T.J. Prunty leads Canes on, off the field

May 20, 2002

Sophomore T.J. Prunty, a pitcher on the baseball team, has been selected the April 2002 Academic All-Star after leading the Hurricanes on and off the field.

Prunty has achieved academic excellence in his business administration major. He has also attained athletic success in his first two years at Miami. So far this season, he has raised the bar to all his career highs. He has pitched 7.0 innings twice, last vs. FAU (4/24/02). He allowed 9 hits out of 6 innings pitched vs. Kansas State (2/23/02) and had 8 earned runs (3.2 IP) vs. Elon University (3/30/02). He allowed for 5 walks vs. Rutgers (3/16/02) and had 7 strikeouts vs. FAU (4/24/02).

In his first year at Miami, he made 11 appearances and recorded the lowest ERA (1.29) on the team. His .176 opposing batting average was also a team-high. He threw a career-best four strikeouts in the regular season finale against New York Tech and was drafted in the 20th round by the Minnesota Twins.

A younger Prunty, coached by Michael Brown, was the three-time MVP and two-time captain of the St. Paul Academy baseball team. He led the state in strikeouts as a senior and junior. A five-year letterman in baseball, he was also the captain of the football and basketball squads where he earned All-Conference and All-State.