The Wright State baseball team was starting to find its stride, winning four of its last five games with two of them on the road against No. 11-ranked Tennessee.
Freshman Julian Greenwell played a huge role in it.
Greenwell helped the Raiders this season both at the plate and on the mound, but unfortunately, the season was abruptly cut short by the NCAA due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The devastating news was a tough pill to swallow for Greenwell, a 2019 Columbus East graduate and The Republic’s Baseball Player of the Year last season.
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“That was not a good day for us, the Horizon League, and college baseball in general. We were just finding ourselves and getting on a roll, so it was unfortunate for us,” Greenwell said. “My first thought when I heard the news went straight to our seniors. They work their tails off every single day, and they deserve a full final season of college baseball to prove themselves.”
A big factor that makes Greenwell in the lineup in just about every game is his versatility. He is mostly in the starting lineup on days when he bats and fields. On days that he is not in the batting order, he’ll pitch in relief.
Greenwell said that the guidance of the coaching staff helps him in developing into a better all-around player.
“The coaches have done a great job at guiding me through hitting and pitching. I go with hitters and position players every day but have certain days where I throw bullpens and do the workouts with pitchers,” Greenwell said. “(Head) coach (Alex) Sogard is great with pitchers and me specifically when it comes to understanding how to pitch, and then overall adjusting to be a two-way in college. (Assistant) coach Trevin (Sonnier), (Chase) Sloan, and (Nate) Metzger are great with the hitters when it comes to knowing us as players, putting reports together for us and overall caring about the progress of our swings and (at bats).”
Against a tough February schedule, the Raiders started 2-8, but bounced back to finish the shortened 2020 season 6-9. That included winning four of the last five games.
At the plate, Greenwell batted .270 with three doubles and three RBIs in 13 games. In his five appearances on the mound, he had a 2.70 ERA, allowing two runs on five hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched.
“Julian fits our program really well. Our guys really know how to work hard and he’s fit right in from day one,” Sogard said. “He’s a quiet kid, but very confident, which I think helps him out on the field. He’s a great kid to coach because he shows up every day ready to work. You know what you are going to get from him.”
Greenwell, who is majoring in biological sciences, is currently back at home and is self-training that includes throwing with his younger brother, hitting into a net and doing simple stretches and individual workouts.
Greenwell said that time management is one of the biggest factors when transitioning from high school to college but said he’s adjusted well.
“Julian is extremely valuable to our team. Not only was he one of our best pitchers this year, he was also one of our better bats,” Sogard said. “The versatility is a great thing to have.
“He had as much poise as any true freshman could have,” Sogard added. “He carried himself like a veteran and played really well on both sides of the ball. He is a great kid and has a very bright future.”
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Name: Julian Greenwell
High School: Columbus East
College: Wright State
Year: Freshman
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 200
Position: Right fielder, Pitcher
Key stats: batted .270 with three doubles and three RBIs and had a 2.70 ERA, allowing two runs on five hits, two walks and 11 strikeouts in 6.2 innings pitched this spring
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