Peters Township graduate in total control
During his freshman year on the baseball team at Seton Hill University, Peters Township graduate Mike Bittel picked up a pitching drill where he would balance on a pair of Bosu balls and try to hit a target.
The intent was to improve his control, something Bittel admittedly never focused on enough until college, and it didn’t come without a few early hiccups: Of around 20-30 throws, Bittel might get six on target.
By the end of the season, however, Bittel was hitting the mark at a 60-percent clip.
“(Pitching with control) is always something I tried to do, but I never put enough importance on it,” Bittel said. “That drill helped me a lot.”
Bittel’s improved control has been glaringly obvious this summer while the McMurray native pitches for the Syracuse JR Chiefs of the New York Collegiate Baseball League.
The 6-1, 198-pound right-hander has pitched 32 innings and punched up a 0.84 ERA. His 3-0 record in six starts has him tied for third in the league in wins, and his 28 strikeouts (against only 10 walks) are also tied for third.
Not bad for a freshman who did a little bit of everything while trying to crack the rotation on a loaded Seton Hill team that went 42-17 and reached the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.
“In college, I pitched out of all three roles – starter, reliever, even closed some games,” said Bittel, who went 4-0 with three saves in 12 appearances covering 34 2/3 innings, four of them starts, with an ERA of 3.89. “But I really have been enjoying the starting role I have on this team.
“I can pitch every fifth or sixth day, and it allows me time to lift and get in my other workouts.”
Which still include the balancing drill where Bittel would try to hit an “X” hanging in front of a net.
It also includes a ramped up weightlifting program, one that has helped Bittel gain nearly 20 pounds since high school. Oh, and don’t forget about every pitcher’s best friend: running.
“Being back home, there can be a lot of distractions – hanging out with friends, putting things off until later,” Bittel said. “But up here, you don’t know anybody except your teammates, so when you wake up in the morning, you think about going to the gym, going for a run or that night’s game.
“It has allowed me to advance my baseball career.”
The NYCBL, which was founded in 1978, boasts plenty of alums you’d recognize, including Tim Hudson, Hunter Pence, Jason Motte and Brad Lidge.
The 40-game regular season runs June 3 to July 22. Wood bats are used. And there are 12 teams, the top six advancing to the playoffs. Bittel’s Chiefs have the league’s third-best record at 13-9.
Tonight, Bittel will play in the NYCBL All-Star game, which will be held at McDonough Park in Geneva, N.Y. Bittel said no pitching assignments have been determined, though it’s worth noting that Syracuse manager Chris Haynes is running the team.
While he’s in New York, Bittel is staying with a Seton Hill teammate – fellow pitcher Jordan Fuller – and another Chief in a group of condos set aside for players. Other players, much like the Washington Wild Things, stay with host families.
“I’ve never been away from home for this long,” said Bittel, who hasn’t been home much at all since Seton Hill’s season stretched into late May. “But my parents and girlfriend have been very supportive. It hasn’t been that bad.”
Pitching against upper-level college hitters has produced more success than anticipated, and Bittel has relied more on his circle changeup than ever before, finding it has made his fastball and slider tougher to hit.
There’s plenty more baseball to be played, too, but so far Bittel’s improvement, especially in his control, has been on point.
“This is as well as I’ve ever pitched,” said Bittel, who had three wins, an ERA of 1.70 and 67 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings as a senior at Peters Township. “At first, I didn’t know what to expect because this is a pretty good college league. Especially being a freshman, I didn’t know what I would be able to do.
“Then I got up here, and everything from college seems to be working out well.”