LORAIN – Brett Sullivan has spent most of the summer at home in Avon but he recently left Lorain County for Butler, Indiana, to spend the season with the Butler Blue Sox, a member of the Prospect League.
Sullivan, 21, is a Holy Name High School grad. The right-hander spent the past two seasons with the Blue Sox and rejoined the team June 30 this year. He said he had intended to play with a team out of Boston this summer, but the plans fell through at the last minute and he spent the first half of his summer break relaxing at home. When the Blue Sox called, Sullivan jumped at the opportunity to play again.
Sullivan discovered the Blue Sox two years ago when a friend from high school recommended him to the Butler coaching staff. The team needed a pitcher and Sullivan said he felt playing summer ball would be beneficial.
The faces of the Blue Sox roster weren’t foreign to Sullivan. Three of his Seton Hill teammates play for Butler, one who is a Butler native and provides Sullivan a place to crash during the season.
Sullivan, an incoming senior at Seton Hill, said he chose the school for its baseball program. The 2014 Griffins advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament this year and Sullivan recorded an 8-3 record and 4.05 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 14 walks through 69 innings. Overall, the team posted a 41-17 record and fell from the tournament in an elimination game against Minnesota State.
Sullivan’s success started in high school, where he earned attention from colleges while participating in showcases across the country, including the Perfect Game National Underclass Showcase in Florida. The showcases helped Sullivan gain exposure, which ultimately led him to Seton Hill, he said.
Though he has made just two appearances with the Blue Sox this summer, Sullivan has already established some dominance. In his debut start, he tossed eight scoreless innings and allowed just two hits. He earned another win in his second start as he pitched 5 1/3 innings and yielded two runs.
The Prospect League offers some tougher competition from Division I schools, Sullivan said. The experience of playing in the league also provides some alternate perspectives to the game.
‘It’s just a new experience,’ Sullivan explained. ‘It’s about getting to know the guys, new coaching, good tips here and there from different players or coaches and getting out here and playing the best competition.’
Sullivan said he isn’t focusing on one particular element of his game this summer. Instead, he simply hopes to improve overall. His biggest strength at the moment is his confidence in his pitch arsenal, which consists of a fastball, curveball, slider, change and splitter combination. His splitter, he said, is his most comfortable pitch.
Sullivan also finds comfort in some familiar faces. Though he didn’t pitch, he said his family came to the Blue Sox game at The Pipe Yard July 17 as Butler visited the Ironmen.
Despite some sloppy defense, the Blue Sox held the Ironmen to a 2-0 shutout.
Blue Sox starter Ben Hartz tossed six innings and surrendered four hits while striking out two. Though Butler committed four errors, the Ironmen failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Two Butler errors in the third inning put Ironmen in scoring position, but lead runner Anthony Bova was cut down at the plate on a fielder’s choice play.
The Blue Sox scored in the fourth inning after Cody Herald was hit by a pitch and came around to score on a single by Kent State catcher Jeffrey Revesz. Meanwhile, Lorain County starter J.T. Brubaker went seven innings and relinquished one earned run on five hits, one walk and five strikeouts. He currently sits among the Prospect League’s top 10 pitchers in strikeouts.
Brubaker was relieved by Westlake native Joey Stoll in the eighth inning.
A pair of wild pitches and an error provided an insurance run to Butler and the Ironmen couldn’t rally on Blue Sox closer Austin Ross in the ninth, who sealed the Blue Sox win.
