Falmouth Commodores’ pitcher Chase Jeter is making his first start of the summer at 6 p.m. tonight, as the club is set to take on the Brewster Whitecaps. The southpaw has been solid out of the bullpen thus far, posting a 3.85 ERA while striking out three batters in three appearances.
Jeter is currently in his second season with the ’Dores, following a campaign in which he was named a 2021 Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star. He has primarily been a reliever for the club up to this point, but has made 21 starts during his collegiate career with Sacred Heart University. Jeter recently announced that he will be attending Bryant University for his fifth year of eligibility.
Web reporter Tommy Mumau spoke with Jeter about his second season with the Commodores and what it has been like transitioning into a relief role.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tommy Mumau: What’s your hometown?
Chase Jeter: I’m originally from West Hartford, Connecticut.
TM: You recently announced that you’re going to attend Bryant University next year, how did you make that decision?
CJ: I’m really excited to go to Bryant next year for my fifth year of eligibility. They have a great MBA program there that I’m really excited about. And the baseball team has been one of the better northeast programs for a while and they’re returning a bunch of the top players, and I think that they’re going to be a real contender. And, they’re going to the American East conference next year, I think they’re going to do really big things there. I love the coaching staff and everything about it. So, I’m really excited about the opportunity.
TM: Who’s been most influential in helping you get to where you are in your baseball career?
CJ: I would probably say, my mom. … My mom taught me everything actually from a very young age. When I was four and five, she would take me and my brother out in the backyard and hit ground balls and teach us all the all the nuances of the game, and she was always really into it. She’s always been to a bunch of games. So, I definitely credit her for for instilling the love of the game in me.
TM: What’s been the highlight of your baseball career up to this point?
CJ: Being here last summer was certainly something that I’m going to remember forever, and it was a great season for the team and myself, personally too. But, the number one thing that stands out to me about my baseball career is the relationships I’ve made with people. I feel like I’m going to be able to stay in touch with so many teammates I’ve had throughout the years.
TM: You are currently in your second year playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League, what has it been like playing against this level of competition?
CJ: It certainly teaches you a lot of things about the game. You feel yourself getting better as a player out there too, because not only are you competing against great players, but you’re playing alongside great players. And, you can pick the brains of some of your teammates [and] learn things that you didn’t know before. For example, last year was my first time being a part of a bullpen, I really had been a starter for a lot of my career. So, I was talking to a lot of the guys from the team last year about routines in the bullpen, and learning how to embrace that role and do well in it. And I think that part of my success was because of taking in information from other players on the team.
TM: Has it been difficult transitioning into a relief role?
CJ: I would say it wasn’t as hard as I thought. I used to be somebody who would always make sure that I was doing the same routine every day. As a starter, I had my start day and I had four days in between that I would be doing other things and throwing, stretching, all that stuff. But, being a reliever, it really teaches you [that] you’ve got to be ready a lot more often. … I actually think it’s contributed to positive health for my arm … [By] throwing more often, throwing with higher intensity more often, I feel like I’ve been able to build up some strength that I might not have had before.
TM: How would you describe your style of pitching?
CJ: I’m definitely someone who needs to utilize command, especially with my fastball. And, once I feel like they respect my ability to command the fastball, I need to be able to keep people off balance with my changeup and my slider. I definitely feel like I have a good amount of movement on my pitches and a lot of my outs will come through weak contact. … I like to try to work efficiently, less pitches is more for me.
TM: What are your goals for the rest of the season?
CJ: I want to feel like every outing I take the mound, that I’m improving on the last one. While I’m sure that’s a lot easier said than done, I want to leave this summer feeling in the best place I can possibly be going into the fall season at Bryant, for my fifth year of eligibility. So I feel like through my first three outings, I’ve been able to accomplish that. I felt better each outing, I feel like my stuff has been better. I’ve been striking more guys out each out each outing, getting weaker contact and more desirable outcomes that I’m looking to get on the mound. I just want to build on that every outing. And at the end of the summer, if I’m able to do that, I’ll be able to look up at the statistics and it should be a particularly good summer.
Note: Featured image by Meghan Murphy.
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Tommy Mumau can be reached at tmumau@ithaca.edu. Follow him on Twitter @tommymumau13.
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