Boring or Not, Phillips Delivering on the Mound
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana pitcher Ethan Phillips didn’t know. Freshmen rarely do. They hope they are ready, but until they prove it, until they get the chance to prove it, they don’t know.
They just believe.
Sometimes, coaches believe more.
“I’ve seen that (pitching) arsenal,” coach Jeff Mercer says of Phillips’ versatility. “I’ve been in his (ear) all year telling him that you have a chance to be a star. You’re a wonderful player if you would believe in yourself like we believe in you.”
Belief has arrived.
Here was Phillips, in his ninth career appearance facing a huge prime-time opportunity at Bart Kaufman Field earlier this week. Just over two innings into a game against No. 10 Louisville, IU trailing 1-0, he got the call.
A big-time moment had come. Phillips would relieve starter Seti Manase with one out in the third inning.
Phillips had had other opportunities in smaller doses, including throwing a double-play ball in a dominating win over Illinois. But he wanted more; he was positioned for extended innings if he delivered.
Did he ever.
Phillips pitched a career-high 4 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and an unearned run. He struck out four and walked three in what became a 7-3 Hoosier victory.
“My overall mentality, when I get in the game, I want to finish it,” Phillips says. “If I start, I want to throw nine innings. If I come in the fifth inning, I want to finish it.”
There’s something else.
“We want to win,” Phillips says. That’s our thing.”
Phillips didn’t want to miss the Louisville opportunity. So before the game, when Mercer asked him if he was ready, Phillips asked if he wanted him to start in the bullpen. Guys who do generally will pitch in a given game.
“I always want to get in the game,” Phillips says. “I love to pitch. I want to be out there. I want to eat up as many innings as I can. I want to be where they need me.”
Mercer was happy to oblige.
“You love that confidence, that bravado.”
Then comes Mercer’s take on baseball excellence.
“If you want to be good, you have to run your mouth. It gives them confidence. You can see Ethan’s confidence growing.”
It took time. Phillips didn’t make IU’s first couple of trips this season. Coaches wanted to ease him into college baseball after his dominating high school run in talent-rich Florida. He compiled a career record of 7-0 with a 0.58 earned run average. He struck out 46 and walked seven.
That meant nothing in college.
"Coming back from Christmas break,” Phillips says, “my goal was to make the travel roster. It was tough. I hadn’t seen college baseball outside of our guys.
“Mercer wanted me to grow. I was able to watch and see what works. I realized I was good enough to be here and play. I realized what the coaches saw in me. Then I was able to get an opportunity, take off and have success.”
Phillips is 2-0 with a 2.12 earned run average. That ranks third on the team behind Ryan Kraft (0.71 ERA) and Manase (1.61). In 17 innings, he has 15 strikeouts and eight walks.
Credit a combination of Phillips’ talent and work, and the guidance of pitching coach Dustin Glant.
“Watching Ethan from where he was six months ago to today, you have to sing Coach Glant’s praises,” Mercer says.
Phillips has command of as many as five pitches -- a sinker, a four-seam fastball, a change-up, a slider and a curveball.
“I have more pitches that the average guy,” he says. “Most days I have something that will compete.”
The sinker was his go-to pitch against Louisville, which Phillips paired with a slider to have success. Mercer says the righthander also has a very good changeup.
Against Louisville, Phillips attacked with the sinker and fastball, “but I was most impressed with his composure,” Mercer says. “You could see him step off the mound, collect himself. That’s a big environment for a freshman.”
Mercer calls Phillips boring and it is not an insult.
“He’s a very disciplined kid, a very structured kid, a very hard working kid,” Mercer says. “He shows up and works every day.
“Successful people are boring. They do the same four things every day. They do the basic things really well.”
Beating a top-10 Louisville squad on national TV (the game was televised by ESPNU) in front of a crowd of nearly 2,000 was significant in multiple ways.
“We are talented enough to compete,” Mercer said. “We want to make sure everybody is pointed in the right direction and is as locked in as they should be.
“Not shocked we're able to win that game. We’ve recruited hard and have talented players. They work hard. We have great coaches. We played well and keep getting better. To watch the kids persevere, stick to the plan, and to have this opportunity is very rewarding. To put IU on full display is how it should be.”
IU (27-11) followed that win with a road victory at Cincinnati. It has won four straight and seven of its last eight games entering this weekend’s home series against Ohio University (15-17).
“We’ve been in all the hostile environments and played a lot of good teams,” centerfielder Bobby Whalen says. “We’re playing well.”