SSAC News
Fri, Jun 16, 2006 - [Baseball]
After a frustrating senior season for the Lee University baseball team, BJ Church is hoping to make the best of the opportunity to pitch for the Florence (Ky.) Freedom, an independent professional team in the Pioneer League.
A first-team NAIA All-American for the Flames during his junior year, Church broke his right hand just before the 2006 season began and worked in only three games during the entire 2006 year for head coach David Altopp and pitching coach Mark Brew.
“My plan is to return to top form at Florence and hopefully sign with a Major League club for next season,” said BJ as he prepared to make his second start for the Freedom on Thursday night in Washington, Penn. “Overall the team is struggling (7-13) but I pitched well in my last outing.”
When he graduated from Soddy-Daisy High School, Church was considered one of the top pitching prospects in this part of the country. He’s currently trying to convince scouts he still has the needed arm strength and stuff to pitch in the big leagues.
“I wasn’t in shape when I signed with Florence,” he confessed. “In my first two outings, I struggled with control (in relief roles). I got my first start last week and pitched well. I’m pitching every fifth day. We also run and throw between starts. I’m rounding into baseball shape and my arm feels good.”
During the start, Church put up the numbers most teams in this area had grown accustomed to. In 7 1/3 innings, he allowed four hits and one earned run. He walked two and fanned seven. He consistently threw between 88 and 92 miles per hour.
“After a frustrating senior season I am glad BJ has received this opportunity to pitch professionally with the Florence Freedom,” said Altopp. “He is just now getting into mid-season form and should be throwing the ball as well as he did during the later part of the season.”
Altopp noted that Church is following in the footsteps of former Flames’ pitcher Joel Posey (currently pitching in the Oakland Athletics organization). “It would not surprise me at all to see BJ post good numbers in the Frontier League and possibly get picked up in the near future by one of the Major League teams. I wish him the best and look forward to following him over the summer.”
Brew says he believes Church would have had an outstanding chance to have been drafted, if he had not injured his pitching hand. He was selected by Baseball America as the pre-season pick for the NAIA National Player of the Year.
“BJ certainly has the ability to pitch at the next level and I hope this opportunity with the Freedom will reap the dividends he’s after,” said Brew. In two seasons for Lee, Church was 16-1 and an earned run average of lower than 1.45.
A first-team NAIA All-American for the Flames during his junior year, Church broke his right hand just before the 2006 season began and worked in only three games during the entire 2006 year for head coach David Altopp and pitching coach Mark Brew.
“My plan is to return to top form at Florence and hopefully sign with a Major League club for next season,” said BJ as he prepared to make his second start for the Freedom on Thursday night in Washington, Penn. “Overall the team is struggling (7-13) but I pitched well in my last outing.”
When he graduated from Soddy-Daisy High School, Church was considered one of the top pitching prospects in this part of the country. He’s currently trying to convince scouts he still has the needed arm strength and stuff to pitch in the big leagues.
“I wasn’t in shape when I signed with Florence,” he confessed. “In my first two outings, I struggled with control (in relief roles). I got my first start last week and pitched well. I’m pitching every fifth day. We also run and throw between starts. I’m rounding into baseball shape and my arm feels good.”
During the start, Church put up the numbers most teams in this area had grown accustomed to. In 7 1/3 innings, he allowed four hits and one earned run. He walked two and fanned seven. He consistently threw between 88 and 92 miles per hour.
“After a frustrating senior season I am glad BJ has received this opportunity to pitch professionally with the Florence Freedom,” said Altopp. “He is just now getting into mid-season form and should be throwing the ball as well as he did during the later part of the season.”
Altopp noted that Church is following in the footsteps of former Flames’ pitcher Joel Posey (currently pitching in the Oakland Athletics organization). “It would not surprise me at all to see BJ post good numbers in the Frontier League and possibly get picked up in the near future by one of the Major League teams. I wish him the best and look forward to following him over the summer.”
Brew says he believes Church would have had an outstanding chance to have been drafted, if he had not injured his pitching hand. He was selected by Baseball America as the pre-season pick for the NAIA National Player of the Year.
“BJ certainly has the ability to pitch at the next level and I hope this opportunity with the Freedom will reap the dividends he’s after,” said Brew. In two seasons for Lee, Church was 16-1 and an earned run average of lower than 1.45.
