We start things off in the fall and map out an entire year of throwing, conditioning, re-hab, and down time.  I bring each kid in, and we go over plans for that fall, winter, spring and summer seasons.  I feel this is vital to begin to establish a trusting relationship with that individual.  I also want them to have a voice in what they are going to do for the next year.  We take into account how much each of them has thrown coming in from high school/junior college, the summer before arriving on campus, and my current guys’ workload the previous spring and in their various summer leagues.  From there, we look at potential (used very loosely since hopefully these roles can change as guys compete, develop, and grow) role(s) for that individual and start looking at workloads for the fall season.  From there, we take into account all Max Effort Throwing (Extended line drive Long Toss, Bullpens, Game work) during the fall and heading into the winter months when they are on their own aside from individual work with me.  I have guys ready to come back Jan 6^th and be at either 30 or 50 pitches, max effort.  From there we tailor each work load to have everyone identified as a “potential starter” ready for 75-80 pitches and “relievers” at 30-45 pitches.

During both the fall and winter, our guys are conditioning and throwing pretty regularly in preparation for the upcoming workload (a workout done immediately after max effort throwing) 3 times a week .  I get them into a routine of immediately breaking down the body in order to help the recovery process.  Intensity and duration is based on the throwing workload of the individual and when they will be needed to throw at that max level again.  We are all strapped for man power and weight room time, especially on the road.  Between myself and our strength coach Kyle Hobbs, we have come up with several routines guys can do indoors, in hotel rooms, in a gym, or on a field.  Having the guys used to this way of life, we don’t adjust the workload very much as the season goes on.  With 2 more weeks left in our regular season, we are still doing the same things we did from Day 1 in the fall from a throwing standpoint.  Each arm has his own weekly throwing program (from red shirt guys, to matchup guys, to fri/sat starters) and they continue to throw regularly.  As I said earlier in the article, I make sure they have a voice in what and how much they throw.  If they don’t believe in what they are doing, they won’t do it correctly or with any intent to get better.  Most keep it between 90 and 120 when they throw, working back in to 45 feet and ending with 10-12 pitch flats always in the stretch using a 2 pitch mix.  Our team weight sessions are cut back to 2 days a week instead of the 3 we use in the fall.  So far in my two seasons, we have been fairly healthy as a staff of 13-14.  The guys are maintaining their strength, flexibility, velocity and command.  Most have made 2-4mph jumps, but the whole body of work THEY do is the reason for that, not me!!

Game one was a tightly contested battle as Kent Emanuel tossed eight innings allowing just five hits and one run.  Emanuel walked one and struck out six in picking up the win.  Michael Morin followed him to pitch a clean ninth inning to earn his 15^th save of the season and give the Tar Heels and 2-1 victory.

Game two of the series was not as contested as UNC topped Duke 15-1 but the Tar Heels pitching was just as good as day one.  North Carolina used four pitchers to give up just one run by scattering eight hits.  UNC struck out seven as Benton Moss, R.C. Orlan, Luis Paula and Cody Penny combined to clinch the series win for the Heels.

The final game of the series produced the best-pitched game of the weekend for North Carolina as starter Shane Taylor was brilliant.  Taylor allowed just one hit over eight innings while walking one and striking out eight.  Closer Michael Morin picked up his 16^th save with two strikeouts in the ninth inning to finish the 3-0 victory.

On the weekend, the North Carolina pitching staff allowed just two runs over twenty-seven innings in giving up just 14 hits.  They totaled twenty-three strikeouts and allowed just six walks.  Already a contender for our National Pitching Staff of the Year Award, the Tar Heels have positioned themselves heading into the final weekend to possibly claim the award.

The UNC staff is led by Scott Forbes who is considered to be one of the top pitching coaches in the country.  In his seventh season with UNC, his staffs have been ranked in the top 35 in pitching for six straight seasons.  In his tenure at UNC, he has had four first round picks in Andrew Miller (2006), Daniel Bard (2006), Alex White (2009) and Harvey (2010).  Also during his time, the UNC program has made five trips to the College World Series.

InsidePitching.com National Pitching Staff of the Week Award

Week of February 13th – Arizona State
Week of February 20th – San Francisco
Week of February 27th – Texas State
Week of March 5th – Dallas Baptist
Week of March 12th – Portland
Week of March 19th – Missouri State
Week of March 26^th – Louisiana State
Week of April 2^nd – Belmont
Week of April 9th – Purdue
Week of April 16th – Valparaiso
Week of April 23rd – Florida Gulf Coast
Week of April 30th – Arkansas State
Week of May 7th – North Carolina

Freshman vs. Senior

After you get the recruit from high school, how do you make his mentality the same as your seniors?  I tell our guys the following, which is the complete 100% truth.  At the beginning of Fall Ball all of them have a chance to pitch this upcoming season, even those who are incoming freshman or senior transfers.  I just want to put the most prepared athletes out on the field at all times, both mentally and physically.  I ask my guys to write a list of goals that they want to accomplish this upcoming season and how they plan on accomplishing those goals.  I write specific goals in my game hat so I carry it with me at all times, I ask our guys to do the same thing.  If not in their hat then know them and keep their goals with them every time they toe the rubber.

