His teammates in the weekend rotation have a little more prospect buzz than he does. Brian Johnson is a two-way star and Karsten Whitson has been labeled as one of the top freshmen in the country.
But Hudson Randall (Chatham ’11) is taking a backseat to nobody.
Randall had an impressive freshman campaign for the Gators, and this season, he’s become one of the top starters for the No. 1 team in the nation.
And he’s showing why he’s there.
Randall is 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA in six starts. In 40.2 innings, he has struck out 25, and most impressively, has walked just one batter. With just 30 hits allowed, his WHIP is 0.77.
Last weekend, Randall tossed his first career complete game in a win over South Carolina. He struck out four, didn’t walk anybody and allowed just an unearned run. He retired the game’s final 19 batters.
A 46th-round pick out of high school, Randall was on the Chatham roster last summer but didn’t end up coming to the Cape. But he didn’t need the stiff competition to get better — he’s added a curveball to his repertoire and now throws five pitches with confidence.
If Randall can make it to Chatham this year, the Anglers may have an ace on their hands.
I hope I get to see him on Opening Day!