Verlander Could be First-Round Pick in MLB Draft By DeAndre’ Phillips Justin Verlander was only 5 years old playing Little League baseball when he recognized that his arm was better than most kids his age. By his freshman year at Old Dominion, he still knew his arm was better than most, but he would soon discover that he had a Major League arm. “I knew I could throw harder than most people, but I never thought I could play at the next level until I played in college,” he said. Verlander, whose pitches top 96 mph, is a projected first-round pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft. During his freshman campaign, the 6-foot-4-inch right-hander from Goochland, Va., struck out 137 batters, including a school-record 17 against James Madison, and led the Colonial Athletic Association with a 1.90 ERA despite a 7-6 record. He was named First Team Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America while also being named CAA Rookie of the Year. Verlander followed his stellar rookie season with a solid sophomore campaign, compiling a second-straight 7-6 record. The Preseason All-American broke the ODU single-season strikeout mark, recording 139 K’s in just 116 innings. Last summer, he was a member of the USA Pan Am team that went 27-2 en route to winning the silver medal. Verlander was 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA for Team USA.