What a whirlwind of a first week on the bump! It was great to finally get out there and compete, even if the results were a bit of a mixed bag. I was tapped to start in two games this past week, facing off against ADM on Tuesday and Iowa City High on Saturday. I was on a pitch count for each game, as Iowa High School has a rule that pitchers cannot throw more than 180 pitches during the first 2 weeks of the season.

Tuesday’s Nail-Biter Against ADM

My first start of the season was on Tuesday against ADM. It was a cold and wet start to the season, with game temp in the low 50s and a light rain most of the game. I went 5 innings, throwing 77 pitches. It was a solid outing where I felt like I was really in control, racking up 8 strikeouts and giving up 3 hits and 2 walks. During the first 5 innings, 1 unearned run crossed the plate, which is always a bit frustrating, but it happens. I ended up with a no-decision, with the game tied 1-1 when I exited. Thankfully, our offense came alive in the bottom of the 7th inning, scoring 2 runs to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory! There’s nothing quite like a walk-off win to kick off the season.

Saturday’s Tough Loss Against Iowa City High

Saturday brought another opportunity to pitch, this time against preseason #1 Iowa City High. I threw 5.1 innings, and racking up strikeouts – 11 of them, to be exact! My fastball was consistent at 84-85 and my breaking ball was sharp. I ended with 4 hits and 1 walk, and unfortunately, 2 earned runs crossed the plate in the 6th inning. Those two runs ultimately made the difference, as we ended up losing the game 1-3, and I took the loss. It’s never easy to take an “L,” but it’s a long season, and you learn from every outing.

Overall, it was an exciting first week. I’m feeling good about the 19 strikeouts I tallied across both games, and I know I can build on these performances heading into conference games. There’s plenty to work on, but I’m ready to get back out there and keep competing. Thanks for following along, and stay tuned for more updates!