When Sandburg gives the ball to senior right-hander Nick Bestrick, good things happen.
Bestrick’s presence on the mound gives the Eagles confidence, no matter who they are playing.
“We know when he’s out there, he’s got a chance to beat anybody we play,” coach Jim Morsovillo said of Bestrick. “He’s just been locked in all season. Sometimes, he’s had bad luck where we’re not getting him the run support, but he never lets that affect him.
“He just keeps pitching, and he keeps us in every game.”
Bestrick has been nothing short of dominant this spring for Sandburg (16-8). He’s 6-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings.
He said success has come from a simple formula.
“Last year, I was walking guys more and I didn’t really have everything working every game,” Bestrick said. “I’m way more consistent now. My cutter and my curveball have been on almost every game. My velo has gotten better, but the big thing is my location has gotten better.”
Bestrick is consistently throwing his fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s, but perhaps even more importantly, he’s thinking more about where it’s going.
“I feel like I fixed my mechanics and started to try to throw to locations instead of just going for velo all the time,” he said. “I’ve been staying more on top of the ball instead of pulling off early.”
Senior catcher Ryan Ulleweit has certainly noticed the difference.
“He’s hitting his spots all the time now,” Ulleweit said of Bestrick. “He’s always on with his location. He’s always in the zone. If one pitch isn’t working, he’s got another one working.
“He’s been great. He’s been pretty much perfect this year.”
Bestrick started playing T-ball when he was 3 or 4 years old. He really became hooked on baseball once pitching was involved.
“I really liked pitching, so I stuck with it,” he said. “Baseball has pretty much been my only sport my whole life. My dad played baseball growing up a little bit, but it wasn’t really a huge thing in my family. It just stuck with me.”
Bestrick is planning on playing beyond high school, and although he hasn’t chosen a specific college yet, he has a particular path in mind.
“I’m looking to go pitch for a two-year college, 100%, and then go somewhere after that,” Bestrick said. “I feel like that’s more the development route and that’s the way I want to go.
“I just know I can get better every day. You’re not as good now as you are two or three weeks from now.”
First things first, Bestrick hopes to lead Sandburg on a deep playoff run.
The Eagles have fallen into a bit of a recent slump, dropping three of their last four games — including a 1-0 defeat in eight innings against Lockport on Monday, when Bestrick threw seven shutout innings but got a no-decision.
Bestrick is telling his teammates not to get too much in their own heads.
“I think we have to focus less on the mental aspect and just go out there and play,” he said. “Our bats have been struggling a bit, but I know they’re going to get hot again. Our defense backs us up, and I’ll try to back them up when I’m pitching.”
Ulleweit knows Bestrick has his teammates’ back.
“When he’s on the mound, we always have a chance,”Ulleweit said. “The other team usually gets one run max, so that takes the pressure off our offense. We’ve been struggling a bit offensively, but we’ll pick it back up.”
As the strong outings continue to pile up for Bestrick, he’s certainly feeling good.
“I’m pretty confident every time I go out there,” he said. “Every time, I just want to go out there and do better than the last start.”
