The first day of the fall signing period was a bit anticlimactic for Hilton Head Prep senior Patrick Andrews. He had announced four months earlier where he would pitch in college, so it seemed silly to make a big deal out of signing some paperwork.
Andrews shipped the papers to Clemson University and made it official that he'll be a Tiger in 2011, a decision he celebrated with a signing ceremony at Hilton Head Prep on Tuesday.
"It's exciting," Andrews said. "Now I can just enjoy the rest of my senior year stress-free and go play baseball and get ready for college."
Andrews became one of the state's most coveted pitching prospects after making a splash at the World Wood Bat Association's 17U National Championship tournament in July, where he was named the Most Valuable Pitcher after leading the Charleston-based Diamond Devils 17U Blue team to the title.
Shortly after the tournament, the offers came pouring in, and Andrews made visits to North Carolina, Duke and Clemson. He called Clemson coach Jack Leggett less than an hour after leaving campus to commit to the Tigers.
As a junior at Hilton Head Prep, Andrews went 3-4 with a 1.95 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .177 batting average. In 57 1-3 innings, he struck out 71, walked 27 and allowed 43 hits.
With three solid pitches -- a fastball in the low 90s, a slider and a changeup -- Andrews expects to eventually compete for a spot in the Tigers' starting rotation. How soon that happens, he said, is largely up to him.
"It comes down to how quickly I can make the adjustment and get ready to pitch at the next level," Andrews said. "I need to work on my strength and conditioning and learn how to control my pitches better, to be more consistent. I have to be able to do it every time I step on the mound."
The Tigers return three of their top four starting pitchers after junior Casey Harman was drafted in the 29th round by the Chicago Cubs and signed with them in August.
Name: Patrick Andrews
High school: Hilton Head Prep
Sport: Baseball
High school coach: Nathan Stevens
Position: Pitcher
College: Clemson
Probable major: Engineering
About Clemson: The Tigers went 45-25 in 2010 and reached the College World Series for the 12th time overall and the fourth time since 2000. Clemson won its first two games in Omaha before losing twice to eventual national champion South Carolina. The Tigers have reached at least the NCAA Regionals in 16 of coach Jack Leggett's 17 seasons, and they have reached the College World Series six times under him.
Why Clemson? Andrews said the most attractive thing about Clemson was "the willingness to help athletes in the engineering program." "A lot of schools try to push kids away from (engineering)," Andrews said, "but Clemson seemed really supportive, and they have a tremendous academic support program and devoted teachers and tutors to help athletes." He also was impressed with the coaching staff's record developing pitchers. "Every year, they always have good pitching, so you know they know what they're doing," he said.
Other schools that offered scholarships: Duke, The Citadel, College of Charleston, Furman
Other high school sports played: Basketball, football
Accolades: World Wood Bat Association's 17U National Championship Most Valuable Pitcher; SCISAA all-state; SCISAA all-region
