IU coach Tracy Smith lost a lot last year, but he said he thinks he has enough pitching to start where others left off. He also said this class reminds him of last years juniors, who sent a number players into the draft.
"It is no secret that we lost a plethora of talent from last year's team through the draft and graduation," Smith said. "The 2010 class reminds me a lot of last year's juniors that got drafted, in that we have some definite professional prospects in this incoming group. Because we lost four underclassman pitchers last year to the draft, we felt we needed to go heavy on pitching in this class, and we accomplished that."
Here are some of Smith's comments on a couple of the recruits from iuhoosiers.
Smith on Blair Betts: "I had a chance to see Blair pitch last summer in the Tournament of Stars in Cary. The event showcases the top talent in the country. Blair stood out to me because of his ability to compete and his above-average breaking ball. He is a proven winner not only in high school, but also for one of the top amateur programs in the North Carolina under Coach Ron Powell. We are getting a talented left-hander that knows how to pitch."
Smith on Matt Dearden: "I can't wait to hear the comments about Matt later this spring, because he was kind of flying under the radar this summer. He played a lot of infield for his high school team. He is still learning how to pitch. We saw Matt a couple of times, and both times he demonstrated a power arm. He has a chance to be a dominant pitcher at our level, not only because of his talent, but also his strong desire to get better every time he takes the mound."
Smith on Dustin DeMuth: "Dustin is no stranger to IU. His older sister, Jenny, played basketball for the Hoosiers from 2002-06. Dustin plays and excels at three sports now, and it will be interesting to see how he develops once he focuses on one sport in college. He is extremely gifted athletically, and does so many things well on the diamond. He will have a chance to play right away in our program."
Smith spoke about several of the other recruits as well. Look for comprehensive coverage of the 2010 class to come in a future Indiana Daily Student publication.
