SE: Zubradt Takes Crazy Ride to Become K-State’s Top Relief Pitcher
May 10, 2019 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
At the start of an interview leading into K-State baseball's final home series against No. 20 West Virginia this weekend, senior Mitch Zubradt reflected on all the best memories he's been part of as a Wildcat. The walk-off win against TCU this season was the first to come to his mind.
"That was the craziest the crowd's been in my four years here," Zubradt said. "I'm hoping they bring the same energy this weekend."
By the end of the interview, K-State's top relief pitcher was reminded of how special this year has been for him. The unlikeliness of it, and of his K-State career, in general, came to the forefront of his mind.
"It's crazy how things happen," the former walk-on, who leads K-State in ERA (2.08), WHIP (0.92) and saves (4) this season, said of it all.
Crazy, indeed.
Four years ago, Zubradt had zero plans to play college baseball.
As a senior for St. James Academy in Lenexa, he was strictly a relief pitcher on the mound. He posted a 1.66 ERA in 18 innings, limiting his exposure for recruiting purposes. Fortunately, Zubradt said one of those innings came when Kyle Bates, a scouting director for Prep Baseball Report, was in attendance to watch another player.
Late in the season against a highly ranked 6A team, Zubradt impressed Bates enough for the regional scout to write up a blurb about him in an article about the best unsigned seniors in the Kansas City area.
The article reached then-K-State pitching coach Josh Reynolds. He promptly went to see one of Zubradt's last games at St. James. Shortly after, Zubradt got an offer to walk on for K-State.
"The rest was history," Zubradt said, who earned a scholarship after an impressive freshman season (3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 innings). "Without Kyle Bates at PBR at that game, I don't know if I'd be here. It's crazy."
Zubradt's senior year can be described the same way, mostly because there was a time when he never thought it would happen.
The 6-foot-4 righty partially tore his Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his throwing elbow in K-State's series finale against Texas Tech on April 15 last season. It seemed like it could be the end, not only of a season but of a career.
"I kind of sat there that next week and I was just thinking, 'Wow, that might have been the last time I ever touched a mound,'" he said.
Zubradt's outlook was partially shaped by his past. This was the second time he had suffered the injury. The first time he got a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to get through it. This time, his options were Tommy John surgery, a 12- to 18-month recovery process that would have waved the white flag to his baseball career; or rest, rehab and hoping those two allowed him to pitch again.
He chose the latter.
"I rested, did a lot of forearm strengthening, biceps, triceps. You do everything to strengthen the muscles around the ligament," he said, "and then just go out there and try, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn't, it doesn't."
It worked.
After a forgetful junior season (10.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched), Zubradt bounced back in a big way. He went his first 16 2/3 innings this season without allowing a run. Opponents are batting .170 against him in 26 innings pitched, best on the team (min. 3 innings pitched). He also has 29 strikeouts to six walks for a 4.83:1 ratio, more than double his career strikeout-to-walk ratio coming into this season.
"It's been a pretty special year, my best year by far, and that's not just me," he said, 4-for-4 in save opportunities this year. "We're playing a lot better defense than in the past. Hitters are doing a good job of putting us in positions to win games, and it's really fun out there on the mound when you're competing to win."
Zubradt also credited his new coaching staff, led by head coach Pete Hughes.
The new energy within the locker room and dugout spread to Zubradt in his recovery process, he said, nudging him to give baseball "one more go." He said he's developed an unwavering trust in pitching coordinator Cord "Buck" Taylor, whom Zubradt has only shook off once this year, which ended with a home run.
"I don't think I'll be shaking off anymore," Zubradt laughed. "I'll trust Buck in the dugout."
It's hard not to circle back to the injury as a factor in his standout season, too. The fear of his career almost being over became a focus to make the most of each additional chance he got in his return.
"This year, especially, even going through the fall I was out there on the mound thinking, 'This could be my last time, so you give it your all to help the team win.' It gives you an appreciation for what you have in that moment," he said. "The ups and downs of injuries and coming back from those just makes me appreciate what I have now, appreciate the teammates in the dugout and appreciate the coaches for trusting me out on the mound."
