WILLIAMSPORT - They follow his every movement, even the ones that take him to an isolated area beyond a row of bleachers at his high school. Major league scouts trail Nick Adenhart as though he's a suspect instead of a prospect. They stare at him, judge him, whisper to each other, scribble in their notepads.
But how many are willing to take him? Beyond winning games and striking out batters, Adenhart also is trying to buck a trend. Since the book Moneyball came out last year, touting the Oakland Athletics' draft philosophy of choosing college-aged players, some teams have become more cautious about investing a large signing bonus on a prep pitcher.
This week, A's general manager Billy Beane told The Sports Business Daily that with college players "you get a quicker return. There's a return on your asset probably more immediate than there is with a younger player.
"The bottom line is, there's more data from which to make a decision. That's really what it comes down to."
Fortunately for Adenhart, who's 5-1 with a 0.73 ERA at Williamsport High in Washington County, baseball insiders say these organizations remain in the minority.
"There are more clubs looking exclusively at college players," Orioles scout Mickey White said, "but I don't think there's an appreciable percentage."
The San Diego Padres are leaning toward taking Long Beach State's Jered Weaver with the first pick. But representatives of the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets, who hold the next two selections, traveled to Brunswick on Tuesday and watched Adenhart strike out 11 in five innings and also hit a two-run homer. He left with a 4-0 lead.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays (fourth) and Milwaukee Brewers (fifth) aren't opposed to drafting a high school pitcher, and the Orioles (eighth) have shown the flexibility in past years to go with the best available player, whatever his age.
Such thinking is evident as Adenhart goes into his windup and radar guns are aimed at him behind the backstop. It looks like a shooting gallery, with their target wearing a No. 11 jersey and sideburns that don't age his youthful face.
This is what happens when you pitch a no-hitter against Allegany in the Class A regional playoffs, losing 1-0, and achieve perfection against the same team to begin your senior season. When Baseball America declares you the No. 1-rated high school player in the country and makes you a local celebrity, whether you like it or not.
