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Kent Bonham and Jeff Sackmann founded College Splits in 2006. We've been collecting, analyzing, and distributing cutting-edge college baseball data ever since.

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The Senior Circuit: RHP Dan Gentzler

April 28, 2010

Every week from now until Draft Day, The Senior Circuit features a college senior who has caught our eye. Some are definitely draft-worthy, some are traditionally undervalued, others simply tell an interesting tale.

The life of a statistical draftnik is often an antiseptic one, where code churns out SoS's and wOBA's and FIP's and so on, and park-adjustments and multipliers and so forth. But every once in a while a guy comes along who--spreadsheets be damned--you just can't help but find yourself cheering for.

Maryland's Dan Gentzler is one of those guys.

Consider his road to the Terrapins' closer job, courtesy of the The Diamondback, Maryland's independent student newspaper:

In 2006, he was recruited by Division III Mary Washington to play baseball. Gentzler arrived at fall practice and failed to make the team.

The following year, Gentzler transferred to the University of Maryland, where he played club baseball rather than trying out for the varsity squad.

Finally, some hope. In 2008, Maryland pitching coach Jim Farr took an interest in Gentzler's club team success and encouraged Gentzler to try out for the NCAA squad. Gentzler made the team, but suffered bicep tendonitis and got hit so hard in practices that the Maryland coach refused to put him in game situations.

Farr stayed committed to Gentzler's potential, and scheduled a bullpen session where he encouraged the recovering Gentzler to simply toss the ball as hard as he can. Gentzler, however, doesn't do a very good Anthony Ranaudo impression. He lit up the radar gun with a blistering 84 miles per hour.

Nonplussed, Farr encouraged Gentzler to continue his baseball dream...as a submariner.

At this point, you are probably saying to yourself: "Self, this sounds a lot like the vignette beginning on page 223 of Moneyball. Is 'Gentzler' German for 'Bradford'?" And yourself would be on to something.

Alas, we won't allow this blog post to turn into a Lewis-esque fellation of our protagonist. We'll leave that to the Alpha Phis in College Park.

Last season, Gentzler's new submarine delivery brought an uptick in velocity and greater movement on his pitches, and Gentzler became the Terrapins' closer.

You can't argue with the results. In the super-competitive ACC, through last weekend's games:

Saves: 7
K/BB: 5.2
K/IP: 8.8
GO/FO: 4.7

After all that Gentzler's been through, you couldn't exactly fault the guy if he wanted to just sit back and enjoy his hard-earned job as Maryland's relief ace. But, no. That wouldn't be the Gentzler way.

This season he's moonlighting as the Terps' starting first baseman, as well.