Player Name: Tim Knesnik
School: Stony Brook
Position: RHP
Tim is a 6’2″ 190 lb junior pitcher for Stony Brook from Milford, PA. In his windup, he steps back very slightly. He has a smooth, sound delivery. His legkick is pretty high–it’s above the letters. He keeps his backleg bent at the balance point and keeps his front foot parallel to the ground. His eyes are locked on the target throughout the delivery. His arm circle is pretty long and he brings it as far down as possible which eliminates deception. He gets a lot of push off the backside, which is crucial for a thin-framed pitcher. The front led is bent at the landing point but he is able to straighten it out. The arm angle is low 3/4, similar to Roy Halladay. He finishes square to home plate. With men on base, the pace is extremely slow and deliberate.
In the March 16 start, it was not the best game to scout a pitcher based on. Knesnik did not have his best stuff and he was knocked out with two outs in the third inning. He threw a ton of curveballs, presumably when he realized the opposition was right on his fastball. He worked backwards to most hitters, When he missed with his curveball he generally missed low and away. The hitters worked a ton of deep counts and it got him into trouble when he finally had to come with the fastball. They hit the ball squarely and consistently. The one thing is did very well was stay around the zone–he’s a control pitcher and he will not walk many batters. The problem with being that type of pitcher is that games like this occur when you’re location is slightly off. Missing a location with a fastball results in hard-hit balls over the yard. Knesnik was a very reliable pitcher for the Sea Wolves last year, He compiled a 2.39 ERA over 55 innings. He should continue to be a stable pitcher, he simply had a rough outing.
