Haverford College's Stephen Ridings Ready For Life In The Pros
By Matt Leon
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- For the second straight year a Haverford College baseball star was selected in the 8th round of the Major League Baseball Draft.
Last year it was pitcher Tommy Bergjans going to the Los Angeles Dodgers. This year, another pitcher got the call as the Chicago Cubs took Stephen Ridings with the 254th pick in the draft.
Ridings, a 6-6 right-hander from Commack, New York, enjoyed an outstanding junior season for the Fords, going 6-3 in 11 starts with a 2.62 ERA and 87 strikeouts. He talks about when the possibility of getting drafted really started to crystallize for him.
"I think this February, it really started to become a reality," Ridings tells KYW Newsradio. "That's kind of when the velocity ticked up a bit. That was really the turning point, coming right into the season."
Listen to the entire interview with Haverford College's Stephen Ridings
Ridings says his fastball usually tops out at 96 mph, but he says he did hit 98 mph once this season. He says that fastball is his best pitch, and he also features a curveball, slider and a change-up. He says he knew the Cubs had a lot of interest in him heading into the draft.
"They were definitely high up on the list," Ridings says. "They were one of the first teams to come scout me and I know they were at almost every game. So I knew they were going to be a big possibility."
Ridings reflects on his favorite memories from his time with the Fords.
"Definitely winning two Centennial Conference championships were big things," Ridings says. "Especially this one this year getting to play a role really in helping the team win. Shutting down (Centennial rival Johns) Hopkins four times this season was definitely a fun time."
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