Hultzen Continues Dominance in Final

Senior Strikes Out 13 as St. Albans Takes Home Title

One strike away from victory, St. Albans catcher Andy Thomas got out from behind the plate and jogged to the mound for a quick conference with All-Met pitcher Danny Hultzen. Their brief, one-sided chat had nothing to do with strategy or how to nail down the final out.

"I went out and looked at him," Thomas recalled with a smile. "And I said, 'After you strike this kid out, I'm going to tackle you.' "

While that might sound a tad confident, it merely shows what is expected from Hultzen, who yesterday continued his sensational season. He struck out 13 and did not allow a runner past second base as the top-ranked Bulldogs defeated visiting St. Stephen's/St. Agnes, 12-0, to win their second consecutive Interstate Athletic Conference tournament championship in Northwest Washington.

And after Hultzen's final curveball wound up in Thomas's mitt, it was time to enjoy the victory. Which, for Hultzen, meant finding the way to lessen the blow from his 6-foot, 200-pound catcher.

"I had to prepare myself a little bit," Hultzen said after emerging from the bottom of a massive pile when his teammates joined the celebration. "But it was good."

Hultzen was in command throughout, allowing only five hits and walking one, the game's first batter. St. Stephen's/St. Agnes (20-6) managed just five balls out of the infield as Hultzen improved to 12-0 this season, with 140 strikeouts against 14 walks and 27 hits allowed in 73 innings.

At the plate, Hultzen singled, doubled, walked and scored three runs. Seven players drove in runs for the Bulldogs. Matt Bowman and Andy Longosz also had two hits. But while Hultzen and the Bulldogs (29-2) breezed through many of their games this season, he said it was important not to lose focus.

"I try to never relax," said Hultzen, a left-handed senior. "Then I leave pitches up and they might start hitting the ball. I try to stay on top and be aggressive."

Hultzen emerged as a top prospect for next month's Major League Baseball draft, but yesterday reiterated he plans to follow through on his scholarship to play for the University of Virginia.

"I want to go to college, that's the end of the story," said Hultzen, acknowledging that he saw the handful of pro scouts watching from behind the backstop. "They've been coming no matter what I tell them. But it's still cool to have them here."

No. 1 St. Albans 12 St. Stephen's/St. Agnes 0 Up Next: St. Albans will play Maret in the semifinals of the D.C. High School Baseball Classic on May 31 at Nationals Park. No. 1 St. Albans 12 St. Stephen's/St. Agnes 0 Up Next: St. Albans will play Maret in the semifinals of the D.C. High School Baseball Classic on May 31 at Nationals Park.