02-25-04 Joey Lessa
7/21/2004 11:26:08 AM | General
MEET THE LANCERS ... JOEY LESSA
When senior lefthanded pitcher Joey Lessa (Riverside, CA/ Ramona HS) takes the mound for the California Baptist University baseball team, it may be true that no hitter is intimidated by either his 5-foot-10 frame or his mid-80s fastball.
However, as the four-year veteran has proved throughout his tenure at CBU, success and intimidation are two different things. He relied on his experience and command of the strike zone during his first three years as a Lancer, when he compiled 20 wins. Lessa has led or tied for the lead on the CBU pitching staff in wins during each of his three seasons.
The crafty left-hander is an expert at keeping his defense on its toes. When Lessa is on the hill, his teammates can count on him to keep the game moving by throwing strikes and being economical with his time spent between pitches. In a team-high 34 innings in 2004, Lessa has walked only six batters while striking out 27.
“Position players understand every time Joey pitches, he’ll throw strikes and make the other team swing the bat.” CBU Coach Gary Adcock said. “When fielders are behind a pitcher who’s throwing strikes and working fast like he does, it makes them better. The players have confidence behind him. They all know that when Joey gets on the mound, they have the chance to win. Joey’s pitching with a lot of confidence early in this season.”
A former pitcher at UCLA who later served as pitching coach for his alma mater, Adcock has been influential to his pitching staff in his first year as CBU’s head coach. Adcock emphasizes the mental side of pitching, as he reminds his hurlers to keep the game moving at a good tempo and rhythm.
The effect of Adcock’s tutelage has been “immeasurable” according to Lessa, who has taken advantage of having a coach that played and coached at the NCAA Division I level. Lessa has made it a habit to sit next to his coach during games to absorb any knowledge of the game he can. Adcock attributes much of Lessa’s early-season success to his willingness to learn.
“Joey has become a good student of the game this year, even as a senior,” Adcock said. “He understands the game a lot better now, and he doesn’t just throw as much as he used to but he pitches. He’s a guy that doesn’t impress you with his stuff, but he just wins.”
As an underclassman, Lessa had at least 10 starts all three years. However, with the Lancer bullpen ravaged by injuries and the 11-man staff featuring seven newcomers, Lessa has had to fill in with four relief appearances already in the young season. Lessa had 16 career relief appearances coming into his senior year, but had only eight in his sophomore and junior years combined.
The lefty has adjusted well to his redefined role, carrying a career-best 2.38 ERA through his first seven appearances of the season.
“The warm-up routine is the biggest part of the change in starting and relieving,” Lessa said. “When you’re starting, you can take as long as you want to warm up, you can take time to study the lineup and know each batter you’re going to face, where when you’re coming from the pen, you just have to face whatever batter is up there. Also, when you come in from the bullpen, you could warm up in the third inning and not come in until the eighth. That’s the biggest adjustment I’ve had to make.”
The variety in his opportunities has suited Lessa well. According to Adcock, the versatile pitcher is known by his teammates as a competitor who will give the team a chance to win every time he takes the mound – regardless of the situation.
“I like pitching under pressure,” Lessa said. “I find that I’m much better in pressure situations. Coach plays a big part in this because he holds us accountable for what pitches we throw. I have to think about every pitch I throw and think about the game as a whole when I’m pitching.”
Lessa, one of four fourth-year Lancer seniors along with first baseman Steve Ferreira, designated hitter Oscar Enriquez and catcher Steve Crouch, will graduate from CBU as the winningest pitcher in recent memory, with upwards of 20 wins (he has 22 through February 24).
However, the personal recognition will only be complete for Lessa if his team doesn’t take the NAIA by surprise in his final year as a Lancer.
“I want my teammates to remember me as someone who is competitive for the team and will pitch his best every time he goes out there,” Lessa said. “I want them to think of me as someone who cares about winning way more than personal statistics or anything else like that.
“It wouldn’t hurt to be remembered as a national champion either.”
--by Jay Hobbs, Sports Information Student Assistant
