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TODAY'S PENNSYLVANIA BASEBALL NEWS
2011 Top Prospect Results
Highest Velocities/ Times For December 17, 2011:
77 Ft Run (Seconds)
Carlos Urena 3.3
Augusto Ortega 3.3
Noel Rosario 3.35
Nick Bateman 3.4
Harry Rosenberg 3.45
Kidanny Cumba 3.45
OF Velocity (MPH)
Nick Bateman 87
Pitching Velocity (MPH)
Kevin Boswick 91
Brandon Kulp 88
Andrew Schuler 84
Jake Yannessa 83
Catching "POP" TIME (Seconds
Corey Biaida 1.95
Connor Arsenault 2.15
Kyle Newcomb 2.15
Brandon Kulp has all the physical tools. A young-and-growing 6-foot-2, 190-pound body that can unfurl a 93 mph fastball. A four-pitch arsenal that starts with a biting knuckle-curve and also includes a change-up and the rudiments of two kinds of cut fastball. A bright mind that breathes baseball on a year-round basis.
But there are a lot of high school kids with similar skill-sets, so for Kulp, it's hard work that has earned him a spot on the roster at Lehigh University.
Kulp, a Quakertown senior, made his college decision Monday by signing on the dotted line to play ball for the Mountain Hawks and coach Sean Leary. He chose Lehigh over Penn and the University of Delaware.
"I really liked the whole atmosphere of the campus and everything, and I knew I could get a really good education there for engineering or physics," Kulp explained. "I love their baseball coach and the whole program and how they have it set up there."
Kulp, the second of two Panther pitchers to make their college choices this fall (teammate Cody Stoneback recently signed to play at Millersville), is expected to start as a reliever with hopes of working his way into the starting rotation for a Lehigh squad that went 24-21 last spring.
"He works at the game 12 months a year, and it pays off," said Quakertown coach Steve Cherrybon. "He's gotten private instruction over the years, and he's made himself into the pitcher he is, with the skills he has, with his work."
In addition to high school ball, Kulp has spent two years with the Lehigh Valley Baseball Academy, and his connections there opened a door for Kulp to hook up with the Warrington-based All-American Baseball Academy, where he has received instruction from former major leaguers Tom Filer (currently pitching coach for the Indianapolis Indians, the Pittsburgh Pirates' Triple-A affiliate) and Sam Wernick.
"Tom's really the main guy to get my mechanics to where they need to be," Kulp explained. "He basically said, 'You're using all upper body and none of your legs at all.' That's what got me hooked. When I went in there, I was throwing 86. He got me up to 93."
Not surprisingly, Lehigh took a sizable interest in a high school kid with those kinds of tools. Kulp said his summer coach, Mike Gilbert, has known Leary for years, and when Kulp pitched in an academy tournament at Lehigh, he caught the staff's attention. "So they came down to see me at All-American Baseball Academy and watched me throw bullpen," he said. "They really liked what they saw."
From there, an official visit to Lehigh was all it took for Kulp to make his selection. "I just loved the campus and everything, and I loved the guys on the team even more," he said.
"I think he'll do well there," Cherrybon noted. "They're going to slot him into a role, based on what they have coming back, and he'll get a chance to play right away."
Mechanics are one thing; work ethic is another, and Kulp's regimen is nothing short of exhausting.
"I'm constantly working on mechanics and small drills to make sure that it stays strong," he said. "And then, along with the school practices that we have on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'll work down at my academy all winter on Tuesday and Thursday nights and on Saturday mornings.
"In my off-days, I'm working out, trying to get bigger and stronger, and then on the days I'm not doing any of that, if I have a free day, I'll do small drills, just to make sure I'm doing the right things with my mechanics," Kulp explained. "So I'm constantly working on being the best that I can be because I know I want to get to that next level, and then after that, I definitely want to try to make it to the major leagues."
Ron Kohl is a freelance writer.
