McCreery leads Penn baseball at the plate and on the mound

For someone who didn't begin pitching until halfway through his senior year of high school, Andrew McCreery's relative inexperience on the mound is not at all evident.

Two seasons ago, in his sophomore year, the Penn right-hander tossed a no-hitter against Yale, which he recalls fondly as his most memorable Red and Blue moment.

He didn't always look the part.

Classmate and team captain Nick Italiano said that McCreery was "more of a thrower early on in his career."

He clearly made tremendous strides and did so very quickly. But McCreery's story would not be so impressive were he just another developing pitcher.

Instead, he is arguably the most gifted offensive threat in the potent Quakers lineup.

And when he's not pitching, he's playing any one of a variety of positions in the field -- all of which he has thrived at and been an extremely steady defensive presence.

The 6'3", 215-pound native of Solana Beach, Calif., unequivocally considers himself a position player first and foremost. Pitching is more of a hobby -- it's just one for which he happens to have a remarkable talent.

"I'm a position player who is pitching, not a pitcher playing a position," McCreery said firmly. I was recruited as an outfielder -- that's what I came here to play."

Although he has spent the majority of his time at first base this season -- when he's not on the mound -- he still says that he enjoys being in centerfield most.

"There's nothing like going on a long run, making a catch and spoiling somebody of a hit," McCreery said.

"Making a diving play on a ground ball is just not as fun as having someone thinking he's going to have a double when you just go and rob him."

If McCreery were not such a monumental force at the plate, he might well by now have been branded as a utility man -- which, is baseball code for a versatile glove man who can't do much with a bat in his hands.

Last year, the Quaker clean-up hitter led the club in every vital offensive category with the exception of RBI. He batted .390, smashed six home runs and collected 57 hits. He won the Blair Batting Title with a .417 average in Ivy play.

This season, he's batting .313 with four homers and 27 RBI.

In addition, McCreery was named MVP of the prestigious Great Lakes League last summer, batting .426.

The senior was also afforded the opportunity to do some pitching, and he was equally impressive in that capacity.

He threw a scoreless inning against Team USA and even pitched opposite Rickie Weeks, who will likely be the top overall draft pick in the June 1 draft for Major League Baseball.

"I was looking for the best league I could play in," McCreery said of his options after the Penn season had concluded in 2002.

"The Great Lakes League was rated three or four in the nation. I went out there and had the time of my life -- didn't work all summer. I just played baseball and played golf on all my off days."

Now, for the first time in McCreery's tenure at Penn, his production is contributing to a legitimate run at an Ivy League title.

The Quakers stand at 9-3 in the Ancient Eight, while first-place Princeton is percentage points ahead, with a 7-1 record.

The Tigers head to Murphy Field this weekend, and McCreery will surely play an enormous role if Penn is to have success against its archrival.

"We hate them; you can put that in bold print," said McCreery of Princeton, which has dominated the Ivy's Lou Gehrig Division in recent years.

The slugger is primed for a huge four-game series if last weekend's performance at Brown is any indication.

All of his talents were on display, as Penn's No. 17 earned a complete game victory and went 4-for-4 at the plate, driving in five runs.

It is these kinds of days that excite professional scouts, who may be eyeing McCreery as a draft pick in six weeks.

Regardless of whether a major league team selects him out of college, however, McCreery knows that he will be playing ball next year. Somewhere.

"I'll play anywhere -- doesn't matter where it is," he said. "We've had contact with other leagues besides those in the U.S., so we'll see what happens.

"I'm optimistic [about the draft]; it's everybody's dream. But if it doesn't happen, I'll still play somewhere. I am not going to be in an office next year -- I can verify that."

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