Freshman Pitcher Thriving Against Top SEC Competition
May 01, 2015 | Baseball
By Preston Smith
If a team were to build a prototypical pitcher, there are certain qualities it would want. Good fastball, an off-speed pitch to compliment it and strong command of the strike zone come to mind. Add that to a 6-foot-3, 200-pound left-hander with no injury history, and the narrative gets unfair.
Bo Tucker is a freshman pitcher with all of the tools to leave a strong legacy at the University of Georgia. His fastball tops out around 92 mph and the break in his curveball leaves batters stunned. And yet if you ask his high school coach, his competitiveness sticks out above any physical attribute.
"Two things really stood out to me early for Bo," Rome High School coach Michael Dougherty said. "One was how much of a competitor he was. He wanted to win every single game we played. And two, he was willing to work for it. He did all of the extra stuff, the long tosses, the running, the preparation, because he wanted to win so badly.
Perhaps no instance illustrated his competitiveness greater than an early SEC game against Missouri on March 14. Facing a two-run deficit in the top of the seventh inning, Tucker spun off the mound to catch a runner attempting to steal third. The freshman then took off after the Tiger and managed to apply the tag before he could get back to 2nd, completing the exceedingly rare unassisted pickoff. The play earned a rousing ovation and sparked a Bulldog rally, although Georgia would fall in extra innings.
While the jump from high school ball to one of the top conferences in collegiate baseball is steep to many, plays like this has helped the former high school quarterback to earn his teammate's trust early on in his career.
"It has definitely been a big jump in competition, but obviously baseball is 90 percent mental," Tucker said. "It's still a mental game, and if you think you can play with these guys then you'll be able to. I think I can hang with these guys."
In fact, the 2014 Rome News-Tribune Player of the Year has not just competed, he has been a key part of Georgia's bullpen. Tucker leads all Bulldog freshman with a 2.45 ERA, good for second on the team, counting players with more than one appearance on the season. For pure relief pitchers -- pitchers who have not recorded an official start -- Tucker is tied for the lead in strikeouts (27) and second in innings pitched (25.2).
He is also the only Georgia pitcher who holds opponent's batting average below the Mendoza Line with an eye-opening .185. However, Tucker had a transition from high school ace to coming out of the bullpen with the Bulldogs.
"Coming out of the pen changes a lot," Tucker said. "You usually only have a maximum of two to three innings to go out there and show all of your stuff. You have to give it all you've got early, versus starting you have to pace yourself because you see the lineup more than one time through."
The freshman's success coming out of the pen -- along with his experience starting in high school -- led to the decision to start Tucker on April 14 against Georgia Tech. Georgia head coach Scott Stricklin went with Tucker with the intention of getting off to a fast start in a big game.
"He's been really good and we needed to get off to a good start," Stricklin said. "It was going to be three innings, he wasn't going to throw very long, but Bo has been throwing the ball really well."
Against Tech, Tucker started off strong, reaching an inning and a third scoreless before the game was rained out, leaving the freshman without an official start due to NCAA rules.
Tucker was selected in the 38th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and hopes to go pro eventually, but he is currently focused on helping Georgia return to the elites of SEC baseball. That doesn't stop his high school coach from raving about his potential.
"I absolutely think Bo can play at the professional level, Dougherty said."Watching him pitch just the other night, he's topping out at 91-92 with an unbelievable curveball. His curveball is definitely his out-pitch, and it just drops off the table. I'm sure he's working on a good third pitch, but right now he's on a great track (to the pros)."
Tucker is an arm the Bulldogs will need this weekend when they host No. 8 Florida this Friday-Sunday at Foley Field. First pitches are slated for Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at noon and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Preston Smith is junior from Rome, Ga., who is majoring in public relations and also pursuing a Sports Media Certificate within the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Smith is in his second year as a student assistant within the UGA Sports Communications office and spent the fall serving as an corporate affairs intern at Augusta National Golf Club.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories include:
August 28 - David Andrews (football vs. Clemson)
September 4 - Carly Hamilton (cross country in Bulldog Invitational)
September 11 - Tirah Leau (volleyball in Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 18 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Vanderbilt)
September 25 - Toby Johnson (football vs. Tennessee)
October 2 - Emma Sonnett (soccer vs. Tennessee)
October 9 - Jared Markham (swimming & diving vs. Alabama)
October 16 - Gaby Smiley (volleyball vs. Kentucky and Tennessee)
October 23 - Bella Hartley (soccer vs. Kentucky)
October 30 - Olivia Ball & Ian Forlini (swimming & diving vs. Florida)
November 6 - Megan Spencer (volleyball vs. Arkansas)
November 13 - Kolton Houston (football vs. Auburn)
November 20 - Yante Maten (men's basketball vs. Troy & FAU)
November 27 - Damian Swann (football vs. Georgia Tech)
December 4 - Marjorie Butler (women's basketball vs. Michigan State)
December 18 - Tiaria Griffin (women's basketball vs. Furman)
December 25 - International Bulldogs (men's basketball vs. Mercer)
January 7 - Maddie Locus (women's swimming & diving vs. Texas)
January 14 - Shacobia Barbee (women's basketball vs. Vanderbilt)
January 21 - Caroline Brinson (women's tennis in ITA Kickoff Weekend)
January 28 - Nathan Pasha (men's tennis vs. UCLA and Southern Cal)
February 4 - Sara Parr (equestrian vs. South Carolina)
February 11 - Cortni Emanuel (softball in Bulldog Invitational)
February 18 - Chelsea Davis (gymnastics vs. Alabama)
February 25 - Hannah King (women's tennis vs. LSU & Texas A&M)
March 4 - Wayne Montgomery (men's tennis vs. Texas A&M & LSU)
March 11 - Mary Beth Box (gymnastics vs. Utah)
March 18 - Kendell Williams and Quintunya Chapman (track & field in Georgia Relays)
March 25 - Sammi Lee (women's golf in the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic)
April 2 - Brandon Stephens (baseball vs. Vanderbilt)
April 9 - Jake Ganus (football G-Day Spring Game)
April 16 - Paige Wilson (softball vs. Florida)
