Position Players Could Have Major Impact In UO Bullpen
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Usually when Oregon coach George Horton walks out to make a pitching change, the catcher joins him. During the UO baseball season set to begin next week, there may be times when the catcher takes the mound with Horton and doesn’t leave.
As the Ducks formulate their bullpen, looking ahead to next Friday’s opener at Hawaii, at least one decision is all but made – lefty Garrett Cleavinger will move into the closer’s role, after setting up Jake Reed last season and Jimmie Sherfy the year before. The primary set-up guys as 2015 dawns figure to be returning right-hander Cooper Stiles, who has blossomed since last season, and righty Joe Reta, a junior college transfer.
After that trio, Oregon’s best arms out of the ‘pen might be a trio of position players, including two catchers: Josh Graham and Tim Susnara. Infielder/outfielder Scott Heineman has been throwing off the mound as well in the preseason, and though all three remain primarily positon players, they’re solidly in the mix to help the pitching staff this spring.
“It’s a nice deal that we haven’t had before,” UO assistant Dean Stiles said. “We’ve had good guys in the back end, but we’ve had an eighth(-inning guy) and a ninth, and then who knows. Now we have several horses we might be able to go to.”
Since the reinstatement of the program in 2009, the Ducks have had a position player work off the mound almost annually. KC Serna would jog in from shortstop to do so in 2009, Ryon Healy made three appearances in 2011 and Heineman made one start as a freshman in 2012. None played as significant a role as the latest trio might.
Most intriguing at this point is Graham, who was recruited to both pitch and hit and opened the coaching staff’s eyes with his work on the mound this past fall. With a slider and a changeup to complement a fastball that has reached 94 mph, Graham could even find himself in a save situation on days Cleavinger isn’t available. “He can bring it,” Stiles said. “He can be a back-end type person.”
Graham said his mentality is “mainly coming right at you with a fastball.” If Horton goes out to make a pitching change this season with runners on and the Ducks needing a strikeout, perhaps the reliever to get the call will be wearing catcher’s gear at the moment.
Eager to help the team in another facet of the game, Graham is also wary of the extra wear and tear on his body. “That was my main concern,” he said. “The last couple years I’d throw and maybe have a back problem, some type of issue. Now I’ve been trying to take care of my body more, and everything’s been working.”
Coincidentally, Graham has been battling with Susnara for reps behind Shaun Chase at catcher. The two are also competing in the bullpen, while making efforts to stay healthy despite the extra workload.
“The main key is having a good throwing program,” said Susnara, a freshman who may be the most polished on the mound of the three positon players, given his recent experience pitching in high school. “You’ve got to have command, you’ve got to be able to locate your pitches. It all starts with your throwing program.”
Stiles, who oversees pitchers while Horton is handling game management, is limiting the positon players to one bullpen session per week and one competitive scrimmage situation. The bullpen sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, the lightest day on the schedule for defensive drills in the field, and the position players are only asked to throw about 20 or so pitches, half as many as the other relievers.
Thus, those sessions will typically be devoted to work on a single pitch; Heineman, for instance, is working on a changeup to complement his fastball and curve. Susnara has the challenge of trying to maintain his four-pitch mix in those limited opportunities.
“Coach Stiles does a great job of that when we’re in the ‘pen,” Susnara said. “And they don’t ever take away from our hitting time or defensive time. But if they do, that’s what after practice is for, or later in the day – come to the facility, get something off your mind, hit, do some receiving, tune some things up.”
Orchestrating the roster with three position players in the mix to pitch will be “a juggling act,” Stiles acknowledged. But the players involved are happy to help. “We all like to go out there and compete,” Graham said. “And I think that’s what we like the most about it.”
