ORONO, Maine — Pitching coach J.P. Pyne has worked extensively with Justin Courtney since his arrival at the University of Maine last fall.
As with any freshman, the staff has tried to polish Courtney’s mechanics and help him refine his repertoire to keep hitters off balance.
Yet Pyne said the former Bangor High School star possesses an intangible quality that has enabled him to successfully make the jump to the Division I level.
“He has the poise of the 10-year veteran,” Pyne said this week as the Black Bears prepared for the America East Baseball Championship, which begins Thursday at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Massachusetts.
“I’d love to say that we’ve taught him that, but you can’t teach that,” Pyne said.
Courtney’s mound presence and command of his pitches have made him UMaine’s most effective starter during league play. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander will get the nod in the third-seeded Black Bears’ 5 p.m. tournament opener against No. 2 Maryland Baltimore County.
“Nobody ever would have predicted [me] getting the start for the first game of the conference tournament, but I just want to put us in a good position to get a win this first game,” said Courtney, who was named to the All-America East second team and its All-Rookie squad Wednesday.
Courtney has developed as the season has progressed. He lost his first four starts, including games against powers Clemson and Florida, but has bounced back to post a 5-5 record with a team-leading 2.83 earned run average.
Courtney has made 12 starts among 13 appearances, including two complete games, and has allowed 79 hits in 70 innings with 37 strikeouts and 25 walks. Opponents are batting .287 against him.
“He is a pitcher’s pitcher,” UMaine head coach Steve Trimper said. “He goes out there, he has a plan and he tries to execute his plan. He knows how to get guys out.
“Those are things I’ve seen in some of the better pitchers we’ve had here, but I didn’t see it their freshman year,” he added.
In America East play, Courtney is 4-1 with a 2.13 ERA in seven games spanning 38 innings.
UMaine has featured several outstanding freshman pitchers over the years, including All-Rookie picks Jeff Gelinas (2014), Jeff Gibbs (2010), A.J. Bazdanes (2009), Kevin Scanlan (2008) and Greg Norton (2003). The majority were hard throwers.
Courtney instead has relied on being able to throw his fastball (85 to 87 mph), curveball and cut fastball for strikes and mix them effectively. He also uses an occasional changeup.
“The fact that he can throw his cutter in any count or throw that big curveball in fastball counts really keeps hitters off balance, and it actually winds up giving a little more life to his fastball because they’re not able to sit on anything,” Pyne said.
Courtney admitted Division I hitters are better able to take advantage of his mistakes. Thus he has placed his emphasis on keeping the ball down and hitting his spots.
“You know that you’re not going to beat too many guys with velocity and that just makes the location even more critical,” he said.
“Where I think I’ve had the most success is just being able to locate my pitches and not missing the spots to some key hitters who can do some damage against you,” Courtney added.
His rapid emergence has been magnified by the fact some of the Black Bears’ veterans have not pitched effectively this spring.
“When we were in trouble, he’s been a guy that we can lean on,” senior co-captain Scott Heath of Westbrook said. “He’s young, but he’s really advanced. He’s mature and composed out there on the mound.”
Courtney’s skill set was derived through many years of success playing baseball, hockey and soccer in Bangor. Those experiences, including competing in the Class A baseball state championship, the American Legion state and regional tourneys and the Senior League World Series, often have put him in situations, such as the one he’ll face Thursday.
“I think that really prepared me well for these situations in college, postseason play,” Courtney said. “It’s going to be the biggest game I’ve pitched in my career thus far, and I’m really prepared for it.”
It is when Courtney gets into a jam that his calm demeanor and competitive nature come to the forefront. He said he focuses on what he can control, instead of what may have happened a pitch, a batter or an inning earlier.
“The kid goes out there and does not let things bother him,” Trimper said. “He has a demeanor about him that’s like, everything is fine, everything is calm, everything is going to work out.”
Courtney also is comfortable pitching to contact, meaning he isn’t afraid to let his defense do some work behind him. He constantly is striving for improvement.
“He’s one of the few guys that you work with him on something in the bullpen on Wednesday and on Saturday he just does it,” Pyne said. “It has been a pleasure to work with him and see him have the success.”
Recent success aside, Courtney’s humble approach moving forward remains the same as the day he arrived on campus.
“The goal for myself was to try to help our team win and jump in and try to be as effective as I can,” he said.