9 Del Howell

Howell has the talent and ability to pitch on the weekend this season, but may settle into a role as the Crimson Tide’s midweek starter.

PREP:

One of the most decorated players in the history of Alabama high school baseball, Del Howell was a five-year starter and three-time state champion at American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa for coach Bart Smelley
Named 2006 “Mr. Baseball” by the Alabama Sports Writer’s Association (ASWA)
2006 Birmingham News Player of the Year
2006 Tuscaloosa News Player of the Year
2006 ASWA “Super 10” Baseball Team
2006 Birmingham News Super All-State Team
First-Team All-State selection by The Birmingham News and ASWA
2006 Tuscaloosa News “Super 12” Baseball Team
Holds the Alabama state high school record with 541 career strikeouts, a record once held by UA assistant coach B.J. Green
As a senior, Howell posted a 13-1 record and 0.18 ERA
He allowed only 14 hits and struck out 176 batters in 76 1/3 innings on the mound
Averaged 16.14 strikeouts per seven innings as a prep senior
Led the state in ERA and strikeouts and ranked second in wins
He had back-to-back perfect games in his first two starts in the 2006 Class 1A state playoffs
His first perfect game and fourth career no-hitter came in a 2-0 win over Providence Christian in first round action
He finished that game with 16 strikeouts
He hit three home runs and tossed his second straight perfect game against Maplesville.  After hitting two home runs in the opener, Howell added a third home run and tossed another perfect game as ACA clinched the series with a 14-0 win
He became just the third high school pitcher to manage back-to-back perfect games, according to the National Federation of High School Athletic Associations
He joins Anthony Velazquez (New York City, 2006) and Mike Bradley (Fort Bragg, Calif., 1991) as the only trio of prep pitchers to hurl consecutive perfect games
Had a string of 36 consecutive scoreless innings, including seven in the state championship game against Shoals Christian
He saved the first game by pitching one inning and won the second game as the Patriots swept the best-of-three series for their third consecutive Class 1A state championship
The 2006 state champions finished with a 33-4 overall record
Also a threat at the plate, where he batted .522 with 22 home runs and 72 RBI
The Patriots set the Alabama state record with 85 home runs in 2006
Also led ACA to Class 1A state championships in 2004 and 2005
As a junior, Howell posted a 12-2 record and 1.33 ERA for the Patriots, with 160 strikeouts
2005 Birmingham News All-State Team
2005 ASWA All-State Team

PERSONAL:

Full name is Paul Wendell Howell
Parents are Wendell and Lynne Howell
Has three sisters - Lauren, Audrey and Haleigh
BORN: September 6, 1987

University of Alabama Athletics

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