The only thing better than one trusty Wood? A pair of Woods says Bill Decker, and the veteran Trinity College baseball coach is not talking about golf either.
After adding former Bishop Guertin three-sport standout Jim Wood to this year's high-flying Bantam team, which takes a sizzling 22-5 mark into the final stretch of the season, Decker came awfully close to tying up Wood's younger brother, Taylor, for the next four years as well.
"We had Taylor down here for two visits," said Decker, who eventually lost the 6-foot-3 hurler to a full-court press from Cornell. "I think it was pretty close. It's funny, I would joke with his dad, Gary, telling him to just think of all the gas money he was going to save if Taylor came here."
All kidding aside, Decker will be the first to tell you that he's more than happy to settle for half of the Windham duo. Especially given the fact that Jim has started every game in right field. He's hitting .385 with four homers, 29 runs and 26 RBIs.
"And you know what? Beyond all that, the best thing about Jimmy is that he is just a breath of fresh air," said Decker, who has guided the Bantams to five NCAA tournament bids and a 369-183 mark in 17 years at the Hartford school. "I've really enjoyed having him on the team. He's just a real good kid from a good solid family."
The fact that Wood doesn't list smashing a grand slam in just his third collegiate at bat as his season highlight gives you a quick idea just how well things have been going for him.
"To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect at this level," said Wood, who had any apprehensions put to rest in a March 10 doubleheader against Worcester State on chilly Long Island.
Playing in a complex called "Baseball Heaven," Wood certainly had a divine debut, not only smacking the grand slam in the opener, but then follow it up with a three-run shot in the nightcap.
"The funny thing about that was that in my second at-bat I got up with the bases loaded and I lined out to end the inning," he recalled. "Then I get up the next time and I hit the grand slam."
If that didn't rank as the top moment for Wood, the ensuing week-long trip to the Sunshine State did.
"Going on that trip and just being able to play baseball in those conditions in Florida was awesome," said Wood of the trip to Fort Myers.
After adding former Bishop Guertin three-sport standout Jim Wood to this year's high-flying Bantam team, which takes a sizzling 22-5 mark into the final stretch of the season, Decker came awfully close to tying up Wood's younger brother, Taylor, for the next four years as well.
"We had Taylor down here for two visits," said Decker, who eventually lost the 6-foot-3 hurler to a full-court press from Cornell. "I think it was pretty close. It's funny, I would joke with his dad, Gary, telling him to just think of all the gas money he was going to save if Taylor came here."
All kidding aside, Decker will be the first to tell you that he's more than happy to settle for half of the Windham duo. Especially given the fact that Jim has started every game in right field. He's hitting .385 with four homers, 29 runs and 26 RBIs.
"And you know what? Beyond all that, the best thing about Jimmy is that he is just a breath of fresh air," said Decker, who has guided the Bantams to five NCAA tournament bids and a 369-183 mark in 17 years at the Hartford school. "I've really enjoyed having him on the team. He's just a real good kid from a good solid family."
The fact that Wood doesn't list smashing a grand slam in just his third collegiate at bat as his season highlight gives you a quick idea just how well things have been going for him.
"To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect at this level," said Wood, who had any apprehensions put to rest in a March 10 doubleheader against Worcester State on chilly Long Island.
Playing in a complex called "Baseball Heaven," Wood certainly had a divine debut, not only smacking the grand slam in the opener, but then follow it up with a three-run shot in the nightcap.
"The funny thing about that was that in my second at-bat I got up with the bases loaded and I lined out to end the inning," he recalled. "Then I get up the next time and I hit the grand slam."
If that didn't rank as the top moment for Wood, the ensuing week-long trip to the Sunshine State did.
"Going on that trip and just being able to play baseball in those conditions in Florida was awesome," said Wood of the trip to Fort Myers.
While he's thrown consistently in the bullpen, Wood hasn't pitched for the Bantams. But the skipper promises that time will come.
"We still see him as a two-way guy," said Decker, who admits that it was Wood's fastball, not his ability to turn on one, that first piqued his interest.
"Like everyone else, we started looking at him as a pitcher," said Decker. "But then we saw him hit and it was like, 'Wow, wait a minute here.'"
After captaining the Cardinal baseball, hockey and football teams, Wood admitted it felt strange to watch the Trinity football and hockey teams play.
"There were a couple moments where I felt that way, but it's nice to settle down and focus on one sport," he said.
At BG, he did it all. He was Class L Player of the Year in baseball, a New Hampshire Senior All-Star as a forward in hockey and was an All-Division 2 receiver for the Division 2 state champion football team.
"I had some really great memories from football and hockey, but I think I made the right decision," he said.
While he will not get the chance to share the diamond with his younger brother in Hartford, he does plan to do so once again in Concord in summer ball.
"It would have been great if he came here," said Wood. "We played three years together at high school which was awesome, but it's good for him to go on his own path to Cornell, too."
Putting the Wood to it
The learning curve has been nothing more than a speed bump for Trinity College freshman Jim Wood of Windham this spring. Here's a look:
Average: .385, second among regulars
RBI: 26 (tied for third on team)
Runs: 29 (third)
Homers: 4 (tied for third)
Games started: 27 of 27
Record: Trinity is 22-5
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