What a difference a year makes for Jacob Hines.
Last fall the then-PSA sophomore was dealing with an elbow injury that kept him out of the fall season and most winter workouts. He started throwing essentially when PSA opened its spring season in Myrtle Beach, and turned in a workman-like season as the team’s second-best starter.
Now healthy – and with a better understanding of how to stay that way – Hines is set to make a big leap in this, his junior season.
“There are no goals that Jacob can’t attain and there’s no one that he won’t compete with,” said Hines’s coach, Bob Hetu.
“Jacob is going to be counted on and be prominent. I think the depth of our pitching staff is going to help him too because the identity of our team is going to be the pitching.”
Hines finished last season with a 1.24 ERA over 33 1/3 innings, striking out 25 and allowing just one extra-base hit.
He followed up with a strong summer that included appearances in some higher-profile showcases, and had a solid first outing of the fall season.
“I feel like my workload has been a lot more and I’m preparing myself a lot more to make a big leap and be much better,” Hines said.
“I’m a smarter athlete and knowing my body more so I can stay healthy. I wasn’t really educated on the correlation between muscle strength and injury. I thought it was all mechanical. But I was weak.
“Last year was pretty stressful when I was out for six, seven months and I couldn’t throw. So all I really did was just learn about my body through physical therapy and doing research on the internet.”
Hines lives in the gym building muscle and endurance and has seen the impact in the summer and fall.
He said he recovers much faster now after throwing and can go deeper into games.
PSA has Hines joining last year’s ace Harry Roy, plus with CCSU-commit Ian Mihalopoulos returning from Tommy John surgery as well as newcomers Cody Heselton (Marist) and Ryan Ponte (CCSU), which will give them a chance to win every game, regardless of the gauntlet schedule the Mustangs are slated to play.
“Last fall it was our first time and we didn’t know what we were getting into in the spring season,” Hines said.
“I want to use this fall to go into the spring season being confident with our team. Winning games in the fall will be a big help for us.
“I want to be someone on the team who can be relied on, who makes a big impact, can win games. I want to be that guy, and I think I’m ready for it.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

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