INDIANAPOLIS - It was March 28 when junior Tim Herrin got a relief appearance in his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana.
It was the bottom of the fifth and the Hoosiers had just taken a two-run lead in the top half of the inning. But then Herrin allowed two straight singles to start the fifth and had runners at the corners. Not a great situation.
What Herrin did next might have turned around his season. He got out of the inning, fist pump to boot.
Once against Tuesday night in Indianapolis, Herrin had his best stuff and it helped Indiana to a 3-0 win over Notre Dame.
"I was able to pitch off my fastball today ... and then comeback with my slider with a different movement."
Indiana baseball starting pitcher @TimmyHerrin dominated against Notre Dame going 6 shutout innings, with 6 strikeouts, allowing just 1 hit in the 3-0 win. #iubase pic.twitter.com/Sb58uF9EmY
— The Hoosier Network (@TheHoosierNet) April 18, 2018
“He’s from Terre Haute, so we put him in in relief in Terre Haute and it’s like he got his confidence back,” IU coach Chris Lemonis said. “This game is so much about confidence. He has the ability, so now that he feels good about himself, he’s pitching a little better.”
Herrin was dominant through his six innings of work and came away with his second win of the season. He didn't give up a run on one hit while walking one and striking out six.
The lefty said his fastball had a lot of movement Tuesday night, which enabled him to mix in his slider with a lot of success. That’s been the recipe as of late. Whatever changed in the past few weeks has been crucial for IU’s midweek success.
“Everything felt good today, I was able to fill up the zone,” Herrin said. “Working with Coach Bunn and throwing my bullpen, and then going out in the games and being able to execute, really just builds confidence. I’ve been able to build on that since my outing at Indiana State.”
Even his catcher, junior Ryan Fineman, sees a difference with Herrin. Those two were the one-two punch Tuesday as Fineman hit his fifth home run of the season, giving the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead in the sixth. That blast gave Herrin the win.
After tonight's 3-0 win vs Notre Dame, Indiana baseball has the best team ERA in the nation at 2.27.
Starting pitcher @TimmyHerrin attributes that success to the defense behind him and @ryanfineman14 behind the plate. #iubase pic.twitter.com/E2u14yyKKX
— The Hoosier Network (@TheHoosierNet) April 18, 2018
But confidence seems to be the key word with Herrin’s turnaround. He’s pounding the strike zone. When pitchers can do that, good things happen.
“He pitched everything with confidence,” Fineman said. “He went out there and did what he can do every single time, so it’s good to see.”
In his last four appearances Herrin has yielded just one run in 17 innings pitched. Along with that, he’s struck out sixteen and walked just four. Whether it’s confidence, working with Coach Bunn or something else, these past few weeks have been a complete 180 for Herrin.
Moving forward, Herrin could be a major piece for this team with big midweek games upcoming.
“He’s really raw as a pitcher,” Lemonis said. “He hasn’t played as much as some other kids because he’s played so much football. He’s been a little behind the eight-ball in development and he’s taking a little bit longer.”
