Coach’s Take: Will be the closer for the 2009 season ... Has two above average pitches with a fastball that has touched 95 m.p.h. and a very good slider ... A tough kid and fierce competitor ... Was at the back end of the bullpen that helped Elon go 38-3 when leading after six innings in 2008.2008: Named 2008 SoCon Freshman of the Year and First Team All-SoCon pick by both the league’s coaches and the media ... Selected as a 2008 “Louisiville Slugger” Freshmen All-American Baseball Team member ... Named Second Team Freshman All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association ... Second Team All-Ping! Freshman Team member ... Placed on the watch list for the 2008 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award ... Led the SoCon, ranked 35th nationally and tied for second on Elon’s single season chart with 10 saves ... Went 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 29 appearances, the fifth-most outings ever in a season by a Phoenix hurler and the 10th-most of the season by a SoCon pitcher ... Struck out 31 hitters in 26.0 innings of work ... Held opponents to a .233 batting average ... Did not allow an earned run in his first seven outings ... Earned the first saves of his career in both ends of a doubleheader sweep of La Salle ... Worked 0.1 inning to pick up his first career victory in a league game against Georgia Southern ... Struck out three in 1.2 innings to become the winning pitcher in a SoCon game against Western Carolina ... Earned his 10th save of the year with an inning of work against Mount St. Mary’s in NCAA Regional play ... Received his team’s Freshman of the Year award.
Prep: Named First Team All-Mecklenburg by
The Charlotte Observer in 2007 ... Notched a no-hit, seven-strikeout performance in a 3-1 victory over Central Cabarrus ... Member of the Sports Leadership Conference.
Personal: Thomas Mays Girdwood is the son of Jeff and the late Maggie Girdwood ... Born on March 14,1989 ... Majoring in business administration.