Through offseason workouts, hangouts and the highs and lows of the season, the Utah baseball team’s pitchers have developed a special bond.
Considered the Utes’ most consistent aspect, the pitching staff has come to be a tight group, using their free time to build friendships. Junior pitcher Nolan Stouder said that even though he’s been on a few different teams in his career, the Utes are definitely the closest group he’s been a part of.
Sophomore pitcher Hunter Rodriguez said it is great to know that he will be friends with his fellow pitchers for the rest of his life and that playing alongside them in games is an honor.
The pitching staff has spent a lot of time together this year. Whether it’s during weight training or playing basketball for fun, they are usually together.
“We all hang out at times in the dugout and in the locker room,” junior Dalton Carroll said. “We have more down time than the hitters. The relationships between pitchers I’d say is stronger than anyone else on the team just because we have more free time together.”
Carroll said it’s important to have a bond within the pitching staff because of the abundance of young players that the team currently has. The pitching staff has changed a lot this season, and graduation has led to most of the group being underclassmen.
“They’re always the first one at the step when you come in,” Carroll said. “They’re the first ones to congratulate you. They’re the first ones to tell you to step up yourself if you’re not performing the way they see you can. You need those types of guys. Not to sugar coat things.”
There is a lot of healthy competition on the team for who will be getting starts, but the pitchers say it works for them because they know no matter who gets the start, there will be someone to come in and relieve them.
“I think we all have each other’s back and we know everyone is going to do their jobs,” Stouder said. “I definitely think we are trying to out do each other.”
The team has new Friday night starter in Stouder, and the rest of the pitchers know how important it is to give him their full backing.
Carroll said that he knows that Stouder has embraced his opportunity to start and his performance will reflect well on the other pitchers and make everyone else better.
“[I’ve received] a lot of positive support,” Stouder said. “I can feel the positivity that everyone wants me to do well. Even Bret. I know how tough that would be to go from Friday to out of it. He’s been really helpful and giving me some advice.”
Although most of the attention is on the starting pitchers, Rodriguez said he is not all that concerned with being a starter because he wants to be the team’s number one closer.
“My goal is to close,” Rodriguez said. “I think with my arm and my makeup as a pitcher the best role for me on this team is a closer. I want to eventually work into that position. I agree with coach in that most guys want to be the Friday night guy but for me, my goal is to close.”
No matter who is on the mound, the pitchers will continue to give support to the fullest of their ability, and the close aspect of the group may prove to be a make-or-break aspect of this season’s result.
“[We’re] like family,” Rodriguez said. “The staff is super close … as a staff, we stick together as a whole.”
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