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White Sox draft RedHawks relief pitcher

Jamaal Hollis (19) delivers a pitch for Miami Tuesday, April 13, 2010, at McKie Field in Oxford. Hollis was selected in the 33rd round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

Photo by Robert Leifheit Jamaal Hollis (19) delivers a pitch for Miami Tuesday, April 13, 2010, at McKie Field in Oxford. Hollis was selected in the 33rd round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 2:41 PM Friday, June 11, 2010

OXFORD — Jamaal Hollis could find much more success in professional baseball than he did on the college mound, according to Miami University coach Dan Simonds.

Hollis, a right-handed reliever who recently completed his senior season with the RedHawks, was selected in the 33rd round by one of his hometown teams, the Chicago White Sox, in the Major League Baseball draft Wednesday, June 9.

“It’s definitely a relief because it’s all a waiting game,” Hollis said Thursday. “It was awesome.”

As a college player, the 6-foot-1, 211-pound native of Chicago posted a career pitching record of 4-5 with a 5.00 ERA in 64 games, the ninth-highest total in Miami history.

As a senior, however, Hollis had a 1-3 record with a 6.14 ERA in just 14 2/3 innings pitched. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers.

But Hollis does have what Simonds called a “plus-plus fastball” that runs in the 92-93 mph range.

“In the minor leagues, the focus is a little more on development,” Simonds said. “In college, we have a limited number of games.

“He’s got some good run on his fastball,” he said of Hollis. “If he picks up a couple miles on his fastball and picks up a second pitch, gets more consistency with his change-up or curve, who knows what will happen?”

Hollis said he agrees that his “arm strength” is what attracted the scouts, “that and a little bit of athleticism.”

Hollis said he has talked with a White Sox scout and is waiting for the contract papers in the mail.

“I’m definitely signing, for sure,” he said. “Right now I’m just sitting back and being patient.”

Hollis, the 998th played drafted, was the second Miami player selected in this draft and the 30th since 2000.

On Thursday, junior outfielder Adam Eaton, of Springfield, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being drafted in the 19th round two days earlier.

Eaton led the RedHawks in nearly every offensive category in 2010, including batting average (.368), hits (81), runs (64), doubles (18), triples (nine), home runs (13) and RBIs (55).

Eaton will play this summer with either the Yakima (Wash.) Bears, Arizona’s Short Season Class A team, or the Missoula (Mont.) Osprey, an Advanced Rookie League team.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Eaton said. “It was tough.”

What made it a more difficult choice was Simonds’ decision to offer Eaton a full scholarship for the next school year. Eaton had been on a 71 percent scholarship.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

Jamaal Hollis

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