Morgado fields own high expectations after elbow surgery

By Joe Kennedy
Daily Times Correspondent

KNOXVILLE -- Often times a nine-strikeout performance serves as the centerpiece for a pitcher's career.

For Tennessee's Bryan Morgado, Sunday's win against Eastern Michigan qualified as his worst outing of the season. Such is the standard that the Miami native has set for himself during the first month of the 2008 season.

Pretty impressive for a player a year removed from Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ligament in his elbow suffered the summer following his final high school season. And while many observers wondered whether the preceding hype would be justified, Morgado had little doubt.

"I had a feeling I was going to be this good," said Morgado, who is 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA this season. "I know what I can do. I did it throughout high school.

"Coming in here, a lot of coaches thought, 'This guy is going to be good. He's going to be real good for us.' So I have lived up to expectations. But I have to keep it up."

The left-hander began the year against Furman on Feb. 25, and went eight strong innings -- allowing only two hits while striking out 12 batters. Morgado then took the mound at Minute Maid Park in Houston to face Oklahoma.

The former Boston Red Sox draft pick allowed just one earned run and struck out 10 Sooners to further solidify the impression he left on first-year UT coach Todd Raleigh long ago.

"I saw him in high school, and I knew he was good," said Raleigh, whose team will open SEC play against LSU this weekend. "But then he gets hurt and has surgery. You never know. You have 100 different surgeries, and 100 people come back differently."

After pitching with soreness in his arm for the majority of the 2006 summer, Morgado recalls feeling a pop one day while throwing. His baseball future then became clear.

The pitcher enrolled at UT and underwent the 12-month rehabilitation process that comes with Tommy John surgery. Morgado watched as last year's Rod Delmonico-led Volunteer team struggled and failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Delmonico was subsequently fired at season's end.

"It sucked," Morgado said of his view from the bench. "... It was tough to see Coach (Delmonico) leave. He was the guy that recruited me and really fought for me to come here. But I guess we needed a change, and it's for the best."

That change came in the form of Raleigh, whose reputation as a no-nonsense coach arrived before he even stepped foot in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The new UT skipper quickly penciled in Morgado as the Vols Sunday starter -- opting to go with experienced Steve Crnkovich on Friday night. But with double-digit strikeout performances occurring more often than not, Morgado may force himself into an early weekend spot.

"It's what is best for the team," Morgado said. "If they feel that Sunday is a good spot for me, I will pitch on Sunday. I'm just happy to be out here pitching again."