COLLEGE BASEBALL

Former Warrior transferring from ETSU to Milligan

BY TREY WILLIAMS Press Sports Writer twilliams@johnsoncitypress.com



Former Happy Valley player Todd Caldwell announced his transfer from East Tennessee State to Milligan College Thursday.

The former Watauga Conference Player of the Year was a weekend starter on the mound as a freshman this past season at ETSU, but didn't like not also getting to be a position player. The 6-foot-1 left-hander went 2-2 with a 5.29 ERA, starting eight of the 13 games in which he appeared.

"I was recruited to play both and it kind of bothered me that I wasn't really given that chance," Caldwell said. "It was a big reason I decided to go to ETSU. I was headed to Walters State, which had just won a national championship."

Now he's headed back to Carter County. He'll be reunited at Milligan with former high school teammate Ricky Morgan.

"Me and Ricky Morgan have played together since we were nine years old," Caldwell said. "We even got drafted on the same Johnson City Babe Ruth team."

Milligan coach Nathan Meade, who'll enter his second season next year, says Caldwell is the prime catch in a deep recruiting class.

"I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit surprised when he said he was coming," Meade said. "We're pretty excited about getting a Todd Caldwell. He's an impact player. You can't just go out and get nine of those guys."

Meade said Caldwell will play outfield and pitch for the Buffs.

"I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again," Meade said, "but I saw him play in high school and thought he was just as good swinging as he was pitching."

Former Happy Valley coach Greg Hyder said Caldwell hit .600 his senior season. As it turned out, Caldwell hit .500 his freshman season at ETSU.

"The one game I hit against UNC Asheville, I went 2-for-4," Caldwell said with a chuckle.

Things got off to an ominous start at ETSU when pitching coach Mac McClarrinon left before the season started. McClarrinon recruited Caldwell and was the one to build a relationship.

"What's funny is Coach Mac was actually always saying, 'Me and Coach Skole are fighting over you,'" Caldwell said. "So I was pretty sure Coach Skole wanted me to hit too."

While Caldwell said he never had a personal riff with Skole, he did mention third baseman Tanner Moore and shortstop Justin Tramble, fellow freshmen starters, also not returning to ETSU next season. Neither will pitcher Jonathan Stoudt, who Caldwell would like to see turn up at Milligan.

"He's topped out at 93 mph," Caldwell said.

Caldwell is looking forward to playing with the Buffs' Spencer Street and Brandon Murphy, who've played travel ball with him for Pappy Crowe.

Caldwell is playing for Crowe's Tri-Cities Optimist this summer, as are Milligan teammates such as Morgan and Toby Hoyle.

"Pappy said the championship game of the (19-under) Dizzy Dean World Series is going to be on ESPN2," Caldwell said. "I'm looking forward to playing for him this summer."

He said the same thing about Milligan's Meade.

"I do feel like a weight's been lifted off of me," Caldwell said. "I'm so excited. Milligan's a great school and Coach Meade and Coach (Joel) Mangrum have been nothing but great to me.

"I'm sure there are a lot of guys that think I'm stupid for turning down the opportunity of being a Division I weekend starter as a freshman. But when you're dreading going to the ballpark, when you're sitting and thinking 'When I get out of this class I've got to go to practice,' something has to change."

There is a lot going on at ETSU right now with all the players leaving. I can't believe all the players are wrong at the same time.

Nothing is going wrong at ETSU. This just shows you how soft some young athletes are and don't want to work hard. Tanner Moore will be the only player missed. Some people don't want to accept their role on a team. There are only 10 (inc. DH) positions, so some people have to sit the bench. Not everyone can play.

C Moe: Let us suppose you were told that you were too valuable as a closer to continue playing catcher and hitting. He makes you a closer exclusively. You never play as a position player in college. Doesn't matter what you were told during recruiting and you don't get drafted because no one knows you can hit and the scouts know you are not going to be a closer. Do you still believe what you have posted?

I think if you could have been in the stands and heard the scouts calling their cross-checkers the day you started in the conference tourney you would not be making these posts. This is just my humble opinion.

Guys

Sometimes players just want to be the Big Fish in the little pond. Not a little fish in the big pond.
From where I sat everyone got a chance to prove what they could do. The hard part was to do it over and over.
How many players have been drafted from Milligan?
You always have coachs that will pick up the kids unhappy from D-1 to play at smaller schools like Milligan.

Lets get off ETSU and Coach Skole
When my son got hurt......I learned all I needed about Tony Skole ...He's #1 in my book!

I am with Jolly Roger

All too many kids are coddled before the college scene even happens and think that because they were a stud in small town they can go to college and be a stud with 30 plus other players from around the country----my own son had to swallow his pride when he got to the college level---he could run and hit but his arm was not as strong as some others so he saw DH time which he did not like--BUT HE WAS IN THE LINEUP---you learn to adapt if you want to

Not to beat a dead horse, but......

Like Jolly Roger has stated, everyone got the chance to prove what he could do. This was no different for the above mentioned Todd Caldwell. What the author of this article forgot to mention was that in the fall, when the coaches get the chance to evaluate their players, Caldwell hit less than .150.

quote:

The former Watauga Conference Player of the Year was a weekend starter on the mound as a freshman this past season at ETSU, but didn't like not also getting to be a position player. The 6-foot-1 left-hander went 2-2 with a 5.29 ERA, starting eight of the 13 games in which he appeared.

5.29 era. WOW