Austin Graham
9/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Enters the 2008 season as a candidate for a weekend or mid-week starting role on the mound and hopes to put two injury-plagued years behind him ... a pitcher with great makeup and ability whose career has been hampered by injuries.
FRESHMAN (2007):
Made one late-season appearance at Mississippi State on May 19 and recorded two outs for the Tide out of the bullpen ... spent the majority of the season rehabbing from an injury ... played briefly for the Concord (Mass.) Quarry Dogs in the New England Collegiate League after the season ... went 0-1 with 0.00 ERA in two starts on the mound ... allowed three hits and one unearned run in nine innings ... also recorded 11 strikeouts ... played on the same summer league team as Tide teammates Del Howell and Jake Smith.
FRESHMAN (2006):
Was off to a promising start before a shoulder injury sustained at South Alabama on March 8 ended his season ... was granted a medical hardship by the NCAA and the SEC ... was 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA in four starts before the injury ... worked 15.2 innings and allowed 15 hits, eight runs and five earned runs, with five walks and eight strikeouts ... suffered a loss in his Alabama debut against No. 26 Winthrop on Feb. 13 ... notched his first collegiate win against Kent State (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) on Feb. 19 ... earned his final win of the season when he held Florida International to two runs and five hits in 5.2 innings on Feb. 26.
HIGH SCHOOL:
A 2005 graduate of Spain Park High School in Hoover, Ala. ... a three-year baseball letterman ... played for Coach Casey Dunn and Coach Will Smith ... played on two straight (2002-03) Class 6A state playoff teams ... led Spain Park to back-to-back county championships (2002-03) ... averaged 9.02 strikeouts per seven innings as a senior, with 98 strikeouts in 76 innings ... also hit .364 with eight home runs ... posted 9-1 record with 1.11 ERA and 92 strikeouts during his junior season ... pitched two no-hitters and earned four saves as a junior ... a 2004 All-State selection by The Birmingham News ... played in the 2003 and 2004 Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Baseball Showcase ... also participated in the 2004 East Coast Professional Baseball Showcase ... was also a member of the football team.
PERSONAL:
Full name is William Austin Graham ... son of Bill Graham and Martha Graham ... has two sisters, McKenzie and Allison.
