Coming out of high school as a highly-touted right-handed pitcher, Nate Freiman was ultimately passed over in the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft because of signability issues-that is, the scouts knew he would almost definitely honor his commitment to Duke.
Freiman was finally drafted last Friday in the 28th round by the Texas Rangers and, not surprisingly, is doing what the clubs expected him to do three years ago.
He's returning to Duke for his senior season.
"I expect him to be back, and I think that had a lot to do with where he was drafted," said head coach Sean McNally, who talked with Freiman after the draft. "His academic career is of such importance to him, and I think the scouts knew he was planning on being here for four years."
Incoming freshmen Eric Pfisterer was selected in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds and Brian Litwin was picked in the 18th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but both will move into their East Campus dorm rooms in the fall, McNally said.
Freiman is well on his way to becoming one of Duke's top career hitters, and will have another season to mount an assault on the school's record books. Last year, he led Duke with a .381 batting average, 11 home runs and 46 RBI, all while missing 17 games due to injury. He is second on Duke's all-time batting average list and 11th in home runs, 19 behind the leader.
The 6-foot-8 Freiman, playing for the Orleans Cardinals in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer, was originally billed as a pitcher in high school, but he and his family decided with McNally that he would only be a position player in college after he had arm problems in his freshman year.
His potential at the plate makes McNally believe that he can compete with the best in the country in the 2009 Draft.
"He can go in the first five rounds, especially playing in our league," McNally said. "There's no greater exposure than the ACC, and there's no greater test. He'll be challenged. There will be a target on him as a middle-of-the-order hitter, but I think he's got opportunity to go really high next year."
Pfisterer and Litwin were the only two players in Duke's seven-person recruiting class to be drafted. Before the draft, McNally thought as many as six could have been picked.
Pfisterer, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman from Saddle River, N.J., recently helped lead Don Bosco Prep to an undefeated season and state championship. Litwin is an outfielder and third baseman from Hickory, N.C. He was ranked the No. 2 player in North Carolina by Perfect Game last year.
The draft stocks of Pfisterer, Litwin and the rest of McNally's third recruiting class were likely affected by their solid commitments to Duke.
"The signability issue absolutely factors in with Duke, or Vanderbilt or Stanford," McNally said. "Kids are clearly going to college, and they're going to college for something more than the athletic experience. Certainly, there's a different scenario than if a guy signed with a JUCO or something like that."
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