FIU baseball coach Mervyl Melendez had a brief conversation with Chris Williams during Friday’s Conference USA opener against Marshall in 42-degree temperatures at windy Huntington, West Virginia.
Williams, a lefty-swinging freshman outfielder, came to FIU this past fall despite being drafted in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds. His freshman season got off to a poor start when he suffered a broken thumb on his right hand, and he wasn’t cleared to play until last Tuesday.
On Friday, he struck out in his second college at-bat, and that’s when Melendez thought about removing him.
“I have a pinch-hitter ready,” Melendez told Williams in the 10thinning of a game that was scoreless at that time.