Longwood junior right-hander Devin Gould was tabbed the fourth-best overall prospect in the Valley Baseball League and the summer league’s top right-handed pitcher by Baseball America, the publication announced last week.
A 6-3, 185-pound native of Fairfax Station, Va., Gould broke out during his second summer collegiate season and earned Valley All-Star honors after posting a 5-0 record with eight saves, a 1.09 ERA, 30 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 24.2 innings for the runner-up Staunton Braves.
Gould was especially dominant in Staunton’s playoff run to the Valley League Championship Series, firing 7.0 innings of one-run ball with 11 strikeouts over three postseason appearances. He capped his summer with two perfect innings of relief in the championship series’ decisive third game, which the Express claimed 4-3 after scoring the go-ahead run prior to Gould’s entry.
Gould enters his junior season at Longwood with 36 collegiate relief appearances, three starts and 74.0 innings under his belt. He logged a 5.45 ERA in 33.0 innings as a sophomore in 2015, striking out 35 while holding the opposition to a .235 batting average. For his career, he has allowed just one home run over 74.0 innings, compared to 80 strikeouts, 49 walks and 66 hits allowed.
2015 Valley League Top Prospects (Baseball America)
1. Shane Billings, of, Harrisonburg (Jr., Wingate (N.C.))
2. Jim Ziemba, lhp, Harrisonburg, (R-So., Duke)
3. Bradley Jones, if, Charles Town (Jr., College of Charleston)
4. Devin Gould, rhp, Staunton (Jr., Longwood)
5. Jack Schaaf, of, Staunton, (So., Florida International)
6. Steven Ridings, rhp, Charles Town, (Sr., Messiah (Pa.))
7. Edgar Lebron, of, Front Royal (Sr., Lindsey Wilson (Ky.))
8. Tyler Staub, if, Harrisonburg (Sr., Texas-San Antonio)
9. Garrett Vrbanic, 2b/ss, Aldie (Jr., Seton Hill)
10. Matt Hartman, rhp, Harrisonburg, (So., Arizona)