No. 11 Kentucky at No. 18 Georgia
WHERE: Foley Field
WHEN: Friday 7:02 p.m., Saturday DH (3 p.m., 7:02 p.m.)
RECORDS: Georgia 24-9, 8-4; Kentucky 23-10, 5-7
TV/RADIO: Friday (SEC Network+); Saturday (Second game SEC Network)/Georgia Bulldog Radio Network
In the ninth inning of last Thursday’s game at Vanderbilt, SEC Network announcer Todd Walker – a former LSU star who also excelled during his 12-year major league career – commented that he’d be surprised to see Aaron Schunk get out of the ninth inning unscathed.
After all, the sophomore – who entered the game to pitch with one out in the eighth inning – had just taken his turn at bat in the top half of the ninth. With Georgia holding a scant one-run lead, Walker surmised it was going to be difficult to flip the switch back from hitter to pitcher and do what was necessary to preserve the victory for the Bulldogs.
Quite the contrary.
Not only did Schunk get out of an eighth-inning jam, but he eased through the ninth to preserve the win for the Bulldogs, what's become a routine occurrence for the former standout at The Lovett School in Atlanta.
“A lot of people think it’s more than it really is, to me it’s just baseball. I’ve done it my whole life. I don’t see it as a chore,” Schunk said. “I did go back and I heard them (TV announcers) say that. I kind of laughed to myself, because they have no idea what is like.”
While it may not be a big deal for Schunk, his role is not one you see every day.
It’s one thing to be a position regular like Schunk is as the Bulldogs’ third baseman and perhaps start one game a week on the mound. But close? That’s a role even head coach Scott Stricklin – in his 14th season as a college head coach – hasn’t had one of his players fill before.
“I haven’t had a lot of guys, especially guys that played every day as a position player,” Stricklin said. “I’ve had two-way players. Jared Walsh was a guy who did it, but he wasn’t a closer, he was starting. But to have a guy who is starting, playing third base, hitting in the middle of the order, it’s the first guy that I’ve had like that.”
Schunk’s numbers have been amazing.
The right-hander enters play Friday with a minuscule ERA of 0.56, with one walk and 19 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. Most importantly, he’s got five saves, four of which have come in SEC play.
His secret?
“I think it’s a lot of strikes. I get that from a lot of people,” Schunk said. “The slider is developing really, really well and people tell me my fastball is sneaky after that slider. I’ve just been using that to my advantage and Coach (Sean) Kenny calling my pitches has done a really, really good job.”
The fact he can throw four pitches – fastball, curve, slider, and changeup – for strikes, doesn’t hurt, either.
“He can throw any pitch at any time and that’s what makes him so tough to hit,” Stricklin said. “If it’s a fastball count, there’s a really good chance you’re not getting a fastball. But his fastball is good enough – it’s up to 91 – that if you’re thinking off-speed, he’s got really good command and can throw it in or out.”
Left fielder Keegan McGovern, who faced Schunk plenty in the fall and the spring, agrees.
“He just throws strikes,” he said. “He changes speeds really well. He can pitch out, in, wherever.”
Stricklin said that ability to change speeds and move balls in and out is what makes Schunk so effective.
“Besides the command and four pitches, it’s the ability he has to throw his fastball inside. When you throw fastballs inside you (batters) have to speed up if you don’t want to get jammed,” Stricklin said. “People speed up and he throws that slider. It’s just unpredictable. You don’t know what you’re going to get. He’s got really good stuff.”
He’s also got the moxie to match.
As is the case with most closers, there is no fear of failure as far as Schunk is concerned. May the best man win.
“I’ve always had that swagger on the mound, I’ve always felt I’m better than the guy in the box and if he’s going to beat me it’s because his stuff is better than mine,” Schunk said. “I don’t think that happens very often so I just try to go out there with that approach.”
The results are speaking for themselves.
