Stang Signs Letter of Intent to Play for LSU Tigers In 2010
Two former Glens Falls Golden Eagles from the 2008 team, which went 31-10, were chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the first 10 rounds of the 2009 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Starting pitcher Eric Arnett (Indiana) went in the first round at No. 26, while outfielder Chad Stang (Midland College) went in the eighth round at No. 256. Three other 2008 Golden Eagles—Benjamin Carlson (Missouri State), Jonathan White (Vanderbilit), and Anthony Giansanti (Siena)—were taken in the 2009 MLB Draft.
Stang, the British Columbian native, played 53 games for the Midland College Chaparrals this season, batted .370 with 64 hits, a .623 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, six homeruns, 43 RBI, and led the team with five triples.
After waking up early and listening to Day Two of the MLB Draft, Stang said he felt relieved once he heard his name called. he was thinking he’d be drafted a little higher.
“It was a nerve-racking experience at first, but when I heard my name called I was shocked. I actually thought I’d be taken a little higher.” Stang said. “We’re in contract negotiations now, but with a fair deal, I’ll be signing for sure.”
Of course, if things don’t turn out the way Stang anticipates, he’ll be heading to the Louisiana State University Tigers as he signed a letter of intent to play outfield for the perennial men’s college baseball powerhouse.
“I’ll have an opportunity to start in center for sure,” Stang said. “Nothing will he given to me and I’ll have to work hard for a starting spot, but I’m definitely ready to play Division-I college baseball if that’s what happens.”
“He’s a ‘tools’ type player who runs extremely well, has a good baseball body, and is a super kid but still very raw,” Glens Falls Golden Eagles head coach John Mayotte said. “I hope he plays at least one year at LSU before he turns pro.”
Stang credits some his success at Midland and his draft stock status to Chaps head coach David Coleman and his constant constructive criticism.
“He pushed me the right way,” Stang said. ” At times he was really hard on me, but I knew why he was doing it and by the end of the year I got to a point where I needed to be as a player.”
In his first year with the Chaps, they finished .500 and in sixth place in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference, which isn’t something Stang or his teammates wanted to experience again.
Though, in his second season with the Chaps, Stang and company finished 16 games over .500 but ran into a streaking Howard Bison team, who ended the Chaps 2009 postseason run sooner than Stang and his teammates expected.
“I’ve never been on a team that had the chemistry, drive, and talent our team had this season,” Stang said.
During the 2008 playoffs, Stang, played in all eight Golden Eagles postseason games, batted .273, led the team with three doubles, and scored the second most runs for the team with five.
Stang’s sacrifice RBI in the second game of the League Finals against the Brockport Riverbats in 2008, put the Glens Falls on top 1-0, before Brockport took the lead in the sixth and eventually won the league title.
“Coach Mayotte showed me the type of player I could become hitting with a wood bat,” Stang said. “He had the trust in me that I could do the job even though I was a freshman from a Junior College playing with all those Division-1 guys.”
In the 2008 regular season, Stang finished with the team’s second best batting average (.315), leading the team in hits (45), doubles (7), triples (3) and walks (22). Toward the end of the regular season and on into postseason play, Stang managed a 20-game hit streak.
Starting in the outfield for nearly every game during the 2008 season and leading-off in most of them, Stang can’t thank Coach Mayotte and his staff enough for the faith they had in him and how the harder he worked the more his game would improve.
“He has a great upside, however, capable of being a superb all-around player and contributing in a variety of ways, Mayotte said.