Getting closer to the top! Our focus today is the 4th best relief pitcher in the 2017 Valley League season- Charlottesville’s Drew Loepprich!
Drew, a 6-foot-2 righthander from Wake Forest, was a mainstay in the Tom Sox bullpen last summer. He functioned more as a long reliever than a closer or one-inning guy, as five of his seven appearances lasted at least three innings. He also has amazing control. Check it out:
| Char | ERA | W | L | G | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | BAVG | WIP | BB/9 | K/9 |
| 2017 | 0.72 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 25.0 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0.204 | 0.760 | 0.0 | 9.0 |
| Play | 2.70 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3.3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.083 | 0.606 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
That’s one walk in 28 1/3 innings pitched. Whoa. Anyway, of the pitchers surveyed for the reliever list, Drew finished 6th in ERA, tied for 9th in innings pitched, 2nd in WHIP, and 1st in BB/9. He was named second team All-Valley at the end of the season.
Here is what Drew has done for the Demon Deacons over his first three years:
| WF | ERA | W | L | G | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | WIP | BB/9 | K/9 |
| 2015 | 5.56 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11.3 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 1.858 | 5.6 | 9.6 |
| 2016 | 4.85 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 78.0 | 83 | 48 | 42 | 25 | 52 | 1.385 | 2.9 | 6.0 |
| 2017 | 5.84 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 44.7 | 51 | 39 | 29 | 18 | 36 | 1.544 | 3.6 | 7.2 |
Congratulations on your excellent summer, Drew, and good luck this spring!
[…] In 2017, ATVL’s #2 starter was Sean McCracken, and three relievers, Joe Burris (#2), Drew Loepprich (#4), and Layne Looney (#12), made the “best relievers” list. In 2018, Jared Wetherbee […]