Jordan Foley is baseball team's surprise ace
Every baseball team has one, and it’s often called many names: The power arm, the stopper, the shut-down guy, the ace.
The Central Michigan baseball team is no exception, and its ace is Jordan Foley.
Through 22 games this season, the sophomore from The Colony, Texas, is 4-0 with a 0.89 ERA in six starts. For Foley, who is third in the Mid-American Conference with 33 strikeouts, the early season success is a result of a change in his mentality.
“I think I have a lot more confidence this year,” he said. “Last year, I had some mechanical issues and didn’t trust my stuff sometimes.”
As a freshman in 2012, Foley appeared in 13 games, making six starts. He posted a 3-0 record but had an ERA of 8.20. Foley said the improvement this season has a lot to do with his work in the off-season.
“I was working every day on my mechanics this summer,” Foley said. “When you’re on your own, you are your own coach, so you trust yourself a little more.”
Coming into the season, Foley wasn’t expected to be the team’s ace. Seniors Pat Kaminska and Rick Dodridge were both in the starting rotation in 2012 and coming off solid seasons, but, so far in 2013, there is no arguing who the team’s most consistent arm has been.
Head coach Steve Jaksa attributes Foley’s success to his experiences a year ago.
“In a year, you learn a lot; you learn a lot about yourself,” he said. “The biggest thing that all guys do is they learn what they have to do to repeat a delivery.”
Foley has also added a change-up to his repertoire this season, in addition to a fastball that can reach 94 mph and a constantly improving slider.
“He’s added a change-up, which he didn’t really have last year, it took him a while to figure it out,” Jaksa said. “The slider is much better and more consistent than what it used to be as well. Now, all of a sudden, he has three solid pitches.”
Despite the success, Foley feels as if there is room for improvement.
“I can still be more consistent,” Foley said. “I also get behind hitters a lot, so getting ahead and being able to do what I want with a hitter would be great. Limiting my pitch count so I can go deeper into games is an area of focus as well.”
His coach echoed those feelings and added that Foley’s ability to make in-game adjustments has been key in his latest stud pitcher’s development.
“He would probably tell you that there hasn’t been a game when he’s had all three pitches working,” Jaksa said. “We think he has the ability to have all three working at the same time. Once he starts feeling something wrong, he can make in-game adjustments. The quicker he can figure that out, the more outs he’ll get and the more effective he’ll be.”
