Stony Brook Baseball’s freshman starting pitcher Brian Herrmann does not get nervous. He hardly ever puts himself in a difficult situation, but when he is, he refuses to let the heat of the moment derail his focus.
Herrmann “tries to keep the good vibes going on the mound,” as he said after Sunday’s win against Hartford.
How good have Herrmann’s vibes been? The Northport, New York native has a 1.74 earned run average, the lowest among America East pitchers with a minimum of four starts this season. He had the pitching performance of the Seawolves season on Sunday, shutting out the Hawks in seven innings while allowing three hits and striking out five batters.
“The way he performed for us [on Sunday] is the way he has performed all season,” head coach Matt Senk said.
He ranks second on the team in strikeouts and has the fewest walks among Stony Brook’s starting pitchers. His seamless transition from playing high school baseball to Division I baseball comes at an opportunistic time.
Sophomore starting pitcher Bret Clarke has struggled in his first six starts of the season, despite winning the America East Rookie of the Year award last season. He has a 10.21 ERA and has already allowed 31 earned runs after allowing just 15 in 61 innings in 2016. He began his freshman career in dominant fashion, just as Herrmann is doing this season.
Fellow freshman starting pitcher Sam Turcotte has been rattled in recent starts, despite showing glimpses of dominance. The 19-year-old consistently hits 93 or 94 miles per hour on radar guns with his fastball. His high speed has helped him reach a team-leading 20 strikeouts. However, he has also struggled with his command, walking a team-leading 18 batters.
Herrmann’s emergence as one of the best pitchers in the America East has helped distract from an otherwise disappointing start to the season for the team’s starting pitching rotation.
