl. "I am a preseason All-American,
but really, I do not care about all of that stuff. I just try and take care of
my business on the mound each time I go out there."
What separates Bobby from the pack is not only can he throw it hard (touches 94
MPH almost every time he goes on the mound and pitches it between 89 to 92 MPH),
it is the number of pitches in his arsenal.
"I throw a fastball, slider, change up, curveball, and a splitter. I just
experimented with a few things and it just kind of happened."
Throwing five different pitches is very unusual for not only a high school pitcher,
but any pitcher on any level. What is his out pitch?
"I would go with my slider. It is working pretty well. I throw it about 82
MPH so it is hard to pick up out of my hand."
What else makes Wahl so special?
"I just go out there and throw strikes and trust my stuff. I am competitor.
I love working hard and that is how I pitch. I am a grinder out there."
Another thing that stands out about Bobby is his control. As a sophomore, he went
6-1 on the mound with a 1.89 ERA. In 40 innings of work, he struck out 65 and
only walked 9 batters. This season, he is 6-0 on the mound with 35 innings of
work and has 54 k's and only 6 walks."
"I came up my sophomore year, and I was the #2 pitcher behind Mike Kent who
signed with Clemson. I made my way up the lineup, and around the playoffs, I solidified
myself. This year I have worked my way up to the #1 slot, but me and Mike (Kent)
are really Co #1's. My fastball is coming in pretty good, and I can control it
pretty well and locate it where I want it. That keeps my walks down because I
do not have to throw it in the dirt and waste too many pitches. I just go right
after the batters."
Bobby is currently gearing up for the playoff stretch at West Springfield.
"Right now, we are undefeated in the State of Virginia, and we have a real
good team. We have great players and a great staff. I think we have a chance to
go real far. We are just about to start the district playoffs next week."
Wahl started making a name for himself this past summer at the East Cobb games.
"I went down with the Junior Barmstormers in the East Cobb league. I threw
a complete game one hitter with 15 strike outs in front of all of the scouts.
That got me noticed, and then I played for Jeff Petty for the North Hurricanes
and threw in the championship game at the World Series (in South Carolina) for
the Impact games, and we won it. Everything started happening after that."
The "happening" was scholarship offers from some of the more prestigious
baseball programs in the country.
"It started with the instate programs. Virginia and Virginia Tech got on
me. V.T. was my first offer, and then North Carolina, Clemson, and pretty much
the rest of the ACC programs started offering me."
How the Rebels were able to get a foot in the door comes down to those Snyder
twins once again.
"Matt and Mike's (Snyder) father is my pitching coach, so I told him to put
out a feeler on me to Ole Miss. I have always wanted to play in the SEC all of
my life, and Ole Miss is the premier program in the SEC, so that is where I wanted
to go. Mr. Snyder told Ole Miss about me, and they came and scouted me in the
Jupiter tournament in Florida last summer. I threw another complete game in front
of Coach Rob and had like 14 K's, and he offered me right after the game. I guess
they liked what they saw (laugh)."
Bobby came down on an unofficial visit in January and fell in love with not on
the baseball program, but the overall school. A commitment took place right before
he left.
"Ole Miss is just the perfect school for me. I can not explain it. The place
is just beautiful. The facilities are unreal. The coaching staff is awesome. The
players are just like me, and it does not hurt that they have the most beautiful
women in the country. Who wouldn't want to be at Ole Miss? I took visits to North
Carolina, Virginia, Clemson, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech, and it was cool
and everything, but it was not Ole Miss."
The expectations will be huge when Bobby steps on campus, but the staff at Ole
Miss has only told him one thing.
"They told me that nothing is guaranteed at Ole Miss. You have to work hard
to get a spot. I know that. They told me that there is a good chance I will play
early if I continue to work hard, whether that is in the bullpen or starting,
I do not know. We will see. They just want me to keep working hard."
To view a video interview with Bobby, click
here.
To view the complete list of baseball commitments for the '09/'10 class, click
here.
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