Jack Whitlock talks his increased role on the pitching staff

Jack Whitlock was the #1 pitcher for Hutchinson Community College a year ago. After redshirting his freshman year at Eastern Kentucky, the Georgia native opted to got the JUCO route and spent last season playing in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. Iowa fans should recognize the conference and the team, as it is the same one that former Hawkeye Dylan Nedved competed in before he arrived in Iowa City.

Whitlock went 8-3 with a 4.15 ERA over 15 starts as the ace of the Blue Dragons pitching staff. He finished with 44 strikeouts to 22 walks over 78 innings and earned a win in postseason play against Fort Scott CC. His efforts on the mound landed him as a Second Team All-KJCCC selection and was enough to grab the attention of the Hawkeyes.

“He’s not a prototypical stuff guy, but he’s a winner. At his JUCO, they threw him in all the big games,” said head coach Rick Heller before the season began. “He’s got the toughness and the mentality to go in and get you some outs. I wouldn’t have any question putting him in a tough situation.”

Jack threw scoreless innings against Loras College and Coe College to start the year, but at times wasn’t even on the traveling squad for away weekends. His first opportunity on the weekend came during the Hawkeyes trip to face Texas Tech. Whitlock appeared in the series opener, but was pulled after 0.2 innings and 26 pitches. He walked two and allowed a run scoring hit.

“Beginning of the year, I wasn’t pitching much. Threw it some midweeks. I got in there versus Texas Tech and struggled a little bit,” said Whitlock. “I had to learn from that and I was able to. I’ve grown from it and just build of it, even if it was a negative.”

Jack returned from that trip and went to work with pitching coach Sean McGrath on things that needed to improve. He continued to appear in some midweek games and put together four straight appearances with no runs allowed. In the fourth outing, against Bradley, Whitlock went 1.1 innings and struck out three.

“My changeup has really come along, but my slider is a predominant pitch I use, so just (working with) pitch ability,” said Whitlock. “One of the main things I worked on and learned from was the mental game. Being able to slow down my heart rate and just doing box breathing and really slowing the game down.”

He got his first opportunity in Big Ten play when the Hawkeyes traveled to Minnesota. In the series finale against the Gophers, Jack entered the game with two runners on base and just one out. He got out of the jam and went on to throw 2.2 scoreless innings in the Hawkeyes 18-4 victory.

“I think you have to have the same mindset every time you go out (weekend or midweek). Just one pitch at a time and know it’s another opportunity you get. Just have to have fun and go along with it.”

Jack followed up his good outing in Minneapolis with 2.0 scoreless innings in the midweek against Bradley and earned another weekend opportunity against Nebraska. He came into a tough bases loaded, nobody out jam, but limited the Huskers offense to just two runs. He allowed just two hits over 2.1 innings and struck out five Nebraska batters.

“Just being me and being able to throw strikes and pound the zone and just really controlling the mental game side of it,” said Jack, as he went through what has been working for him. “Being able to control yourself and go one pitch at a time.”

The path has been similar for true freshman Aaron Savary as well. Midweek appearances early in the season and not traveling with the team on weekend trips. Savary has also gotten some weekend opportunities as of late and has taken advantage of them the same way that Jack has.

“I think we have a good relationship, me and him. We talk to each other a lot and just make sure we’re both in a good headspace and ready to go whenever out number is called. He’s done a really good job coming in there and he was kind of the same way, didn’t travel sometimes and he’s just really improved.”

The two of them played a big part of the Hawkeyes trip to Penn State this past weekend. After Brody Brecht left the game in the first inning after issuing five walks, Whitlock came in and gave the pitching staff a much needed 5.1 innings. He allowed one run on two hits, while striking out five and walking just one. Savary tossed 4.0 innings in relief after Marcus Morgan departed after just 1.1 innings. He was able to settle the game down, but the Hawkeyes still dropped the series finale.

“I saw a couple of guys get walked. Brody’s been really good for us and he’s going to be really good for us in the future, but (Coach Heller) just told me to go down there (to the bullpen),” said Whitlock. “I knew it was going to be a situation where he was either going to settle in or I was going to have to get going quick.”

“I knew I just had to go in there and I had to get out of that inning that we were in and then just keep being me and not worry if it’s the second innning or the fifth, sixth.”

After starting the season as a midweek pitching option, Jack Whitlock now leads the pitching staff in a number of categories, including opponent on-base (.167), walk rate (4.5%), strikeout to walk ratio (6.07) and opponent average on balls in play (.159).

“It means a lot. It’s good to grow from failure and really look back at that and just be able to grow from what I did in the past and be able to improve,” said Whitlock. “It’s a good thing, but you have to take it one pitch at a time and go the same way. Can’t get too high or get too low.”

As the Hawkeyes continue to fight their way up the Big Ten standings and work to build a case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Jack Whitlock will be an arm that Rick Heller and Sean McGrath can rely on to get big outs.