Practice vs. Game Mentality

I go into practice wanting the team to get better each time they get on the field.  I want my guys to go after any specific goal each individual has set out for that day.  If the guy is struggling with his fastball command or if there is a guy making an adjustment in his mechanics.  I want him to know what he needs to work on before going into practice.  Ultimately, I want him to know this because it helps him achieve his goal and in turn, his own personal victory for the day.  This helps our guys tremendously when they transfer it into game situations.  If your goal in practice is to win the day and succeed at what you’re trying to improve on, it will come naturally in a game where the ultimate goal is to win.  You will already have the mentality to go out and get the victory, and win the day.
Power of Prayer

I encourage each of our pitchers to pray before each outing.  The power of prayer works immensely in all walks of life, but especially in sports.  Have a purpose for what you are searching for.  An example I give to my guys is to ask God to watch over their mind and block out any thoughts of failure.  Instead, always think positive and the thought of failure or losing won’t ever cross their mind.  Once you can accomplish the power of thought and prayer you will be a dangerous competitor on the mound and in all future life endeavors.

Preparation

Preparing the mind before a game is a main ingredient in having a winning attitude.  Some players use music as a way to focus, other players like to sit in silence.  Everyone is different and has different methods on getting focused on what they are preparing to do.  Visualizing what you are trying to accomplish is another part of preparation.  If you see what you are doing, it can help out a great deal.  Baseball has many other superstitions.  Some examples are, eating the same meal before a game, or always stepping over the baseline when you walk out onto the field.  Whatever your little quirk may be is something that keeps your mind focused and your attention on the task at hand.

Leave it on the Field

The last key point and probably the most difficult, is leaving it on the field.  Pitchers are their own worst enemy when it comes to this.  Some pitchers are afraid of a past result happening again.  Pitching, like life, is all about mistakes and what you do to correct those mistakes.  Pitchers, especially young ones, have to realize that you will not strike everyone out, you will give up a big hit, and you will lose.  Pitching is very humbling and the sooner you can get over that fact the more victories you will ultimately have.  Not to say that you can’t get mad if you lose a big game or give up a big hit, but you can’t bring it back out with you the next time you step on the mound.  Most importantly, I like to have a little fun with my players and do something a little embarrassing to them.  After all, if we can’t laugh at ourselves then we can’t be successful in letting things go.

Overall, teaching the mental game is complex and it can be taught in many different ways.  The ideas I have shared are just a few techniques that have worked for me.  My pitching staff works hard everyday to improve all aspects of their mental game.  I can guarantee there are many other ways that work for different coaches, but this is what I try to get across to my guys.

Coastal Carolina
Currently leads the nation in earned run average at 2.44 while sitting fourth in hits allowed per nine innings.  Giving up 3.31 walks per nine innings and averaging 6.4 strikeouts, which is good for 181^st nationally.  The Coastal staff has led their team to a 32-14 record thus far.

Missouri State
Led by Nick Petree and his incredible streak without giving up an earned run the Bears rank second in earned run average at 2.51 while holding a record of 34-14.  They rank 62^nd in walks per nine innings at 3.06 while giving up 7.84 hits which ranks them 13^th.  Thy currently lead the nation in strikeouts at 9.2 per game.

Portland
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year.  The Pilots boast a 2.58 earned run average right behind Missouri State.  They rank 137^th in strikeouts at 6.7 per nine while they are 21^st in walks at 2.66.  They are allowing just 7.6 hit per nine which ranks them 11^th.  They currently are 23-16 on the season.

Stony Brook
With a 36-11 record they rank fourth in earned run average at 2.66.  They sit at 208^th in the nation at 6.2 strikeouts per nine.  They are 9^th in hits allowed at 7.6 and rank 10^th in the nation with just 2.37 walk per nine.

Mississippi State
The Bulldogs sit 5^th in the nation in earned run average at 2.82.  They allow 8.21 hits per nine which ranks them 37^th.  They allow 2.8 walks per nine good for 31^st while striking 8.6 per  nine which is 8^th best in the country.  They have collected 29 wins to 18 losses.

Hawaii
Sitting at 28-18 record and led by pitching coach Chad Konishi they have a 2.86 earned run average which ranks them 6^th.  They are 270^th in strikeouts per nine with 5.3 while giving up 8.29 hits good for 45^th.  They are 7^th in the nation at 2.31 walks per nine.

North Carolina
With 34 wins and 13 losses the Tar Heels sit 7^th in earned run average at 2.86.  They are 127^th in walks allowed at 3.54 and 12^th in strikeouts at 8.3.  They are currently 43^rd in the nation at hits allowed at 8.27.

Central Florida
Sitting 8^th in earned run average, UCF is 37-11 and ranks 94^th in the country at walks allowed at 3.29.  They are 25^th in strikeouts at 8.0 and 50^th in hits allowed per nine at 8.38.

