Oklahoma State University Athletics
Thomas Hatch
Cowboys’ Hatch Thriving Under The Friday Night Lights
April 15, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball
By John Langham, OSU Athletic Communications
As the lights at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium brighten on a Friday night, Oklahoma State's Thomas Hatch takes the mound.
But the story of how Hatch, a redshirt sophomore, reached that mound is a long one.
As a senior in high school, Hatch was ranked as the top prospect in Oklahoma, as well as the 30th-best prospect in the nation by ESPN. The Tulsa native was also named an Under Armour All-American before being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 32nd round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.
Hatch chose to turn down his first chance at professional baseball, along with many other top-flight college baseball programs that recruited him, so that he could be a Cowboy like many in his family had before him.
"I grew up going to OSU basketball games and football games," Hatch said. "We always had season tickets, and I was here all the time. Stillwater was a second home.
"I had a few better offers than what OSU baseball was at that time, but fortunately I'd talked to (OSU head coach) Josh (Holliday) a little bit while he was (an assistant coach) at Vanderbilt."
As fate would have it, Hatch called Holliday one day to set up a recruiting visit to Vanderbilt, but Holliday told the pitcher he would have to call him back in 15 minutes. It was in those few minutes that Hatch's recruiting journey would change entirely.
"That was when (Holliday) was announced as the head coach at Oklahoma State," Hatch said. "So he calls me back and says 'Hey, I'm the coach at Oklahoma State now, and we want you to come here.' He offered me, and then (OSU associate coach) Rob (Walton), who was a big pitching name, gets hired about a week later.
"I just felt like that was a perfect opportunity to stay at home and work with great coaches. And I felt like the program would be heading in the right direction so it was just a perfect scenario at the right time."
In his first season at OSU, Hatch wasted no time in making an impact for his new team. He started the Cowboys' second game of the season against Stephen F. Austin, where he gave up just one run and struck out a career-high eight batters over six innings of work to earn his first-career win.
Hatch would have an up-and-down season after the strong start to his career. But the Cowboy continued to play a key role on the staff during his freshman season as he made 12 more appearances, which included a start against Texas in an elimination game at the Big 12 Baseball Championship in which he gave up just one run across 4 1/3 innings to help OSU advance.
"Thomas jumped into the starting rotation immediately, and his talent was evident," Holliday said. "He had some soreness in his arm, but he finished his freshman year strong and we had great hopes for what he could do in the future."
After his successful first season, the sky seemed to be the limit for what Hatch would do in his sophomore campaign. Continued soreness in his arm put those plans on hold though.
The irritation in Hatch's right arm would prove to be a bigger problem than just soreness, and a trip to world-renowned Dr. James Andrews in Florida provided a long-awaited diagnosis – a Grade II sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament.
No surgery was required for his injury, making Hatch one of the lucky ones. He was forced to take a redshirt though, and would have to watch his team play the game he loves from the sidelines.
"When the thing you like to do most gets taken away, you really don't know what to do," Walton said of Hatch's injury. "You don't know how to handle yourself because you're not involved so you feel alienated around the team and your mind can wander to places it doesn't need to wander."
"Rob (Walton) took me under his wing and mentored me through the process," Hatch said. "He's been there and done that. Having someone to mentor and help you through that is big."
After taking Walton's lessons to heart, Hatch began to see the injury as something more than just a setback.
"I had to recover and mature, and I think that getting injured was actually a blessing in disguise," Hatch said. "I was able to sit back, watch and realize that you can't take it for granted. I'm glad it happened, and I know that sounds weird, but ultimately I came back stronger physically and more importantly I think, mentally."
For most athletes who miss an entire year of competition, it takes some time to get back into a groove. In Hatch's case though, he has proven to be an exception to that standard.
This season, Hatch has stepped into OSU's Friday-night-starter role and flourished, posting a 2-1 record and 2.29 ERA across his first eight starts.
"When we saw Thomas was healthy again this fall and throwing the ball the way that he was, we knew that could be a real difference maker for this team," Holliday said. "That's a very important spot each week, and Thomas has accepted that responsibility and taken that challenge on and I think to this point he's proven he is indeed a difference maker."
The ability to step in and perform under the bright lights isn't something lost on Hatch's teammates either. His catcher, Collin Theroux, knows just how valuable having a pitcher like Hatch can be.
"Thomas is an absolute dog on the mound," Theroux said. "He's a very poised guy out there so it's easy for me because I know I don't have to worry about him mentally. I just have to give him a couple of reminders, and he'll click right in.
"Having him on a Friday night, where there's a lot of pressure to win and keep the score down, he does a really good job."
With Hatch leading a pitching staff that ranks among the nation's best, his coaches see bright things for his baseball future.
"It's not normal to have that type of action on a fastball with that type of velocity," Walton said. "It's been fun to watch because not many guys are throwing 94 mile-an-hour sinkers around the country. His slider is on the verge of being something special, and his changeup is right around the corner, too.
"His best days are in front of him from a development standpoint."
"There are no limits for him," Holliday said. "If he keeps that tunnel vision that he's had that has allowed him to get back to this point, you can see a young man that's still going to improve and grow. He is by no means at the end of the road as to what he can do."
As another Friday night arrives with a Reynolds Stadium crowd cheering the Cowboys on, Thomas Hatch, clad in his No. 45 jersey, steps on the mound.
"I'm just happy any time I get to pitch now," Hatch said. "You can't take it for granted after having to be out for 15 months."
"Play ball," the umpire shouts from behind home plate.
Hatch digs into the dirt, puts his right foot on the rubber, winds up and delivers the first pitch.
