Hustling pays off for Warfle - Daytona Beach News-Journal (5-25-07)

[ORUTerry]

Hustling pays off for Warfle

By BRENT WORONOFF

Staff Writer

News Journal On-Line Link

Tim Touma knew Pat Warfle was a rare baseball player the first time he saw him swing a bat and run the bases in a high school all-star game.

Warfle, then a senior at Melbourne Eau Gallie High, rapped a single up the middle. Well, for most players it would have been a single.

"He never stopped at first," said Touma, the baseball coach at Daytona Beach Community College. "He kept running, and he slid into second for a double just under the tag."

That "Charlie Hustle" style of play triggered Touma's interest five years ago, and it is what Warfle's current coaches at Oral Roberts appreciate most about the senior left fielder.

"Pat's got a lot of tools," Oral Roberts head coach Rob Walton said. "He's probably one of the fastest guys in college baseball, and he's a hard-nosed player."

Heading into the Mid-Continent Conference tournament, which began Thursday, Warfle was hitting .322 with 47 runs, 30 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 21 attempts this season.

"This year, he's especially stepped up his game," Walton said. "He's playing very, very well in the outfield, and he's hitting to all fields. He's become a much more complete player. He'll have an opportunity to play professionally."

It's an opportunity no one expects him to squander. His rare blend of speed, power and arm strength is matched only by his exceptional work ethic and maturity, his coaches say.

Touma said he was surprised to have a shot at Warfle. But once a friend told him the player was considering junior college, he called him and he was signed within days.

"It was one of the easiest visits I've ever had. He was here maybe 30 minutes total," Touma said. "I was left shaking my head. But he knew what he was looking for in a school and a baseball program."

After two sparkling years with the Falcons, Touma helped Warfle find a program that would help him continue to develop. Major programs such as North Carolina State, Florida and Mississippi State were interested, but Warfle was looking for a feisty program that mirrored his style and could help him make the next step.

"On my visits to the big schools, it seemed like a lot of the players felt like they already had what it takes," Warfle said. "Here (at Oral Roberts) they're a lot like me -- they really want to work hard, and they really want to win. And the coaches are young and have a passion for the game, and that rubs off on the players."

Just like at DBCC, Warfle knew he was in the right place soon after he arrived on the Tulsa, Okla., campus.

"I thought Pat was very raw leaving DBCC," Touma said. "I was unable to get him to the point where he was a polished player. He was a ball of natural talent who wanted to work hard and get better, but sometimes it just doesn't happen that fast.

"I thought it was critical Pat got good coaching, and I knew the whole staff (at Oral Roberts). They were the kind of staff that got the most out of players, and that's what Pat wanted."

Warfle batted .279 with 12 doubles last year for an Oral Roberts team that took No. 1 Clemson to the limit in two games at the super regionals. This year, assistant coach Ryan Folmar adjusted his batting stance. It is now more wide open with his eyes level to the strike zone, and it has made a huge difference, he said.

"I had a habit of keeping my eyes over the plate, and I never walked much because of that," said Warfle, who now has a .416 on-base percentage. "My home runs have cut down, but I've hit a lot of balls to the opposite field to the top of the wall. My two home runs were both line drives. With my legs there is no reason for me to be hitting pop flies."

An infielder until his senior year in high school, Warfle has also learned how to take advantage of his speed and strong arm in the outfield.

"He's throwing better and he's taking better angles to the ball," Walton said. "He's a grinder. He's put a lot of time and effort into his game, and he deserves everything he's gotten."

brent.woronoff@news-jrnl.com

Pat Warfle File

AT ORAL ROBERTS: This year he batted .322 with 47 runs, 30 RBIs, 2 HRs, 416, OBP, 59 hits and 20 steals in 21 attempts.

AT DBCC: Two-time first-team All-Mid-Florida Conference, 2004-05. Batted .365 with 25 steals and 5 HRs as a sophomore, helping lead the Falcons to third place at state tournament. Batted .331 with 5 HRs and 17 steals as a freshman.

[ORU GRAD]

Just wanted to say Congrats to Warfle and the team. I am from Melbourne, Fl. and it's great to have such a great representative at ORU. 

[Old Titan]

What a great article!

Should be required reading for all ORU recruits:  come to ORU and get the maximum out of your ability.

[Mike Minyard]

I was at a luncheon a week or two ago with Sherri Coale as the speaker.  She talked about recruiting for a little while, and made a great point.  She said at this level, the good programs offer just about the same thing.  Good facilities, good academics, tough schedule, travel all over the country, etc.  She said that coaches today have to sell their staff and the other people at the university.  Kids today want to meet (or hear from) the people they will deal with on an almost daily basis.  Kids want to know how those people are going to make them better at various things in their life.  This article proves that our coaching staff and athletic department are doing things the right way.