The kid with the goofy windup who once dominated Western Conference baseball steps onto Seattle baseball’s biggest stage tonight.
When Washington hosts Arizona at Safeco Field — the second game the Huskies have played at the Mariners home in as many years — Nick Haughian, a Marysville-Pilchuck High graduate, is expected to start for the Huskies.
And while Haughian admits that playing at Safeco in front of a larger-than-usual crowd for a Pacific-10 Conference game will feel a bit different, the left-handed junior plans to keep his laid-back and sometimes goofy demeanor intact.
About the only thing different about tonight, Haughian says, will be the amount of time he spends chatting with Frank Bartenetti before the game. Bartenetti, who once coached UW coach Ken Knutson on a little league all-star team and at Seattle University, volunteers his time with the Huskies as something of a team psychologist (though he makes no claim of actually being a psychologist).
“He’s kind of our mental guy,” Haughian explained. “I like to go talk to him before games, especially like games Friday. It will be a game where I will have to sit down and have a good, long talk with Frank and say, ‘Hey, help my brain out here a little bit.’”
Other than the long chat with Bartenetti, Haughian doesn’t plan to change much of what has turned him into the Huskies’ Friday night starter — the role traditionally given to a college team’s top starter.
“I don’t think there’s anything special I need to do, and really I’m sure that’s how the coaches want it,” he said. “It’s just another game and you’ve got to treat it that way.”
Haughian pitched just 202/3 innings, all in relief, as a freshman, then made 13 starts in 18 appearances last season, going 4-7 with a 6.44 earned run average. This season, other than a couple of rough recent outings, Haughian has been one of the best starters for the 18-8 Huskies. He is currently 2-2 with a 4.22 ERA and is hoping to bounce back from back-to-back sub-par starts.
“It’s just one of those things that will come around,” said Haughian, who hopes to locate his fastball better tonight. “I feel good, I feel confident. I don’t feel like anything is broken. The last couple of starts have been a little bit rocky. In Portland, I had a good beginning to it and I kind of blew up, and Oregon State was kind of a continuation of that, but I think it will happen. It’s just a matter of throwing my pitches with confidence.”
Knutson certainly has confidence in Haughian, who can throw his fastball 91-92 miles per hour, and also uses a slider, curveball and changeup.
“He’s one of the more talented kids that I’ve coached here, he really is,” Knutson said.
That’s high praise coming from the coach who just two seasons ago had San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum on his staff.
“(Haughian is) a left-handed pitcher than can throw in the low 90s,” Knutson said. “He’s got maybe as good a breaking ball as I’ve seen out of a left-handed arm. He’s got a curveball and a slider, but his best pitch is his change up. He’s a power guy with an ability to pitch. I think he’ll have a great future in professional baseball if he stays healthy.”
Now that Haughian is one of the more veteran members of the staff, the Huskies hope to benefit not just from his talents, but also his experience. On some of Washington’s early-season road trips, freshman left-handed pitcher Geoff Brown, a Jackson High graduate, roomed with Haughian and picked the brain of his fellow lefty.
“He and I are kind of alike,” Brown said. “We have similar mentality and we like to have fun. Rooming with him was a good thing for me. He helped me out, especially the first trip. I asked him a lot about what it’s like to pitch in college. He gave me a lot of pointers and said, ‘Go out there and pitch like you did in high school and you’ll be successful.’”
As for that unorthodox, contorting windup Haughian used in high school, it’s still there to a degree, although he insists he’s toned it down a bit.
“It’s slightly different, toned down, but guys still give me a hard time because it looks a little funny,” Haughian said. “It’s not nearly as extravagant as it once was, but it’s still kind of funky.”
Contact Herald Writer John Boyle at jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on University of Washington sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog
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