Ohio State junior right-handed pitcher Ethan Hammerberg (50) celebrates during the Ohio State-Wright State game March 22. Ohio State won 7-5. Credit: Katie Good | For the Lantern
With Ohio State looking to climb back into contention after picking up a series victory over Michigan State, one thing is certain: the Buckeyes need to find pitchers that will give them consistency.
Junior right-hander Ethan Hammerberg has emerged as the best reliever out of the Buckeyes bullpen so far this season. The Upper Arlington native has already eclipsed his career-high in innings pitched and said he looks forward to being relied on in big situations as the season progresses.
“You want to do your job every single time you go in there,” Hammerberg said. “It’s been more so accepting the fact that you have been trusted with the ball in this position, so now it’s up to you to trust yourself to do the job. I’ve just been embracing it and just facing it head on and having fun with it.”
Hammerberg, who only made nine combined appearances across his first two seasons, has been electric for the Buckeyes so far this year. In 22 innings pitched across 14 appearances, Hammerberg has struck out 32 batters while only walking four, carrying a team-best 2.45 earned run average.
Coming into the program, head coach Greg Beals said Hammerberg was a soft-throwing, contact pitcher. Now after two years of development, Hammerberg has established himself as a power-throwing right-hander with an elite breaking ball.
“He’s a guy that came in as a non-scholarship guy throwing 88 miles per hour out of high school. Now he’s throwing 95,” Beals said.
Hammerberg also credits a lot of his development to participating in the Northwoods League. The league is a collegiate summer wooden bat league where college players can develop their game ahead of the spring season.
There he said he worked with coaches to develop his pitches and confidence on the mound. With the help of Beals and Duluth Huskies manager Marcus Pointer, Hammerberg said he was able to develop into the pitcher he is today.
“[Pointer] believed in me from the get-go when I was still kind of down from not playing my freshman and sophomore year. He pulled me aside and was like, ‘You have electric stuff,’ ” Hammerberg said. “He told me to trust in him and work together and said I’d become a force over the summer. Me and him became really close over the summer, and things just kind of started clicking, and that confidence rolled into this year.”
With that newly found confidence, Hammerberg came into the season with full belief in his abilities. With an enhanced pitch repertoire, Beals said Hammerberg is prepared for any situation he’s thrown into.
Beals used the term “fireman” when discussing his decisions to bring Hammerberg into games.
“When we go to the bullpen and there’s something going on, we need to shut it down. That’s the ‘fireman.’ He comes in and puts the fire out, and you need to throw strikes to do that, and Ethan has proven some dependability in that role,” Beals said.
Although he continues to be put in situations where the team needs him most, Hammerberg said he’s focused on having fun while pitching. Even though he wants to minimize his mistakes, he feels if he leaves everything out on the mound, then he knows he did his job correctly.
“There’s no sense in going out there and leaving stuff on the table,” Hammerberg said. “I want to put my head on my pillow at night knowing that I gave it my all. No room for error, but just having fun with it and embracing it.”
