Should Kennesaw State have a lead and reach the eighth inning in any game in the Atlantic Sun tournament, coach Mike Sansing doesn’t have a decision to make.
He has a pair of sidearming right-handers to close out games. James Connell usually pitches the eighth, and Justin McCalvin almost always pitches the ninth.
They are very good at what they do.
The Owls are 28-1 when leading after seven innings and 30-1 when leading entering the ninth.
“It’s been a great luxury for us to have those guys,” Sansing said.
They’ve each appeared in 31 games and will get a chance to take the mound at least one more time when the third-seeded Owls (33-21), winners of 19 of their past 20 games, take on East Tennessee State (26-28) in the first round of the conference tournament at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Fort Myers, Fla. The Owls need to win the tournament to secure a spot in an NCAA regional. They may need Connell and McCalvin in every game to make that happen.
“In a do-or-die game, our roles are pretty clear,” Connell said. “J-Mac is the closer. My job is to hold it in the eighth.”
Though he started pitching with a sidearm style only three years ago, McCalvin is the more dominating of the duo. With an ERA of 2.12, he set the school record for saves (12) this season and has a WHIP of less than 1.00, which would be among the best in Division I if he had the innings to qualify. Opponents are hitting .200 against him.
Connell has more wins — six to McCalvin’s two — with an ERA of 2.29. Opponents are hitting .248 against him.
“From a coaching standpoint, you have a lot of confidence as you go into the back end of the game you know what’s going to happen,” Sansing said.
The duo said pitchers who throw from angles of three-quarters to sidearm are becoming more common in baseball. But it is uncommon to find two on the same team who throw in back-to-back situations.
They said it can provide an advantage after opponents grow used to seeing starting pitchers, most of whom throw with the traditional over-the-top motion. As a hitter, it can be hard to find the ball from such an unusual angle.
It also can be healthier. Dropping down, as they call it, can reduce the stress on the arm, but it also can result in lost velocity.
Connell said he had always thrown with a three-quarter motion. He dropped down to a sidearm slot as a freshman at Roswell High. Former Braves sidearmer Mike Cather gave him some lessons.
McCalvin was a three-quarter pitcher at Lee County High. He cut a nerve in his hand as a senior and his velocity dropped about 5 mph to 85. When McCalvin arrived at Kennesaw State, Sansing and his assistants thought it might be worth teaching him how to throw with a lower motion.
“It seemed to be a natural fit for him,” Sansing said.
Coupled with his focus in the weight room and numerous conversations with Connell, his best friend on the team, McCalvin’s velocity actually rose, slowly climbed back to the low 90s. Now, he’s projected to be taken in June’s amateur draft.
“It’s ended up being really good,” he said.
