Switch Pitching 101

Has there ever been a switch pitcher in college baseball? Yes, a few switch pitchers have thrown in college. The best know switch pitcher is Pat Venditte , who was a walk-on pitcher at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. After a successful college career, Venditte was drafted as a pitcher by the New York Yankees. Now, he is a relief switch pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. In 1990, Lou Pavolich, editor of Collegiate Baseball News , said he could remember only two players in the last 20 years who have pitched from both sides in college. `` It's so unusual, it's virtually unheard of .'' In the last decade, there have been about ten college pitchers who could throw well from both sides. A few switch pitchers played for Division I colleges. Two successful ambidextrous pitchers played for Harvard University. Switch pitchers are smart and do well in school. The best ambidextrous pitchers where drafted out of high school and are fielding positions in the mino...

What are the chances of a switch pitcher playing college baseball? Pat Venditte - Switch Pitching for Creighton University The chances are very good for a switch pitcher to play in college. Most ambidextrous pitchers attend D1 universities. But since ambidextrous athletes are versatile baseball players and typically good hitters ... they are more likely to field a position, than to pitch in college. College Bound Student-Athletes -  Ambidextrous pitchers are usually very good students and  extremely hard workers , so the majority go on to attend college – on academic scholarships. Most of the starting high school switch pitchers have the command and velocity needed to play baseball  in college at some level. They also have the positive attitude, work ethic, coachability, and character that college coaches value. Be Proactive and Contact Coaches However, colleges coaches aren't spending their valuable time recruiting switch pitchers, so players...

Todd Cason - St. Leo college ambidextrous pitcher Has there ever been an ambidextrous pitcher in college baseball? Yes,  there have been a few switch pitchers in college baseball. The best know switch pitcher is Pat Venditte, who played for Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. After a successful college career, Venditte was drafted as a pitcher by the New York Yankees. He is now playing in the minor leagues. A few switch pitchers played for Division I colleges. Two successful ambidextrous pitchers played for Harvard University. ........................................................................................ List of College Switch Pitchers  >> ........................................................................................ About Ambidextrous Pitchers An ambidextrous pitcher has the ability to consistently throw strikes with either arm in baseball games. Most of the successful ambidextrous pitchers, start out as switch hit...

Todd Cason - ambidextrous pitcher Todd Cason - St. Leo college ambidextrous pitcher (Times photo by Jack Rowland) St. Leo College  - Lions , Florida  Hometown: Tampa, Florida Height/Weight: 6'0"  170   Throws: Both Dominant hand:    natural lefty Velocity: 85 mph right;  82 mph left Record: 12-9 in 1990 How he got started throwing with both arms in college Todd Cason says he is a natural lefty in every sport except baseball. He throws footballs, plays pool and shoots basketballs left-handed. "But for some reason, which I can't explain, I always picked up a baseball with my right hand,'' he said. "I never tried to purposely learn how to pitch right-handed. It just came naturally.'' The 6-foot, 170-pound Tampa native was never allowed to pitch left-handed until he came to St. Leo, a small school about 45 miles north of Tampa.  At St. Leo, Cason's switch pitching became almost a necessity. He was the only regula...