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BASEBALL PREVIEW Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
The summer was good to The Woodlands senior pitcher/shortstop Kyle Drabek. He got a little stronger. A little faster. And a lot more popular. Drabek, the Chronicle's Preseason Player of the Year, spent his two-month vacation from school working out with his father, former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek. He played summer ball against guys two and three years his senior. Kyle Drabek was an All-America selection twice. Drabek participated in the AFLAC All-American Classic, at which Scout.com recruiting analysts referred to him as "the most impressive all-around player," and he was the only underclassman named to the EA Sports All-America team. Drabek is expected to go as high as 12th in the amateur draft, according to early predictions, and will be a first-round selection in June. He was named the Texas Sports Writers Association's Player of the Year as a junior and is the fourth-ranked prospect in the country by Baseball America.
Setting his goals highDrabek is ready to prove the hype is worth it. With the high school baseball season beginning today, the 6-0, 180-pound righthander is looking for the best year of his career."I want to win state, and I want to go out and improve on this year from last year," he said. "I want to do my best in every game." Improving on last year's accomplishments won't be easy. Not because Drabek has lost any momentum after helping his team to the Class 5A Region II semifinals, but an 11-1 record and 0.82 ERA are not easily topped. Drabek struck out 106 batters during the 2005 regular season, which tied for first among Houston-area pitchers. In the postseason, Drabek struck out another 49 batters and had the sixth-best ERA in the area. "My goal is to go undefeated," Drabek said. "That one loss can be improved on. I'd also like to see my ERA drop. I think with the team we have coming back and the experience we got last year, it will be a great year." When Drabek isn't pitching, he will be playing shortstop. Highlanders coaches plan to limit his pitches during the early part of the season in hopes of conserving the ace for a long postseason.
Strong supporting cast"Kyle is the best player on this team," The Woodlands coach Ron Eastman said. "We'll limit his throws, but he's our leader and really needs to play all the time."That suits Drabek just fine. He is confident when he talks about his personal abilities on the mound and in the infield. But Drabek's face lights up when he mentions his team and the places the Highlanders are planning to go this year. The Woodlands is the No. 1-ranked team in the area and state heading into the season and is Rivals.com's fourth-ranked team in the country. "The pollsters tell me it's because of Kyle that we're picked so high," Eastman said. "And he's definitely a huge part of that. But we have a strong group this year. One person can't do it all. It certainly helps to have him back, but he knows that baseball is a team sport. And he's on a great team." Other pitchers include senior Steven Maxwell, who has signed with Texas Christian. Infielders Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Harmon and Derek Smith are all seniors and returning starters. And juniors Mickey Armstrong (catcher) and David Alleman (outfielder) return, too. In all, eight veteran players are back for the Highlanders. "I think we are one of the top teams in the state," Drabek said. "We have a lot of guys back, and we went far in the playoffs last year, so that helps with experience. I think I'd probably be surprised if we were picked any lower than No. 1 in the state."
Defense solid againThe Highlanders had a .978 fielding average in 2005 and committed only 13 errors. And while defense is likely to be the The Woodlands' strength again this year with so much veteran leadership back, offense should pick up quickly, too.And once again, Drabek will be leading the way. He batted .493 in the regular as a junior (eighth-best in the Houston area) and had five home runs. In the playoffs, Drabek boosted his average to .500 and added another homer.
Leading by example"I'll do whatever I need to do to help the team," Drabek said. "I just hope I don't mess up. I don't want to have a bad game and let it get to me and have another bad game. Those are the only things I worry about sometimes."And that's from one of the year's most highly touted players. Behind all the hype and fanfare is a talented athlete who wants nothing more than to end the season with a strong showing. "He needs to not be results-oriented," Eastman said. "I want him to know that success in baseball isn't based on batting average or strikeouts. So much of that they don't have control over. Kyle is such a talented and extremely humble guy. And if he's out there giving it his all, that's what we want from him. "When he's on the mound, the team has confidence that we're in the game. He builds others up around him, and that's special to have that."
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