VICTOR BLACK

5/23/88; '09 1st Supp.; Dallas Baptist Univ.
R/R; 6-4, 205

Level	W-L-Sv	G	GS	IP	H	HR	BB	K	BB/9	K/9	WHIP	OAVG	ERA
2007 NCAA	5-5-1	19	13	87.0	74	3	57	91	5.9	9.4	1.51	.236	4.86
2008 NCAA	1-6-0	14	14	70.2	66	7	46	56	5.9	7.1	1.58	.246	4.97
2009 NCAA	6-4-0	15	15	88.2	92	7	40	99	4.1	10.0	1.49	.276	4.16
2009 A-	1-2-1	13	7	31.1	26	0	15	33	4.3	9.5	1.31	.213	3.45

The Pirates selected Black with the compensation pick they received for their failure to sign 2008 2nd round pick Tanner Scheppers.  According to Baseball America, which ranked him as the 50th best prospect available in the draft, Black throws a three-quarters angle fastball that sits at 92-94 and reaches 96.  He also throws a slider and a change that needs work.  He's struggled with his control throughout his collegiate career, although it improved in 2009.  He appears to have the ability to miss bats, though, an ability that the Pirates avoided like the plague under the previous regime.  It'll be interesting to see whether he loses velocity, as virtually all of their pitching prospects seem to do after being drafted.  Black signed surprisingly quickly after the draft and was assigned to State College.  The Pirates limited his workload, but he generally pitched well.  The one negative was that he had some control problems.  He had a large platoon split, holding RH batters to .159 average while lefties hit .283 against him.  He could open 2010 with either class A team.

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