Outstanding freshman anchors pitching staff

By Nicholas Pinkerton

Santa Clara attracts a handful of international student-athletes each year, and this year, the men's baseball team has its own international standout, freshman Thain Simon, a Toronto native who has spent the last decade in the Sacramento area.

"I don't know where we'd be without him," Head Coach Mark O'Brien said about Simon's performance in the series against No. 12 San Diego, in which he recorded his first two collegiate saves.

His first name derives from his great grandfather's hockey teammate, also named Thain, who won the Victoria Cross for his service during World War I.

This is a fitting name for Simon, who has anchored the team's pitching staff this season, posting an impressive 7-2 record and 1.98 earned run average.

The humble Simon has appeared in a variety of roles for the team this season - as a middle reliever, a closer, and as a starting pitcher versus Gonzaga for the first time in his college career.

"It was something that I worked for the whole season, but ultimately I'm just glad we got the win," he said in reference to the team's series victory over the Bulldogs.

Simon began playing baseball at the tee-ball level. When he reached the youngest level for players to pitch, he took the mound and never left.

"Once I got the first chance, I just kept on asking for opportunities and kept on throwing," he said.

Attending Jesuit High School in Carmichael, Calif., Simon was a hot prospect for two of California's top baseball programs and academic institutions, Cal and Stanford. They hoped to reel in Simon, a Cy Young candidate on the mound and in the classroom.

"My parents have always instilled in me that the classroom comes first," he said.

Ultimately, Simon chose to attend Santa Clara.

The Broncos' pitching coach, Mike Zirelli, was particularly attracted to Simon's ability to throw quality strikes down in the zone and his fierce competitive nature on the field.

Simon won his first decision on March 4 against Fresno State in a 6-5 game. He took off from there, striking out batters at a rate just above one per inning.

"I'm really thankful for the opportunity that I got really early in the year," he said.

At this point in the season, he leads the team in wins, ERA, walks and hits per innings pitched, and opponent's batting average (.239).

Simon was also named West Coast Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 31.

With very few weaknesses, Simon is improving the velocity of his two-seam fastball and working on a change-up which he hopes to deliver with confidence as the season progresses.

Even so, as a player with a team-first mentality, he recognizes that successful pitching is the result of the entire team, particularly the defense.

"You can't pitch well if your defense doesn't play well behind you," said Simon.

When not on the mound, Simon occasionally visits his extended family in Toronto.

And although the freshman phenom recognizes that baseball is not as popular in Canada as the U.S., he sees an increase in popularity in the north of the border nation.

The 2006 Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Justin Morneau and the 2007 strikeout sensation Erik Bedard highlight a handful of recent Canadians currently playing at the highest professional level.

Though he does not try to completely mirror the delivery of his idols, John Smoltz and Greg Maddux, Simon stresses smooth mechanics and a consistent pitch delivery.

"He repeats his delivery as well as anybody I've ever seen," said O'Brien.

Simon aspires to play professional baseball after college, but he's more focused on his mission to bring Santa Clara's program to an all-time high.

"I'm just focusing on how much I can do to win games and make it to the College World Series."

Simon and the Broncos will continue their season Friday night against Hawaii-Hilo at Schott Stadium. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Contact Nicholas Pinkerton at (408) 551-1918 or npinkerton@scu.edu.