Gardner-Webb Recruit Brandon Henderson Selected In 15th Round By Tampa Bay
June 09, 2010 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb signee Brandon Henderson, South Carolina's Class 2A State Player of the Year, was selected in the 15th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Chesnee (S.C.) High star and future ace of the Diamond 'Dogs pitching staff was the 461st player selected overall, capping a sensational high school career. Henderson saved his best for last, putting together a masterful senior season for the Eagles.
"Brandon is a tremendous young man and we are very happy for he and his family. It is a testament to not only Brandon's talent, but also his character and hard work, that he was selected," said GWU head coach Rusty Stroupe. "Obviously we are very hopeful that Brandon decides to come to Gardner-Webb, but either way this is a positive for our program because it is an indication of the quality of players that we have been able to bring in with our recent recruiting classes."
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound lefty led Chesnee to the 2010 Class 2A State Championship, forging a 14-0 record and a microscopic 0.30 ERA. His fastball was regularly clocked in the upper 80s during the season and touched 90 mph in the state playoffs. That, along with a devastating array of off speed pitches, helped Henderson fan 170 batters in just 88.0 innings of work (only 21 walks) - an average of 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Henderson's heroics were on full display in the state championship series against Hanahan (S.C.) High, when he posted mound wins twice - starting in the first and final games of the three-game series. That effort helped send legendary Coach Dean Jones - a former Gardner-Webb player and member of GWU's Athletics Hall of Fame - out a winner in his final season.
Henderson - a four-year starter for Chesnee High - finished his career with a very impressive 38-7 record on the mound.
In 2009, he ranked among the national leaders
in the prep ranks with an amazing 174 strikeouts in just 81.2
innings of work. He went 10-2 with an 0.75 ERA to help Chesnee to
the Class 2A state finals. He earned All-State and All-Area honors,
and was named Region II-2A Player of the Year. Henderson hurled a
no-hitter on March 30 vs. Woodruff (S.C.) High, and led the state
with an average of 14.9 strikeouts per seven
innings.
As a sophomore, Henderson went 7-4 with a
2.53 ERA and 106 strikeouts, also earning All-State, All-Area and
All-Region honors. He posted a 7-1 record as a ninth grader for the
Eagles.
Henderson could potentially improve his draft position significantly by enrolling at Gardner-Webb in the fall, as head coach Rusty Stroupe has a strong recent history of producing high draft picks and professional signees on the mound since arriving in Boiling Springs in 2003.
During Stroupe's tenure in Boiling Springs, he has mentored some of the best arms in Gardner-Webb's NCAA Division I history, including Smyrna, Ga., native Jeff Long (10th round, Atlanta Braves, 2004) and Kannapolis, N.C., native Zach Ward (3rd round, Cincinnati Reds, 2005). Both Long and Ward went undrafted as high school seniors, but were groomed into very strong draft options during their time at GWU.
Ward, who led the prestigious Cape Cod League in strikeouts after a stellar sophomore season for the Diamond 'Dogs in 2004, saw his velocity jump from the upper 80s to 96 mph during his time with the 'Dogs - which translated into a healthy signing bonus following the 2005 draft by the Reds.
August 15, 2010 is the deadline for players from this year's draft to sign with Major League clubs.
