Eric Linder is Ready to Pitch No Matter What is Going on Around Him

By Brad Vos

Eric Linder always prepares for baseball the same way, regardless of what's going on around him.

Despite games routinely postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 these days — including the University of Tampa Spartans' opener — the right-hander is ready for whatever happens.

That even-keeled mindset has helped Linder post a stellar 1.97 ERA in his collegiate career.

"The uncertainty is always there, but you can't ever lack in your mental stage of being ready for the next day, or being ready for a game today that may get canceled at the last second," said the 6-foot-2, 235-pound righty.  "You can't sit there and think about getting canceled. You've got to be ready at all times."

That attitude has been developed from a lifetime of playing the game.

"I first got into baseball back when I was about four years old, playing T-ball," said Linder.  "Where I'm from, the Jacksonville community, baseball is just so big."

That always-ready mindset served the 20-year-old well in the team's first game of 2020-21, as he was asked to come on in relief instead of starting.

"Actually, my first time coming out of the bullpen ever in my life was this past Saturday," said Linder, who struck out two over four innings, picking up the save. "Watching previous at-bats from their hitters was a big thing to know what they're good at, and what their weaknesses are."

The management major continues to hone his craft as he returns to a starting role for the team, adding to his repertoire.

"Right now, my best pitch is my slider. It's kind of my strikeout pitch," said Linder. "I'm working on a knuckle curve to add a fourth pitch to my arsenal."

The hurler patterns his game, and more so his mindset, after a couple of accomplished big-league starters.

"I try to model my game a little bit after Jose Fernandez, and Max Scherzer," said Linder. "Just the whole mentality thing, to be a bulldog on the mound and really focus on my strengths versus the hitter's weaknesses."

 Brad Vos is a post-grad sports journalism student at Toronto's Centennial College. For complete stories, please visit, TorontoObserver.ca.