Bulldogs can count on always steady Shaddy
Posted on Friday, May 9, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/225200/
FAYETTEVILLE — When Fayetteville Coach Vance Arnold thinks of Taylor Shaddy’s first season with the Bulldogs, he remembers a skinny sophomore who he wasn’t sure was ready to be tested by the heat of varsity play.
Turns out Shaddy might be fireproof.
“He’s unflappable,” Arnold said. “You don’t see him panic, you don’t see him lose it.”
Shaddy and the rest of the top-ranked Bulldogs (27-3 ) haven’t lost much lately and are favored to defend their back-toback Class 7 A state championships. Fayetteville plays the winner of today’s Bryant-Van Buren game at noon Saturday at Burns Park in North Little Rock.
Shaddy, now a 6-0, 170-pound senior, has been an integral part of Fayetteville’s phenomenal run since the midway point of his sophomore season, when he was thrust into the lineup because of injuries to other players. By the time Fayetteville fell behind then-No. 1 El Dorado 7-0 in the first round of the state tournament, Arnold had enough confidence in Shaddy to bring him in to stop the bleeding.
All Shaddy did was hold El Dorado scoreless as Fayetteville mounted a dramatic rally and went on to win the state title.
“That’s the best I had pitched, and it was just a great time,” Shaddy said.
Shaddy was equally impressive during last year’s championship run, throwing a completegame shutout in a semifinal victory over Springdale Har-Ber. Shaddy eventually was named the tournament’s most valuable player after Fayetteville wrapped up another state championship.
So far this season, Shaddy is 7-0 as a pitcher while also serving as the Bulldogs’ cleanup hitter. He is hitting. 452 with a team-high 35 RBI, and plays first base when he isn’t pitching.
It’s what Shaddy has done on the mound, though, that has keyed Fayetteville’s success this season, including a school-record 24-game winning streak.
“He hits his spots real well with his fastball,” Arnold said. “It’s not an overpowering fastball, but it moves and it sets up his slider, changeup and curveball so that you don’t know what you’re going to get from him.”
Shaddy said Fayetteville’s dominance has been a bit unexpected after losing five players from last year’s team who are now playing on the college level. With that in mind, many of this year’s Bulldogs spent the fall working with a personal trainer and following diets in order to gain strength and stamina.
That proved to be a good move during a season in which practically everyone has been gunning for the Bulldogs.
“I feel like there’s a big target on our backs,” Shaddy said. “When teams play us they usually play their best game of the season. They prepare for us all week... and they’re usually on top of their game.”
Whatever Fayetteville faces this time around, Arnold knows he can count on Shaddy to provide not just quality play, but a calming influence. That’s something he learned unexpectedly more than two years ago.
“You hate to throw sophomores into the fire, but Taylor came into form about midseason and has been on the field for us ever since,” Arnold said. “He’s been our most consistent pitcher the last three years. We’ve had other good pitchers, but he’s just been consistent. There are no real ups and downs.”