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Nice To Get A Win
After two no-decisions in his previous starts, Ryan Koopman smiles following his win Friday over Hillsboro.
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06/13/09 - Sonny Fulks/1570wptw.com
It took Troy’s Ryan Koopman 2 hours and 11 minutes to beat Hillsboro in Post 43’s opening game of the weekend’s Miami Valley Veterans’ tournament. He made it look easy, if not efficient.
It took the Tipp senior-to-be 111 pitches to complete the seven-inning game and afterwards he was nothing but honest about his first win of the 2009 Legion season…a 10-2 verdict over the visitors from Ross County.
“On a scale of 10 I’d give it a 7, maybe,” he shrugged. “I wasn’t as sharp as I would have liked and I threw more pitches than I wanted. But I really wanted to get my first win and that’s what I did.”
In two previous starts he came away without a decision, and after 13 games Koopman was getting a little anxious.
“These games are a great opportunity to work on things and gain experience,” he smiled. “But it’s frustrating when you come away with no decision. I’ve pitched OK in the other two starts and I had a save in relief, but it’s nice to get that first win.”
Coming off a strong high school season at Tipp, Koopman has high, if not reasonable, expectations for his second season with Post 43.
“I want to improve and help my team win games and tournaments,” he confessed, munching on a sandwich between games of Friday’s doubleheader for Post 43. Fully aware of the kinds of opportunities that await for pitchers with his attributes, he looks at former Tipp pitcher Matt Bashore’s week as a motivation.
His fastball consistently clocks in the upper 80s, and his compliment of breaking pitches includes a better-than-average curveball and a slider that looks a lot like his fastball…until it ducks down and away from right-handed hitters. And lest anyone doubt, his progress at this stage of his career reminds you a lot of Matt Bashore at the same age.
“Ryan has the tools to have a very good career and pitch a high level of college baseball,” says Legion coach Frosty Brown. “He’s really come a long way in the past year. His mechanics have tightened up and his focus is so much better. All he needs is the opportunity to pitch.”
And he’s going to get that, against the likes of the competition appearing this weekend at the annual Veterans’ tournament at Duke Park.
“The better competition is great,” he admitted after Friday’s 10-2 win. “The score may not look like it tonight, but I think Hillsboro was a little tired after playing back-to-back games. They had a couple of good hitters in their lineup and I was conscious of that throughout the game. I like to pitch against the better teams and in pressure situations, like the Kenton Ridge game at the end of the high school season…where there’s a lot riding on the game.”
On Friday Ryan Koopman turned out to be the host with the most, striking out 11 hitters, while walking four and surrendering but two hits. Flirting with an early no-hitter, Hillsboro would not get its first hit until the fourth inning. Their only other hit came with one out in the seventh.
“I really haven’t thought about it, but I guess I’d like to get 70 or 80 innings this summer,” he added. ”Win as many as I can, and help our team win the Legion and Connie Mack tournament. It would be pretty nice to get one of those rings you get for winning the championship.”
Something Matt Bashore never got!
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