The Michigan Daily - Thursday, May 19, 1983 - Page 19
Pitcher Kamieniecki tames
wildness, temper and foes
By PAUL HELGREN
Michigan freshman pitcher Scott
Kamieniecki has found the strike zone,
and with it a chance to help his team
win the Big Ten tournament this
weekend at Fisher Stadium.
Kamieniecki will start either
tomorrow's game against Iowa or
Saturday's contest against either Min-
nesota or Michigan State.
The Redford St. Mary prep star's
recent mastery of the strike zone could
not have come at a more opportune
time. With starters Rich Stoll and Dave
Kopf sidelined by injuries, Michigan
coach Bud Middaugh was in desperate
need of a dependable starter. And until
very recently, Kamieniecki had been
anything but dependable.
GOING INTO last week's game at
Eastern Michigan, the 6-foot righthan-
der was averaging almost one walk per
inning despite a 2-0 record and a no-
hitter to his credit. But at EMU last
Wednesday he turned his control
around, he hopes for good.
The first inning started out much like
any other for the young pitcher. With
walks,three straight walks as a matter
of fact. A double play got Kamieniecki
out of the inning with only one run, but
he definitely was struggling. That's
when coach Bud Middaugh took his
prize freshman out to the bullpen for
some between-inning instruction.
"I was rushing everything," the
Detroit native explained. "My body
was way out ahead of my arm. The coach
had me pause, which forces my body
to stay with my arm. It's helped me
keep the ball down. Yeah, I'd say that
inning was the turning point."
KAMIENIECKI came back in the
second inning a new man. He was in
control of his pitches, giving up only a
solo homer the rest of the way for the
14-2 victory. More importantly, he
walked only two batters after the first
and was usually ahead of the hitters.
The hard-throwing 19-year-old
followed up his performance at EMU
with a three-hit, no walks shutout
against Purdue last Sunday. His record
now stands at 4-0 with a 2.52 ERA, 32
strikeouts and a team-leading two
shutouts. It would appear Kamieniecki
has arrived.
Catcher Rich Bair, who Kamieniecki
calls his "confidence builder," credits
'the Detroiter's emergence with his
growing maturity.
"SCOTT'S COME a long way," the
Last August he developed tendinitis in
his pitching arm which forced him to
miss Fall practice and fall behind the
other pitchers. To make matters worse,
a week prior to the Spring trip to
Florida, Kamieniecki fractured two
vertabrae in a West Quad wrestling
match. The back injury forced him to
spend the entire trip on the sidelines.
BUT KAMIENIECKI said some good
came out of the injury. It forced him to
sit and study the other pitchers, which
he said had a "positive effect" on his
overall game. Coach Middaugh agreed
'Believe it or not, I'm milder now. I used to
complain at everything when I got mad.'
-Michigan pitcher Scott Kamieniecki,
known for his hot temper and fastball
junior receiver said. "Of course he has
tremendous ability but he's had to
make the adjustment from high school
to college. He's got a ways to go yet. At
times, he fights himself and he fights
others. He needs to take criticism bet-
ter. But he's improving."
Bair added that Kamieniecki's ten-
dency to be a "a little emotional"
caused him to be wild in the early
stages of games.
"He needs to maintain a stable level
of psych," Bair said. "He comes out all
pumped up and then levels down as the
game goes on. But that comes with ex-
perience.
KAMIENIECKI, whose demeanor on the
mound occasionally matches the red of
his hair, says he has worked hard to
maintain control of his emotions during
a game.
"Believe it or not, I'm milder now,"
he said. "I used to complain at
everything when I got mad."
The past year has seen more than one
reason for Kamieniecki to get mad.
that the injury was not a completely
negative occurance.
"I was disappointed about (the in-
jury), of course," Middaugh said. "But
it did give Scott a chance to sit and ob-
serve. He was very good down there. He
worked hard."
If Kamieniecki has worked hard, so
has Middaugh, who been especially
patient with his budding flamethrower.
That's because Middaugh knows just
how good Kamieniecki might be
someday. The Detroit Tigers thought
enough of him to make him a second-
round draft pick last year. Not bad for
someone who did not start pitching
seriously until age 17.
KAMIENIECKI chose college instead
and for that Michigan fans can be
grateful. And just how good can he get?
Just ask the people who know.
"As good as he is now he hasn't come
close to reaching his potential," said his
catcher Bair. "I think his breaking ball
will get better."
"He's improved each time out," said
Middaugh "And that's a good sign."
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Michigan pitcher Scott Kamieniecki prepares to throw his 78 miles-per-hour
curveball. The freshman's fastball travels another 10 mph speedier.
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