Bryan Cole / The Collegian

Lone senior has become leader and mentor to young pitching staff

Coming into the 2009 baseball season, senior pitcher Holden Sprague knew he had a tall task ahead of him.

Not only is there that whole defending national champions thing, but the right-hander has been unofficially labeled as the staff mentor.

That̢۪s a lot of mentoring when you̢۪re the only senior on the pitching staff and there are 10 new players who haven̢۪t thrown a pitch in Division I baseball.

Now instead of playing games with camera men at the College World Series, Sprague is being a role model for a team looking to capture its fourth consecutive Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship.

One player Sprague has had a direct impact on is sophomore Jake Floethe.

In his first year in the starting rotation, Floethe attributes his early success to the lessons Sprague has taught him and the rest of his teammates.

“He’s a great role model,â€Â Floethe said. “We watch him work hard during the offseason and we get to watch him pitch Friday nights and it’s great. He tears apart hitters and as a staff we just sit back there and learn from him.â€Â

Inexperience no excuse for losses

But all of the new responsibilities and expectations haven̢۪t affected the way Sprague approaches the game.

The Bullard High grad said that he takes an offensive mentality when pitching, because the key is attacking the mitt and just throwing strikes.

“It’s just going out there and knowing what you’re capable of and knowing that you’re the one that’s going to succeed and not the hitter,â€Â Sprague said. “It’s just tricking your mind to the point where there is no failure and if there is failure you have to bounce back and take every pitch one at a time.â€Â

Bryan Cole / Collegian File Photo

This is something that many of the younger pitchers on this year̢۪s staff have learned the hard way.

Fresno State has lost many games this year in the late innings due to inefficiency from pitchers coming out of the bullpen.

While a lot of that may have to do with inexperience, Sprague said that it̢۪s not a good enough excuse.

“Every year is different, so you can’t really blame anything,â€Â Sprague said. “You can’t blame what we do in the next few months on our experience, because we’re all pitchers and we all know what’s expected out of us and we know what to do.â€Â

In the pressure cooker

Sprague is the only pitcher on this season̢۪s staff to have logged more than 26 innings in a single season and started nine games for the Bulldogs last season.

Fresno State lost all four of its weekend starters from a year ago and Sprague̢۪s duties over the last three seasons have been limited to spot starts and long relief.

Over the first two months of this season, Sprague has been the Bulldogs̢۪ ace, posting a 2.93 ERA with a 2-0 record, but he knows he could lose that job at any time if he doesn̢۪t perform.

“This is an opportunity for me to show what I can do and show I can help these younger guys through their inexperience,â€Â Sprague said. “It’s something that I have noticed, my responsibilities are a lot bigger, but there is no added pressure.â€Â

High-pressure situations have become a specialty for the Fresno native.

Last season, Sprague excelled on the game̢۪s biggest stage, beating San Diego, sending the Bulldogs to Super Regionals and picking up a win against Georgia in game two of the College World Series finals.
Although those victories were things he will never forget, Sprague said putting 2008 in the past was key for his team this season.

“[Putting last season in the past] was easy for us this year because we had a good, solid group of guys coming back,â€Â Sprague said. “That made it easy for us to let the past go; plus we have a whole bunch of young guys who didn’t experience that, so we knew we had a clean slate this year.â€Â

Lifetime of training

Coach Mike Batesole knows that the learning curve will be something his young pitching staff will need to overcome, but with Sprague at the helm, he̢۪s confident his team will be right where it needs to be come conference play.

“Sprague had nine starts last season and finished 6-2 so he’s earned the right to toe the rubber on the weekend for us,â€Â Batesole said. “If he keeps doing well, he’ll keep that spot.â€Â

Growing up down the road from Pete Beiden Field, Sprague said he never thought he would he be on that mound, under the lights, pitching in front of his hometown.

He remembers being 12 years old and coming to games with his friends idolizing Bob Bennett̢۪s Diamond ̢۪Dogs of old. Now he̢۪s the only one out of that group of friends still playing baseball.

Sprague may not have asked for it, but his veteran presence and the way he carries himself on the mound are the model by which his young teammates are learning the Division I game.

“Whether you have a good outing or a bad outing, it’s bouncing back and knowing what you’re supposed to do that will take care of the inexperience factor right away,â€Â Sprague said. “It’s amazing, because [pitching at Beiden Field] is something I never thought I’d be doing.â€Â