Thurman threw 100.1IP, allowing 85H/36ER, 91K:19BB and a .234 BAA for UC-Irvine in 2013.
UC-Irvine's head baseball coach Mike Gillespie:
“I think it’s fair to say he’s made progression all along the way...I suppose the thing people notice most is that the velocity has jumped up over time, but he’s an adult. He’s a very mature, classy kid, so he’s never been a guy that’s been rattled...He’s always been a guy that has (had) a three-pitch mix and he continues to do that, and he benefits from that, even though the velocity is quite good. You’ve got to do those things to win, that’s for sure. But the one thing that jumps out, particularly to the pro guys that are following him, is the velocity.”
Thurman has a 95mph fastball, with "an extensive repertoire of breaking balls and cutting fastballs." His number - which he calls "Dirty Thirty" is inspired by Nolan Ryan. This Crawfish Boxes report compares his command to Nick Tropeano. Last summer, Thurman pitched for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League, where he struck out 49 batters in 39IP, allowing 35H/14ER.
Thurman was 45th on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list. Hey, he was the May 28, 2013 ESPN Anteater of the Week! He's also a Political Science major and a member of the National Honors Society.
You can watch Keith Law talk about Andrew Thurman here. Law calls him "one of the more polished college pitchers in this draft class...with the ability to command everything he throws," and had him between picks 16-30.
