Most freshman pitchers don't reach the low 90s on their fastballs. Most pitchers are not integral parts of their bullpen on day one. Most pitchers aren't Robert Morey.
In nine innings this season, Morey has struck out 11 batters while allowing only three hits and no earned runs. But last Sunday against N.C. State, Morey hit the first rough patch of his young career. The right-hander went 0.1 innings, facing four hitters and allowed one hit and two walks. No. 16 Virginia (13-2, 1-2 ACC) went on to lose to N.C. State 2-4.
Wednesday, Morey had his first chance to prove his last outing against Navy was a fluke. He got right back into his groove, throwing a perfect three innings while striking out four.
"I really focused on the mental side of the game and that's what's helped me," Morey said. "Not thinking about the situation, but thinking about the process -- what you want to do with the hitter and where do you want the ball to go. It's not all physical. You can have all the talent in the world, but without the mental side, it's not worth as much."
Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said Morey knew his performance against N.C. State was not his best.
"He knows he didn't pitch up to his capability," O'Connor said. "But he's a very talented kid, and it was great to see him throw three good innings."
Morey, who hails from Virginia Beach, has strong command over his pitches and has accepted a role as setup man in the Virginia bullpen, despite having no collegiate experience before 2008.
In addition to a fastball that tops out around 91 mph, Morey features a slider, changeup and a 12-6 curveball that Morey says resembles Toronto Blue Jay star Roy Halladay's.
His performance "keeps our bullpen fresh with [senior Michael] Schwimer and [senior Jake] Rule available for the weekend," O'Connor said.
Having pitched three innings Wednesday, Morey probably will not be ready to take the mound again until Saturday, game two of Virginia's three-game series against Duke (14-2, 1-2 ACC). But Morey might not even be needed Friday, as junior Jacob Thompson will get the start.
"Jacob, historically, has pitched deep into every ballgame in his starts, but the most important thing is getting Robert Morey right," O'Connor said. "He pitched two very good innings, so I wanted to send him back out there for the third so he can have his confidence going in to the rest of the season."
Morey and Rule figure to do most of the setup for the closer, Schwimer, this season. But with the high number of games the team plays every season, O'Connor has reinforced the notion of having multiple options to close a game, as to not burn out any one pitcher. As a result, Morey could quite possibly see his saves begin to pile up soon, despite his role as a seventh and eighth inning pitcher.
Duke figures to start one of the conference's best pitchers Friday: junior Andrew Walcott, who is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA. Thompson, who will pitch against him, is arguably the nation's top pitcher. He currently owns a 2-0 record with a 0.98 ERA.
Apparently, the key to Friday's game will be getting runs on the board. Another freshman, outfielder Dan Grovatt, is now hitting cleanup and has been one of the most reliable hitters in the lineup as of late.
"I told him that he doesn't have to do anything different batting in the cleanup spot than he's had to do in other positions," O'Connor said. "It's more for us as a situational spot. I want to break up Adams and Farrell because I think when you have them back-to-back, it's very easy to pitch to, because you can pitch them the same. So I like to have a left-handed hitter in there to break those two guys up."
In a freshman-dominated outfield, Grovatt began in left field, the only position that didn't have a defined starter. But Grovatt has solidified his role in the lineup and proven he can play anywhere in the outfield.
Virginia begins its series today in Durham at 3 p.m. O'Connor, who noted the difficulty of playing on the road, hopes his team can take at least two out of three, which would pull them up to .500 in the conference with a 3-3 record.
O'Connor added, "I just want us to play the best game with the right effort, because I know if we do that, we'll have a chance at the end of the ballgame."
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