On an evening when temperatures dipped to a chilly 45 degrees, sophomore Gavin Floyd of No. 2-ranked Mount St. Joseph had plenty of heat for everybody.
Using three pitches, including a fastball which twice reached 91 mph and which hit 90 four other times, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound right-hander beat sixth-ranked Curley, 4-1, in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference opener for each team at Curley.
"I came in confident, but on a cold day like this, you don't really know what to expect," said 16-year-old Floyd, a JV player last season. "I had heard rumors that I had thrown 91 before, but those were only rumors."
Floyd showed he was the real thing yesterday, shutting out the Friars (2-1, 0-1) over 5 1/3 innings before being relieved by left-hander John Ritt (1-0), who allowed a run-scoring single by Brooks Norris (2-for-3) in the seventh.
In his first varsity start, Floyd scattered five hits, struck out seven batters and walked only two. He got support from Steve Brown's second-inning two-run double, a sixth-inning RBI double by Ben Maggio (2-for-2) and John Kotofski's run-scoring single in the sixth.
"Gavin's a great pitcher -- consistent. He doesn't get rattled," said Kotofski, a senior catcher for the Gaels (2-0, 1-0). "He's got to be one of the league's best. He's going to have a great year."
Floyd is no newcomer to the game, having gone 8-0 last summer as a member of the under-16 national champion Maryland Orioles alongside St. Joe teammate and Maryland Orioles MVP Allen Strick. Clocked yesterday by Dean Albany, coach of the Maryland Orioles, Floyd was still throwing as high as 88 mph late in the game.
Floyd's repertoire includes a curveball and a changeup.
"I can throw an occasional knuckleball, but I'm not real comfortable with my slider yet, so I usually go with the three pitches," Floyd said.
"I knew one of Curley's players, Derek Fritz, who plays on my summer team, so I expected them to hit the ball," said Floyd. "They nailed it a few times when I threw it down the middle."
Curley's Mike Costello hit a first-inning double off Floyd, but Floyd twice retired Costello in critical situations later.
Pub Date: 3/24/99