Stevenson’s Yuni Hamideh has a straightforward approach to pitching.
The senior right-hander prefers to attack the strike zone and see whether hitters can handle it.
“Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in the world to do, so all I have to do is fill up the zone,” Hamideh said. “A first-pitch strike is all that matters, and even if they hit it, I have eight guys behind me who I trust.”
But hitting it may be a challenge for opponents this season. The 6-foot-7 Hamideh reached 91 mph with his fastball during recent tryouts after throwing in the mid-80s last year, and he has added a splitter to his repertoire.
“The pitchers have been winning a lot in the cages, but nobody has been touching him,” Stevenson coach Nick Skala said. “He’s a serious competitor on the mound, and you probably hate being on the other side. He’s the biggest cheerleader for our team and the staff and a guy you want in your dugout. He’ll be our workhorse.”
Filling the workhorse role figures to suit Hamideh well, especially since he has already done it. When classmate Brady Rosenkranz was shut down last season, there was an opening in the Patriots’ rotation, and Hamideh grabbed it.
Hamideh finished his breakout season with a 4-2 record and a 1.60 ERA in 39 1/3 innings, striking out 45 while walking 17, as Stevenson (25-14, 10-4) contended in the North Suburban Conference and reached the Class 4A sectional finals.
Although such success wasn’t expected, Hamideh went into the season feeling positive about his prospects after a brief varsity appearance as a sophomore during the Patriots’ trip to Tennessee.
“I came in with us up by one run and the bases loaded against a really good team from Kentucky,” Hamideh said. “I struck the first guy out, and the next guy grounded out. It was an awesome feeling. After that, I felt like I could do this.”
Pitching with confidence, Hamideh can be an imposing figure.
“With my height, yeah, I did get blessed there,” he said. “Hitters are more scared of you as a pitcher to begin with than you are of them. And when you’re my height, the ball jumps on batters fast.”
Regarding his fastball, Hamideh expects to be able to throw in the upper 80s comfortably throughout the season.
“I think he finally grew into his body,” Stevenson senior pitcher Andrew Langerman said. “He was always tall and lanky, so it took time to adapt. He’s always known how to pitch and has always strived for doing better.”
Along those lines, Hamideh has expanded his mix of pitches. He considers his change-up his best offering last season, so if the splitter takes hold, he’ll be even more difficult to hit.
“It really works because I have such big hands,” Hamideh said. “I think it’ll be an awesome pitch. To a righty, it drops at the last second in on the hands. The speed is key, and I’ve really been vibing with it.”
Hamideh stands out in another way. He can be heard rooting for his teammates from the dugout, and he doesn’t try to hide his emotions on the mound.
“I know what it feels like to get support from my team, so I like being loud when I’m not pitching,” Hamideh said. “When you get on the mound, you want people to know that you’re the toughest guy out there. Intimidation can be a big part of baseball.”
Hamideh, who intends to continue his baseball career at Kirkwood Community College, heard from about a dozen Division I programs.
“A lot of them told me that I didn’t throw hard enough, and that serves as motivation, to be honest,” he said. “It helped get me to the gym every day, and I think people will be shocked at what they see from me on the field.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
