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At Stanford: Earned a spot on the club as a walk-on in 2008, and continued to surprise during fall workouts...is capable of taking big steps forward in 2009...very competitive pitcher, who attacks hitters...finds a way to get batters out, and understands the art of pitching...has good command of three pitches that he can throw for strikes at anytime.
As a Freshman in 2008: Was with the team throughout the entire season...made his lone appearance in the first game of a February 22 doubleheader against Nevada, working 0.2 inning of relief.
High School: Graduated in 2007 from Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Penn....was a four-year letterwinner in both baseball and football...earned 2007 All-City honorable mention accolades in baseball from the Philadelphia Daily News...also was an honorable mention All-Philadelphia Inter-Academic League selection as a senior after going 6-1 with a 1.90 ERA...also chipped in with a .290 batting average and no errors as the team's starting center fielder...led his team to a pair of Inter-Academic League titles in 2004 and 2006...his 2004 club finished with a 30-2 record, a No. 6 overall national ranking by Baseball America and the No. 1 ranking in the state of Pennsylvania...helped his team maintain a Top 10 ranking in both Philadelphia and Pennsylvania throughout his four-year prep career...also played wide receiver and free safety in football...helped the football team to back-to-back Inter-Academic League titles in 2003 and 2004, along with a 7-3 record in 2006...caught 13 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, while collecting two interceptions during his 2006 senior campaign...was honored by his team with the Robert E. Lamberton Medal, given to the senior who best combines football and academic ability...also selected as the recipient of "The Juice Award" for the senior who leads through enthusiasm, example and effort...earned several academic honors, including being named an AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Finalist and Spanish Honor Society member...was recognized numerous times by his school with the McNeil Patriot Scholarship, Cum Laude Society induction, Ulmer Memorial Prize, Charles J. Wister Prize, C. Robins North Mathematical Prize, John Cornell Geometry Prize, Osbourn Memorial Medal and Yale Book Award ...named to the Dean's List with high honors in all four years...coached in baseball by Craig Conlin.
Other Amateur Baseball: Spent his 2008 summer campaign with the Saratoga Phillies of the New York Collegiate Baseball League...compiled nine strikeouts in just 8.1 innings of work, spanning five relief appearances...played two summers (2006-07) for the Philadelphia Phillies RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) squad under coach Steve Bandura...helped the team win the East Regional finals to advance to the RBI World Series in both 2006 and 2007...club avenged a 2006 loss to the LA Dodgers team by beating that same squad for the 2007 RBI World Series crown...posted a 9-1 record with a 1.10 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 15 walks in 71.0 innings during the summer of 2007...took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at the 2007 RBI Regional finals against the Boston team before beating them to advance to the World Series...in the summer of 2006, had a 7-1 record with a 1.53 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 16 walks in 58.0 innings pitched...spent the summer of 2005 with a Mid-Atlantic Prospects team that participated in the Junior Olympics in Florida...in 2005, batted .295 while chipping in with a 4-2 record and a 2.25 ERA on the mound...played for the 2004 Phillies RBI Junior team, winning the regional tournament to advance to the 2004 RBI Junior World Series...pitched 43.0 innings in the summer of 2004, compiling a 5-0 record, 1.84 ERA, 35 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Personal Information: Son of Tony and Jean Vernon...full name is William Anthony Vernon...was born in Philadelphia, Penn....has two brothers, Pete and Timmy...Pete pitched collegiately at William and Mary from 2005-08, where he finished his career with the most appearances and second-most wins in school history...he also ranks in the school's all-time top-10 for career pickoffs, while he logged the second-most appearances in a single season...cousin, Chris Getz, was an infielder at Wake Forest (2003) before transferring to Michigan (2004-05), where he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection...Getz was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB First-Year Player Draft, and enters the 2009 season in competition for the big league second baseman job...patterns his game after future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux...chose Stanford because, in his words, "I always wanted to go to Stanford since I was eight years old and it is completely unmatched in its academic and athletic excellence"...says the best thing about the University is "the incredible support system offered to every student"...majoring in economics.
Vernon's Career Stats YEARERAW-LAPPGSCGSHO/CBOSVIPHRERBBSO2B3BHRBFB/AVGWPHBPBKSFASHA 200854.000-01000/000/2444101007.66700000 TOTALS54.000-01000/000/2444101007.66700000