Senior pitcher and infielder Eli Starr has helped the Ankeny Centennial baseball team to a 17-13 record this season. He is batting .375 with one home run and five RBIs.
On the mound, Starr has compiled a 3-2 record with a 3.82 ERA and a team-high 44 strikeouts. He will play for Lake Land College (Ill.) in the fall.
Here is some inside info on Starr:
How is the season going thus far?
It’s been a fun season so far. There have been some ups and downs for sure, but I feel like we are starting to play our best ball at the right time. For me personally, I’ve been dealing with left hamstring and right quad injuries so I haven’t been able to be on the field as much as I would like, other than my appearances on the mound.
What has been the highlight for you?
The highlight for me has been having the privilege to go compete with this team. We have played in some fun games, like our doubleheader at Southeast Polk and the games against Ankeny. I think it’s great to be able to go out there as a team and get it done and battle.
You tossed an eight-inning complete game to help your team to a 4-1 victory at Ankeny in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Wednesday. After your team rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth, were you confident that you could close it out before you reached your pitch limit?
Yes, I was very confident I could close it out. I knew I had (Jack) Romig coming up in their lineup, and he had given me some difficulty all night long. I wanted so bad to get it done and get the win for us but also knew if I ended up hitting the pitch limit, we had Colton (Arndt) coming in to shut it down. He has been electric out of the bullpen this year so I wasn’t worried.
You scattered nine hits in the win while recording nine strikeouts. Were all of your pitches working that night, and which one would you say is your strikeout pitch?
I definitely didn’t have my best stuff that night and wish I would have been able to limit their hits more. With that being said, my defense (Will Nesler, in particular at shortstop) played amazing behind me and had my back all night. I have confidence to throw any pitch in any count, but would probably say my strikeout pitch is a slider to (righthanded batters) or a changeup to lefties.
How many different pitches do you throw?
I throw six pitches: two-seam (fastball), four-seam, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. I just started throwing the cutter this spring, and I feel as if it was the best addition to my mix so far.
I know the substate brackets have not been released yet, but do you think your team is capable of making a deep postseason run?
For sure. Our rotation is very deep, and our bats have looked great lately. We just play good, aggressive baseball, and I think that is a formula for a postseason run.
You have made all five of your pitching appearances this season as a starter, racking up a team-high 29 1/3 innings. Would you be comfortable pitching out of the bullpen in the postseason if that is what coach Mark Hey needs?
Absolutely. That is not a specific talk that coach Hey and I have had, but I will do anything to make it to a state tournament with these guys. We have a tremendous coaching staff, and coach Hey is extremely knowledgeable. He thinks the game well, and I have confidence he will put us in situations that will best allow us to reach our goals
Your sister, Cami, is a starting shortstop on the second-ranked Centennial softball team that is 31-2 and broke the state’s all-time single-season record for most home runs by a team. How do your parents J and Missy, who were both standout athletes at Ankeny, decide which game to watch when you and Cami are both playing at the same time?
When we’re at home my mom sits at the top of the softball bleachers so she can see both games, and my dad always sits out on State Street and walks between the two games. When we’re away, they try to find a place to see both games or they’ll walk back and forth.
Your older sister, Addi, is a member of the Central College softball team, and Cami has committed to play for Drake. Did Addi give you and Cami any advice when you were going through the recruiting process?
Yes. All three of us have different goals for our college experiences. I think that having Addi go through it before me did help in a way, but she and my parents just encouraged me to find a school that aligned with those goals.
What did you like about Lake Land College?
Lake Land is a D1 (junior college) that plays in one of the top conferences in all of juco. They play amazing competition and with that comes a ton of opportunities to showcase what I have and what I believe is my capability to play baseball at a really high level. Outside of that, coach Black just took over the program as head coach and after getting the opportunity to sit down to talk with him and coach Conklin, the newly hired pitching coach, I feel as if my future and aspirations are in good hands.
Did they recruit you primarily as a pitcher, or will you have the opportunity to bat and play in the field as well?
My plan is to go as a pitcher only, but will always do whatever is best for the team.