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Pitcher Decides On Saint Leo

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By DAREK SHARP

dsharp@tampatrib.com

Published: December 10, 2008

PLANT CITY - With his arm and the accolades it has helped gather, and some great work in the classroom to boot, Durant senior Austin Buck could have had his choice of many a Division I baseball programs.

But Buck instead will be going to Saint Leo University, a Division II school near Dade City. The decision at first seems curious, but then does not take long to understand.

In June, Saint Leo hired Russ McNickle as its head coach. McNickle, who helped lead Florida Southern College to a national title and more recently was pitching coach for Mississippi State University, made signing Buck his first priority.

"I really felt good about him," said Buck, who made his commitment last month at a ceremony at Durant High. "He told me I was his main recruit. I know this is a place I can be a four-year starter."

Buck actually was not a starter last year for the Cougars, who went with two returning arms in the starting rotation. But Buck was very valuable as the top man in the Durant bullpen and will definitely move to the top of the rotation this spring.

This past summer, Buck's stock went up, thanks to his work with a top-notch Amateur Athletic Union squad, Team Akadema. In the past year, dozens of colleges were in contact with Buck about possibly coming to play for them. Buck became the second-most-sought-after baseball recruit in Durant history behind Carmine Giardina.

"I was leaning out of state, like an East Tennessee State or maybe a Furman in South Carolina," Buck said. "I really like to hunt, I'm an outdoorsman. But I looked into it and St. Leo does have a skeet shooting range one exit away - and I think I can do some hog hunting."

Academics were not a problem, as Buck has the highest grade-point average, 4.90, on the Cougars baseball team. He transferred to Durant from Grace Christian in Brandon.

On the mound, Buck displays a fastball approaching 90 miles per hour and over the summer was able to get in plenty of work on the field and off.

"Pretty much whenever I was not pitching, I was working out," he said. "My legs are a lot stronger. I can't gain any weight he's 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 185 pounds but I've lost a lot of the fat."

Durant's new baseball coach, Butch Valdes, said Buck has good command of four pitches.

As for his college coach, McNickle oversaw the pitchers for the Mississippi State team that made the 2007 College World Series. And the star of that MSU pitching staff, Justin Piggott, has recently been named the new pitching coach at Saint Leo. New Saint Leo assistant Lee Parks also followed McNickle; he was the catcher at MSU when Jonathan Papelbon, the Boston Red Sox closer, was there.

"That says a lot that about Coach McNickle that all of these coaches are following him from a big school like that down to Saint Leo," Buck said.

Last year Saint Leo, which competes in the Sunshine State Conference against schools such as the University of Tampa and Florida Southern, went 30-22 on the season.

Just last week, Buck was named as a 2009 Under Armour Pre-Season All-American recognizing him as one of the top senior players in the nation. Past members of the squad include Rays playoffs star B.J. Upton and New York Mets All-Star third baseman David Wright.

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