Schwimer takes over

Numerous avid Virginia baseball fans were left scratching their heads when Michael Schwimer went undrafted last summer.
A draft-eligible player, the closer-in-waiting boasted the desirable frame at 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds and had three above-average pitches.
Yet as all 50 rounds whizzed by, the player affectionately known as “Stein” to his teammates essentially waited in the draft’s proverbial Green Room without the simple courtesy of a selection.
This was the reason: Schwimer warned teams as the draft approached the 10th round what the value of a degree from Virginia meant.
“Obviously it mattered to me, but I didn’t get caught up in it because I knew a team was going to take me or not take me,” Schwimer said. “I got a lot of calls on draft day from a number of different teams, but it
wasn’t a situation I wanted to be in, in terms of the teen rounds. I would much rather go to Virginia, a great school, and get my degree than to sign for the money offered in the teen rounds.
“If I wanted to I could have easily have been taken in the teen rounds, but I think one big thing for me was honesty with other teams and I told them, ‘If you draft me, I will not sign.’ And no team is going to draft you if you tell them that.”
On Sunday, Schwimer’s decision pays off — he will graduate with his degree in sociology.
Virginia coach Brian O’Connor is hopeful the reliable reliever can also leave a lasting impression over the next three days in what most likely will be his final action at Davenport Field. The Cavaliers (35-17, 14-13 ACC) host Georgia Tech
(36-16, 14-13) in a battle for the No. 5 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament.
Thus far, O’Connor could not have asked for much more from a player thrust into the role vacated by former standout Casey Lambert, a record-setter and overwhelmingly popular player.
“I don’t think Michael ever worried about replacing Casey,” the coach said. “He had pitched in a lot of big games in his sophomore and junior year, and he closed some ballgames at times and pitched at the end of games in front of Casey.
“He has pitched in those situations where the margin of error is so small and had really done a great job and has been a leader with his performance this year.”
Schwimer admits that he was ready for the role last year, but understood the reasoning behind the move. Lambert did, in fact, set the all-time ACC mark in saves with 43.
“It is kind of a weird feeling when you first watch someone do what Casey did on the mound,” Schwimer said. “I really started paying attention to it my sophomore year as I watched how completely dominant he was. Every game we played was an eight-inning game and it was over. If we had the lead they had no shot.
“It was amazing to see and I can absolutely remember feeling that there is no way somebody can do this. I said, ‘If this is me, I couldn’t do this.’”
He has done it. Schimwer (2-1, 0.82 ERA) is currently tied for 10th in the nation with 11 saves and has a
5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“He has been as consistent as you can ask out of a closer,” O’Connor said. “He has really worked hard and it always comes back to consistency with everything that he throws. That has allowed him to get the results that he has.”
Schwimer throws a lively fastball, knee-buckling slider and an ever-improving changeup thanks to work with pitching coach Karl Kuhn.
“My changeup by far is my most improved pitch,” Schwimer admitted. “It went from basically nothing, and I worked with Coach K’s on it, and now it has gotten to the point where I want to throw it more than he does. I am really confident in it and I love the pitch. It is really good, especially against lefties.”
While Virginia catcher Franco Valdes has witnessed the improvements with the change-up, he still points to the slider as Schwimer’s deadliest pitch, as it resembles a fastball until the last possible moment.
“That’s the best part about it. It is probably the latest-breaking thing that I have ever seen,” Valdes said. “It breaks right before it gets to me or it bounces, and that is even better.
“His slider has come a long way. His slider is a lot better than it was at the beginning of the season.”
Schwimer’s progression from being a seldom-used, overmatched rookie to a dominant veteran was not scripted in storybook fashion, but the Fairfax native would not trade his four-year experience.
“I have been on the biggest roller coaster ride that any baseball player could be on,” Schwimer said. “My freshman year, my ERA was 10.80, and I didn’t have any clue as to what was going on. After my freshman summer I came back with something to prove and went on to pitch in 36 games. I did well then and as a junior and I just kind of built it from there.
“My time at Virginia has taught me more than I would have ever imagined and I have enjoyed every minute of it.”