Steamers Raid Middle Tennessee State For Arms
EDENTON, N.C. - The Edenton Steamers announced the signings of Kenneth Roberts and Kevin Whittaker from Middle Tennessee State University.
Roberts is a 6-1, 200-pound sophomore lefthanded pitcher from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
He has opened the 2008 collegiate season as the game one weekend starter for the Blue Raiders and looks to remain somewhere in the conference rotation throughout. This prominent role is coming off a freshman campaign where he did not pitch many innings for MTSU.
Roberts flourished in his 2007 summer season with the Carolina Sox out of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League where he was a midseason All-Star. He made 14 appearances for the Sox and posted a 7-0 record. In 35.1 innings, batters only hit .223 against him and he posted a 2.04 ERA and .99 WHIP. Kenneth gave up less than one walk every nine innings and recorded a 10.5 strikeout:walk ratio (42:4), which were unofficially two of the top figures in all of collegiate summer ball.
Baseball America ranked Roberts the No. 4 prospect out of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, writing:
"Roberts used good location on a mid-80s fastball and the league's top breaking ball (a curve)
He's tenacious and adds a developing changeup as well."
Meanwhile, Whittaker is a 6-3, 190-pound junior righthanded pitcher, who is from Cottontown, Tennessee.
Whittaker is starting the 2008 collegiate baseball season as a reliever for MTSU. As the season continues on, the Blue Raiders project Kevin to assume one of their rotation spots. He is a junior college transfer from Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee. He was the ace there in 2007 and is a very physical pitcher with a projectable frame and above average stuff at the collegiate level.
Whittaker enjoyed a quality 2007 spring with Volunteer State CC where he made 13 starts, pitched 70.1 innings with six complete games and two shutouts. He struck out 78 while only walking 34. His most impressive stat is that he only permitted one home run in 70.1 frames. He was also elected to the Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association 1st Team.
Roberts and Whittaker follow in the footsteps of current MTSU senior pitcher Brad Robinson, who was a part of Edenton's 2007 rotation and a key contributor to sweeping both North Division halves en route to a 39-win summer.
The Edenton Steamers compete in the Coastal Plain League, a summer collegiate baseball league that features 14 teams in three states (NC, SC, VA). The wooden bat league is certified by Major League Baseball and offers players an opportunity to improve their skills in a professional baseball environment. For more information on the CPL, please visit www.coastalplain.com. For more information on the Edenton Steamers, call the Steamers office at (252) 482-4080, or e-mail us: info@edentonsteamers.com.
Contact:Christopher Bell
(252) 482-4080