Present, Future Bright At Louisville With Devin Hairston, Tyler Fitzgerald

RALEIGH, N.C.—Tyler Fitzgerald came to the plate to lead off the 10th inning Saturday at North Carolina State in a big spot for Louisville. The Cardinals had just seen the Wolfpack tie the game at six with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning on a three-run home run off closer Lincoln Henzman. Louisville, then the No. 1 team in the Top 25, had lost back-to-back games, its first losses of the season.

Fitzgerald, the Cardinals’ freshman third baseman, delivered a leadoff double. He had reached third by the time junior shortstop Devin Hairston stepped to the plate with two outs. Hairston brought Fitzgerald home with an infield single, his third hit of the game, and Louisville went on to defeat N.C. State, 7-6. The Cardinals (21-2) won again on Sunday to claim the series.

Saturday’s victory, particularly the 10th inning, was also a showcase of the talents of Louisville’s shortstops, present (Hairston) and future (Fitzgerald). Hairston went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Fitzgerald finished the day 2-for-4 with two doubles. Both also showed off their defensive ability on the left side of the infield.

“That’s what we want,” coach Dan McDonnell said. “Obviously Fitz could do it as a freshman, but how much better he’s going to be by playing one year with Devin Hairston.”

Hairston is putting together a strong junior season and is hitting .337/.375/.478 in 23 games. Somewhat surprisingly given All-American Brendan McKay’s presence in the Cardinals lineup and Hairston’s 5-foot-8, 175-pound frame, he leads the team with 25 RBIs.

Long known primarily for his slick defense, Hairston has developed into one of Louisville’s best hitters. He batted .361/.415/.478 and led the team with 56 runs last year. Now playing a more prominent role in the Cardinals’ lineup, he has continued to hit. He said he tries to stay within himself at the plate and use all fields to hit.

“I just try and take what the game gives me,” Hairston said. “I don’t want to think pull too much because then I’m not going to be able to get to the pitch outside. I just try and see the ball, hit it where it’s pitched and let good things happen.”

Hairston has bounced back well from a disappointing summer with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. He went 0-for-20 with 10 strikeouts during the summer and then missed fall ball due to injury. But while many college middle infielders around the country in this year’s draft class are off to sluggish starts, Hairston is helping himself. He ranks No. 82 on the Baseball America Top 100 Draft Prospects list.

Hairston played second base as a freshman in deference to Sutton Whiting before moving to shortstop as a sophomore. He again showed his versatility over the summer, playing second base, third base and shortstop for Team USA. But he has shown at shortstop this spring, and has yet to make an error.

McDonnell said he believes Hairston will be able to stick at shortstop in pro ball.

“This is my 25th year (as a college coach),” McDonnell said. “I’ve had good college shortstops, I’ve had Zack Cozart. He does things I’ve never had a shortstop do. When you get to see him every single day, the plays he makes, I enjoy it. I smile. I try to take credit sometimes, even though I really don’t deserve the credit, but I’m going to try to take the credit because I coach the infielders.”

With Hairston expected to be drafted in the first few rounds in June, Louisville is grooming Fitzgerald as his replacement. With Hairston out in the fall, Fitzgerald, who ranked No. 187 on the BA 500 last spring and was the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year, played shortstop. He still practices the most at shortstop, even though he primarily plays third base, which he shares with junior Drew Ellis.

McDonnell said he wants Fitzgerald to learn as much as he can from Hairston.

“He’s a superstar talent,” McDonnell said. “Devin Hairston got to play that one year with Sutton Whiting, which was so good for him. Now Tyler Fitzgerald gets to play one year with Devin Hairston and they stand there, he takes ground balls at short every day, he does all his early work at short, he only goes to third on game day before the game because I want him to stand next to Devin.”

So far, it has worked. Fitzgerald is hitting .310/.367/.405 and has played well defensively. Listed at 6-foot-3, 197 pounds, he is a much different kind of player than Hairston. Fitzgerald is much more physical and is more similar to Cozart, who McDonnell recruited to Mississippi.

McDonnell is excited about what Fitzgerald will develop into over the next few years. Following this season, he will go to the Cape Cod League, giving him a chance to continue his development this summer around some of the best players in the nation. And soon, with Hairston and McKay expected to be playing in pro ball next spring, he will be expected to take on a leading role for the Cardinals.

“We felt like he was going to be a super talent coming out of high school and that’s why we’re obviously optimistic about the future,” McDonnell said. “He did it after we gave up a three-run homer, they’ve got all the momentum in the world, a freshman runs in off their closer and hits a leadoff double off the wall. That’s a big-time day. We’ve seen those flashes for the first month or so.”

Hairston, for his part, is enjoying seeing the development of Fitzgerald and sophomore second baseman Devin Mann, who has stepped into the starting lineup this season and homered in Saturday’s victory.

“It’s just fun,” Hairston said. “These guys love playing the game. I like seeing them progress, their hard work. Fitzgerald had a great game, Devin Mann had a great game. It’s just fun playing around these guys.”