Strike one.
As the lights at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium brighten on a Friday night, Oklahoma State's Thomas Hatch takes the mound.
But the story of how Hatch, a redshirt sophomore, reached that mound is a long one.
As a senior in high school, Hatch was ranked as the top prospect in Oklahoma, as well as the 30th-best prospect in the nation by ESPN. The Tulsa native was also named an Under Armour All-American before being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 32nd round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft.
Hatch chose to turn down his first chance at professional baseball, along with many other top-flight college baseball programs that recruited him, so that he could be a Cowboy like many in his family had before him.
"I grew up going to OSU basketball games and football games," Hatch said. "We always had season tickets, and I was here all the time. Stillwater was a second home.
"I had a few better offers than what OSU baseball was at that time, but fortunately I'd talked to (OSU head coach) Josh (Holliday) a little bit while he was (an assistant coach) at Vanderbilt."
As fate would have it, Hatch called Holliday one day to set up a recruiting visit to Vanderbilt, but Holliday told the pitcher he would have to call him back in 15 minutes. It was in those few minutes that Hatch's recruiting journey would change entirely.
"That was when (Holliday) was announced as the head coach at Oklahoma State," Hatch said. "So he calls me back and says 'Hey, I'm the coach at Oklahoma State now, and we want you to come here.' He offered me, and then (OSU associate coach) Rob (Walton), who was a big pitching name, gets hired about a week later.
"I just felt like that was a perfect opportunity to stay at home and work with great coaches. And I felt like the program would be heading in the right direction so it was just a perfect scenario at the right time."
In his first season at OSU, Hatch wasted no time in making an impact for his new team. He started the Cowboys' second game of the season against Stephen F. Austin, where he gave up just one run and struck out a career-high eight batters over six innings of work to earn his first-career win.
Hatch would have an up-and-down season after the strong start to his career. But the Cowboy continued to play a key role on the staff during his freshman season as he made 12 more appearances, which included a start against Texas in an elimination game at the Big 12 Baseball Championship in which he gave up just one run across 4 1/3 innings to help OSU advance.
"Thomas jumped into the starting rotation immediately, and his talent was evident," Holliday said. "He had some soreness in his arm, but he finished his freshman year strong and we had great hopes for what he could do in the future."
After his successful first season, the sky seemed to be the limit for what Hatch would do in his sophomore campaign. Continued soreness in his arm put those plans on hold though.
The irritation in Hatch's right arm would prove to be a bigger problem than just soreness, and a trip to world-renowned Dr. James Andrews in Florida provided a long-awaited diagnosis – a Grade II sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament.
No surgery was required for his injury, making Hatch one of the lucky ones. He was forced to take a redshirt though, and would have to watch his team play the game he loves from the sidelines.
"When the thing you like to do most gets taken away, you really don't know what to do," Walton said of Hatch's injury. "You don't know how to handle yourself because you're not involved so you feel alienated around the team and your mind can wander to places it doesn't need to wander."
"Rob (Walton) took me under his wing and mentored me through the process," Hatch said. "He's been there and done that. Having someone to mentor and help you through that is big."
After taking Walton's lessons to heart, Hatch began to see the injury as something more than just a setback.
"I had to recover and mature, and I think that getting injured was actually a blessing in disguise," Hatch said. "I was able to sit back, watch and realize that you can't take it for granted. I'm glad it happened, and I know that sounds weird, but ultimately I came back stronger physically and more importantly I think, mentally."
For most athletes who miss an entire year of competition, it takes some time to get back into a groove. In Hatch's case though, he has proven to be an exception to that standard.
This season, Hatch has stepped into OSU's Friday-night-starter role and flourished, posting a 2-1 record and 2.29 ERA across his first eight starts.
"When we saw Thomas was healthy again this fall and throwing the ball the way that he was, we knew that could be a real difference maker for this team," Holliday said. "That's a very important spot each week, and Thomas has accepted that responsibility and taken that challenge on and I think to this point he's proven he is indeed a difference maker."
The ability to step in and perform under the bright lights isn't something lost on Hatch's teammates either. His catcher, Collin Theroux, knows just how valuable having a pitcher like Hatch can be.
"Thomas is an absolute dog on the mound," Theroux said. "He's a very poised guy out there so it's easy for me because I know I don't have to worry about him mentally. I just have to give him a couple of reminders, and he'll click right in.
"Having him on a Friday night, where there's a lot of pressure to win and keep the score down, he does a really good job."
With Hatch leading a pitching staff that ranks among the nation's best, his coaches see bright things for his baseball future.
"It's not normal to have that type of action on a fastball with that type of velocity," Walton said. "It's been fun to watch because not many guys are throwing 94 mile-an-hour sinkers around the country. His slider is on the verge of being something special, and his changeup is right around the corner, too.
"His best days are in front of him from a development standpoint."
"There are no limits for him," Holliday said. "If he keeps that tunnel vision that he's had that has allowed him to get back to this point, you can see a young man that's still going to improve and grow. He is by no means at the end of the road as to what he can do."
As another Friday night arrives with a Reynolds Stadium crowd cheering the Cowboys on, Thomas Hatch, clad in his No. 45 jersey, steps on the mound.
"I'm just happy any time I get to pitch now," Hatch said. "You can't take it for granted after having to be out for 15 months."
"Play ball," the umpire shouts from behind home plate.
Hatch digs into the dirt, puts his right foot on the rubber, winds up and delivers the first pitch.
Strike one.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Cowboy Baseball
C
/ Cowboy BaseballTuesday, July 07
Tuesday, July 07
Friday, June 05
Friday, May 29