The Friday opener featured an 8-1 victory for Arkansas State as they used three pitchers to complete the win.  Starter Jacob Lee used 103 pitches to go seven innings allowing just four hits and one run.  He also struck out three and allowed four free passes.  The Red Wolves bullpen took it from there as Brandon Farley and John Koch pitched identical eighth and ninth innings not allowing a base runner to reach for the final six outs.

The Saturday game looked very similar as Arkansas State again used three pitchers with starter Daniel Wright going seven innings allowing one run on five hits.  He also picked up four strikeouts while walking two.  He gave way to Farley and Koch who again handled the eighth and ninth innings giving up one hit, one walk with one strikeout.

The Sunday finale would be a nail biter, as Arkansas State would need a two run ninth for a walk of come back victory.  The Red Wolves pitching again kept them in the game as Cory Kyle and Bradley Wallace combined to allow just one run on three hits.  Kyle went seven innings with five strikeouts and three walks and Wallace picked up the win with one strikeout and no walks.

For the weekend, the Arkansas State pitching staff pitched twenty-seven innings, allowing just three runs on thirteen hits.  The Red Wolves staff also picked up fourteen strikeouts as well.  With this weekend’s great effort on the mound, the ASU staff earned run average has dropped to 4.23 with opponents hitting .263 on the season.

The Arkansas State pitching staff is led by second year pitching coach Tighe Dickinson.  Coach Dickinson joined the ASU staff in 2010 and they saw immediate results as they recorded the sixth most strikeouts in school history.  Prior to joining the Red Wolves staff, Coach Dickinson spent four seasons with the University of Washington where he worked with several current Major Leaguers including Tim Lincecum, John Lester and Evan Meek.  In all, he coached thirteen pitchers who were drafted while at Washington.

InsidePitching.com National Pitching Staff of the Week Award

Week of February 13th – Arizona State
Week of February 20th – San Francisco
Week of February 27th – Texas State
Week of March 5th – Dallas Baptist
Week of March 12th – Portland
Week of March 19th – Missouri State
Week of March 26^th – Louisiana State
Week of April 2^nd – Belmont
Week of April 9th – Purdue
Week of April 16th – Valparaiso
Week of April 23rd – Florida Gulf Coast
Week of April 30th – Arkansas State

If a pitcher is going to do a flat ground spots session or a flat ground bullpen, it usually is done at 70-75% anyway, so, why not do it on the mound?  Again, working from the mound can take more out of an arm, but only once you reach a certain intensity level.  I feel that a pitcher’s intensity level has to reach around 90% effort or better to really start feeling the effects of the mound.
The benefits to working off the mound as often as possible is that it will create better feel for the pitcher in regards to his delivery, and his understanding of how to locate the ball while trying to negotiate the slope of the mound.  A sound delivery must have good timing while moving in a linear plane with rotational movements.  To make it more difficult, they have to do it while moving down an angled slope.  This is where the challenge lies in regards to many of the common problems pitchers face.

Regardless of your pitching philosophy, I think most pitching coaches will agree that they don’t want their pitchers to fly open, drag their arm, miss high, flatten out, or throw a ball that has no angle or sink to it.  If the pitcher is having issues with these types of problems, you can usually trace the root of the flaw back to a lack of proper timing in the delivery.  With that being noted, it is vital that the pitcher be able to work these problems out in as close to a game environment as possible.  Locating pitches on flat ground is fine, but with out the slope, it really does not give the pitcher the proper feel for the timing that is necessary to delivery the ball correctly while dealing with all of the external factors.

The very nature of the mound helps the pitcher create an advantage over the hitter.  Two main elements are already built in the slope.  One is momentum.  The fact that you can move down the hill, helps create natural momentum to generate power and transfer energy.  Second, the mound starts you higher than the hitter, thus creating angle and tilt on the ball.  Both of these factors are critical in giving the pitcher the best chance to get outs.  Flat ground work cannot simulate either one of these factors.  Now, someone may argue that if you’re not working at 100% then what’s the difference.   Again, the difference lies with having to sync things up with the angles and momentum that is required to locate the baseball from the mound.

Flat ground work has its place, and can certainly be used to work on certain aspects of a pitches game.  In addition, some programs do not have the benefit of multiple bullpen mounds, or indoor mounds, thus you are forced to do the best with what you have.  But, when possible, and especially when it comes to location work, it is essential that your pitcher can get his work done from the mound.  Many coaches take it a step further and feel that all drill work should be done from the mound as well.  I agree, if you have the space, get up there and do it.

The biggest challenge a pitching coach will face is in trying to get his guys up on the mound more often is that they will think its going to over work their arm.  That is where you must be diligent in monitoring the intensity level they are working at.  If it’s a lower intensity day, don’t let them push it too hard if they “are feeling great”.  Athletes go with what they feel that day, usually with no thought about what it might feel like tomorrow.  As a pitching coach, its one of your main jobs to keep their cycles in mind, and know what affect something might have on their arm for future game or bullpen work.

Once the pitcher adapts and he buys into the fact that getting on the mound will greatly improve his command, you will see a big difference in performance and the quality of practice work they do.