Fall Preview: Refreshed Davis Out To Prove Last Year Was No Fluke
October 03, 2014 | Baseball
SEATTLE - After a junior year in which he boasted an 11-2 record, 1.60 earned run average, led Washington to a 41-win season and second-place finish in the nation's best conference and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award – college baseball's top honor – Tyler Davis did the almost unthinkable.
He returned to college for his senior season.
Normally gaudy stats like those that Davis put up against top-notch competition are a golden ticket to the professional ranks. But, despite a Husky record eight players being selected, the undersized Davis watched the Major League Baseball Draft unfold without hearing his name called. The All-Pac-12 first team pitcher was pragmatic, if not understanding of the process.
“I talked with (pitching coach) Jason Kelly and Coach (Lindsay) Meggs before the draft and they told me not to pay too much attention to it,” Davis recalled. “I had to realize what position I was really in and that other guys probably seemed more signable. Because I wasn't the prototypical major league pitcher, they are not going to look at me until next year.”
Despite the logical reasoning, it was still hard for Davis.
“It was tough because I know that I am a lot better than a lot of the guys that were drafted,” he said. “But I think it helps me to put a chip on my shoulder and helps to give me something to prove people wrong, like some sort of ammo.”
After his stellar junior year, Davis already has plenty ammo in his arsenal – but he knows that the ammo in his chamber will still have trouble penetrating some preconceived notions.
“I am still looked over by the scouts who didn't draft me this June and I'm still going to be looked over by other players because I am not six-feet tall and I don't throw 90 miles per hour.
“But I will find a way to prove people wrong. At this point, I have to prove to them that last year wasn't a fluke and I will keep improving this year.”
Part of Davis' plan in improving was to take the summer off from playing baseball. After throwing 106 and 2/3 innings during his junior year, Davis needed to rest his arm. He also wanted to get ahead in school and get closer to graduation.
“I took 17 credits,” Davis said of how he spent his summer. “I took biology, psychology and economics. I want to be able to graduate after winter quarter so that during spring quarter when everyone else is in school, I can just focus on baseball and getting the job done on the mound. That way I will have as little amount of pressure on me as possible for this last season so I can really enjoy it.
“Besides that, I worked baseball camps here and I worked at Januik Winery in Woodinville. I worked the events over there, like weddings and parties. I was a server and would set up and work the events and then clean up everything after. I also stayed around here and worked out three to four times a week and did 6:15 a.m. weights every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It was something that I wanted to do because I felt like if I'm not (pitching) then I'm not getting better. I wanted to make sure that I could get ahead in any way possible while giving my arm some rest.”
Davis is refreshed, renewed and ready to get the 2015 season rolling. He and his teammates have now been on the field for fall practice for almost two weeks. With a large core of last year's squad having moved on, the team is searching for a new identity. But according to Davis, the team's identity should not stray too far from the formula that proved to be successful last season.
“I think it will still be the same formula that it was last year and the same for the next five, 10, 15 years,” he said. “We will have great pitching and we're going to make sure we have a really good defense. Our pitching and our defense will be the heart of our team.”
Last season, the Huskies' pitching staff was a strength of the team. They collectively had a 3.11 ERA and held opponents to a .249 average. The biggest task for Coach Meggs will be to find at least two new starters to replace inning eaters Jeff Brigham and Jared Fisher, but Davis points out that there are a lot of great options his coach will have to choose from.
“We definitely have a lot of guys that are versatile and are able to do whatever we need them to do,” said Davis. “I think Alex Nesbitt could come out of the pen or some sort of starting role if he needs to be or if he earns it. Troy Rallings could either be in the bullpen or as a starter. We have a lot of guys who are good enough to face team lineups three to four times and we also have guys that can just come in for an inning and blow right past people if they need to.”
Davis has also been impressed by the newcomers that have joined the arsenal of arms.
“We have good new guys coming in. We have some good lefties coming in. I think that so far they are all very confident in their own ability and I think that is something that is the key. Everyone has a ways to go and a lot to prove, but I think we will be very good.”
Those new guys will look up to the veterans like Davis on the squad. After a trip to the NCAA Regional in Oxford, Mississippi, Davis and the other upperclassmen are hungry for more. And for Davis, there is even more of a sense of urgency since it's his senior campaign.
“It is exciting and I am a little nervous realizing that it is all coming to an end,” Davis said. “This is my final year here and I am definitely noticing a lot more things and appreciating them more than before.
“Last year at this time I was really focusing on getting better. Right now it helps that I might have a little pressure on me, but I also have the time to look around and be thankful for what I have been able to do here and for all of the opportunities here. I am excited to see what happens and it will be a fun year.”
