First-year pitching coach has dramatic effect on RedWolves

FLORENCE - Throughout the 2008 season, the Florence RedWolves have lived and died by the strength of their pitching.

It’s been a good plan so far. The RedWolves have jumped off to a Coastal Plain League-best 23-10 start due largely to their pitching staff.

One man above all others is most responsible for the success of Florence’s hurlers.

In his first season as pitching coach, J.T. Severe has transformed the RedWolves pitching staff from a liability to a force.

“J.T’s done a great job with our guys,” first-year coach Wes Davis said. “We don’t want to nibble and go deep into counts against our opponents, and (Severe) has done a great job preventing that.

Dominance from the mound

Last season, Florence’s pitching staff was unable to quiet rallies and keep the ball within the friendly confines of Legion Field.

The RedWolves were 13th out of 16 teams in pitching with a 4.16 earned run average. The team also allowed the second-most home runs in the CPL with 38, a major factor in Florence’s 27-27 record and first-round exit in the Petitt Cup tournament.

But all that changed with the arrival of Severe. Under his guidance, Florence is in the top 10 of the league in almost every major pitching category.

Entering tonight’s game against Columbia, the RedWolves are the only team in the CPL with an ERA under 3.00 at 2.49.

Florence has also held opponents to a league-low .221 batting average and is one of three teams yet to commit a balk.

As simple as it might sound, Severe’s philosophy is to avoid deep counts by forcing contact within the first three pitches of any at-bat. He also likes his pitchers to work quickly on the mound, leading to games that run about two-and-a-half hours.

“Our goal is to get quick at-bats with no deep counts,” Severe said. “In our 23 wins, we haven’t allowed many runs.

“What I stress to my pitchers is that they’re not here to get strikeouts, but just outs. We stress making bad contact. It keeps the pitch counts down and the starters can go longer.”

Student of the game

Severe’s pitching philosophy is a direct result of his own experiences as a pitcher.

After high school, the Stillwater, Okla., native attended Northern Oklahoma College-Enid, where he played two seasons (2000-2002) and was named to the Junior College All-America team in his second season.

Severe was a member of the 2002 team that finished third at the NJCAA World Series. In the opening game, he threw a complete game 3-2 victory over Pearl River Community College.

Severe, who won the first game in the history of the program, finished as the team’s all-time leader in wins with 19.

The right-hander went on to pitch at New Mexico State for two seasons before entering the coaching ranks.

“I got a lot out of four years in college,” Severe said. “I was taught by some of the best coaches around. I learned a lot from (major league pitching coaches) Vern Ruhle and John Farrell, and from (New Mexico State coach) Gary Ward.”

Heeded advice

Coastal Carolina’s Kent Altman is the only member of the RedWolves pitching staff that was on last year’s roster. He said he has benefited greatly from Severe’s influence.

“He doesn’t try to change your mechanics too much, but he tries to correct minor things,” said Altman, who is 4-0 with a 0.32 era in 28 innings pitched.

“Overall, you have to be confident in what you’re doing. You have to trust your stuff.”

RedWolves’ ace Steve Grife has benefited from Severe as well by working on facets of the game that were already there.

“I’ve always worked quickly. I’ve never been one to take my time,” said Grife, who tossed a no-hitter against Fayetteville on June 8. “I like to get batters out. I really don’t look for strikeouts.

“I try to get them to hit my pitch, not their pitch.”

Not just the starters

The starting pitchers aren’t the only ones taking advantage of Severe’s arrival in Florence.

The RedWolves’ bullpen has protected leads and saved games all season. Despite allowing a game-winning grand slam Saturday in a loss to Wilson, Tio McLean has been a dominant closer for the team.

The Tusculum standout has held opponents to a .197 average and has racked up five saves.

“In a hitter’s ball park like Legion Field, coach Severe told me I had the fastball to get hitters out here,” Mclean said. “I come into the game late. I’m supposed to dominate hitters and that’s what I try to do.

“(Severe’s rules) apply the same way to us as they do the starters. As a closer, I expect to play. My mentality is to get outs, not strikeouts. An out’s an out, no matter how you get it.”

In 15 appearances, side-arming right-hander Jeremy Berg has dominated opposing hitters with a 0.44 ERA, 20 strikeouts and just three walks.
Dillon native and Florence-Darlington Tech standout L.A. Owens has been stellar from the pen as well, going 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA, 18 strikeouts and seven walks.

Conquering Legion Field

Severe’s pitching tenets have been put to the ultimate test this season. Legion Field is well-known as a hitter’s paradise where almost anyone can burn a pitcher with the long ball.

Despite the fact that no home runs have been launched to right field since the new wall was built, the ball still carries to left and left center. So keeping the ball down in the zone is still paramount.

“In a park like this, the hitters have a lesser chance of hitting home runs on a low pitch than on a high one,” pitcher Rob Kumbatovic said. “We have to keep the ball down at all times.“

Severe added that, while the pitchers have lessened the effect of the long ball, the RedWolves’ infielders have played well behind them.

“Our pitchers have been really successful keeping the ball in the park, and our infielders have done a great job protecting the baseball and playing behind the pitchers,” he said.

Throughout it all, Severe wants his pitchers to take one thing from their time in Florence.

“Gaining experience is always a key,” he said. “But most of all, I want them to learn the mental side of the game.”