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Insider: What a relief for Wong
9/19/2017 9:00:00 AM | Baseball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU ace stars out of bullpen in Cape Cod League
Each time Jake Wong starts on the mound for Grand Canyon, he hopes for the best.
What he did out of the bullpen this summer will help him prepare for the worst.
The Lopes ace would love endless shutout victories, but the reality is that Wong's success depends on how he handles when there are more men on base than outs. Given how he performed as a reliever at this summer's Cape Cod Baseball League, Wong appears readier than ever.
After being GCU's Friday night starter in the spring, Wong came out of the bullpen this summer and posted a 2.59 earned run average in the toughest collegiate summer league. Wong had a rough second appearance and then posted a 0.86 ERA for his remaining 17 relief appearances with the Orleans Firebirds.
"That (relief pitching) was a change of pace for me, but I adjusted well," Wong said. "It was a fun, new experience. Anytime I get a chance to pitch in that league with those guys on my team, I'm always grateful so I embraced the role and ran with it.
"You're thrown into some difficult situations. You come in with runners on base and stuff like that. I got a chance to challenge myself with this new experience and to see what I can handle."
Wong, a 6-foot-2 junior right-hander, struck out 27 Cape Cod batters in 24 1/3 innings while yielding only six bases on balls. Opponents hit .171 against him in the regular season.
"The biggest pitches are made with runners on base," said Wong, who was mostly a set-up reliever for Orleans. "I definitely grew as a pitcher. I think relieving had something to do with it and just getting innings under my belt. Facing guys from all over the place is always a new challenge with hitters you've never seen. There are definitely things I am going to take away that will make me a better pitcher."
Wong said he built on his solid base from last season, when he went 5-3, and further developed his changeup and slider to complement his 90-plus mph fastball.
The Chandler Hamilton High School graduate was anxious to rejoin his team this fall at GCU, where his sister, Jessica, now plays for Lopes soccer. Jake switched his uniform number to No. 24, which Jessica also wears.
DIbaseball.com made Wong No. 30, its ranking for him as a prospect among Cape Cod players. Baseball America ranked Wong in its Cape Cod top 40.
"It's nice to get recognition, but I can't get complacent," Wong said. "There is always work that needs to be done and things that need to be improved upon. I'll take the recognition and take it humbly."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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What he did out of the bullpen this summer will help him prepare for the worst.
The Lopes ace would love endless shutout victories, but the reality is that Wong's success depends on how he handles when there are more men on base than outs. Given how he performed as a reliever at this summer's Cape Cod Baseball League, Wong appears readier than ever.
After being GCU's Friday night starter in the spring, Wong came out of the bullpen this summer and posted a 2.59 earned run average in the toughest collegiate summer league. Wong had a rough second appearance and then posted a 0.86 ERA for his remaining 17 relief appearances with the Orleans Firebirds.
"That (relief pitching) was a change of pace for me, but I adjusted well," Wong said. "It was a fun, new experience. Anytime I get a chance to pitch in that league with those guys on my team, I'm always grateful so I embraced the role and ran with it.
"You're thrown into some difficult situations. You come in with runners on base and stuff like that. I got a chance to challenge myself with this new experience and to see what I can handle."
Wong, a 6-foot-2 junior right-hander, struck out 27 Cape Cod batters in 24 1/3 innings while yielding only six bases on balls. Opponents hit .171 against him in the regular season.
"The biggest pitches are made with runners on base," said Wong, who was mostly a set-up reliever for Orleans. "I definitely grew as a pitcher. I think relieving had something to do with it and just getting innings under my belt. Facing guys from all over the place is always a new challenge with hitters you've never seen. There are definitely things I am going to take away that will make me a better pitcher."
Wong said he built on his solid base from last season, when he went 5-3, and further developed his changeup and slider to complement his 90-plus mph fastball.
The Chandler Hamilton High School graduate was anxious to rejoin his team this fall at GCU, where his sister, Jessica, now plays for Lopes soccer. Jake switched his uniform number to No. 24, which Jessica also wears.
DIbaseball.com made Wong No. 30, its ranking for him as a prospect among Cape Cod players. Baseball America ranked Wong in its Cape Cod top 40.
"It's nice to get recognition, but I can't get complacent," Wong said. "There is always work that needs to be done and things that need to be improved upon. I'll take the recognition and take it humbly."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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