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Left: Ian Mihalopoulos. Photo by Celine Hines. Above: Geo Aniceto. Photo by Collin Hamilton.
For Ian Mihalopoulos, it all comes down to being healthy.
Now roughly two years removed from having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, the Putnam Science Academy pitcher spent last summer building up his strength and flexibility with a new workout program, which has led to promising results on the mound and positive thoughts off it.
“I just feel really good,” said Mihalopoulos, a senior from Cromwell who is in his second year at PSA. “All the workouts and training, it all gels together so I can stay healthy. And stay mentally healthy too because if I’m not pitching, I won’t be happy.
“I’ve done this work so my arm will feel good. I’d spend the summer doing bear crawls around my house just to build my arm up. If my arm doesn’t feel good, I won’t feel good. I get (ticked) off. I really like to pitch.”
Mihalopoulos, who will pitch next year at Central Connecticut State, was the first baseball player to commit to PSA but didn’t pitch at all last year as he recovered in the fall and suffered a setback in the spring. This year, he was limited in the fall but is second on the team in innings pitched this spring.
His first start of the season was on the team’s season-opening trip to Myrtle Beach. His numbers weren’t great at he knocked the rust off and had bouts of wildness, but he threw 85 pitches over four-plus innings.
“Everyone was expecting me to be tired, but I was good,” he said. “I’ve gone six innings (in early April against Kings Edge-Hill). My length and durability have gotten better. Over the summer, I would throw one or two innings and my arm would be really tired. I’m good now.”
There is nothing holding him back mentally, either. Before switching workout programs (he trains remotely with Velo University out of New York, as do teammates and fellow pitchers Harry Roy, Jacob Hines, and Ryan Ponte), he would baby his slider because he could feel tension in his elbow.
“The first week on the new program, I felt like I could actually rip it and throw it hard,” Mihalopoulos said. “That’s when the Central coach saw me, and he mentioned that he really liked my slider. I haven’t had any concerns about throwing it or reaching back for a little more on my fastball if I need to. Feeling good physically has definitely helped that mental side of it.”
In 18 1/3 innings, he’s allowed just 11 hits and struck out 25. He’s had a couple bouts of wildness, but most of the walks he’s issued came in his first game.
PSA finished this week with a 5-2 victory over Bridgton Academy, a game in which Mihalopoulos threw one inning of relief. He says he prefers relieving to starting because of the intensity of the moments, as opposed to some of the lulls that come with going through an entire batting order. But he will do whatever coach Bob Hetu asks.
“A lot of our guys have been sore this spring,” Hetu said. “There have been times when we really didn’t know how we were going to get through a week of games. But Ian has come to me multiple times and said, ‘I can pitch. I can go.’”
Said Mihalopoulos: “Everyone says that pitching is the backbone of our team, and if we’re not pitching then we’re just letting everyone down. Even if we do pitch and don’t do well…I feel a certain responsibility to go out and pitch and throw some innings.
When it comes to me saying ‘Yeah, I can pitch,’ that’s just me being healthy and wanting to go do it and being able to go do it.”
PSA’s record stands at 9-9 after losing two of three games this week. Saturday against Bridgton, Cris Peguero smacked a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning and Robbie Natale added a pair of hits as PSA got the win.
Harry Roy threw six scoreless innings, giving up three hits and striking out eight for PSA.
PSA fell to 11-7 Paramount Academy Thursday, as Sebastian Garcia had a pair of hits, scored a run, and drove in another.
Tuesday, the Mustangs lost 5-3 to Salisbury, the third- ranked team in New England. Peguero had a triple and scored in the first, then added an RBI single in the seventh but PSA couldn’t take advantage of seven walks and dropped the tightly contested game. Junior Mesa had a single and Ponte drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for PSA.
PSA’s soccer team won its lone game of the week, besting Taft School 2-1 Sunday. Geo Aniceto scored off a mishit cross from nearly 40 yards out, and Joel Martinez scored on a rebound off a shot that hit the post.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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