Photo by: Karl Maasdam
Bryce Fehmel, Through The Lens
May 02, 2019 | Baseball
To get a look at a day in the life of a starting pitcher, we followed senior right-hander Bryce Fehmel as he prepared to face Washington State last Saturday. It just so happened that the Beavers and Cougars played 16 innings, a game won by Oregon State, 4-3.
Here's a look at Fehmel's day. Photos by Karl Maasdam.
10:45 a.m. - Fehmel leaves for Goss Stadium, a drive he says takes about five minutes.
10:53 a.m. - He couldn't remember what was on the TVs in the clubhouse when he got there, but Fehmel (pictured with Jake Mulholland) wanted to watch MLB Network. "I wanted to watch some baseball before I started getting ready," he said.
11:06 a.m. - He's got visitors! Fehmel takes a few minutes to sign baseballs for some youngsters, who just happen to be at Goss for a birthday party.
11:11 a.m. - Here's something you don't see every day - a starting pitcher who doesn't listen to music to get ready. In fact, teammate Grant Gambrell has that exact question for him. Says Fehmel: I'm not really a big music guy. I just listen to what's going on around me and watch some TV."
11:42 a.m. - Fehmel starts the pre-game process by working with a long foam roller for mobility purposes with his shoulders and back.
12:27 p.m. - "I'm in the shed (by the bullpen) right here, going through my breathing routine. It's right before I go out to stretch and warm up."
12:48 and 12:49 p.m. - Fehmel continues the process, this time working with bands and then reverse throws with weighted balls.
12:54 p.m. - "Whenever I get a new baseball, I pretty much lick it everywhere so it's not as slick. It helps make it a little stickier," Fehmel says.
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12:55, 1, 1:07 and p.m. - Fehmel gets his arm loose and begins to play long toss. Eventually, he comes back in and throws flat ground with undergraduate assistant coach Parker Berberet.
1:15 and 1:18 p.m. - "My goal is to get a feel for my pitches pre-game," Fehmel said. "I want to command my fastball to both sides of the plate, really focusing on that. I'm working with Rutsch (Adley Rutschman) to see what he likes best and then game plan from there."
1:32 p.m. - It's time to go! "When the sun is out and the stadium is packed, it's definitely a really cool feeling when it gets nice and loud when we break," Fehmel said of Goss.
1:59 p.m. - Fehmel and Rutschman in the dugout after two scoreless innings versus the Cougars. Fehmel says he and Adley are discussing how the umpire's zone has looked "where we can get some pitches for strikes called and then game planning for the second time around the order."
2:53 p.m. - Fehmel is giving some love to second baseman Jake Harvey, who robs Washington State of a pair of runs with a diving stop to end the inning. Said Fehmel: That was a really big play, considering there were runners on second and third with two outs. We were already down going into the bottom of the fifth so to make that play and save two runs was a big moment in the game. I was pretty stoked." Watch the play here.
3:26 p.m. - Fehmel's outing is done after 6 1/3 innings. He allowed six hits and two runs with eight strikeouts; his last AB faced was a strikeout. "Overall, I think my outing went well," he said.
6:11 p.m. - "Basically, I wanted to keep the energy up for everyone. At that point, all the position players had been used so whoever was in the game was going to stay in the game. I wanted to keep the energy up and help get us a run in any way I could."
6:50 p.m. - It's over! Jake Harvey's RBI single ends the game in the 16th. Fehmel is the first one on the field to greet the freshman. Fehmel: 16 innings is a lot. When that ball was hit, I jumped over the railing and got to Harvey as quick as I could. That was a really cool moment for a freshman to get the game-winning hit. Right when I saw it go by the third baseman I knew it was over."
Here's a look at Fehmel's day. Photos by Karl Maasdam.
10:45 a.m. - Fehmel leaves for Goss Stadium, a drive he says takes about five minutes.
10:53 a.m. - He couldn't remember what was on the TVs in the clubhouse when he got there, but Fehmel (pictured with Jake Mulholland) wanted to watch MLB Network. "I wanted to watch some baseball before I started getting ready," he said.
11:06 a.m. - He's got visitors! Fehmel takes a few minutes to sign baseballs for some youngsters, who just happen to be at Goss for a birthday party.
11:11 a.m. - Here's something you don't see every day - a starting pitcher who doesn't listen to music to get ready. In fact, teammate Grant Gambrell has that exact question for him. Says Fehmel: I'm not really a big music guy. I just listen to what's going on around me and watch some TV." 11:42 a.m. - Fehmel starts the pre-game process by working with a long foam roller for mobility purposes with his shoulders and back.12:27 p.m. - "I'm in the shed (by the bullpen) right here, going through my breathing routine. It's right before I go out to stretch and warm up."12:48 and 12:49 p.m. - Fehmel continues the process, this time working with bands and then reverse throws with weighted balls.
12:54 p.m. - "Whenever I get a new baseball, I pretty much lick it everywhere so it's not as slick. It helps make it a little stickier," Fehmel says.
<>br>
12:55, 1, 1:07 and p.m. - Fehmel gets his arm loose and begins to play long toss. Eventually, he comes back in and throws flat ground with undergraduate assistant coach Parker Berberet.
1:15 and 1:18 p.m. - "My goal is to get a feel for my pitches pre-game," Fehmel said. "I want to command my fastball to both sides of the plate, really focusing on that. I'm working with Rutsch (Adley Rutschman) to see what he likes best and then game plan from there."
1:32 p.m. - It's time to go! "When the sun is out and the stadium is packed, it's definitely a really cool feeling when it gets nice and loud when we break," Fehmel said of Goss.
1:59 p.m. - Fehmel and Rutschman in the dugout after two scoreless innings versus the Cougars. Fehmel says he and Adley are discussing how the umpire's zone has looked "where we can get some pitches for strikes called and then game planning for the second time around the order."
2:53 p.m. - Fehmel is giving some love to second baseman Jake Harvey, who robs Washington State of a pair of runs with a diving stop to end the inning. Said Fehmel: That was a really big play, considering there were runners on second and third with two outs. We were already down going into the bottom of the fifth so to make that play and save two runs was a big moment in the game. I was pretty stoked." Watch the play here.
3:26 p.m. - Fehmel's outing is done after 6 1/3 innings. He allowed six hits and two runs with eight strikeouts; his last AB faced was a strikeout. "Overall, I think my outing went well," he said.
6:11 p.m. - "Basically, I wanted to keep the energy up for everyone. At that point, all the position players had been used so whoever was in the game was going to stay in the game. I wanted to keep the energy up and help get us a run in any way I could."
6:50 p.m. - It's over! Jake Harvey's RBI single ends the game in the 16th. Fehmel is the first one on the field to greet the freshman. Fehmel: 16 innings is a lot. When that ball was hit, I jumped over the railing and got to Harvey as quick as I could. That was a really cool moment for a freshman to get the game-winning hit. Right when I saw it go by the third baseman I knew it was over."
Players Mentioned
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