Wofford's Cornely works in closer role with Rome

Rome Braves relief pitcher John Cornely, a Wofford College product, was in Greenville over the weekend for a series at Fluor Field.

Tom Priddy/tom.priddy@shj.com

Published: Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 11:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, July 8, 2012 at 11:40 p.m.

GREENVILLE ? After his first three seasons at Wofford College, pitcher John Cornely hardly seemed a likely candidate to become successful in professional baseball.

Winless in eight decisions as a freshman, Cornely was stuck with consecutive yearly ERAs of 6.26, 7.61 and 6.41. But scouts were more interested in another number. He threw 95 mph during the summer following his sophomore season as a member of the Outer Banks (N.C.) Daredevils in the Coastal Plains League.

?After that, I got questionnaires from just about every team in the major leagues,? Cornely said. ?That's when they started to keep track of me.?

Then as a senior, Cornely became a dominant closer for the Terriers, saving nine games and posting a 1.85 ERA. In 39 innings, he allowed only 22 hits while striking out 48. It got him picked in the 15th round of the 2011 draft by Atlanta. He now leads the Class A Rome Braves with six saves.

?A cross-checker scout for Atlanta really liked my slider,? Cornely said. ?He saw me pitch at Georgia Southern in my senior year and talked to me after a workout at Turner Field. If they see something they like, that's what gets you drafted. It's not your career ERA.?

After the first two years as a Wofford reliever, Cornely was put in the starting rotation for his junior season. That didn't help his professional stock. He went 3-7 and gave up 105 hits in 78 innings.

?People asked if I was mad that I was made a starter,? Cornely said. ?I told them no because we didn't have anyone who could fill that role at the time. That was where I could best help the team. I absolutely agreed with the decision. But it did affect my numbers. I'm basically a two-pitch (fastball and slider) pitcher. So as a starter, I was getting hit hard in the fifth and six innings.?

Cornely, a Mount Pleasant native who went to Bishop England High School, had four straight saves from June 21-28, two each against Asheville and Greenville. After not seeing action in the first four nights of a five-game series at Greenville, he finally got into Sunday's finale and worked 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run in a 13-2 win by the Drive.

There could be many more save chances in the future for Cornely. Rome finished last in its South Atlantic League division in the first half, 18-52 and a whopping 29 games behind first-place Asheville. But the Braves, after taking two of five against the Drive, are 12-6 and on top of the Southern Division.

?To say we were not good in the first half is putting it gently,? Cornely said. ?We were awful. We were probably one of the worst teams in minor league baseball. We've just found something, I think. It seems like we've clicked as a team and come together as a group.?

If Cornely (0-3, 4.68) is to keep control of the closer role, it will depend on his control on the mound. He has walked 29 batters in 32 2/3 innings, a problem that plagued him during his first three seasons at Wofford when he walked 123 batters in 180 innings. In his first two seasons, he struck out 77 and walked 70.

?I don't worry about one bad outing. I'm not getting hit hard,? Cornely said. ?What I do worry about is a pattern. And right now, I've been walking way too many people. I need to cut down on that.?

Rome seemingly has another former Southern Conference closer waiting in the wings in case Cornely can't keep the role. David Peterson, who saved 12 games this year at the College of Charleston and was an eighth-round pick by the Braves last month, already had two saves and a win in five games for the Braves. He was used to close out a 6-3 win Friday at Greenville.

The threat of a newcomer trying to take his job doesn't bother Cornely. He won the closer role after being pegged for that job with another pitcher coming out of spring training.

?I'm happy, I'm confident and I love this life,? Cornely said. ?If I didn't, well, I have a Wofford degree, so I could go find something else to do. But I really do have a love for the game. When you play minor league baseball, you bleed it and you'd better love it because that's all you do.?

Source: http://www.goupstate.com/article/20120708/articles/120709728

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