Streilein enjoying his final days as Mustang

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI
Staff Writer

Brian Streilein could not find a much more exciting way to conclude his high school baseball career at Brick Memorial before embarking on a college career at Villanova University.

His team this week played crosstown rival Brick Township in the NJSIAA Tournament on Monday, and in the third round of the Shore Conference Tournament, where he took to the mound yesterday at Freehold Township.

Along with a 5-3 record and an ERA just above 2.0 as the team's top pitcher, Streilein also is batting cleanup with a .370 batting average and more than 20 RBIs. Those stats make him a welcome addition for Villanova, which just completed its 141st season of intercollegiate baseball at 27-27 overall, 8-8 in the Big East.

"I get to play a lot of games around here, and it was the best choice for me academically because you can't count on playing [professional] baseball after college," said Streilein, who made his early decision back in October.

For now, he is having a lot of fun on a team that comes into the week riding an eight-game win streak. With a 7-8 record just before the NJSIAA cutoff, Brick Memorial had to win games, and did it without losing a game since then, coming into this week.

"I feel good because I can give up one or two runs and not worry because we've been getting runs," said Streilein. "That helps me a lot. I feel more confident."

Streilein was scheduled to pitch against Freehold Township. He was not on the mound Monday against Brick Township because coach Jeff Pierce said Streilein still had some mild arm soreness from pitching against the same Brick Township team last week off nine days' rest. If he started Monday, it would have been his third straight start against Brick Township.

"He started out the year slow, but in the past four games he has dominated teams, and is hitting superbly in our eight-game win streak as well," said Pierce. "When he's out there, something good can happen."

Along with the hitting picking up dramatically in that streak that carried the Mustangs into the postseason, Pierce says the defense also has been sharper. It was an area of weakness in losses last season.

"Just knowing our defense has been playing better for the most part helps us and helps him," said Pierce. "He's not just going out there throwing strikes because he knows they can make the plays behind him."

Because of that, Streilein has 77 strikeouts, but also has effectively mixed his pitches like his sister did when she played for the school's softball team, and is doing these days as a sophomore at Brandeis University.

"I'm a little more confident with my cutting fastball and running my two-seamer in and not just [relying on] the off-speed pitches," he said. "That helps because the hitters start to gear up for the fastball that's moving and then I come back with off-speed stuff."

Streilein is happy with his array of pitches.

"My two-seamer is working well, my slider is dangerous, and when I throw the change-up, it's hard for them to stay back," said Streilein. "I'm throwing fastballs a little more than last year because my speed has increased and I'm spotting the ball better."

He's also happy with his slider.

"It's the best I've felt with it all year," said Streilein. "This year, I'm going straight with a 12/6 slider. Last year it was more of a curve. Now it looks more like a fastball breaking off the table."

As for hitting, Streilein said he's "hitting my stride now. I'm driving the ball better than I did all year."

It's why Streilein was moved from No. 5 to cleanup in the batting order around midseason.

But Pierce said Streilein's transition to college baseball will be interesting.

"In high school, you can blow hitters away with the fastball and dominate people, but in college, hitters can hit every pitch," said Pierce. "He has to learn more how to pitch and hit his spots, although he has a nice fastball that he can sneak by people because he also uses a change-up. He won't be getting 10 strikeouts every time out in college, at least not in the beginning."

But Pierce, in his two seasons as head coach, has seen Streilein develop as a high school pitcher for a team that made the postseason the past two years, and feels he can emerge as a solid college pitcher as well. For now, Pierce is enjoying the extended season, of which Streilein has played a major role.

"He couldn't be better," said Pierce.