His pass was crisp and accurate, hitting a Widener teammate in the numbers.

His next throw - caught in the corner of the end zone - was made as he stood tall in the pocket.

Less than a week into summer camp, Chris Haupt did not resemble a guy trying to chip away five years of rust.

Instead, the 22-year-old freshman quarterback showed poise, a strong arm and, most important, the look of someone having fun.

Haupt often did not sport that look during three unsuccessful seasons as a minor-league baseball player.

"It feels good to be back playing ball, competing again," he said in between two-a-day practices last month. The 6-foot, 210-pounder is battling for the Pride's starting spot. "I take it as a goal. Not only to prove to my teammates, to fans and the coaches, I want to prove to myself that I can do it."

In 2004, Haupt did not want anything to do with college football.

While Haupt attended Central Columbia High in Bloomsburg, football was just something to do in the fall. His favorite sport had always been baseball.

And when college football recruiters pursued, they learned the catcher's only ambition was to make it to the major leagues.

Haupt believed that dream would eventually happen once he was selected in the 30th round by the Florida Marlins in the 2005 draft.

"I actually got drafted the day of my graduation," he said. "It was an exciting day overall: I'm graduating and getting an opportunity to play pro baseball."

The excitement was short-lived.

Haupt was assigned to the Gulf Coast Marlins, Florida's rookie-league affiliate in the Gulf Coast League.

He saw action in only 21 of his team's 54 games. And when he did play, Haupt struggled. He had a .050 batting average with two hits, two runs, an RBI and 18 strikeouts in 40 at-bats.

Haupt did not do much better the next season with the same team. Playing in two fewer games, he batted .077 with two hits, three runs, an RBI and nine strikeouts in 26 at-bats. Haupt was released after the season.

Given another chance, he signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays the next season. Haupt reported to their low single-A farm club, the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League.

He batted just .075 with three hits, three runs, four RBIs and 18 strikeouts in 40 at-bats. His contract was not renewed after he played in just 20 of 76 games.

"It was frustrating," he said. "Not that I wasn't getting the opportunity, but I wasn't capitalizing when I got my opportunity. I didn't show what I thought I could do."

Out of baseball, Haupt considered attending Penn State. But during his months back home, he became restless. He missed competing.

"I was probably the number-one guy to be, like, 'If you are going to school, you might as well play ball,' " said Villanova linebacker Osayi Osunde, who is Haupt's best friend and former high school teammate. "I was, like, 'You have to stay active. You are an athlete.' "

Taking Osunde's advice, Haupt enrolled at Widener last spring. In addition to competing in spring drills, the mechanical engineering major maintained a 3.74 grade point average.

So far, he has been a solid addition to a team trying to improve on last season's 4-6 campaign. The Pride open the season Saturday at Curry College (0-1) in Massachusetts.

"He's a mature kid," Widener coach David Wood said. "He has ups and down just like all these other kids. But I think being an older kid, he shakes those bad days, those bad moments off.

"And he hasn't played football in a couple of years. I think that he is out to make a point that he can play."

at 610-313-8029 or kpompey@phillynews.com.