Hoosiers acquire more than expected with freshman duo

IU coach Bob Morgan visited Ballard High School in Louisville, Ky., looking for a utility infielder, David Trager.\nTrager's teammate, Chris McCombs, saw an opportunity and approached Morgan about watching a game he was pitching. Morgan agreed, and a year later the 6-foot right-hander has struck out 15 batters in eight appearances for the Hoosiers. \nBut for McCombs, it is all about feeling right at home in Bloomington. \n"At first I never thought I'd end up here," he said. "But I like the coaches. I felt wanted here and I like that."\nWith a 3-1 record, including Wednesday's win against Indiana State, freshman pitcher Brad Davidson has been the most pleasant surprise for the Hoosier pitching staff that struggled last year. In five starts and seven appearances in 2005 the Novelty, Ohio, native has punched out 22 batters. He is second on the squad with seven of those strikeouts having caught the batter looking. \nDavidson says he could not be happier at IU.\n"It is close to home," he said. "It is a great school and a great program with great guys." \nSo far this season the freshman lefty and righty have a combined record of 4-2 and attribute their success to the friendship they share off the field. Both are residents of the Harper wing in Foster Quad, and each played football as well as baseball in high school. Yet individually, the two pitchers deliver different styles at their opponents. \nMcCombs commands the fastball, but specializes in the curveball -- a pitch to which he credits his accomplishments on the mound. Davidson, however, masters the whole spectrum of pitching. Consistent and commanding, his strength is the off-speed change-up he delivers complete with sound mechanics, Davidson said.\nThe two freshmen draw fundamentals from their days playing football to their present roles as starters on a Big Ten pitching rotation. \n"You put the effort in to get better," McCombs said. "The extra hours of work you put in makes all the difference."\nFor Davidson it is the constant mental preparations that contribute to his 3.80 ERA and his three wins that rank him second among active pitchers at IU. \n"The mental games the coaches play with you are the same as football," he says. "You run, you workout and you practice something and do it again until it is perfect."\nStill, Davidson and McCombs are in the learning process under Morgan and have had their share of bad starts this spring. Last week Davidson gave up eight runs in two innings of work as the Hoosiers fell 12-9 to Northwestern. Similarly, McCombs relinquished six runs in only 1 and 1/3 innings losing to Valparaiso earlier in the season. \nFortunately for the Hoosiers, the good days of their two freshman pitchers have outweighed the bad. McCombs didn't give up his first earned run until March 29 against Valparaiso. McCombs went on another streak of 10 and 2/3 innings after that game before surrendering another earned run against Vermont. Davidson showed off his best stuff against Yale during the Hoosiers' spring break trip. He allowed no runs on five hits in seven innings including six strikeouts as IU blanked the Bulldogs 8-0. \nBoth freshmen draws strength from their pre-game rituals, whether satisfying the hunger of their stomach or their soul. Since his senior year of high school McCombs has eaten a peanut butter sandwich before each game, while Davidson chooses to pray before the start of a game. \n"I pray to God to be with me," he said. "I pray for strength against being tired, injured and to give me my game." \nBoth Davidson and McCombs travel with IU this weekend when they play a four-game set against conference foe Minnesota in Minneapolis starting Friday at 3 p.m. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Shaffer at asshaffe@indiana.edu.