Virginia looking hard at Wesleyan Catcher
href="http://gavarsity.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=43887">Chris Jensen is starting to gain interest from many of college baseball's top recruiters.
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Chris Jensen had always been one of the best defensive catchers in the peach state, but as a sophomore, with a .340 batting average, he wanted to improve on his hitting. Jensen started to work hard in the weight room, and he spent more time in the batting cage working on his bat speed.
According to Wesleyan head coach Mike Shaheen, Jensen's hard work is starting to pay off. He's currently hitting .438 after eight games with the Wolves. It's time to add "Great Hitter" to Jensen's resume.
GAVarsity.com talked to Wesleyan Coach Mike Shaheen about his talented catcher's recruiting process.
"Chris has always been a fantastic defensive catcher," said Coach Shaheen. "To me, he matches up defensively with the best catchers in the state. He blocks everything, and pitchers love throwing to him. When you've got a catcher like Chris that can block everything, it makes you a better pitcher. A pitcher can throw that 0-2 pitch into the dirt, and he knows it's not gonna cost him."
Jensen is a very knowledgeable catcher. He calls his own games this year, and he does a great job at it as well. Jensen knew if he wanted to continue playing baseball after his senior season, he would need to improve in the batter' box, and that's just what Jensen did.
"As a sophomore, if there was anything that he needed to improve, it would have been his hitting," said Shaheen. "He needed to improve his hitting to get into our lineup more. He was sharing time at catcher as a sophomore. That changed because he did improve as a hitter."
"His power has really improved. He's put on at least ten pounds of muscle since last season, if not more. He has the potential to gain even more power."
At 6-foot-0, 185 pounds, Jensen's play at the plate is starting to get him just as much attention as his play behind the plate.
"He's a great all-around guy," said Coach Shaheen. "He will not tell you how good he is. He doesn't seek attention, and I think that's one reason he hasn't gotten the attention he deserves. But he's fine with that. He's just done a great job for us this year."
Jensen is starting to show up on the radar of many of the top college recruiters. William & Mary, Richmond, Dartmouth, Emory, and now Virginia are starting to inquire about Jensen's services.
"The Head Coach from the University of Virginia, Brian O'Connor, was here last night to watch him play," said Shaheen. "They're playing Georgia Tech this weekend. He took time out of his schedule to come over and watch Chris play. He had to leave before the game was over, so I didn't get a chance to talk to him. Chris went 2-3 with a single and a double, and he had a good night behind the plate."
"Coach O'Conner had already spoken to me about Chris" said Shaheen. "William & Mary is basically waiting to see if Chris can get in. If he gets in, then they're going to make him an offer. They've got him down as No.1 on their chart we've been told. He went to their camp, and they fell in love with Chris. In fact, they called me the next day."
"Emory, a division III school, is also really after Chris. That would be a great academic school for Chris."
GAVarsity.com asked Chris Jensen about his visit to William & Mary.
"I like their Head Coach," said Jensen. "He coached at Rhode Island before coming to William & Mary. The coaching staff was good to me, and I liked the players. They said I would have a chance to come in and play early for them. I enjoyed it."
href="http://gavarsity.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=43887">Chris Jensen is a catcher that has been starting varsity baseball for three years now. He was also a talented receiver for the Wesleyan football team.
Jensen was named to the All County Baseball Academic Team with a GPA of 3.47 and SAT 1230. His defense, strong arm, and hitting ability make him one of the peach state's top prospects at catcher.