By Taylor Nigrelli
For the third consecutive summer, Bo Watson will play in the New York Collegiate Baseball league looking to hone his skills as a starting pitcher. Also for the third consecutive summer, the skills Watson develops will be put to use by a different college.
After playing for Onondaga Community College his freshman and sophomore years, Watson transferred to St. Bonaventure University. However, he was dismissed from the team halfway through the season due to what he called a “personality difference” with coach Larry Sudbrook. Now he says he’s looking to attend Southeastern College in Lakeland, Florida.
But Watson isn’t worried about that this summer. He’s focusing on improving as a pitcher when he takes the mound for the Syracuse Salt Cats for the second summer in a row. According to Watson, this improvement must come in the areas of command and getting ahead in the count.
“I just need to throw more strikes and get ahead in the count, get batters down 0-1, 0-2,” Watson said. “(My command) definitely needs to improve. I’ve been pretty good with it this year but I can still improve it.”
Watson has had no trouble throwing the fastball, however. He tops out at 94 miles per hour and consistently hits 92 and 93. He counts his split-finger fastball as his go-to pitch.
“My split finger is my best (pitch),” Watson said. “0-2, 1-2, I’ll go to that.”
His former coach at St. Bonaventure, Larry Sudbrook, also referenced Watson’s velocity as a reason he was recruited to play at St. Bonaventure.
“Bo throws hard,” Sudbrook said. “When we recruited him, we saw him throw 90,91 on the gun. He can throw.”
Watson also possesses a slider and change-up in his array of pitches. He’s been working to improve his change-up for the past year and said his slider could use improvement.
“I need to work on the slider,” Watson said. “I just have to throw it consistently for strikes. I’ve also been working on a change-up.”
Watson hopes his improved array of pitches can help him improve on his already experienced NYCBL resume. He appeared in 17 games in a relief role and earned a 3-0 record with 35 strikeouts and a 4.50 era in 2012. He also allowed one run in two innings of a playoff loss to the cross-town rival Syracuse Jr. Chiefs. This came after a 2011 season that saw Watson struggle as a starter. He was 1-6 with 5.06 era and a 32 to 25 strikeout to walk ratio.
Watson has had a journeyman-type career in baseball so far. But the Syracuse native hopes this summer he can forget about transferring and team issues and work on his game in order to impress pro scouts.
“I’m just trying to increase my arm strength,” Watson said. “Maybe get my velocity up a little bit higher and try to impress some scouts and try to get signed.”
The Salt Cats open the season on June fourth against the league champion Syracuse Jr. Chiefs. A 1 p.m. first pitch is scheduled at Hopkins Road Park.
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