When Nathan Witt takes the mound for the first time this season, he expects it will feel like driving a 1971 Chevelle convertible around the Los Angeles Dodgers Spring Training complex.
Or like driving a 1967 GTX, at least before his dad traded it for an enclosed semi car hauler.
The former Clarkston High School and Michigan State University pitcher has had plenty of work done under the hood in the past four years and cannot wait to take his arm out of storage when the Great Lakes Loons begin the Midwest League season Thursday at Lake County.
“I’m anxious … I’m excited,” Witt said. “I’ve pitched 40 innings in the past four years. It’s hard being patient, but I’ve had to wait and work toward this time. I can’t even imagine what it will be like to get back in a game that’s not on one of the back fields or just practice.”
Witt spent three seasons at Michigan State, but the 6-foot-4 right-hander only pitched in one of them. After redshirting his freshman season, Witt tore a ligament in his elbow and required Tommy John surgery, wiping out his sophomore season.
In 2017, Witt finally took the mound for the Spartans, pitching 22 games in relief and going 2-0. In 22 2/3 innings, Witt allowed 17 hits and eight walks, striking out 19 and posting a 4.37 earned run average.
While the numbers weren’t impressive, the velocity was.
“About two weeks after I was done with rehab, my fastball added about 5 mph,” Witt said. “I was getting bigger and stronger, but even I was surprised at how my velocity came back and improved.”
College relievers with 4.34 ERAs generally don’t get drafted. But college relievers who can hit 97 mph with their fastballs do.
But the repair work wasn’t quite completed. He went to pitch for the Dodgers’ Arizona League team and participated in a weight program, leaving him available for just five innings to end the season. In 2018, he returned to the Arizona League and managed just 13 innings before he felt pain in his arm.
An MRI showed a stress reaction in the humerus bone, a precursor to a stress fracture. The Dodgers shut him down for the rest of the 2018 season.
“I’m finally 100 percent healthy and ready to go,” Witt said. “When you consider I’ve only thrown about 40 innings or so over the past 4 ½ years, it means a lot to me to be in a position to go out and compete.”
The original article written by Hugh Bernreuter can be found here:
https://expo.mlive.com/sports/g66l-2019/04/e8851d59a47480/former-clarkston-msu-pitcher-revved-up-for-great-lakes-loons-opener.html