As a high school star for the Pendleton Heights Arabians last year, Brock Huntzinger knew he could rely on the ace up his sleeve. If the right-handed pitcher found himself in a jam, all he had to do was reach back and let his fastball do the work.
Now that he’s with the Boston Red Sox Short Class-A Lowell Spinners, located in Massachusetts, that particular option no longer applies.
“In high school I knew that was the only place I was going to get away with throwing a fastball as hard as I could right down the middle,” the six foot, three inch farmhand remarked. “I knew, if I was going to go to Indiana University, I wouldn’t be able to do that either. Even a team’s best pitchers in high school would throw one down the middle of the plate.”
Pinpoint accuracy is the key for Huntzinger these days, and to date, it’s been his most reliable asset.
Moved up to the New York-Penn League this year after a short stint in the franchise’s Gulf Coast League for Rookie Ball instruction in 2007 when he was selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Draft, Huntzinger has evolved.
The 114th pick overall has honed his off-speed arsenal, including a changeup, which has helped him carry a 0.58 ERA through 31.0 innings pitched.
Huntzinger is undefeated with a record of 3-0 in six starts and has only allowed two earned runs with 25 strikeouts compared to two walks.
“My changeup has gotten 100 times better than before. I never actually threw a changeup, but here you have to because anybody can hit a fastball,” said Huntzinger, who owned the state’s lowest ERA at 0.16 to conclude his prep career before signing with Boston on June 12, 2007. “Everything is coming along well. I have a lot more confidence in my changeup then I ever have.”
He’s also tweaked his approach, slowing down his delivery while focusing on the bigger picture — consistency.
“I’ve changed my mechanics a little bit, just slowing things down, trying to refine everything. The biggest thing I’ve been working on is commanding my fastball. Command is the biggest thing I’m working on. It’s kind of like a work in progress,” Huntzinger said.
“But you have to remember, if you go out and throw 2/3 of an inning, give up eight runs, it’s not the end of the world. It’s about accepting both failure and success, setting up a routine of being mentally as sound as you are physically sound.”
The process began for the 2007 All-State pitcher after he logged seven innings in the Gulf Coast League. The Pendleton Heights graduate went 0-1 in three starts, and carried a 2.57 ERA with eight strikeouts.
Spending the off season working on conditioning prior to extended spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. last March, Huntzinger refined his confidence and focus.
“I seriously feel like I don’t belong here,” he said, referring to his aspiration to continue the trek up the organization’s minor league path. “It all comes down to making the best of wherever you’re at whatever you’re doing. That definitely drives me (advancing). I want to make sure people know, this is what I want to do. It’s business when I’m on the mound. Nobody wants to fail or have a bad game. I definitely want to make the best campaign for myself to be where I want to be in three or four years.”
With the Spinners, he made his ambition known in his first start, which led to Pitcher of the Week honors on June 22.
In that seven-day span, Huntzinger went 10 straight innings without allowing a run in two starts. He surrendered just seven hits while striking out 11 opposing batters. He also only issued one walk and picked up the win in the Spinners’ season opener, defeating Tri-City 4-2.
In his next start, Huntzinger struck out four in five innings without allowing a run against the Vermont Lake Monsters.
However, as the seventh player and sixth pitcher all-time in Pendleton Heights’ program history to be drafted, Huntzinger says the thrill of his first Class-A start won’t soon fade.
“I’ve never thrown in front of 5,000 people,” he noted on throwing the home opener at LeLacheur Park. “There were people everywhere. It was a different atmosphere. It was a lot different than playing in Florida (Gulf Coast League). Finally, getting to play under the lights was like playing real baseball again. It was a lot of fun, and there was a lot of adrenaline, getting the ball for opening day. I got a chance to show what I can do.”
Sports
Former Arabian making noise in minors
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Arabians still on rise
The Pendleton Heights boys basketball team is riding an 11-game winning streak and rose to No. 4 in the Class 4A state rankings Monday.
But, with the sectional set to begin exactly two weeks from today, coach Brian Hahn isn’t about to let the Arabians (18-2) get too comfortable. -
Wiles’ heart leads her to Hoosiers
Meghan Wiles took some time to explore her options, but she always kind of knew where she would end up.
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Bellator hopes to push UFC
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Quintin Harlan: Wrestlers prep for state finals
Taking part in the Parade of Champions during the opening ceremonies of the IHSAA State Wrestling Finals is a thrill that stays with competitors and coaches for as long as they’ll remember.
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Woods struggling to finish
Phil Mickelson has beaten Tiger Woods the last five times they have played together in the final round.
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Anderson tankers ready for sectional
It has been a long time since the Anderson High School boys’ swim team last dipped its toes into competitive waters. Nearly a month, in fact. That will change when the team travels to Hamilton Southeastern for sectional preliminaries this Thursday.
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George Bremer: Dunham tied to Arabians
Pendleton Heights senior Kellen Dunham is one of three players widely considered to be the front-runners for this season’s Indiana Mr. Basketball award. The other two — Hamilton Southeastern’s Gary Harris and Park Tudor’s Yogi Ferrell — were named last week as participants in this spring’s McDonald’s All-American Game. Dunham was left out. That doesn’t kill his chances to win the state’s most coveted individual honor, but it does inextricably tie those hopes to the Arabians’ postseason fortunes.
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Boilers get back on track with win
Robbie Hummel scored a season-high 27 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds Sunday as Purdue snapped Northwestern’s three-game winning streak with an 87-77 victory.
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Mickelson crushes Tiger
He knew his game was getting close, and he broke through with flair Sunday in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. That turned out to be Phil Mickelson, not Tiger Woods. In a big, big way.
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W. Virginia women upset No. 2 Irish
Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said her team had it coming to them. “I thought we’ve been building up to this game now for a couple of weeks,” she said. “We just haven’t played well for a long time.” The second-ranked Irish almost played well enough Sunday, but West Virginia ended their 21-game winning streak with a 65-63 victory.
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