College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to the start of the 2013 college baseball season by checking in on the Top 100 Players in the country. We will be counting down the players day-by-day until we reach number 1.
Number 66 on our Top 100 Countdown is Nick Vander Tuig of UCLA. The 6’3 right-handed pitcher from Oakdale, California was drafted in the 39th round by Toronto in 2010 after not pitching his senior season due to Tommy John surgery.
Since arriving at UCLA, Vander Tuig has been solid for the Bruins on the mound. In his freshman season, Vander Tuig made 28 appearances as the Bruins’ closer, posting an ERA of 2.90 including nine saves and 31 strikeouts. His success earned him a spot on the honorable mention All-Pac-10 team in 2011.
During his sophomore season in 2012, Vander Tuig took on a different role for the Bruins as he made 18 starts for UCLA as the team’s Saturday starter. He posted a 10-win season as he went 10-4 with an ERA of 4.43 including 77 strikeouts and 25 walks in 109.2 innings pitched. Vander Tuig was fantastic for the Bruins in the NCAA Tournament where his 11-strikeout victory over New Mexico helped lead UCLA to Omaha for the College World Series.
From a scouting perspective, Vander Tuig is a very interesting player. When he is at his best, his control is absolutely phenomenal. He has the ability to command all of his pitches on both sides of the plate, highlighted by a fastball that sits in the low 90s and a great slider. With major league level command when he’s at his best and a great pitching frame, the potential in Vander Tuig to truly excel makes him an exciting player to watch for in 2013.
You can check out the rest of our Top 100 by clicking here.