And appreciate the crazy for getting him there.
At the start of an interview leading into K-State baseball's final home series against No. 20 West Virginia this weekend, senior Mitch Zubradt reflected on all the best memories he's been part of as a Wildcat. The walk-off win against TCU this season was the first to come to his mind.
"That was the craziest the crowd's been in my four years here," Zubradt said. "I'm hoping they bring the same energy this weekend."
By the end of the interview, K-State's top relief pitcher was reminded of how special this year has been for him. The unlikeliness of it, and of his K-State career, in general, came to the forefront of his mind.
"It's crazy how things happen," the former walk-on, who leads K-State in ERA (2.08), WHIP (0.92) and saves (4) this season, said of it all.
Crazy, indeed.
Four years ago, Zubradt had zero plans to play college baseball.
As a senior for St. James Academy in Lenexa, he was strictly a relief pitcher on the mound. He posted a 1.66 ERA in 18 innings, limiting his exposure for recruiting purposes. Fortunately, Zubradt said one of those innings came when Kyle Bates, a scouting director for Prep Baseball Report, was in attendance to watch another player.
Late in the season against a highly ranked 6A team, Zubradt impressed Bates enough for the regional scout to write up a blurb about him in an article about the best unsigned seniors in the Kansas City area.
The article reached then-K-State pitching coach Josh Reynolds. He promptly went to see one of Zubradt's last games at St. James. Shortly after, Zubradt got an offer to walk on for K-State.
"The rest was history," Zubradt said, who earned a scholarship after an impressive freshman season (3.42 ERA in 26 1/3 innings). "Without Kyle Bates at PBR at that game, I don't know if I'd be here. It's crazy."
Zubradt's senior year can be described the same way, mostly because there was a time when he never thought it would happen.
The 6-foot-4 righty partially tore his Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his throwing elbow in K-State's series finale against Texas Tech on April 15 last season. It seemed like it could be the end, not only of a season but of a career.
"I kind of sat there that next week and I was just thinking, 'Wow, that might have been the last time I ever touched a mound,'" he said.
Zubradt's outlook was partially shaped by his past. This was the second time he had suffered the injury. The first time he got a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to get through it. This time, his options were Tommy John surgery, a 12- to 18-month recovery process that would have waved the white flag to his baseball career; or rest, rehab and hoping those two allowed him to pitch again.
He chose the latter.
"I rested, did a lot of forearm strengthening, biceps, triceps. You do everything to strengthen the muscles around the ligament," he said, "and then just go out there and try, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn't, it doesn't."
It worked.
After a forgetful junior season (10.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched), Zubradt bounced back in a big way. He went his first 16 2/3 innings this season without allowing a run. Opponents are batting .170 against him in 26 innings pitched, best on the team (min. 3 innings pitched). He also has 29 strikeouts to six walks for a 4.83:1 ratio, more than double his career strikeout-to-walk ratio coming into this season.
"It's been a pretty special year, my best year by far, and that's not just me," he said, 4-for-4 in save opportunities this year. "We're playing a lot better defense than in the past. Hitters are doing a good job of putting us in positions to win games, and it's really fun out there on the mound when you're competing to win."
Zubradt also credited his new coaching staff, led by head coach Pete Hughes.
The new energy within the locker room and dugout spread to Zubradt in his recovery process, he said, nudging him to give baseball "one more go." He said he's developed an unwavering trust in pitching coordinator Cord "Buck" Taylor, whom Zubradt has only shook off once this year, which ended with a home run.
"I don't think I'll be shaking off anymore," Zubradt laughed. "I'll trust Buck in the dugout."
It's hard not to circle back to the injury as a factor in his standout season, too. The fear of his career almost being over became a focus to make the most of each additional chance he got in his return.
"This year, especially, even going through the fall I was out there on the mound thinking, 'This could be my last time, so you give it your all to help the team win.' It gives you an appreciation for what you have in that moment," he said. "The ups and downs of injuries and coming back from those just makes me appreciate what I have now, appreciate the teammates in the dugout and appreciate the coaches for trusting me out on the mound."
And appreciate the crazy for getting him there.
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