Decision to transfer to No. 1 ECSU provided some relief for Pontbriant
Mansfield — Griffin Pontbriant stretched out in the Eastern Connecticut State University bullpen late in the Little East Conference tournament opening game on Wednesday afternoon.
The top-seeded Warriors were well on their way to a 6-0 victory over Plymouth State, so Pontbriant would not be needed.
A full-time reliever for the first time in his baseball career, Pontbriant has learned to become comfortable with being on call.
"It's been good," Pontbriant said. "First year doing that, so it's definitely been interesting. I like it so far.
It's been fun. You have to be mentally ready from the jump and you have to let it go right when you get in."
He's been pretty darn good when he's been called on in his first season with the Warriors.
A 6-foot-4 right-hander out of Norwich Free Academy, Pontbriant owns a 2-0 record and a 2.60 earned run average, striking out 24 and walking seven in 27.2 innings. He's tied for second on the team in appearances with 14.
"Griff has been great for us out of the bullpen," said Chris Wojick, Eastern's associate head coach/pitching coach. "He just throws strikes and he has the ability to change speeds. He has a ton of movement on his fastball.
"He's pretty unfazed as a pitcher. I think that's how he's been throughout his career. He's a pretty cerebral person. He doesn't talk too much . ... He's been one of our best relievers."
So far, it's been a magical season for the Warriors (37-3), who took over the top-ranked spot in the nation in Division III this week.
They're 2-0 in the Little East tournament after beating Southern Maine 5-0 on Friday to advance in the winners' bracket final.
"We've been playing good baseball," Pontbriant said. "It's definitely crazy playing for this team."
Pontbriant likes everything about playing at Eastern, from the coaching
staff to his teammates to the competitive atmosphere and the program's winning culture.
It is his second college stop. After graduating from NFA in 2021, he spent a semester at Division I Central Connecticut and played fall baseball before deciding to transfer.
It didn't take long for Pontbriant to feel comfortable after arriving at Eastern, which is about 20 minutes from his home in Bozrah.
"It was a good fit for him," Wojick said. "He felt a little bit more at home."
Pontbriant played AAU baseball for Wojick, a Montville graduate and former Eastern player. Wojcik reached out to him after he entered the transfer portal.
He regularly throws to senior Matt Malcom, an East Lyme graduate.
"I faced him in high school," said Pontbriant, who began his high school career at Montville. "He's a great guy. I love throwing to him. He's one of the better catchers that I've ever thrown to."
Pontbriant quickly found out that he has to be sharp both mentally and physically to be consistently effective at an elite Division III level.
In his third appearance this season, Pontbriant was rocked for nine hits and three runs in 3.2 innings against Skidmore College on March 15.
"You have to hit spots here," Pontbriant said. "If you don't, it's going to get punished. It's a lot different than high school. The hitters are a lot better."
With help from Wojick and his veteran teammates, Pontbriant has steadily improved. Staff ace Bryan Albee, a Killingly graduate, has served as his mentor.
"(Albee) knew Pont pretty well prior to him coming in," Wojick said. "He took him under his wing and helped him develop. He's really helped Griff to learn how to pitch. Sometimes you don't need to throw it as hard as you can all the time."
Pontbriant hasn't allowed a run in nine of his 14 appearances. He's worked on developing an off-speed pitch. A sharp slider is his out pitch. And he's been more consistent with locating his fastball.
As far as his role, Pontbriant basically pitches in the late innings and bridges the gap to the team's closer.
Next season, he'll likely join the starting rotation, according to Wojick, who spoke about Pontbriant's potential.
"He's got the ability to be an All-American, if he wants," Wojick said. "He's got the ability to throw with above average velocity at this level and has a ton of movement. His breaking ball is pretty good. If he can develop his changeup into an out pitch, then he can be really good for us down the stretch and later in his career."
There's still plenty for Pontbriant to look forward to this season.
He'll get a chance to play in his first NCAA tournament. Even if top-seeded Eastern falls short of winning the LEC tournament, it is virtually a lock to receive a postseason bid when the field is announced on Monday.
"As a freshman, it should be amazing," Pontbriant said. "An awesome experience."