Over the past two seasons, Carver has amassed a record of 9-4 for the Blue Raiders, pitching 83 innings. He's allowed 38 runs off of 71 hits and only six bases-on-balls while fanning 98 batters. This past fall, Blake pitched 33 innings for the Chattanooga Cyclones, ending the season at 6-1. He allowed 14 hits and four runs, only one of which was earned. Carver fanned 56 batters and had 10 walks in the nine games he started, not bad numbers for a pitcher whose junior season was cut short by a automobile accident. After leaving a friend at a local restaurant one evening, Carver was headed home when a deer ran into the path of the car he was driving. Blake swerved to miss the deer and wound up with multiple injuries in the accident, one of which being a broken pitching arm that could very well have ended his baseball career. "My friend said, 'Drive home carefully,' and I was driving home and here comes a deer that just jumped out in front of me. I jerked the wheel and ran off the road. I lost control when I got in the grass then hit a tree and broke my left arm," recalled Carver. After missing a big portion of the season to heal and go through rehabilitation, the young southpaw returned to the pitcher's mound for the Blue Raiders late in the year. His return was a welcome sight for coach Ted Carson and the rest of the Raiders, who went on to play in the sectionals.

Grateful to be pitching again, not to mention his scholarship to Georgia, Carver takes none of the credit for his recovery. "I'd like to thank God for making all this possible," he said. Throughout his career at Cleveland, Blake has maintained a positive attitude. His hard work and desire to be the best he can be has won him respect and admiration, not only from teammates, but from his coaches as well. "Blake is a leader and a hard worker," Carson said. "He leads by example by working hard. Luckily, we're going to have him the whole year this year." Carson also said he was extremely pleased with Carver's determination to get back on the field after his accident. "Last year he showed his work ethic by coming back after his bad car wreck," Carson said. "He just worked hard. I wasn't counting on him for last season, but he came back and gave us a little punch there at the end and got us to the sectionals." When Carver leaves Cleveland's pitcher's mound for the last time, it will be a bittersweet moment. The team will lose one of its finest pitchers, but the coach is happy to see Carver take the next step. "I'm proud of him. He's deserved every bit of it. He worked hard during the summer and the fall, and it can only help our program," Carson said.

"He's only going to get better. Right now he has all the finesse and control. When he gets to Georgia, they'll probably get him on a good, consistent weight program. He'll just get bigger and stronger and pick up some more speed. He'll be ready to go." Although Carver plans to take things one step at a time, it has always been a dream of his to play professionally. He hopes the road to the major leagues goes through Athens, Ga. From there, he says it doesn't matter where he lands -- he would just like to be pitching in the bigs. "I'm taking it one step at a time," Carver said, smiling. "Ever since I was little I always wanted to go to college and make something out of myself. My overall dream is to be a major league baseball player. It doesn't matter where. Just put me on a team; I'll play for it." Carver knows he will have to continue working hard to reach his college goal of being a weekend starter. But with the skills he already has and his desire to make the best of his chances, he feels that goal will be reached in time. "My goal is to be a weekend starter, but I know I've got to work hard to get that. I'm willing to work hard," he said. "I'll be taking with me all the coaches have taught me here and hopefully I'll be able to put it to good use and achieve my goals."