SE: Hassall’s Toughness Takes Him to Friday Night Success for K-State Baseball
Apr 26, 2019 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
To change a culture, Pete Hughes said he looks for toughness and competitiveness first on the recruiting trail. It's only fitting then that his first recruit as K-State baseball's head coach was Griffin Hassall, K-State's Canadian freshman Friday night starter.
He's the epitome of those two words.
"He's an animal," Hughes said of Hassall, who holds a 2.33 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and back-to-back wins against top-20 teams.
Hughes knew this before the 6-foot-3, baby-faced righty even came on a visit to K-State. Hassall was highly recommended by Greg Hamilton, the Director of Baseball Canada's National Teams. Hughes has known Hamilton for years through recruiting Canadians, whom typically commit later than Americans.
The rest of the Wildcats saw Hassall's toughness in their first Fall World Series game last October.
While pitching, Hassall took a line drive off the foot. He felt pain but figured it was "just bruised." He threw another two innings on a broken foot, a fact he found out the next day.
"I talked to the team about that. I told them, 'That's toughness right there,'" Hughes said. "There's a freshman pitching in a fall game, and it doesn't matter. It was important to him. That was a great example of toughness. So, I kind of knew who the kid was because I knew his background but that was, as far as his toughness, kind of his coming out party to his teammates."
Hassall's road to becoming K-State's reliable weekend series starter was, at times, very tough.
After verbally committing to K-State during his official visit, Hassall got stranded in the Chicago airport on his way home because of adverse weather. He ended up missing his high school graduation as a result. Not exactly a great omen, but Hassall didn't mind.
"I think my mom was more upset than I was that I missed it, but it wasn't a big deal to me. It's pretty boring to sit (in a graduation) the whole time," he laughed. "I'm still happy about it."
Then, a few months into Hassall's K-State tenure, he broke his foot. He spent the next month or so in a walking boot and did upper body work until he was cleared to throw. About a week after he was cleared, he came down with both mono and strep throat at the same time. So, he was shut down again for about three weeks.
"It was a tough start, but I hope I got it all out of the way now," Hassall said with a smile. "I was upset at the beginning, but it all happens for a reason."
Hassall's mindset through adversity and pain is not exactly a baseball thing, either. For him, it's connected to a more popular Canadian sport.
"I think it got that from hockey," Hassall said, a hockey player from age 4 to about 14. "The big thing is mental toughness and being able to push through things, because hockey is a pretty rough, physical sport, so you would deal with a lot of bruises, pains. I think that was a big thing with my foot, too. The mentality to not leave the game, just keep pushing until the coach takes you out. I didn't want to take myself out. I think that's the biggest thing from hockey."
As for his ability to handle the biggest stages at such a young age — i.e., throwing five one-hit innings in front of more than 5,000 people at No. 14 Texas, or hurling 7 2/3 three-hit innings at home versus No. 19 TCU — Hassall said that does come from his baseball background.
For two years, he pitched for a few of Team Canada's national teams. He threw in the U18 World Championships in 2017, where Team Canada finished fourth. He also faced off with minor league teams more than once, as well as the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training on national TV, both organized by Hamilton to test Canada's premier amateur players.
"Those kinds of stages, like when I played in the World Championship, have really helped me not be as nervous," Hassall said, recently named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. "Obviously I was nervous for my (first) starts but it helps you, like a you've-been-there kind of thing."
K-State (20-22, 5-7) expects big atmospheres this weekend when it hosts Oklahoma (28-14, 6-6) for a three-game series, with capacity crowds anticipated Friday and Saturday. Hughes expects his Friday night freshman to handle it like he has recently, with that same been-there-before approach.
"He's pitched against professionals since he was 16 years old. Nothing fazes him," Hughes said. "So, when you run him out there against Texas, (for instance), Griffin doesn't care. He's just trying to get a pitch into the spot he's trying to throw it and move on to the next pitch."
To change a culture, Pete Hughes said he looks for toughness and competitiveness first on the recruiting trail. It's only fitting then that his first recruit as K-State baseball's head coach was Griffin Hassall, K-State's Canadian freshman Friday night starter.
He's the epitome of those two words.
"He's an animal," Hughes said of Hassall, who holds a 2.33 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and back-to-back wins against top-20 teams.
Hughes knew this before the 6-foot-3, baby-faced righty even came on a visit to K-State. Hassall was highly recommended by Greg Hamilton, the Director of Baseball Canada's National Teams. Hughes has known Hamilton for years through recruiting Canadians, whom typically commit later than Americans.
The rest of the Wildcats saw Hassall's toughness in their first Fall World Series game last October.
While pitching, Hassall took a line drive off the foot. He felt pain but figured it was "just bruised." He threw another two innings on a broken foot, a fact he found out the next day.
"I talked to the team about that. I told them, 'That's toughness right there,'" Hughes said. "There's a freshman pitching in a fall game, and it doesn't matter. It was important to him. That was a great example of toughness. So, I kind of knew who the kid was because I knew his background but that was, as far as his toughness, kind of his coming out party to his teammates."
Hassall's road to becoming K-State's reliable weekend series starter was, at times, very tough.
After verbally committing to K-State during his official visit, Hassall got stranded in the Chicago airport on his way home because of adverse weather. He ended up missing his high school graduation as a result. Not exactly a great omen, but Hassall didn't mind.
"I think my mom was more upset than I was that I missed it, but it wasn't a big deal to me. It's pretty boring to sit (in a graduation) the whole time," he laughed. "I'm still happy about it."
Then, a few months into Hassall's K-State tenure, he broke his foot. He spent the next month or so in a walking boot and did upper body work until he was cleared to throw. About a week after he was cleared, he came down with both mono and strep throat at the same time. So, he was shut down again for about three weeks.
"It was a tough start, but I hope I got it all out of the way now," Hassall said with a smile. "I was upset at the beginning, but it all happens for a reason."
Hassall's mindset through adversity and pain is not exactly a baseball thing, either. For him, it's connected to a more popular Canadian sport.
"I think it got that from hockey," Hassall said, a hockey player from age 4 to about 14. "The big thing is mental toughness and being able to push through things, because hockey is a pretty rough, physical sport, so you would deal with a lot of bruises, pains. I think that was a big thing with my foot, too. The mentality to not leave the game, just keep pushing until the coach takes you out. I didn't want to take myself out. I think that's the biggest thing from hockey."
As for his ability to handle the biggest stages at such a young age — i.e., throwing five one-hit innings in front of more than 5,000 people at No. 14 Texas, or hurling 7 2/3 three-hit innings at home versus No. 19 TCU — Hassall said that does come from his baseball background.
For two years, he pitched for a few of Team Canada's national teams. He threw in the U18 World Championships in 2017, where Team Canada finished fourth. He also faced off with minor league teams more than once, as well as the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training on national TV, both organized by Hamilton to test Canada's premier amateur players.
"Those kinds of stages, like when I played in the World Championship, have really helped me not be as nervous," Hassall said, recently named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. "Obviously I was nervous for my (first) starts but it helps you, like a you've-been-there kind of thing."
K-State (20-22, 5-7) expects big atmospheres this weekend when it hosts Oklahoma (28-14, 6-6) for a three-game series, with capacity crowds anticipated Friday and Saturday. Hughes expects his Friday night freshman to handle it like he has recently, with that same been-there-before approach.
"He's pitched against professionals since he was 16 years old. Nothing fazes him," Hughes said. "So, when you run him out there against Texas, (for instance), Griffin doesn't care. He's just trying to get a pitch into the spot he's trying to throw it and move on to the next pitch."
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