A Quick Six from Spring Sports Senior Nick Thompson
May 19, 2021
Senior pitcher Nick Thompson, one of the leaders of the 28-1 baseball Rocks, signed with Bellarmine University earlier in the year. He discussed his approach to conditioning and the ways he prepares to face batters.
Q: Describe some things you’ll miss most about playing baseball for Trinity.
A: I will miss the friends I have made, mostly because we are all going to different colleges to play.
Q: How do you mentally prepare yourself before pitching?
A: Before I pitch, I try and think about nothing but pitching, and I only think about doing good because it helps my confidence.
Q: How do you research batters’ strengths and weaknesses when you prepare to pitch against them?
A: We do not know most of the players on the other team, but there are things I do during the at-bat that helps. For example, if the batter has a long swing, I will throw inside, and he probably won’t be able to catch up to it.
Q: How do you know when it’s time for you to be pulled from a game?
A: If the coach walks out two times in one inning, he is required to take me out of the game.
Q: What types of conditioning do you do in the off-season to stay in shape?
A: On my own, I do high-intensity workouts with lots of reps to improve my endurance and strength, and for school, we run lots of sprints.
Q: What kind of batter do you least like to face?
A: A batter with a good eye. Then I can’t get lucky and get him to chase outside of the zone.