Just two years ago, Tom Curtin tossed 3.2 shutout innings against Sacred Heart in the Northeast Conference Championship game as a sophomore, earning the win and propelling the Central Connecticut baseball team to the NCAA Tournament.

But just a season later, Curtin limped to an 11.02 earned run average (ERA) in 16.1 innings pitched.

“I was struggling to keep the ball down,” Curtin said of his struggles. “Easy pitches for guys to hit instead of keeping it low where it’s six inches above the plate, where we’re told. It’s really easy to hit it when it’s up there.”

“After one or two outings, he couldn’t hit the strike zone,” added head coach Charlie Hickey of Curtin’s struggles.

But Curtin has bounced back from those struggles, establishing himself as the go-to option for the Blue Devils in 2019. In four starts so far, he sports a 2-1 record to go with a 3.96 ERA.

Curtin’s numbers would look even better had it not been for two outlier innings. After going a strong six innings of one-run ball on Saturday against Bryant, he was tagged for six earned runs in the seventh. A similar situation occurred against Saint Peter’s. After six scoreless innings, he surrendered two runs in the seventh.

Had it not been for that one inning, Curtin would have a glimmering 1.80 ERA on the season.

Despite the seventh inning struggles, Curtin and Hickey feel his success has come thanks to being stretched out into a starter after acting exclusively as a reliever the last three years.

“It’s a little bit different of an approach coming into a game because you know what day you’re going to be pitching because you have five days leading up to it,” Curtin said. “So, you’re able to get your body ready instead of being ready to go at any moment’s notice.”

“He had been groomed for a couple years to come out of the bullpen and be and eighth inning type of guy,” Hickey added. “This isn’t pro baseball where you get 162 games. In a college season, you get a few situations and the reality is if you don’t have the success, you’re always put in a situation where the game is on your shoulders and that isn’t fair to any individual.”

Curtin has had this success despite not overwhelming hitters, striking out just 12 batters in 25 innings of work. Despite that low number, Hickey says the emphasis on not striking batters out has been one of the keys to his turnaround.

“When he throws the ball downhill, it creates some tail and movement on it, he becomes an effective groundball pitcher,” Hickey said. “He gets in trouble when he increases the velocity and throws the ball belt-high. It’s not 93, it’s 87. College hitters are going to hit that hard. So, I think he’s pitching a little more instead of just throwing.”

Hickey has also consistently praised Curtin for being a hard worker and Curtin agrees that hard work in the offseason has contributed to his performance thus far.

“I saw some guys that have helped me mechanically and a couple different workout programs that make me feel in the best shape I could,” Curtin said.

This workout program includes Curtin being able to squat 605 pounds in a video posted by the CCSU Baseball Twitter account.

Curtin said pitching well is a “whole different ballgame.”

“You feel more relaxed. You’re not pressing, trying to do too much. It’s fun,” he continued.

In order to continue his early success, Curtin believes he will need to trust his off-speed pitches and allow the strong Blue Devil defense to make plays behind him.