Will Locante

[The Dude]

Briarcrest Christian senior pitcher Will Locante, a 5-11, 160-pound left-hander who went 6-3 2.68 ERA and 80 strikeouts, verbally committed to the Vols last weekend over Auburn, Middle Tennessee and the University of Memphis. The article in the KNS said he had a pretty good curveball and a fastball in the upper 80s.

[Freak]

thanks for the update. I hadn't seen that.

[LifeLongVol90]

He threw a no-hitter last season and had many games of 10+ strikeouts.
He wears his Tennessee hat around a lot now and has Tennessee keychains and a bunch of stuff representing the Big Orange now.

[VolDoc11]

Will threw several no hitters and shutouts in regular season and summer league,he is a very aggressive pitcher and he will suprise alot of people

[ballsmack]

Originally Posted by The Dude

Briarcrest Christian senior pitcher Will Locante, a 5-11, 160-pound left-hander who went 6-3 2.68 ERA and 80 strikeouts, verbally committed to the Vols last weekend over Auburn, Middle Tennessee and the University of Memphis. The article in the KNS said he had a pretty good curveball and a fastball in the upper 80s.

No way he is 5'11" If he's lucky, he is about 5'9 but let me tell you, this kid can pack a punch. I saw him mow down many players at the showcase. He brings mid-80's but his curve is really fast (12-6). He also has good mound-presence and knows how to pitch to the nasty part of the line-up. For 5'9", he is pretty stockily built @ 165 or so and I think he can go the distance for the VOLS.

[VolDoc11]

he really is closing in on 5-11, he is still growing and he is really getting strong, he is a workout machine, I have it on very good authority that his fast ball is 88-90, maybe by the time he gets there it will be better than that. you are so correct that he gets nasty with that part of the order and his curve is nasty.... his change up isnt bad either. Looks like they have some great talent coming in.

[ballsmack]

Originally Posted by VolDoc11

he really is closing in on 5-11, he is still growing and he is really getting strong, he is a workout machine, I have it on very good authority that his fast ball is 88-90, maybe by the time he gets there it will be better than that. you are so correct that he gets nasty with that part of the order and his curve is nasty.... his change up isnt bad either. Looks like they have some great talent coming in.

I'd be surprised if a kid that age is still growing. Usually if a kid has leg hair and is at or past the age of 16, he's done growing. I've not seen ANY kids 17+ grow even a 1/2 inch (or at least they weren't able to prove it to me). I applaud kids that are 5'9" and want to play college ball. There aren't too many of them (especially pitchers) but it's nice to see. Tim Lincecum isn't that tall and can throw mid-nineties. The rule of thumb is: "At the end of 10th grade, the height you made is the height you stayed". That's what us baseball coaches kind of use as a guideline when scouting/recruiting. No offense to the short people of the world!!!

[VolDoc11]

Baseball coaches that you make reference to dont understand physiology then, males can grow into their early twenties, it simply depends on when the growth plates close, this will usually coinside with facial hair not leg hair and a surge of testosterone. and growth hormone... I might know a little about this since I deal with bone and developement everyday. Males mature at different times and the rule of thumb thing with 10 grade is way off. anyway it will be of interest to see how it all plays out.

[VolDoc11]

I am sure the short people of the world wont take offense... especially those short Doctors

[ballsmack]

Originally Posted by VolDoc11

I am sure the short people of the world wont take offense... especially those short Doctors

it's just been my experience that 16 is the time they stop growin'. Many, many athletes actually have stopped growing way before that. I have talked to and worked with many HS basketball coaches too and they know that if a kid is 5'9" to 5'10" coming into their sophomore year, they really don't want anything to do with them because they are not going to grow. What happens is many of those kids were taller than average during middle school and played forward or center and then they stop growing beyond 5'9" at 16 and don't have guard skills developed and it's an easy decision to lose interest in them and cut them loose or tell them they are too short and to take up another sport. I know dozens and dozens of cases like this (whether cruel or not) and it's just the way of the world in competative high school sports. Kids just don't grow after 16 and it's a shame and don't ask me why because I'm not a doctor.
Another thing that factors in is that if a Dad is 6'3" for example and a Mom is 5'1", then there is no chance at all that the kid will be taller than 5'10". That's science and so if you can tell me of a kid who has a short Mom 5'1" or so and a fairly tall Dad (let's say 6'2" or so) and the kid grew BEYOND 5'10", then perhaps I would believe you but to this day I have NEVER, EVER seen that. That's what tends to happen to all these kids is that their Mothers are short and Fathers tall and they get the short end of the stick so to say. Science dictates this from the articles I have read and the proof of it I have seen over many, many years in coaching.

[The Dude]

Originally Posted by ballsmack

I'd be surprised if a kid that age is still growing. Usually if a kid has leg hair and is at or past the age of 16, he's done growing. I've not seen ANY kids 17+ grow even a 1/2 inch (or at least they weren't able to prove it to me). I applaud kids that are 5'9" and want to play college ball. There aren't too many of them (especially pitchers) but it's nice to see. Tim Lincecum isn't that tall and can throw mid-nineties. The rule of thumb is: "At the end of 10th grade, the height you made is the height you stayed". That's what us baseball coaches kind of use as a guideline when scouting/recruiting. No offense to the short people of the world!!!

I know a guy the grew 5 inches his freshman year of college.

[ballsmack]

Originally Posted by The Dude

I know a guy the grew 5 inches his freshman year of college.

are you being serious?? did he have a pituitary infection or something?? I have never seen a kid grow any beyond the age of 15 or 16. It seems that the growth plates fuse at that age and then thats it. Hair grows on the legs, they get a bit of facial hair and then it's over. That's been the experience with hundreds and hundreds of kids I have been around or coached. Middle School and freshman year tend to be the only years of the main growth spurt. The growing then stops and coaches make their assessments as to whether or not to keep a kid on the basketball team. To play college baseball, you only get serious looks if you are over the height of 6'0" with few exceptions....but it does happen.

[The Dude]

Yeah, I'm serious. In fact, I know two guys that grew a lot in college. One of them actually pitched in college and all the way up to AA baseball in the Mets organization.

[The Dude]

I saw an interview once where Michael Jordan said he entered UNC at 6'4" and was 6'6" by the time he left.

[TheHill09]

Originally Posted by ballsmack

are you being serious?? did he have a pituitary infection or something?? I have never seen a kid grow any beyond the age of 15 or 16. It seems that the growth plates fuse at that age and then thats it. Hair grows on the legs, they get a bit of facial hair and then it's over. That's been the experience with hundreds and hundreds of kids I have been around or coached. Middle School and freshman year tend to be the only years of the main growth spurt. The growing then stops and coaches make their assessments as to whether or not to keep a kid on the basketball team. To play college baseball, you only get serious looks if you are over the height of 6'0" with few exceptions....but it does happen.

where in the world are you getting this info? I was 5'10 142 pounds in sophomore year of HS and now im a senior 6'1 175. My mom is 5'2 and my dad is 5'11 and I am definately still growing. Guys grow until they are like 24.