DANNY RUECKEL #5

INF/RHP, BR/TR, 6-0, 165, Senior

Dunwoody, Georgia

Dunwoody High School

One of the most versatile players on this year's team...returns for his fourth season as Furman's starting shortstop but will take on a additional role as starting pitcher, most likely on Sundays...ability to deliver innings as a starter looms as a big key this spring...has good hands, a strong arm, and productive bat...best pitch is curve ball...holds Furman record for most consecutive hits (7) recorded during the 2000 season. 2001 ‹ Started in 54 games last season at shortstopŠbatted .291 with three home runs and 29 RBI...made 15 pitching appearances, all but two in relief...registered 28.0 innings of work on the way to a 4-2 record, 4.82 ERA, and three saves...struck out 33 batters...went 2-for-6 with a home run and three RBI in 24-10 rout of Indiana...registered a 3-for-3 outing with three RBI in a 9-8 win over UNC Greensboro...went 3-for-5 with two RBI and four runs score in 16-7 triumph over Wofford...pitched a career high 6.0 innings, allowed only two hits, and struck out another career high seven in a 11-6 win over UNC Asheville...picked up wins relief against Wofford, Kentucky, and Ohio...work against Ohio included 3.0 innings of no-hit ball and four strikeouts...opponents batted .241. 2000 ‹ Started 52 games at shortstop...batted .285 with five home runs and 29 RBI...tied for team lead with 14 doubles...showed steady improvement defensively over the course of the season, notching a .966 fielding percentage with only five errors over last 147 chances...went errorless in his last 10 games...belted a school record three home runs (all solo blasts) as part of a 3-for-3 performance in an 8-7 win at VMI...went 4-for-4 in his next game, a 6-5 victory over Georgia Southern, for a school record string of seven consecutive hits...went 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored in a 17-4 thrashing at UNC Greensboro...helped key Furman¹s 11-1 rout of The Citadel in Southern Conference Tournament play with a 3-for-5, 4 RBI effort...emerged as an effective reliever at midseason and went on to post a 2-1 record with three saves and staff best 2.93 earned run average in 12 appearances...recorded 28 strikeouts in 27.2 innings of action...limited opposing hitters to a staff low .243 average...came out of the bullpen to pitch 7.0 innings of four-hit, no-run ball to lead Furman to 7-3 3 triumph over UNC Greensboro in Southern Conference Tournament. 1999 ‹ Started at shortstop in 56 games...batted 262 with five home runs and 29 RBI...went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run in a 2-1 loss to UNC Charlotte...went 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs in a 16-11 win over The Citadel.

High School/Personal: Played under Tom Bass at Dunwoody High School...named DeKalb County Player-of-the-Year his senior year after batting .447 with 10 home runs...earned all-county honors three times and was a two-time all-state pick...helped Dunwoody capture region 7-AAAA championships his junior and senior years...played on Connie Mack summer league team that won state and southeast regional titles in 1998...full name is Daniel Craig Rueckel...son of Scott and Barbara Rueckel...born September 25, 1979, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida...political science major.