Bryce Eblin Makes Pitching Appearance After All-Star Recognition
By Mojo Hill
It was hard not to do a double take or at least blink a couple times when the new pitcher took the mound at Lowell Park for the seventh inning on Monday. Bryce Eblin, just a day after being named an All-Star infielder, moved over from second base to pitch the final inning of a 14-3 win over Cotuit.
Standing at a generous 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Eblin might not be the most intimidating presence on the mound at first glance. But he came out of the gates throwing a 90-91 mph fastball, showing everyone that he wasn’t just another position player pitching. Eblin pitched in high school — and even a dose in college — and hasn’t ruled out the idea of being a two-way guy.
“Being able to be versatile in every aspect of the game is huge,” Eblin said. “Especially playing at the next level, being a two-way, if one doesn’t work out you can always bounce back to the other.”
Eblin said he only got to warm up for about three pitches before making his Braves pitching debut. But he showed a legitimate fastball, and induced a pair of 3-1 groundouts in his inning of work. He occasionally tried to spin in a low-70s curveball as well, but he struggled to command it. He hit the first batter he faced and gave up runs on a double and a single.
“The fastball plays,” Bourne manager Scott Landers said. “Just need to get some offspeed stuff.”
Eblin last pitched in 2021 for Alabama, when he gave up three runs in 1 1/3 innings over two appearances. Before that, he pitched during his junior year of high school. Alongside a casual .451 average as a hitter, he allowed just three earned runs in 15 2/3 innings, with 16 strikeouts and only two walks.
“I mean, he can pitch,” Landers said. “And I wanted to actually see him get out there. It was a good time. We got the day off tomorrow. See what he has, and see what we gotta work on, and see if Alabama could actually utilize him in some capacity at school.”
That’s what summer ball is all about: working and experimenting in ways you might not during the regular season. Sam Petersen has been doing a similar thing on the baserunning side, trying to maximize his aggressiveness and find ways to take extra bags whenever possible. Regardless of what area of the game a player is trying to improve in, it all takes a similar level of focus and competitiveness.
“Just being able to get the adrenaline going is huge,” Eblin said. “Taking the mound; I haven’t done that in a while! My freshman year of college, I pitched a little bit for ‘Bama. And yeah, it was a lot of fun.”
Eblin heads into the upcoming All-Star game with his focus still on being an infielder, though, as he’ll represent the West as one of six Braves on the All-Star team. He won postseason MVP during Bourne’s championship run last summer, and he’s come back and been a clutch run producer near the top of the lineup. He owns a .375 OBP and 12 RBIs, and has shown defensive versatility around the infield.
“I’m blessed to even just be in this situation, being in the Cape,” Eblin said. “I couldn’t do it without the coaching staff and the team. Most importantly, I think it’s time to win a ring and get back to winning games.”
Whether at second base, third base, shortstop or even pitcher, Eblin’s presence should help this Braves team as they vie for back-to-back titles. There are only 13 regular-season games left, and Bourne currently sits in third place with a 16-14-1 record.
The Braves will return to action Wednesday at Doran Park at 6 p.m. against Orleans. Their All-Star selections will compete in the exhibition game at Whitehouse Field at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
