Josh Rutledge
9/13/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
A talented freshman who could make an immediate impact this season ... a versatile player who can play infield or outfield ... plays both middle infield positions and center field ... a potential leadoff hitter ... has good speed and good hands.
HIGH SCHOOL:
A 2007 graduate of Cullman High School where he was a four-year starter for Coach Bryan Bowen ... hit .445 with 17 home runs and 102 RBI during his junior and senior seasons ... was a two-time All-State selection (2006 and 2007) ... played in consecutive Class 5A state championship series (2006 and 2007) at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium ... hit .454 with 12 home runs and 69 RBI as a senior ... a 2007 First-Team All-State selection by The Birmingham News and the Alabama Sports Writers Association ... the 2007 Class 5A Player of the Year by The Birmingham News and the ASWA ... a member of the 2007 Birmingham News Super All-State Team ... led the Bearcats to a 48-7 record and a Top 20 national ranking by USA Today and Baseball America in 2007 ... helped the team to the Class 5A State Championship with a two-game sweep against Bibb County High School, Cullman’s first state title since 2002 ... went 3-for-7 (.429) at the plate in the championship series with one run scored, two RBI and three walks ... earned a save (0.1 IP) in Cullman’s 5-4 win in game one ... as a junior in 2006, he hit .436 with five home runs and 33 RBI, a .602 slugging percentage and a .497 on-base mark ... led the Bearcats to a 37-13 overall record that season ... collected four hits and two RBI in the 2006 Class 5A state championship series as Cullman finished as the runner-up to Stanhope Elmore ... named the 2006 Cullman High School Offensive Player of the Year ... was selected to play in the 2006 Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) North-South All-Star game ... played in the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Star Showcase in Troy, Ala. ... a three-time National Honor Society selection ... a member of Cullman HS Key Club ... played summer ball for American Legion Post 15 under coaches Nathan Brownlow and Alan Lang.
PERSONAL:
Full name is Joshua Alan Rutledge ... son of Tony and Cheryl Rutledge ... has one older brother, Michael, who played baseball at Mississippi State (2005-07) before transferring to Samford this season ... both Josh (2007) and Michael (2002) won state championships at Cullman High School.
