Senior right-hander Kyle Friedrichs is having the best year of his career at Long Beach State. The San Diego native is 5-2 on the season with a 2.30 earned run average in ten starts after being a reliever all of last year. He discussed leadership, his pitching arsenal and expectations.
How did you get into baseball?
Friedrichs: Wow, you’re going way back. I wanted to play because one of my best friends was on a baseball team in little league when I was three years old. My dad was like ‘hey you want to play?’ That’s how it happened.
Have you always been a pitcher?
Friedrichs: No. I’ve always pitched because every kid pitches growing up. I was normally a third baseman throughout high school. I pitched [one game] then played third base in another.
Why did you stick to pitching?
Friedrichs: Because I was better. I couldn’t hit. That’s for damn sure.
How did you get to LBSU?
Friedrichs: I didn’t play baseball my sophomore and junior year [of high school]. I played freshman year and was pretty good. I quit sophomore year and didn’t play junior year. Senior year came around, and I talked to the coach and was like ‘hey I’m back. I want to play,’ and he said ok. I had no offers [to play college baseball] my senior year. I was pitching and doing pretty well. The first school that contacted me was Cal Poly Pomona, a D-2 school. I went there; I was all exciting and ready to commit and then my dad told me to wait it out, relax. After that, a lot of D-1 schools started contacting me. That was pretty cool. Then [head coach Troy Buckley] contacted me and it was over from that point on. I’ve always wanted to be a Dirtbag. [I grew up] watching them on TV. [I always thought to myself] ‘that’s baseball.’
Why did you quit baseball after your freshman year?
Friedrichs: I had a lot of issues growing up. I had to [quit].
What kind of issues?
Friedrichs: Personal issues.
What did coach Buckley say to convince you to come to LBSU?
Friedrichs: Nothing. I knew where I wanted to be right when he said ‘hey I’m Troy Buckley, LBSU.’ [From there] I was in.
You were a reliever last year, and now you’re a starter. What’s been the biggest challenge going from reliever to starter?
Friedrichs: Staying consistent with what you’re trying to do. So as a reliever you have to be ready every single game. As a starter you have to be ready for that one game. But then to stay [focused], to stay [engaged] in the game for the other starters, for the other pitchers and the other guys that are hitting, that’s the hardest part because you just want to check out. You’ve already put in your work, but you can’t do that. You’ve got to stay consistent.
How much of your pitching arsenal did you have to adjust in order to become a starter?
Friedrichs: Zero. Nothing. I mean, it’s the same thing. You’re throwing a baseball across the plate. You just have to do it more times as a starter.
What’s helped you most in terms of endurance?
Friedrichs: Probably nothing really spectacular. Conditioning is the same. Working out is the same. I think it’s just getting my body used to throwing more bullets.
How would you describe your pitches?
Friedrichs: I mean I’m not a prospect. I’m not a guy who’s going throw 95-98 [miles per hour]. But I’m going to do my job and get guys out.
What pitches do you throw? How would you describe them?
Friedrichs: I throw a sinker. I can throw it at any time. My goal is to get a groundball with it, so if it’s bases loaded or a guy on first, I can get out of any situation. I have a changeup. It’s pretty much my equalizer pitch. It keeps everyone off my fastball and sinker. And then the slider is a pitch I can throw in any count.
What’s been your main strikeout pitch?
Friedrichs: All of them. Guys are striking out on fastballs, changeups and sliders. Considering I can throw them all for strikes, it really opens up [the possibilities] when you have a 0-2 count and they have no idea what’s coming.
How much did you guys read in the preseason about where the Dirtbags were picked to finish in the Big West?
Friedrichs: I read it a lot. It’s kind of used as motivation for me. [I] was just telling everyone ‘hey, they’re [not giving us a shot]. It’s a rebuilding year for us.’ That’s what they said, but we kind of used it as motivation.
How do you see your role as a leader for the young guys?
Friedrichs: At the beginning of the year you try to show them how it’s done. You don’t really say anything because they have nothing to go to. Now you can say ‘hey you’re not doing this right.’ Early on in the year you try to show them how to do a throwing program, how to work every day on conditioning and weights and stuff like that. I think, for me, that’s how I do it. Ty [Provencher], he does it a little bit differently. Even Browny [Tanner Brown] has become a little bit of a leader, and he’s more of a jokester. He motivates people in his own way. I think all the different personalities from the beginning of the year; we kind of just meshed together. Every single step of the way we’ve gotten a little better because of that.