“Till I Collapse” - My Journey to D1 Baseball and Beyond
I finally decided to start my own personal pitching log, as a way of charting my progress. I began to get serious about baseball at the beginning of the summer of '07. It wasn’t until August '07 when I really began to piece together all of the knowledge I had been steadily soaking in. These past 4-5 months have been the most intense, and most enjoyable of my life. I’ll continue to chart my progress here, and keep that burning intensity alive.
Name: Ben
Year: Sophomore
Starting Height: 6’2"
Starting Weight: 155 lbs
Throws/Bats: Left
Other Positions: CF
Alternate Sports: Cross Country
Fitness Stats/Personal Bests: 14 pull-ups, 20 chin-ups, 11 chin-ups w/ 25 lb weight, 84 sit-ups/ 1 min, 18:54/ 3-mile race, 5:25 mile, 60 pushups, 75 lb curl bar, 145 lb bench press max, 3 min plank…body fat%: 7-9%
Pitch Arsenal: 2-seam, 4-seam, developing change-up, developing curve-ball
Velocity: low-mid 70s
Long-Term Goals: To become a successful Division I pitcher, and beyond…
Short(er) Term Goals:
- Gain 10 - 15 lbs of muscle by the start of next season
- Increase my fastball velocity to upper 70s/low 80s by '08 season
- Become a dominant pitcher in my Varsity league
- Perfect my mental approach/ learn to perform under pressure
- Perfect mechanics to maximize velocity/accuracy, and reduce injury risk
How I will accomplish this:
- Stick to my rigorous workout/throwing program
- Continue becoming a student of the game, keeping an open mind
- Playing baseball, and LOTS of it, at a competitive level
- Practice, practice, practice…
UPDATE:
Weight: 160lbs
Bench Press Max: 155 lbs
Velocity: 77-79 topping around 81
Pitches: 2-seam, 4-seam, Change-up, developing curve-ball
UPDATE #2:
Weight: 165 lbs
Additional pitches: experimenting with a cutter
UPDATE #3:
Weight: 165 lbs
Velocity: 80-82 topping 83
Pitches: Curveball is now full-fledged
UPDATE #4: 8-19-08
Weight: 172 lbs
update 4/2/10
weight 197 lbs
velocity: 84-87 mph
update: fall 2011
weight 210lbs
velocity: up to 87-89 mph
update: spring 2014
weight 215lbs, 10% body fat
velocity: 90-92 up to 93
Draft Prospect
update: spring 2014 vs. Bryant University: 92-94 mph touching 95 mph. Have been contacted by 15 mlb teams since the fall.
Update: Fall 2014: Was drafted in the 15th round by the Chicago White Sox, promoted twice in first short-season of pro ball, ending in high A. Pro totals: 1.46 ERA with 28k’s in 24.2 IP.
(Eminem)