North Carolina State University Athletics
Orvella Hits the Big Time
5/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 31, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH -- When former NC State shortstop Chad Orvella was invited to attend Tampa Bay's major league spring training camp, he knew he was probably only a phone call away from fulfilling his childhood dream.
That call came Sunday. By Tuesday night, Orvella was pitching against the Oakland As. He got out all five batters he faced, striking out Mark Scutaro, inducing two ground outs and two fly balls in the 10-1 loss.
The Devil Rays called Orvella up from the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, where he proved that, as a relief pitcher, he had the stuff to compete with the best young players in baseball. Now it's time to go against the older guys.
He's the first former Wolfpack player to reach the big leagues since Andy Barkett played in 17 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001.
Orvella, invaluable to the Wolfpack as a shortstop during the team's 2003 run to an NCAA Super-Regional, was drafted by the Devil Rays and converted to a closer. Most scouts at the time projected him as a pitcher, even though he only saw a little action on the mound with the Wolfpack after transferring here from Columbia Basin Community College in his native Washington.
His numbers in two minor league seasons were phenomenal. Last year, when he was named the Devil Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year, he spent time with four teams on three levels. Combined, he pitched in 74 innings, struck out 117 batters, walked only 10. He held opposing batters to a .148 average, striking out 1.6 per inning. His earned run average never went below 1.93.
His numbers in the first two months of this season are similarly dominating. In 25 innings with the Biscuits, he allowed one earned run, struck out 29 batters and allowed only six walks. He had eight saves and an ERA of 0.36 with the Biscuits.
"I am having fun with pitching," Orvella said earlier this month. "I will keep doing what I am doing, and hopefully I will be in the big leagues before too long."
The 24-year-old native of Sammamish, Wash., joined the Devil Rays Monday for a three-game series at Oakland. This weekend, Orvella will have the opportunity to return to his home state, when Tampa Bay plays a three-game series at Seattle.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
