The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
No nerves on opening day for this starter
Lanky right-hander Miniard back for a second stint with Lake County
Captains pitcher Micah Miniard said he won’t be nervous when he starts on April 6 in the 2017 season opener on the road against the Dayton Dragons.
Miniard is an old hand at this starting-the-seasonopener business.
Not an old hand, really, but as the lanky, 20-year-old righthander
from Kentucky explained the other day before a workout at Classic Park, he’s been there before. Once “I did it last year at Mahoning Valley,” Miniard said of the Indians’ short-season Single-A affiliate that plays in the New York-Penn League and begins its season in the middle of June.
Miniard acquitted himself well in that game, giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
He was not involved in the decision of what ended at a 5-4 loss to West Virginia.
“I’m excited about having the honor to start our first game this season, but I’m not nervous,” Miniard said. “I feel blessed, actually.”
The 6-foot-7, 195-pound Miniard is in his fourth pro season after being selected by the Indians in the eighth round of the 2014 draft out of high school.
For the Scrappers last season, he was 1-2 with a 2.38 ERA in seven starts before he was promoted to the full-season SingleA Captains in August. In eight starts at Lake County, he was 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in eight stars.
Miniard struggled with his control at Lake County, yielding 19 walks in 39 innings with 26 strikeouts. Opponents had a .263 batting average and .347 onbase percentage with him on the mound.
“I’m looking forward to pitching better at this level with a little experience under my belt,” Miniard said. “We’ve got a chance to have a really good team here.”
Captains pitching coach Jason Blanton said Miniard uses a fastball, slider and changeup and can take a step forward this season by tightening his command in the strike zone.