2011 SJSU Pitching Preview

Last spring, SJSU head baseball coach Sam Piraro was desperately searching for ways to solidify a pitching staff that had been decimated by graduation and the draft.
"Our pitchers went through the school of ‘hard knocks' last season," Piraro said at Bay Area Media Day. "I told them that last year we got our degree; now let's go get our masters."
Unlike a year ago, the 2011 Spartans are fortunate to have a surplus of arms that will give Piraro confidence regardless of who is on the hill.
Blake McFarland, the Western Athletic Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year, enters the season as the ace of the staff after establishing himself throughout the conference with a standout 2010 campaign.
McFarland, a senior, posted a 7-4 record with a 3.62 ERA and three complete games in just less than 100 innings pitched last year. After transferring from Santa Barbara Community College, McFarland accomplished all this in his first year of Division-I baseball.
"The experience alone helped me a lot last year," McFarland said. "It was my first year playing at this level and I feel so much more comfortable going into this season knowing what to expect a little more."
McFarland will have another highly touted arm to join him in the Spartan rotation in 2011, as Junior College All-American Roberto Padilla turned down the MLB draft to pitch for SJSU this spring.
Padilla was taken in the 23rd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks but chose not to sign when his asking price was deemed too high by the team who drafted him. Arizona's frugality turned into a pleasant surprise for SJSU as Padilla was ticketed for the minor leagues.
The 6-foot-3-inch southpaw was exactly what Piraro was looking for to shore up the pitching woes that plagued SJSU last year and contributed to a 23-37 record.
"Roberto has tremendous stuff," Piraro said. "The ball moves a lot and if he ever fully masters his breaking pitch it will take him a long way."
McFarland and Padilla look to be a formidable 1-2 punch to head the Spartan rotation, but what has Piraro most excited about this year's team is the pitching depth that has been a trademark of his good teams in the past.
Juniors Sean Martin, Estaban Guzman and Andy Hennessey are all hurlers who Piraro is comfortable handing the ball to, giving him a great deal of flexibility that was nonexistent going into last season.
"All three of those guys showed periods last year where they could be very effective," Piraro said. "To their credit, they are much more confident this year."
Piraro flirted with the idea of putting the flame-throwing sophomore Zack Jones in the starting rotation, but believes the dual-threat talent helps the team the most when he comes out of the 'pen.
"Once you have established a lead, preserving it is very important to me," Piraro said. "Zack is a guy who gives me a great deal of confidence late in a game."
Jones has been clocked at a glove-popping 95 mph and helped the Spartans find some stability out of a shaky bullpen a year ago.
The most intriguing part of Jones' game is the fact that Piraro believes he is a better hitter than he is a pitcher.
"Scouts tend to be more curious of the pitching talents Zack possesses," Piraro said. "But his marketability goes way up with how versatile he is."
Piraro plans on using Jones at shortstop to get his bat in the lineup but is also able to bring him into the game to pitch if needed to close out a game.
In 2010, Jones was also in his first year of Division-I baseball like teammate Blake McFarland and made an equally impressive adjustment coming out of high school.
"I feel like I have matured and was able to see the competition," Jones said. "It was an adjustment year that has given me a lot of confidence."
While Jones will likely be called on to close out games, the Spartans bullpen has a bevy of arms whom Piraro sees as a strength that was lacking a year ago.
Senior John Austin has increased his velocity by more than 5 mph since this time last season and will be counted on out of the 'pen. Senior Eric LeBaron, freshman D.J. Slaton and sophomore David Wayne Russo will also help SJSU in relief.
The old adage in baseball claims that good pitching beats good hitting just about every time. With a formidable rotation and depth in the 'pen, SJSU is hoping the adage holds true.