There’s nothing wrong with allowing the ball to be put in play, at least according to Justin Showalter.
The James Madison junior pitcher said his approach benefits him, and through the first three weeks of action it’s hard to argue against Showalter’s theory. He’s 3-0 with a 0.46 ERA in four appearances. His three wins are tied for third-most in all of Division I and his ERA is the best in the Colonial Athletic Association.
“It keeps my fielders engaged, and everyone moving and thinking,” Showalter, a Turner Ashby product, said. “And they don’t make as many mistakes because they’re constantly involved in the game, thinking and able to contribute. It makes the game a lot faster and a lot more fun instead of pitching all around these [hitters] and trying to get 100 strikeouts in a game.”
To notch his complete-game one-hit shutout of Quinnipiac on Feb. 22, Showalter threw just 100 pitches, recording 13 groundball outs compared to only six strikeouts. This past Sunday in a win for Showalter versus Rider, he tallied seven groundball outs, including four double-play grounders he induced, to match seven strikeouts.
For the year, 42 percent of the right-hander’s recorded outs have come via the groundball while just 30 percent have come via the strikeout.
“I’ve always been a groundball pitcher and have pitched to contact,” he said, “and avoided the mistake. And because of my movement, I don’t have to worry about hitters blasting the ball all over the field. I just need to put it out there and let them create the outs.”
There’s a big difference, though, between how well Showalter is doing just that early in this campaign compared to his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Dukes. He was 1-3 over 19 appearances coming into 2020.
“He’s trying to pitch to weak contact,” JMU associate head coach and pitching coach Jimmy Jackson said. “I guess that would be a better way to say it, at least for me. He’s trying to sink the ball down or get the slider down to try to get guys to hit the top half of the ball and beat it into the ground. Sometimes that works out, and sometimes they swing over it and the count gets deeper which we’ll take as well because then he can get his strikeouts.”
Jackson said from Showalter’s experience as a mid-week starter last spring and a reliever two seasons ago, the 6-foot-2 pitcher absorbed how to navigate at-bats and advance from one inning to the next.
“He’s learned different things in each year as he goes,” Jackson said. “Like as far as when you do fall behind, it’s not just giving in and throwing strikes, but throwing quality strikes.
“The big thing he’s done a lot better at is when he is ahead he makes guys hit his pitch and even expands those zones as opposed to trying to do too much at times in the past. Like before ‘I have to throw the best slider I’ve ever thrown in my life’ as opposed to just throwing it to the right spot.”
Said Showalter: “I’m able to trust my stuff more, knowing that if I go out there and do what I know how to do and do it the way it should be done, that I’ll see success.”
Jackson said Showalter recognizes when a particular pitch is moving more favorably for him and when one isn’t and is comfortable enough to throw what he wants when he feels strongly enough about it.
“I told him,” Jackson explained, “‘You’ve pitched over 10 years of you’re life, you know what you’re doing, so if something doesn’t feel right or something feels better, shake it off and go to what feels right.’ And he’s done a real good job with that. I think, maybe, four to eight times a game he’ll shake and one guy hit the ball hard. But it’s usually a swing and miss when he shakes because he’s got full conviction in what he’s about to throw.”
The confidence has boosted Showalter, too, the pitcher and his pitching coach said.
Showalter acknowledged how working into the seventh inning against Rider showed himself that his one-hitter the week before, as he put it, “wasn’t a fluke.”
His next start comes this weekend with JMU (7-4) scheduled for a three-game series at High Point (5-7) beginning Friday.
Jackson said for Showalter to continue pitching well, he’s got to stick to the same plan he’s been using, which involves throwing to his own strengths 90 percent of occasions as opposed to the hitter’s weakness.
“For me, it’s not looking too far into the future,” Showalter said, “but taking each game pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning and to make sure I do my job and put up zeroes where I can and put my team in a position to win without being concerned about the whole grand scheme of the season. It’s just taking things in small chunks and continuing to do what I’ve been doing so far.”
