His nicknames suggest smarts and craftiness. Grant Adler throws a variety of pitches, none of them overpowering.
"We call him the "Professor," catcher Mauricio Millan said. "We call him the "Wizard," sometimes, too, because his ball will move in weird ways. It seems like he's got 15 pitches that move all different directions."
Fifteen might be an exaggeration. Then again, that's how a wizard works – deception and transformation. Adler, a senior from Derby High School, is one of WSU's likely starters this weekend for Wichita State in its season-opening series at McNeese State.