In two short seasons, Damien Wright has become one of the top southpaws in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Heading into his junior year, Wright looks to anchor the Scarlet Raptor staff as one of Rutgers-Camden’s big-game pitchers.

        Wright made 11 appearances during the 2007 campaign, when he compiled a 1-3 record and a 5.17 ERA. He led the team with two complete games and was second on the Raptors with nine starts, 51 strikeouts and 55-2/3 innings pitched. Out of his nine starts, five came against teams appearing in the Division III national poll. In his three losses, two of which came against nationally-ranked teams, the Scarlet Raptors gave Wright only four total runs of support. Outside of a loss against Johns Hopkins (five innings, eight earned runs), which was ranked No. 12 in the final ABCA/Collegiate Baseball national poll, Wright posted a 4.26 ERA in his remaining 10 appearances.

        Wright finished among the NJAC leaders with his nine starts (tied for 11th), 51 strikeouts (12th), 55.2 innings (14th), .211 opponent batting average with two outs (12th) and five pickoffs (third). He also finished 17th in the conference with 5.06 innings pitched per game despite that number being diluted by his two relief appearances, in which he worked a total of one inning. In his nine starts, he averaged 6.07 innings.

        Entering his junior season, Wright has compiled a 3-3 record and a 5.08 ERA in 79-2/3 innings and 26 games. He owns 70 strikeouts, and his two saves are tied for ninth on the Raptors’ career list.

        A tough-luck pitcher in 2007, Wright opened his season working four innings at Hampden-Sydney College Feb. 23, allowing five hits and five runs, only one of which was earned. He didn’t get the decision in an eventual Raptor loss. After a couple of tough starts against nationally-ranked SUNY-Brockport (3.2 IP, five earned runs in a no-decision March 4) and Johns Hopkins (five IP, eight earned runs in a loss March 11), Wright pitched his first complete game of the season March 16 in the opening game of a doubleheader against Roger Williams College. Although he worked all seven innings and allowed only seven hits and three earned runs, he suffered a 3-1 loss. He didn’t walk a batter and recorded his career high of 10 strikeouts.

        Wright hurled his top game of the season at Montclair State April 7 to earn his lone victory. He worked 8-1/3 innings in a 5-2 win against the Red Hawks, who peaked at No. 10 nationally last season. He allowed only two hits and two unearned runs, while walking seven and striking out three. The performance earned Wright honors on April 9 as Rutgers-Camden’s Raptor of the Week.

        In his final two starts of the season, Wright posted a 3.68 ERA against a pair of NJAC teams appearing in the national polls last season, yet he had only a loss and a no-decision to show for his efforts. Wright hurled a complete game at William Paterson University April 19, working all eight innings and allowing seven hits, three walks and five runs, only four earned. He struck out seven, but the Raptors were blanked as he lost, 5-0. In his final start, against Rowan University, he worked 6-2/3 innings and allowed only six hits and two earned runs. He didn’t get a decision in an eventual 4-3 Rutgers-Camden defeat.

        Wright had an outstanding y ear on the mound in 2006 during his first year of collegiate baseball. He led the Scarlet Raptors’ staff with 15 appearances – at the time the eighth-highest single-season mark in program history and now the ninth highest – and compiled a 2-0 record with two saves and a 4.88 ERA. In 24 innings, all in relief, he allowed 26 hits and 13 earned runs. He walked 10 and fanned 19.

        Wright made his collegiate debut with a scoreless inning against John Jay College (Feb. 25, 2006), walking one and allowing one hit while combining with four other pitchers on a 23-0 shutout win.

        In Wright’s next outing, he earned his first save with four perfect innings of relief work, helping the Raptors post a 10-3 victory over Haverford College, a team listed as receiving votes to the pre-season Division III national poll. Wright struck out five batters out of the 12 outs he recorded.

        Wright’s biggest week came in late March when he recorded a save at Delaware Valley College (March 22) and earned his first career victory three days later against DeSales University. Against the Aggies, he hurled one scoreless inning, allowing only one hit, in a 4-1 victory. In defeating No. 19-ranked DeSales, Wright worked 2-1/3 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run and one walk. The Raptors won the game, 4-3, in the 10th inning.

        Those two games helped Wright earn honors as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie Pitcher of the Week March 27. They also helped propel the Raptors to No. 26 in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III poll.

        Wright’s second win came in a 5-4 victory over Richard Stockton College (March 30). He worked two shutout innings, allowing one hit and two walks, while striking out three.

        Out of Wright’s 15 appearances as a freshman, he hurled shutout ball in 10 games. Discarding his performance in a wild 19-9 win over Ramapo College (Game One, April 1, in which he allowed five earned runs in 1-1/3 innings), Wright compiled a fine 3.18 ERA the rest of the season.

        Wright captured two varsity baseball letters and one academic varsity letter at Millville High School under Coach Roy Hallenbeck. He earned Second Team All-Cape-Atlantic League American Division honors as a senior in 2005, when he also finished second in South Jersey with 71 strikeouts. He also was named Honorable Mention on the Atlantic City Press all-area baseball team.

        An Honor Roll student who earned two Academic Award letters at Millville, Wright’s hobbies include music and weight training.

        A Business major at Rutgers-Camden, Wright hopes to play professional baseball following graduation.

        Damien is the son of Leslie and Donna Wright of Millville.