IU freshman pitcher emerges in pressure situations

He doesn’t remember exactly what happened.

When freshman pitcher Will Coursen-Carr took the ball in Sunday’s fifth inning of Game 2 of the super regional in Tallahassee, Fla., he entered with the bases loaded, one out and the Hoosiers clinging to a 5-3 lead.

Then he hit his first batter.

It’s 5-4.

“There were crazy fans there,” Coursen-Carr said. “When I came in, I hit the first batter. I took a step back and I realized all these people are yelling at me and rooting against me and everything.”

He managed to escape the inning by allowing one more run, which tied the game.

He pitched four innings that day, allowing only two hits and one earned run. He earned the win — a win that clinched IU’s first appearance in the College World Series.

In the past three games — the two super regional games and the regional championship, arguably the three most important in IU history — Coursen-Carr has recorded either a win or a save.

In the Big Ten Tournament, he pitched in the championship game, going the full nine innings to secure the 4-3 victory.

He’s experienced his fair share of high pressure moments.

“I think that everybody looks at CC and knows that he’s going to lay it all out there and he’s got guts,” senior shortstop Michael Basil said.

But he almost buckled in Sunday’s game. Sophomore catcher Kyle Schwarber could see it in his demeanor. That’s why he came out to talk to Coursen-Carr immediately after hitting his first batter.

That’s the conversation Coursen-Carr said he doesn’t exactly remember.

“I’ve been there before in that kind of spot being a freshman, you’re in a big situation,” Schwarber said. “Just going out there, I just give him a big smile and say, ‘Hey, it happens you know. I know you’re better than these guys. This kind of stuff is going to happen. They’re going to have an inning where they get maybe three runs, you know. It’s not a big deal because (we’ve) got confidence in you to throw strikes.’ I just wanted to go out there and calm him down and give him his confidence back.”

On Saturday in Game 1 of the super regional, Coursen-Carr took the call from the
bullpen in the ninth inning to relieve IU’s all-time saves leader, junior Ryan Halstead.

In that game, the freshman entered with runners on first and second and no outs, with
IU holding on to a 10-8 lead.

He threw two wild pitches and allowed one run and one hit, but with the tying run on third and the winning run at second, he closed the door on Florida State’s cleanup hitter to give IU the win.

“He has a lot of confidence in himself,” Basil said. “Coming into the year, I knew he was going to be an effective pitcher for us, but I wasn’t sure we were going to get out of him what we have. Here at the end of the season, he’s been huge for us.

“He’s quite honestly probably been the best pitcher on our staff over the last few weeks the way he’s been throwing the baseball. It’s been awesome to have him doing what he’s doing.”

For most of the season, Coursen-Carr served as the weekday starter for IU. He’s made 16 appearances this season, 10 of which were starts. Of the starting pitchers, including the Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year, sophomore Aaron Slegers, Coursen-Carr has the best earned run average at 1.80, although he has only pitched 60 innings compared to Slegers’ 97.

During the regular season, Coursen-Carr only made four relief appearances.

It’s a role he said he’s comfortable with for the postseason if that’s what IU Coach Tracy Smith asks of him.

“Pitching is pitching,” Coursen-Carr said. “It doesn’t matter if I start or if I relieve.”

Coursen-Carr said coming into the season, he hoped to be the guy that the team trusted with the ball in high pressure situations, but admitted he didn’t think that would actually be a reality as a freshman.

“It’s pretty surreal,” he said. “It’s awesome. I’m happy to have (Smith’s) confidence and happy the team is confident in me.”

Schwarber said that after watching him struggle for a bit to start the season, it’s been rewarding to watch him succeed.

“I feel like as the year has progressed on,” Schwarber said, “he’s been one of those guys we can go to. I feel like he’s got a totally different demeanor out there when he’s on the mound.

“He’s just doing what he needs to do. I can’t be more happy for him. That’s what I expect out of him. He’s just pounding the strike zone and he’s got some good stuff to back it up with that.”