Middle Tennesee standout Brentz putting up Roy Hobbs-type numbers

The numbers don’t seem real. Sophomore Bryce Brentz helped power Middle Tennessee to the top seed for this week’s Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament in Troy with a season taken right out of “The Natural.”

Brentz is hitting .485, best in the nation. He has hit 27 home runs, tied for No. 1 in the country with Alabama slugger Kent Matthes, and has 67 runs batted in. His slugging percentage is a nation’s best 1.005. Yes, over 1.000.

Is this Murfreesboro or Hollywood? Is this Middle Tennessee or the New York Knights? Frankly, Roy Hobbs would envy the season that Brentz has enjoyed.

“It’s hard to believe when you step back and look at it,” Brentz admitted in a telephone interview Monday. The Blue Raiders are scheduled to arrive in Troy today. “At the start of the season, my coach and I talked and the big thing we wanted was to get the strikeouts down and the batting average up.”

Talk about following a plan.

“The stats are real,” Middle Tennessee coach Steve Peterson said. “He’s had a tremendous year and he’s still getting better. He’s the best power hitter I’ve ever coached. The amount of backspin he generates is unreal. He’s just had, offensively, a consensus All-American season.”

But there’s more than offense. Brentz began the season as the Blue Raiders’ Friday night starting pitcher. He finished the season 5-3 with 13 starts, tied with Kenny Roberts for team-high. Brentz has a 4.90 ERA with 79 innings, 46 hits, 43 earned runs, 30 walks and 55 strikeouts. He started in left field when he wasn’t pitching.

“I really started him on Fridays just to get his start out of the way and have him concentrate on hitting,” Peterson said. “But he’s been a solid pitcher for us.”

What’s impressive about Brentz is how much he has developed from an outstanding freshman season. He was the Sun Belt’s Freshman of the Year last season, finishing with a .329 batting average with 18 home runs, 68 RBIs and 49 runs scored.

In other words, he didn’t sneak up on anybody this season.

Asked if Brentz was circled on the Troy scouting report before their season series, Trojan coach Bobby Pierce said, “He was circled, he was highlighted and he had exclamation points.”

“He’s just the complete package,” Pierce said. “Can run. Can pitch. He’s a tremendous competitor. He’s as physical a player for his age as I’ve seen in a while.”

Peterson said Brentz is better because he’s more mature.

“He’s a year older mentally. He’s been around our league,” Peterson said. “He knows what makes the coaches happy; and he knows what makes the coaches mad.”

Brentz said his plate awareness is much better this year.

“Last year, for example, I’d be hitting with an 0-2 count and trying to protect the plate,” he said. “I’d be all over the place and very likely go chasing. This year, with an 0-2 count, I know he’s still got to throw me a strike to get me out.

“I’ve had a lot of games where I’ll go 0-for-2 but get a hit on my third at-bat. That’s just a matter of making in-game adjustments to how they’re pitching me. What pitch did they get me out on the last time? How did they pitch me? Sometimes I’m sitting on the pitch that got me out. I’m just a lot more aware of that than last year.”

Brentz, who is 6-foot, 190, has a lot of natural ability. His father, Charlie Brentz, played quarterback and defensive back at Mississippi State.

“He got a lot of physical and mental toughness from his father,” Peterson said. “He missed some time late last year with a sore elbow. He stayed here over summer and rehabbed. Then early in fall practice he ran into the outfield wall and broke his wrist.”

That setback didn’t cause him to adjust his goals for the season.

“Actually, I told my dad I have the same goals as I had for my first season,” Brentz recalled. “I wanted to hit .300, I wanted to hit five home runs and I wanted to have 40 RBIs.”

It took him less than two weeks to surpass the first two goals. He hasn’t looked back. Brentz said the best part of the season was being able to enjoy his individual success as the Blue Raiders were co-champs of the Sun Belt.

“It’s awesome to be part of that,” Brentz said. “We get leadership from a lot of guys. Rawley Bishop is who holds this team together. Nathan Hines drives in runs. And as good as we can hit, pitching and defense is what got us this championship. So it’s really been fun this season.”

Troy’s Pierce also noted that Middle Tennessee’s lineup had to be solid for Brentz to put up the numbers he has.

“If he was the only guy who could hurt you, he’d never see a pitch to hit,” Pierce said. “That is a very good potent lineup that can score runs.”

Brentz, who was drafted as a pitcher by Cleveland after his high school year, has been invited to the USA Baseball National Team Trials in June.

“Obviously, he is putting up power numbers, RBI and batting average and is one of the best hitters in the country in one of the top-10 conferences in the country,” Peterson said. “It is a great honor to be invited to play for your country. Whatever does happen, I want the USA to win and if they can find a better player than Bryce, go for it.”

If they find a better player, call Hollywood.