Tuesday, February 10, 2009

DURHAM, N.C.- When a program is trying to put itself on the college baseball map, producing a first-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft is a good way to do it. Kennesaw State hopes junior right-hander Kyle Heckathorn gives its program just such a boost.

The Owls, who won the 1996 Division II championship and had two runner-up finishes at that level, have been in Division I for just three seasons, but their program is already transforming into a budding powerhouse in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Kennesaw State won't be eligible for Division I postseason play until 2010, but it has improved its standing in each of its first three seasons in the league, finishing second last year with a 21-12 mark in A-Sun play.

Heckathorn went 4-2 with a 4.98 ERA and had 64 strikeouts and 22 walks in 60 innings to help anchor a Kennesaw pitching staff that posted the second-best team ERA in the conference last season. Getting Heckathorn to come to Kennesaw three years ago was a key development for the program.

"For him to believe in what we were doing was a big commitment from him," Owls coach Mike Sansing said. "The scouts are here quite often; it's brought a lot exposure for the university and the baseball program. I'm thankful he chose to come here -- I think it says a lot about him."

Heckathorn also has gone through a transformation of his own. He already was an imposing figure when he arrived on campus at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. But he bulked up during his freshman season, adding another 20 pounds to his frame after getting a full year of Kennesaw State's strength and conditioning program under his belt.

"I grew overall," Heckathorn said. "I bulked up a little bit in the weight room and got stronger. It helped me with every aspect of pitching, from the mental side to the physical side."

The added muscle could help Heckathorn pitch his way into the first round of the MLB draft. His fastball bumped up from 91-92 mph as a freshman to the upper 90s as a sophomore. He attacks hitters with fastballs that were coming in at up to 96 mph last spring and touched 98-99 mph during the summer. His primary weapon is a sinking two-seamer that he'll throw in any situation, while he'll mix in a four-seamer when he needs a strike. But his coach says those fastballs aren't even his best pitches.

"His changeup is his most impressive pitch because he's got such great arm speed on it," Sansing said. "It's very difficult when you're throwing upper 90s and you've got to look for a changeup, too. It makes things difficult."