Wright shining on Cape Cod
Cumberland reliever yet to allow run in 7.2 innings for Brewster
SMITHFIELD – Bryant University baseball head coach Steve Owens always keeps close tabs on his players who continue to hone their skills in a summertime setting. His morning doesn’t truly start until he’s checked to see how everyone fared the previous night.
If time in the schedule permits, Owens will get in his car to see one of his Bulldog charges in person. Such was the case on Tuesday night when Owens ventured to see former Cumberland High standout and Bryant juniorto-be Chris Wright play in the Cape Cod League. With his college coach in the stands, Wright went hitless in two atbats for the Brewster Whitecaps.
“We try to leave them alone, but whenever it works out, we like to show our face,” Owens said when reached Wednesday.
Owens knows that if he timed his visit to the Cape a little bit better, perhaps he would have seen Wright take the mound. Throwing the baseball in a Brewster uniform has clearly agreed with Wright. Entering Wednesday’s action, he had yet to allow a run in 7.2 innings spanning five games. Just as noteworthy, 16 of the 23 outs he’s recorded as a reliever have come via strikeout. His record is 1-0 and he’s allowed two hits and walked four.
“He’s pretty much been perfect,” Owens said. “It seems like it’s been a great summer for him.”
For the left-handed Wright, the success he’s enjoyed as a pitcher this summer has to give him a feeling of confidence. After totaling 26.2 innings in 11 appearances and eight starts during his freshman season at Bryant, Wright logged just 1.1 innings in three games this past spring. Due to injuries on the Bulldog roster, Wright’s greatest value during the 2018 season was at first base.
“We planned on pitching him more but his ability to play first base was something that we couldn’t give up,” Owens said.
From what Owens understood, Wright was throwing bullpen sessions when he first joined the Whitecaps. Bringing him along slowly was done with the thought that he would emerge as a bullpen option during the second half of the Cape Cod League season. His latest outing with Brewster came this past Monday when he logged a summer-best 2.2 innings and struck out four of the 10 batters he faced.
“He’s throwing hard and developing his secondary pitches, which for Chris are the curveball and changeup. It’s been great to see him have success at that level,” Owens said. “I see him more as a power reliever and that’s the way we’re going to use him this year.”
Offensively, Wright hasn’t received regular at-bats since emerging as a late-game pitching option for the Whitecaps. Through 28 games, he’s batting .197.
“He’s held his own, but if you look around, I would say the average batting mark in the Cape league is around .200,” Owens said.
Owens didn’t hesitate when asked if he still views Wright as someone who’ll be pulling double duty heading into his third season with Bryant – someone who can be counted to supply hits in the batter’s box and log meaningful innings.
“He’s a two-way player for us, 100 percent,” Owens said.