North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State's Joey Devine Dominates International Competition
7/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 29, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - A year ago, team physicians for USA Baseball felt around NC State reliever Joey Devine's right elbow during a routine physical and sent him home before the 2003 Team USA Trials even started.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests revealed no structural damage to Devine's elbow, but NC State's coaches shut him down for the duration of the summer and fall. Devine was back in action for his sophomore season with the Wolfpack this past spring, but at times did not resemble the flamethrowing sidewinder who dominated college hitters as a freshman in 2003. He did save 10 games and earn first-team All-ACC honors for the second season in a row, but he also blew five saves, lost all four decisions, and finished the campaign with a very un-Devine 5.25 ERA. By contrast, he went 6-3 with 14 saves and a 2.19 ERA as a freshman in 2003.
The real Joey Devine is back and, fittingly, dominating hitters for USA Baseball. With three games left in Team USA's 2004 summer schedule, Devine had no decisions or saves in his eight appearances, but had an eye-popping 0.66 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He had walked seven, but three came in one two-inning stint at Yokosuka, Japan on July 4. In his most recent appearance, July 26 vs. Korea in the FISU World University Games in Tainan, Taiwan, Devine allowed one hit and struck out four in 2 2/3 shutout innings.
Team USA was undefeated through five games at the World University Games, and Devine led the pitching staff in ERA by a considerable margin. He had allowed just one run all summer and had a scoreless innings streak of eight. Devine, Ricky Romero of Cal State-Fullerton (3-1, 1.17) and J. Brent Cox of Texas (2-1, 2.51, 1 save) have anchored the USA pitching staff, which had a 3.22 ERA through 22 games.
Summer All-Stars: Three Wolfpack players made their summer league all-star teams. Lefthanded pitcher Brendan Knapp, who missed all of the 2004 season for the Wolfpack while recovering from an arm injury, made the Texas Collegiate League All-Star team after a solid season with Granbury of that league. Through games of July 26, Knapp was 1-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 10 appearances, seven of which were starts. He had worked 47 2/3 innings, allowing 55 hits while walking six and striking out 25. Knapp, who will be a redshirt junior in 2005, came to NC State from Midland (Texas) Junior College, where he was 12-2 with a 3.41 ERA as a sophomore in 2003.
Meanwhile, in the New York Collegiate League, rising sophomores Caleb Mangum and Jeff Stallings made the league all-star team after strong seasons with the Saratoga Phillies. Mangum batted .331 with 16 RBIs in 31 games, while Stallings was 1-3 with a 4.58 ERA in seven appearances, six of them starts. Stallings worked 37 innings, allowing 40 hits, walking just 12 and striking out 35. Saratoga finished with a 20-20 record and did not make the NYCL playoffs.
In The Valley League: Perhaps the most eye-opening numbers turned in by any Wolfpack player this summer came from rising redshirt-sophomore righthander Sam Walls, who was outstanding for Covington in the Shenandoah Valley League. Walls, who appeared in just three games and pitched just four innings at NC State during the spring, was 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA at Covington. In 10 appearances, eight of them starts, he had allowed 48 hits and 16 walks in a team-high 45 2/3 innings. He had notched 35 strikeouts.
Rising sophomore righthander Gib Hobson had similar numbers while pitching this summer for Waterloo of the Northwoods League. Hobson was 2-2 with a 3.44 ERA. He had made eight appearances, all starts, and had worked 52 1/3 innings, allowing 53 hits, walking 16 and striking out 42.
Other Wolfpackers In Summer Baseball:
Matt Camp, infield, Chatham, Cape Cod League: .188 average, 1 home run, 7 RBIs, 30 games
Jake Muyco, catcher, Chatham, Cape Cod League: .103-0-1, 16 games
Jason St. Julien, outfield, Coppell, Texas Collegiate League: .429-0-0, 4 games
Lee Mezistrano, outfield, Kirkland, Pacific International League: .214-1-11, 23 games
Tim Coffield, outfield, Wilmington, Coastal Plain League: .208-3-15, 32 games
Phillip Davidson: righthanded pitcher, Brewster, Cape Cod League: 2-2, 3.53, 10 appearances, 5 starts, 35.2 innings
Adam McLaurin, righthanded pitcher, Danbury, New England Collegiate League: 0-3, 5.50, 4 appearances, 3 starts, 18 innings
Jason Duncan, lefthanded pitcher, Wilmington, Coastal Plain League: 0-2, 5.55, 6 appearances, 4 starts, 24.1 innings
