Arden Pabst had a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, but he was a little thrown off by the circumstances. The Georgia Tech catcher was calling pitches for a teammate making his first start on the mound.
Was the standard “don’t talk to the pitcher” superstition in play? For one thing, Brandon Gold wasn’t doing his part by sitting off by himself. Rather, he was mixing it up with everyone else and cheering for his teammates.
“It’s a position guy throwing a no-hitter,” Pabst said of Gold. “Like, what are we supposed to do? We don’t really know the protocol for that.”
Gold made it through 6 2/3 innings before giving up a single, leading the Yellow Jackets to a 7-1 win over Indiana State on March 1. It was part of a string of 23 consecutive scoreless innings for Gold, whom coach Danny Hall made his Sunday starter. For the Jackets, who have been a modest surprise with a 17-7 start and will play a three-game ACC series at No. 7 Louisville (Baseball America) starting Friday, perhaps no one has made more of an unexpected contribution than Gold.
“I knew I had some good innings. I didn’t know that I had 22 consecutive good innings in me,” said Gold, shortchanging himself one additional scoreless frame.
Hall recruited Gold out of Johns Creek High hoping that he could contribute with his bat and his right arm. Last year, with a need for a third baseman, Hall plugged Gold in at the corner, and he answered with a .246 average in 50 starts and only five errors, helping Tech set school records for fielding percentage and double plays.
This spring, Hall had options at third base and needed help on the mound. Gold complied and has been astounding. He is 3-0 with wins over Indiana State, Notre Dame and Duke, a 1.83 ERA and an opponent batting average of .174. His primary asset is his control. His 32/7 strikeout/walk ratio is a sliver behind closer Zac Ryan’s.
“When I set up outside fastball, he’s going to hit the outside fastball,” Pabst said. “When I set up slider, he’s going to throw ’em for strikes. That’s why I love catching him. He’s easy to catch.”
Gold, who mixes a low-90s fastball with a breaking ball and an occasional change-up, also leans on his experience at the plate.
“I feel like everything that comes from my pitching comes from my hitter’s side of the brain,” Gold said. “When people ask me that, I’m like, ‘Well, I’m thinking like a hitter when I’m out on the mound.’”
Pabst observed that Gold pitches with a looseness that might stem from his hitting roots and was revealed in his relaxed demeanor as he attempted his no-hitter.
“I think at heart, he’s a position guy, so (pitching) is just like his hobby he’s doing on the side that he’s turning out to be pretty good at,” Pabst said.
Gold has continued to play third, usually playing there in the midweek and Friday game and playing first or DH on Saturday before his Sunday start. He’s hitting .318, third on the team, and his .434 on-base percentage ranks second among regulars. Hall said he plans to keep Gold in this pattern for the rest of his career, which could aid his professional prospects. And perhaps start a trend.
“Everyone’s like, What’s going on?” Gold said. “All the pitchers are like, ‘Well, … why don’t I be a position player?’”
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