Exeter right-hander Deven Sheerin is season’s first UECU Pitcher of the Week
Deven Sheerin made a pretty seamless transition into baseball season.
Five days after appearing in the PIAA Class 5A basketball championship game the Exeter senior was in championship form on the mound.
How’s this for a season pitching debut: 14 strikeouts over five hitless innings?
“He was ridiculous,” said Eagles coach Justin Freese after seeing the 6-5 right-hander strike out the first 11 batters in a 10-0 season-opening win at Cedar Crest. “The first 11 batters, there might’ve been one foul ball. He was like a man amongst boys. It was incredible.”
The Mount St. Mary’s recruit struck out every batter in the Falcons’ lineup at least once and needed just 75 pitches over five frames to earn the season’s first Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week.
Sheerin was pretty good at the plate, too. In Exeter’s next game, a 14-1 win over Garden Spot, he homered twice. That equaled his team-leading total of last season, when he drove in 20 runs over 26 games for the state-qualifying Eagles.
Sheerin didn’t allow a Cedar Crest baserunner until the fourth inning when he hit a batter with a pitch. The next batter popped out to shortstop; he was the only batter to put a ball in play. Sheerin walked a batter and hit another in the fifth before ending the game with a pair of strikeouts.
Freese, who has coached the Eagles for 29 seasons, called it “one of the most dominating pitching performances I’ve seen.”
Sheerin was throwing a 92-93 mph fastball and a slider; the Falcons couldn’t hit either.
“The home plate umpire said his slider was unfair,” Freese said.
Sheerin is scheduled to make his second start Monday afternoon in the Eagle’s home and league opener, against Wilson.
Despite being involved in the state basketball tournament Sheerin was able to get in his full baseball workouts leading up to the season opener. He was throwing on a regular basis since the start of practice, even if it meant going from basketball practice to baseball practice, or vice versa.
He accompanied the baseball team on its spring training trip to Florida March 16-21 and pitched three innings in a scrimmage against Mount St. Joseph’s of Baltimore on March 18. He struck out six over three innings.
Sheerin was Exeter’s top pitcher last season, when it reached the PIAA Tournament. He struck out 84 over a team-leading 56 2/3 innings, with 47 hits. He went 6-2 with a 2.59 ERA.
In case you were wondering, the major league record for consecutive strikeouts is 10, set by Tom Seaver and matched by several others, including Aaron Nola. Jacob deGrom and Jim Deshaies share the record for strikeouts to open a game, with eight.
Sheerin is the first Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week this season. Players considered for UECU Union Pitcher of the Week honors are nominated by their coaches or by MikeDragoSports.com.
Also nominated for Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week:
- Derek Brynildsen, Berks Catholic
- Carson Renner, Brandywine Heights
- Ethan Rissmiller, Daniel Boone
- Jake Karnish, Fleetwood
- Alexander Velez, Gov. Mifflin
- Matt VanOstenbridge, Wilson
Selected as Utilities Employees Credit Union Pitcher of the Week last season:
- April 4: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- April 11: Alexander Velez, Gov. Mifflin
- April 18: Cole Leaman, Wilson
- April 25: Tristan Baer, Hamburg
- May 2: Matt Kramer, Wyomissing
- May 9: Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
- May 16: Luke Macdonald, Oley Valley
- May 23: Rueben Livingston, Wilson
