Minnesota Blizzard Baseball

I asked my Blizzard alumni—now competing at the college and professional levels—what they wish they had done differently as high school pitchers. Here are the 14 responses I got back.

LHP Sam Hentges, Blizzard Alumni | San Francisco Giants
X: @SamHentges

“Attacking the zone more aggressively. At the end of the day, pitching is all about throwing strikes at a high level. Lots of kids are so worried about velo & stuff with all the tech today, but strikes are the important part. Don’t get me wrong, velo & stuff will definitely help and are needed to be successful, but throwing it in the zone consistently is imperative.”
 

RHP Brayden Olson, Blizzard Alumni | Friday Night Starter, University of St. Thomas
X: @Braydenolson4

“I would say don’t let someone change your self-confidence you got to that place for a reason ups and downs happen it’s baseball but you can’t forget what got you to where you are in the first place and that’s just believing in yourself.”

RHP Sam Carlson, Blizzard Alumni | Houston Astros AAA
X: @samcarlson33

“If I could do it all over again, I’d try to be as present at possible. Time flies and you can’t play this game forever.  Some of my best memories on a baseball field were in a Blizzard uniform!”

RHP Logan Shore, Blizzard Alumni | Florida Gators / 2nd Rounder, Oakland A’s (retired)
X: @LoganShore

“One thing I wish I would have done differently in high school was commit earlier to developing a true three pitch mix. I relied heavily on my fastball and changeup, and that worked. I was able to dominate at the highest level of college baseball with just those two pitches. But by the time I reached pro ball, it caught up to me. Without an average breaking ball, hitters at that level were able to eliminate options, and it became a real limitation. Looking back, my downfall in not making it to the big leagues was waiting too long to round out my arsenal. Developing that third pitch earlier would have given me a much better chance to sustain success as the competition improved.”

RHP Tyler Guerin, Blizzard Alumni | Friday Night Starter, University of Iowa
X: @TylerGuerin4

“One thing I would change is my mentality. I was very timid and scared to get hit around. I wish I was more aggressive and believed that I was good.

I also wish I started lifting earlier. If I could have gained 10-15 more pounds before my senior year I would have been in a better spot when I got to college.”

LHP Kellen Rholl, Blizzard Alumni | Cleveland Indians (retired)
X: @Rholltide

“The importance of being intentional in catch play. It’s very easy to mindlessly throw, especially around friends/teammates. It’s something I didn’t fully grasp until pro ball. If you start that now, there are thousands of throws that have a purpose, which not every HS pitcher is doing. Whether it’s command, mechanics, movement…have a purpose to every throw. It also makes catch play more fun and focuses on the “art” of pitching!”

RHP Seth Halvorsen, Blizzard Alumni | Colorado Rockies
X: @Rockies

“I would have gained a little bit of weight and created an arm care program of 3 days a week of 5-7 exercises at 3x10 sets and been consistent with it. I think I could’ve avoided injuries with that, taking care of my body earlier. So grateful for what I learned through the adversity though!”

RHP Max Carlson, Blizzard Alumni | Boston Red Sox AA
X: @MaxCarlsonn

“Failure is a huge part of the game. I was blessed my entire life to play on teams that won lots of games which created my hunger and desire to win in competition. The higher you go the more you fail. So being able to stick through failure and trust a process that you’ve created will help you keep your head level in times of triumph and in ultimate failure. Don’t ride the rollercoaster. Turn the frustration into motivation to get it right.”

RHP Mike Baumann, Blizzard Alumni | Baltimore Orioles
X: @bigmiikee

“I wish I could tell myself there’s going to be hard times, but it doesn’t define who you are. What defines who you are is how you get back up and treat your teammates, your brothers, your coaches. Baseball will teach you more about yourself than you will ever know. Just let it happen. Continue to show up, do your work, and have fun with the game because you’ll never forget the little things that make this game so beautiful.”
 

RHP Andy Johnson, St. Paul Saints / Northern League (retired)
@AJDefinedBSBL

“Sure thing. If I could go back in time and only tell myself one thing I know now, it’s how to monitor proper workload. Not pitching to be a hero at 16 if I want to still pitch at 26. Pitch counts are great, but using that as the only way to monitor workload is like trying to lose weight and only counting breakfast, lunch, dinner but not snacks. Throws at SS, C, warmups, bullpens, captains practice all count too.”

LHP Aaron Rozek, Blizzard Alumni | Minnesota Twins AAA
X: @AaronRozek

“In game:

Be comfortable in your own skin. You aren’t going to recreate yourself while competing. Know who you are on the mound, know how you get outs and go do it.

Training:

You aren’t going to grow into anything. You must force the change through work.

Mental:

Don’t let baseball ruin your day, bad game, bad day of practice/training doesn’t mean anything. You’re a son, grandson, friend, before you’re a baseball player.”

RHP Jake Esch, Academy Alumni | Miami Marlins | World Baseball Classic (retired)
X: @Twiterlesjake

“Hitting is hard. Make them try to hit the ball. Don’t make them try to miss it.”

RHP Louie Varland, Blizzard Alumni | Toronto Blue Jays / All-Time Post-Season Record Holder in Appearances
X: @LouieVarland

“I wish I took it more serious back in my middle school and high school days. Whether that’s in practice, weight room, arm care, recovery. Pitchers and players can possibly make the biggest strides in their career during those times. I left a lot of effort, resources and potential on the table since I didn’t take it as serious as I should have.”

RHP Isaac Morton, Blizzard Alumni | Friday Night Starter, University of Minnesota
X: @IsaacMorton_

Find a pre-throw and post throw routine that you follow every day.