Niagara’s Beckham named NYCBL Pitcher of the Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Paul Gotham

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It took Steven Beckham (Olivet Nazarene) the month of June to get his feet under him. When he did, there was no looking back.

Beckham notched a 4-0 record during the regular season with a league-leading ERA of 1.84 and earned the New York Collegiate Baseball League’s Pitcher-of-the-Year honor.

“My thoughts were I wanted to get through as many innings as I can,” Beckham said. “I just tried to work efficiently and get guys out. I got guys to hit ground balls and fly outs. I just spent all summer working hard and not really thinking about winning accolades. It’s a huge blessing.”

With Beckham leading the way Garret Shivley’s Niagara Power rattled off nine straight wins in late July to secure home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“When he was on the hill, I knew we were going to have a chance to win,” Shivley commented. I couldn’t ask for more out of a pitcher than what I got out of Steven Beckham this year.

In 44 innings of work during the regular season, Beckham struck out 46, walked 17 and allowed 30 hits.  He surrendered six extra-base hits and opposing batters hit just .191 against the right-hander.

“He has a nice slider and a low 80s fast ball,” Shivley continued. “More than that he doesn’t just throw; he pitches. He’s a guy that can locate his pitches. He doesn’t walk hitters. He makes them put the ball in play. He’s crafty, but he’s not afraid to attack hitters on the inner-half.”

Beckham worked through rotator cuff inflammation during the month of June.  After going eight and a third and getting a no decision in his first outing of the season, Beckham tossed no more than four frames in his next three outings. In his last two starts of the season, the Mount Vernon, IL native allowed one run on five hits over 14.2 innings of work. He was at his best in July when he held the Olean Oilers, the top hitting club in the NYCBL Western Division, to one hit over six stanzas.

“Our pitching coach (Josh Rebandt) had such good scouting reports on them,” Beckham explained. “I just let him call the game. I just tried to hit spots, and got them to swing and miss quite a bit.

Beckham continued his success into the post-season hurling seven shutout innings against the Oilers in game one of the NYCBL Western Division semi-finals.

“To see him go out there and do that on a big stage like game one of the playoffs, and set the tone for a playoff run was my favorite game that Steven Beckham pitched,” Shivley added. “That was our ninth time we had seen them, so we had a game plan going in. When Steven Beckham is on the mound, you can guarantee that your game plan is going to get executed.

Beckham is going into his junior year at Olivet Nazarene, the NAIA school in Bourbannais, IL. Last season he was 7-3 in 15 appearances for the Tigers.  He was 4-1 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

“I know how legitimate the New York is,” Beckham said. “Just to hear that they named me pitcher of the year, it kind of gives me chills. It’s a huge blessing.”