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05/05/2016 12:00 AMDrew Harmon has always loved baseball and owned a fiery passion to get better with each passing season. These characteristics have helped Drew blaze a trail toward great feats with the Hand baseball team and a giant step in terms of his collegiate career.
Drew, a senior co-captain first baseman/pitcher, made his way to the Tigers’ diamond after moving from New York to Madison when he was in 8th grade. Last spring, Drew garnered some headlines when he pitched a no-hitter in Hand’s win at Wilcox Tech in the first round of the Class L State Tournament. Now, he’s committed to continue his baseball career at Division I Lafayette College in Pennsylvania next year.
“What has helped me out the most as a pitcher is having sort of a natural cut on my fastball. My cut fastball isn’t very straight, but it’s helped me with ground balls,” says Drew, who will study civil engineering. “I’m not a strikeout pitcher, but I’m able to get quick innings. I’m not getting absolutely shelled, but I’m pitching to contact. Baseball really drove my selection process towards college, but I also wanted to do engineering. I’m looking forward to having this all set me up for what I want to do in life.”
Regarding his biggest performance on the postseason stage, Drew says he didn’t try to complicate things while knowing that a no-no was brewing. Instead, like many pitchers in that situation, he simply took it one inning and one pitch at a time.
“Showing up to that game, I was just worried about getting a win and trying to limit runs, walks, and pitching to contact. I felt around the fourth or fifth inning, I really had some stuff going. The no-hitter was in the back of my mind, but I wasn’t trying to make it anything special,” says Drew. “I’ve always had a strong defense behind me here at Hand and that was a comforting thing that day. It was a really good way to start the tournament.”
Hand skipper Travis LaPointe says that Drew’s success on the mound comes as no shock considering his hurler’s heart and hustle. He adds that Drew is also starting to swing a hot bat.
“He is an exceptional leader on and off the field. He is an incredible role model for all of his peers. He works as hard as any player I have ever coached on and off the field. He excels in the classroom and also spends time as a volunteer firefighter in the Madison community,” says LaPointe. “When he graduates in June, he will be sorely missed by the entire program and will be very difficult to replace. He is beginning to heat up at the plate this spring.”
Although his Tigers took a tough extra inning loss to Branford last month, Drew roped a trio of doubles in the game that gave him the swagger he needed to get into midseason form with the stick.
“We, including myself, weren’t playing phenomenally going into that game, but that first feeling of solid contact was all it took. Making that contact, there’s nothing better,” Drew says. “Baseball is also a mental game, but you get to the point where you are tired of missing, yet you regain that confidence when you connect with the ball. It was a good day at the plate and turning point for me.”
Hand recently earned a pivotal 9-2 victory versus Law that ended a four-game losing streak and could prove a turning point in its campaign. In his position as a senior leader, Drew hopes to help rally his club to bring it all together for another sizzling late-season run after the Tigers reached the state quarterfinals in 2015.
“Coach LaPointe always reminds us that we are a team of fighters and everyone on this team has your back and share common goals. A win at Law last year was a big turning point for us, so we are hoping for that this year,” says Drew, who thanks the entire Hand baseball team, coaching staff, and community; along with his parents Barb and Phil, and his sister Gabby. “It’s about being able to win the tight games. We have a tough schedule, but can hang with anyone. We have good pitching, along with a great offense and defense, so we are looking to combine it all.”