North Carolina State University Athletics
Starting to Succeed
4/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 30, 2011
Pack Falls in Ninth Inning to Maryland
RALEIGH, N.C. – When NC State senior righthander Rob Chamra came back from spending last summer in the Cape Cod League, he was certain he could earn a spot in NC State’s weekend rotation of starting pitchers.
Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent had planted that seed in his mind when last season ended and Chamra gradually built up his stamina while pitching for the Falmouth Commodores. By the end of the summer, he had two starts under his belt, a 2-2 record, an improved sinker and the confidence that he could earn a starting job for the Wolfpack by spring.
In the fall, he began working out with several teammates who were also vying for those spots: juniors Cory Mazzoni and Vance Williams and sophomores Ethan Ogburn and Danny Healey. They would each throw between 70-90 pitches per outing.
Chamra might have had seniority, but he hadn’t started a game since 2008, his sophomore season at Temple. Ever since transferring to NC State, Chamra had pitched in relief, making 25 appearances last season and compiling a 3-1 overall record.
With a four-seam fastball, Chamra threw in the low 90s. He didn’t strike out a lot of hitters – just 32 in 35 innings last year – but he did induce a lot of ground balls. To Avent, that made Chamra a perfect bullpen weapon.
“I’ve always felt he was more valuable to our club out of the bullpen because he was a settling influence,” Avent said. “He just calmed things down, whether he came in the third, fourth or fifth inning. That was his value to the club. I could pick when he was going to be pitching and it could be a couple of times a week.”
But midway through this season, the Wolfpack was struggling and Avent needed to make some changes. Chamra had pitched well in his first outing of the year, three scoreless innings against Pacific to pick up the win. He got his second win in a 3 2/3-inning appearance March 9 against Radford, earning himself a midweek start a week later against George Mason in the process. He won that game as well, running his record to 3-0.
By the end of March, Chamra was in the weekend rotation. He pitched the Pack’s 5-3 win over Clemson, but had two less successful outings in a start against Wake Forest and a relief appearance at Miami, giving up eight earned runs in those combined four innings.
Lately, however, Chamra has found a groove. He went five solid innings in the Sunday afternoon win over No. 5 North Carolina. He didn’t strike out a batter in the 10-2 victory, but he allowed only four hits and a walk in 5 1/3 shutout innings.
Avent chose to start Chamra last weekend in the first game at No. 1 Virginia, meaning he would paired against highly regarded lefthander Danny Hultzen, who brought with him a 17-game winning streak.
In an amazing performance on the Cavaliers’ home field, Chamra practically matched the likely first-round pick pitch-for-pitch, giving up a couple of infield hits and a bloop double down the line for two first-inning unearned runs. The Cavaliers held a 2-0 lead until the Wolfpack offense exploded for six runs in the sixth inning.
Chamra pitched through the seventh of the 6-2 victory, the longest outing in his five years as a college pitcher. He now owns a 6-0 record with a 3.55 earned-run average.
“And I was ready and willing to go out for the eighth,” he said.
That wasn’t necessary, since the Wolfpack bullpen has been excellent all season long. Still, Chamra’s earned him www.CollegeBaseball360.com’s Primetime Performer of the Week.
Now, heading into Saturday’s game against Maryland, Chamra is entrenched as a starter, thanks primarily to his last two outings. Against a pair of top 5 teams, Chamra has not allowed an earned run in 12 1/3 innings and given up only eight hits.
“He’s just been lights out,” Avent said. “If he’s going to pitch enough of a game to get us to the sixth or seventh inning like he has, we have enough in the bullpen to get us down the stretch. He’s been excellent.”
Chamra credits his success to the sinker he developed over the summer. It’s taken a few miles an hour off his fastball, but he’s learned to become a better pitcher.
“Ever since the Miami game, I’ve been throwing all my pitches for strikes,” Chamra said. “I’m not over-throwing the ball and getting a lot of ground balls and pop-ups.”
More than anything Chamra is comfortable on the mound, without being anxious when he might get the call for his services.
“I’m a routine guy,” Chamra said. “I like knowing when I’m going to pitch. I like working out two or three times a week, getting my conditioning in, getting a bullpen and then taking my turn in the rotation.
“I’ve wanted to be a starter since the first day of spring. But I’m also a fifth-year player, so I know that whatever Coach Avent wants me to do, I think I can handle it.”
There was a time when postseason possibilities seemed dimmed for the Wolfpack, but if Chamra can continue to be this effective, Avent and his squad will being playing into the summer.
“I’m just looking to get a win every weekend now,” Chamra said. “We’re thinking about the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Regionals. We’re a good team. We’re starting to hit a little more, pitch and play defense all together now. “I think we can finish strong.”
• By Tim Peeler, tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
