X2 B a s e b a l l

@BStrawmyer was pumping!! (t)96.4 tm. Hes been crushing his efficiency work and has made some solid adjustments. We will work on dialing in location at that velo but overall I’ll take it. Looking forward to see how he progresses this fall. @BallStateBB

@Sean__Thomas22 @kylejacksic @LukeHagerty @jhanz22

Congratulations @RZeigler35 and @BisonBaseball heading to a regional!!

Fun times!! 🤯👎

Pitching Meditations on the Mound by Marcus Aurelius
My soul, consider the art of the pitcher, a craft of precision and patience, where victory is not seized by force but won through mastery of self and subtlety of mind. To attain strikeouts, seek not to dominate the hitter with brute effort, for such striving clouds judgment and breeds error. Instead, align thy actions with reason and virtue, and let the strikeout emerge as a consequence of thy discipline.
First, labor to gain advantage early in the count. As a general marshals his forces before battle, so must thou secure the upper hand by delivering the first pitch with intent. A strike, well-placed, sets the tempo, compelling the hitter to question his own resolve. To be ahead in the count is to hold the reins of fate; it narrows the hitter’s path and widens thine own. Reflect: each pitch is a moment to assert control, not through aggression, but through clarity of purpose. Waste not thy offerings on errant throws, for a ball relinquishes thy advantage and emboldens thy foe.
Yet, beware the temptation to force the strikeout. To chase it with reckless ambition is to invite failure, as a man who grasps at shadows loses his grip on reality. The strikeout is not a prize to be wrested, but a fruit that ripens through patient cultivation. Focus instead on impeccable execution. Each pitch must be a study in precision—its arc, its speed, its deception crafted to unsettle the hitter’s mind. Consider the ball as a philosopher considers truth: what appears to be, is not always so. Paint the edges of the strike zone, shift the hitter’s expectations, and let him err in his judgment. Make him see a fastball where a curve lies, or a slider where a straight ball darts. Deception, not force, is thy ally.
To fool the hitter, thou must first master thyself. Examine thy movements, thy grip, thy release—let them be consistent, yet unpredictable. As the Stoic aligns his soul with nature’s order, so must thy delivery align with the game’s rhythm. If thy fastball and changeup spring from the same motion, the hitter’s eyes will betray him. Be deliberate, yet adaptable; resolute, yet subtle. The hitter’s mind is thy true battlefield—conquer it by making what is, appear as what is not.
In every pitch, seek excellence, not outcome. The strikeout will come, not because thou didst demand it, but because thou didst prepare the way for it. Accept that some will swing and connect, for such is the nature of the contest. Dwell not on these moments, but return to thy purpose: the next pitch, the next moment. In this lies thy strength, for the mound is a place of solitude and truth, where only thy discipline can prevail.
Thus, pitcher, be steadfast. Get ahead in the count, execute with precision, and let deception guide the hitter to his own undoing. In this, thou shalt find not only strikeouts, but the serenity of a craft well-practiced.

👏👏👏👏