SALT LAKE CITY – Bridger Nielson has never encountered a pitch he couldn't master.
The 6-foot-2 senior has a knack for drawing on an assortment of pitches to confuse opposing batters. It does not matter whether
Skyline (Salt Lake City) needs a slider, a change-up, a curveball or a fastball, Nielson can be counted on to deliver the goods and reduce another team's offense to a series of empty swings.
It's one reason why Skyline (16-4) is looking as tough this season as it did two years ago when the Eagles won the Class 4A baseball title.
"He can pick up any pitch and throw it," Skyline coach Erik Hansen said. "If I need a new pitch tomorrow, he can just throw it. He has the ability to throw it and locate. He's one of those rare pitchers that can throw five pitches for strikes and locate all of them."
Bridger Nielson, Skyline
Photo by John Coon
Nielson has found a way to make each pitch work to his advantage. Facing him on the mound has turned into a living nightmare for opposing batters.
How dominant is he? Nielson has accumulated 95 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings pitched. He is averaging 13.1 strikeouts per seven innings. The senior has been nearly flawless all spring. He is 6-0 this season and boasts an earned run average of 0.41.
Nielson, who has committed to pitch for Western Nevada College, thrives on being the player who is asked to deliver when the stakes are high.
"Honestly, my favorite part of being a pitcher is getting into the situations where you know have to perform and you know you have to execute because, if you don't, the game is in your hands," Nielson said. "You have to know what you're doing and you have to make the right decisions, so you can win the game."
Anyone who watched what Nielson did in his junior season could have seen his senior dominance coming from a mile away. Last year, Nielson posted equally impressive numbers. He struck out 58 batters in 53 innings en route to finishing the season with a 7-0 record and 1.59 ERA.
As good as it was, Nielson felt like things could have been better. Skyline came into the season as the defending state champion and fell flat.
The Eagles endured a rebuilding season after replacing 10 senior starters from their 2012 title team. They lost 10 of their final 14 games and finished a game below .500. Nielson and his teammates made the determination to step forward and write a chapter with a different ending this spring.
"We thought we could just come out and smooth sail it," Nielson said, reflecting upon last spring. "It didn't turn out that way. But this year we've taken it into reality that if we want to win we have to go out and get it. We've shown we're a good team and we have a good chance to make a run this year."
Skyline is definitely more than a one-man team. The Eagles have solid hitters like
Abe Yagi, who leads the team with seven doubles.
Dimitri Sakellariou is 5-0 as the No. 2 pitcher behind Nielson and
Jake VanAmen gives the team a skilled and dependable catcher to pair with its top pitchers.
With so much all-around talent there to elevate Skyline atop its region again, Nielson has taken personal responsibility to set the right tone whenever he's on the mound. That means keeping composure and showing confidence.
It also means working every minute to make every pitch count.
"Every week we know what we're going to get and I think that's an amazing tribute to him," Hansen said.
Nielson has already savored the flavor of winning a state championship once in his high school career. Now, as a senior, his vision is locked in on reaching that pinnacle one last time. He draws inspiration from watching how his teammates crafted a championship team two years earlier.
"We had 10 seniors on that team and every one of them was just destined to win a championship," Nielson said. "You could see it in their faces and their eyes. They wanted it. It was a big emotional inspiration for me to see how it's done. If I want it, this is how I have to perform."
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can reach him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
