White impresses in first season as Prof

Athletes can be taught how to swing a bat or the best arm angle to throw a ball. What cannot be taught, though, is how to be competitive.

Such an X-factor is crucial to winning, as a competitive drive can be exactly what makes a good player great. Rowan’s baseball team has one of those X-factors: Jeff White.

White, a junior pitcher from Stratford, N.J., has given the Profs a big shot of energy this season, his first as a transfer student from Gloucester County College.

“He is just that type of kid who loves to compete,” said head coach Juan Ranero. “Jeff says he can do it all, all over the field, and he is ultra competitive in every sense of the word.”

It didn’t take White long to become one of the guys, despite being a newcomer to the Profs this season.

“When he came into our program, it took him a while to feel as part of the team and to be respected,” Ranero said. “Jeff’s a gamer, though, and his competitiveness and refusal to give up on the field is what got him the respect of his teammates.”

White certainly knows he has some thick skin and great on-field composure, which he sees as one of his biggest assets to the team.

“What I bring to the team that makes me stand out is my composure and my poise,” White said. “I don’t let much get to me out there in between the lines. If there is adversity in front of me, I know I will make the pitch to keep my team in the game.”

White’s biggest accomplishment this season so far came against Rutgers-Newark. He pitched a complete game, his first as a Prof, giving up a mere two earned runs and striking out 11 batters. It improved his record to an impressive 4-1 on the season.

“I was feeling calm, cool and collected no matter what throughout the whole game and I could feel every strike out coming,” White said. “This game also stood out because it was our biggest game of the season and to have my teammates keep fighting and allow me to get back out there in the ninth was huge.”

With his first season as a Prof more than halfway complete, White has certainly made an impression and has become one of the most feared pitchers on the staff. The junior hopes to continue improving and will be a big asset in this teams push for a title.