FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas junior catcher James McCann is batting .309 this season and his grade-point average is even higher at 3.96, which helped the communications major be named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
McCann’s defensive skills behind the plate - where he calls nearly every pitch and has thrown out 18 base runners attempting to steal - also have resulted in him being among 13 finalists for the Johnny Bench Award given annually to the nation’s top college catcher.
After hitting a game-winning, three-run home run April 9 in a 4-3 victory over LSU before a school-record crowd of 11,462 at Baum Stadium, McCann spoke to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group that had attended the game.
Two weeks ago, Mc-Cann caught both ends of a doubleheader when Arkansas swept Ole Miss to win the SEC West title, then he hugged every teammate as the Razorbacks lined up for post game handshakes with the Rebels. An hour later McCann was still on the field, signing autographs for some children.
When the major league baseball draft holds its first two rounds Monday, McCann - who also made the All-SEC Tournament Team last weekend - is projected to be among the first 50 picks.
Is this guy for real?
“He’s real, but he’s not really what’s the norm,” Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn said. “It’s unfortunate, but he’s not normal. We’d all be a whole lot better off - the entire world would be better off - with more James McCanns in it. He’s just a tremendous individual.
“He’s about as good asit gets, that kid. He’s an encourager, he’s a challenger, he’s a tremendous leader. He’s got great instincts and aptitude for the game of baseball, and he’s probably a more solid person than he is a baseball player.”
McCann, who will lead the Razorbacks when they open NCAA Tournament play at 4 p.m. Central today against Charlotte in the Tempe (Ariz.) Regional, is held in high esteem by his teammates. He’s a team captain, but so much more, too.
“James is the most important person on this team,” freshman pitcher Barrett Astin said. “He’s your ideal major-league player. He has all the tools and then some. ... He’s someone I look up to.
“At the beginning of the season, I think our team was a little immature. James did a great job stepping up and putting us in line and leading us where we need to be, and look where we are now.”
Junior second baseman Bo Bigham has played with Mc-Cann for three seasons and describes the catcher as the “backbone” of the team.
“He’s been a leader since he stepped on campus,” Bigham said. “He does everything the right way, and we just follow him and do what he does.”
Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn said McCann has continued to grow as a leader each season and is “very, very verbal” in the dugout as well as on the field.
“He’ll get after you,” Van Horn said. “He’s been everything you want out of a captain.”
Today’s game will be Mc-Cann’s 166th at Arkansas, including 149 starts.
“Physically, I’ve grown from a boy into a man,” McCann said. “Mentally, I’ve surpassed where I came in at, and that’s a credit to the coaching staffand the players I’ve had around me and the experience that I’ve gotten playing games.”
McCann came to Arkansas from Santa Barbara, Calif. He turned down offers to play closer to home, including UCLA and Cal State-Fullerton, after taking a recruiting visit to Arkansas and being impressed with the atmosphere and fan support at Baum Stadium.
“The best decision I’ve ever made was to leave California and come to Arkansas,” Mc-Cann said. “By far the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. If I could go back and do it again, I would do it 100 times out of 100 times. It’s been a phenomenal three years.”
Considering how high Mc-Cann is expected to be drafted, he’ll likely sign professionally, meaning his college career will end when Arkansas’ season ends. McCann hopes to help the Razorbacks advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., as they did when he was a freshman in 2009.
“My goal is to get this team to Omaha,” he said. “I want to go out on a high note, and that’s all I’m trying to focus on. The rest will take care of itself.”
Bigham said McCann’s game-winning home run against LSU and McCann’s reaction to it serve as an example of McCann’s physical talent and his even-keeled approach to handling success.
“Yeah, you’re going to be happy, but he’s not the type of guy to dwell on it,” Bigham said. “He forgot it and got ready to play the next day.”Today’s matchup Arkansas vs. Charlotte
4 p.m. Central, Packard Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
ARKANSAS (38-20)
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP POS. NAME KEY STATS C James McCann .309, 6 HR, 33 RBI 1B Dominic Ficociello .351, 15 2B, 49 RBI 2B Bo Bigham .290, 38 R, 17-22 SB 3B Matt Reynolds .245, 3 HR, 21 RBI SS Tim Carver .241, 13 RBI, 21-26 SB LF Kyle Robinson .293, 9 HR, 45 RBI CF Collin Kuhn .285, 39 RBI, 21-23 SB RF Jarrod McKinney .278, 2 HR, 18 RBI DH Matt Vinson .216, 2 HR, 8 RBI P Randall Fant 3-4, 3.74 ERA
CHARLOTTE (42-14)
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP POS. NAME KEY STATS C Ross Steedley .349, 8 2B, 31 RBI 1B Kevin Gillespie .274, 7 2B, 13 RBI 2B Corey Shaylor .310, 5 HR, 41 RBI 3B Shane Basen .307, 17 2B, 35 RBI SS Justin Roland .260, 22 RBI, 9-10 SB RF J.J. Eleser .247, 4 2B, 7 RBI CF Corey Tilton .299, 46 R, 31-35 SB RF Justin Wilson .338, 46 R, 24-31 SB DH Tony Montalbano .284, 12 2B, 39 RBI P Andrew Smith 9-4, 1.85 ERA Today’s game
ARKANSAS VS. CHARLOTTE
WHAT NCAA Tempe (Ariz.) Regional WHEN 4 p.m. Central WHERE Packard Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
RECORDS Arkansas 38-20; Charlotte 42-14 RADIO RSP statewide radio network, which includes KQSM-FM, 92.1, in Fayetteville; KURM-AM, 790, and KURMFM, 100.3, in Bentonville-Rogers; KABZFM, 103.7, in Little Rock; KASR-FM, 92.7, in Conway; KHGG-FM, 103.1, in Fort Smith; KELD-FM, 106.5, in El Dorado; and KOMT-FM, 107.5, in Mountain Home. Not all games may be carried by affiliates. Check local listings.
INTERNET www.arkansasrazorbacks.com PITCHING MATCHUP Arkansas: sophomore Randall Fant (LHP, 3-4, 3.74 ERA). Charlotte: junior Andrew Smith (RPH, 9-4, 1.85 ERA).
SHORT HOPS The winner of the Arkansas-Charlotte game will play the winner of the Arizona State-New Mexico game Saturday night. The losers will meet in an elimination game Saturday afternoon. ... None of the Tempe Regional games will be televised, but Fox Sports Arizona will stream games online. To view the free web cast, go to foxsportsarizona.com. Live video will be avaliable for all regional games, but audio play-by-play will only be avaliable for games involving regional host Arizona State.
McCann at a glanceNAME James McCann SCHOOL Arkansas CLASS Junior POSITION Catcher HIGH SCHOOL Santa Barbara (Calif.) Dos Pueblos HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-3, 210 pounds 2011 STATS .309 batting average, 6 home runs, 13 doubles, 33 RBI, 9-15 stolen bases CAREER GAMES-STARTS 165-148 NOTEWORTHY SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year with a 3.96 grade-point average. ... Among 13 finalists for Johnny Bench Award as nation’s top catcher. ... Two-time NCAA all-regional selection, batting .438 with 3 home runs last year at Fayetteville and batting .333 at Norman, Okla., as a freshman in 2009. ... Made All-SEC Tournament Team last weekend.
Sports, Pages 17 on 06/03/2011