Episcopal Academy pitcher Kyle Virbitsky is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The junior pitcher has compiled a 6-0 record and 1.97 ERA (as of April 28), which includes some big wins for the InterAc-contending Churchmen. He defeated Christian Brothers Academy (N.J.), which at the time was the No. 5-ranked high school baseball team in the country, as well as powerful Malvern Prep. A versatile athlete, he usually bats third or fourth for EA, and plays football and basketball for the Churchmen. He has committed to Penn State for baseball.
Q: What do you think has been the biggest key to your mound success so far this season?
A: I think that mentally I’ve made a pretty big adjustment this year because I’ve began to understand that I need to be a leader, and that my energy and how I perform rubs off on other guys to do the same. I take that mentality to the mound and tell myself every pitch that I’m better than the guy in the box and that my current pitch will be my best pitch of the game. Being 6-0 this year, however, has a lot to do with the people behind me. I do my best to keep us in the game and get to 21 outs as quickly as I can, but [my teammates] make the plays and we work collectively to score the runs. I wouldn’t be in the position I am without them.
Q: You mentioned that your best pitching performances to date were against Christian Brothers in Florida, and EA’s first league game against Penn Charter. On those days, what pitches were particularly working well for you?
A: The biggest keys in those games, for me, was being able to throw three pitches for strikes and eliminating walks. I think in the two games combined I might have only let up three free passes. Being able to keep guys off the bases and having them earn their runs by stringing hits together really makes it hard for teams to score and I think that is why I was so successful.
Q: Against Springside-Chestnut Hill you hit the game-winning home run. Can you describe the pitch that you hit it off? Could you tell when you connected that it was a home run?
A: I was hitting in a 3-1 count so I really was looking for a pitch I can do damage with. Before that point, the pitcher came up and in on me twice and I swung at a 1-0 pitch that I felt like I was really on. I saw the ball really well and after I hit it, I did know that it was heading out. It was an awesome feeling to be able to help my team get the momentum we needed to go out in the bottom of the eighth inning to finish off SCHA.
Q: Can you pick up clues to what to throw to a hitter while watching him in pre-game batting practice? Can you give an example of this?
A: Teams don’t really take batting practice before our games however, I did grow up with a lot of the kids I play and also being an upperclassmen, you start to see tendencies of guys over the years that you pick up on and learn how to take advantage of. For instance, if a guy has a big weight shift and is a pretty dead fastball hitter, a change or a curve will really keep him off balance.
Q: Who are your favorite pitchers? Do you try to pattern your game after any of them?
A: One of my favorite pitchers to watch is Cliff Lee. I remember when I was 10 years old, I was sitting on my couch watching him throw with a baseball in my hand. The broadcasters showed how Lee holds all his pitches and I was intrigued by his curve ball. He spiked his index finger between the seams and gripped his middle finger on the seam and the broadcaster called it a spike curve. I held the ball in my hand that way on the couch and from that point on, that’s how I threw my curve which has always been my best out pitch.
Q: After facing a hitter a couple of times in a game, you probably have a better idea of what to throw him late in a game. Can you give us an example of how this has worked in your favor?
A: Similar to the batting practice answer, I do pick up on little things that guys do especially when I strike them out swinging or if they get a nice hit. If they hit a fastball away to the other side of the field, I might be able to beat them in next time or work my offspeed.
Q: Where do you usually bat in the lineup? Does your batting approach change when you are moved up or down in the lineup order?
A: Throughout this year, I’ve hit third or fourth, so I haven’t really changed much. My approach as a hitter is basically the approach that our team takes to win a baseball game. Any way. It doesn’t matter how I get on base or how good or bad the hit is, but the end goal is to get on, any way I possibly can. There are little things I do, for example, with two strikes I choke up and get a little closer to the plate to try to either wear an off speed pitch he leaves inside or be able to reach an outside pitch a little easier. Other than that, I really just look to drive pitches in my zone early in the count to get on base any way I can.
Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game are you working on the most currently?
A: I think the strongest part of my game is my ability to get through a line up multiple times on the mound. It takes a lot mentally and physically to be able to face a hitter three, maybe four times, and still be able to get outs and keep my team in the game.
One of the things I’ve been working on the most this season is being able to throw my changeup for a strike consistently. I’ve always been able to locate my fastball and curveball extremely well which has led to a lot of my success as a pitcher but I believe that to get to the level I want to get to as a pitcher, I need to be able to do the same with my change.
Q: Who have been your biggest baseball mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?
A: I had a Little League coach named Tony Antonello that I would say is one of my biggest mentors. He taught me at a very young age a lot of the little things in baseball that have put me at a higher level than a lot of people I play against. He stressed the things like bunt defense and first-and-thirds and other mental aspects of the game that a lot of people over look. Going through this with him, however, made me a smarter, more coachable ball player and for that I can’t thank him enough.
Another mentor I have is my dad. I really can’t think of anyone who goes more out of there way to make me a better player than he does. He almost never misses a game and the amount of time he’s spent catching my bullpens and throwing me BP is unbelievable. He’s at everyone of my games with a notebook and his phone writing down every pitch and videoing every at bat so we can talk about it and figure out how I can do better. Whether I do good or bad, I can always count on him to be there to talk to me and get me ready for my next game.
Finally, I wouldn’t be in the position I am without [Episcopal Academy] Coach [Mike] Hickey. Coach Hickey is the most knowledgeable guy I’ve ever played for. He looks at every aspect of the game and makes decisions that almost never fail to keep us in games and give us a chance to win. The wisdom and guidance he’s given me has been nothing short of a blessing, as I wouldn’t be the player I am without him.
Q: What is your favorite baseball park, and why?
A: My favorite place to play as a kid was always at the Cal Ripken tournament on the main field. It was the first time I ever got to play in a stadium setting and I remember loving playing there as a kid. Since I started high school, I think my favorite place to play at is my home field at EA. Although you never know if it’s going to be gusting wind or a nice calm day, or if the infield is going to be rock hard or perfectly soft, the field feels like home to me and I’m always confident hitting and pitching on that field.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: My preparation for a baseball game varies depending on whether or not i’m pitching. Typically I get out of school and quickly get some kind of music going so I can try to get my mind switched from school to baseball. When were at home, I change and, believe it or not, drive down to the field. (It’s a hike from campus.) If I’m tossing that day, I go through a band routine and then progress into a longer stretch by myself and finally long toss and get my mind right to pitch. If not, I go through the stretching and throwing with the team and take infield outfield. Regardless of if I’m throwing or not, I think the biggest thing for me is turning the switch in my head. I try to be a leader on the field and I think if I can be focused and dialed in, it rubs off on my teammates.
Q: What uniform number do you wear for EA? Is there a reason you picked that number – does it have any significance to you?
A: For baseball, I wear No. 12, which is a number I’ve worn in baseball since I was 9, when my Little League team won the Pennsylvania State Championship.
In football and basketball, I wear No. 42, which has actually become a pretty interesting part of my high school sports career. When I’m on the court or field, the student section sometimes chants “42 mode” or something similar and the number has sort of taken a new shape. I’m not usually the big point scorer or prime time player in basketball but when I set a hard screen or get a big board, it’s pretty cool to hear everyone saying my number.
Q: Why did you choose Penn State? What other colleges were in the running?
A: When I made my decision to go to Penn State, I tried to take out the baseball factor and say to myself, if I wasn’t going to school to play baseball, where would I want to go? After that it was pretty easy. I fell in love with Penn State’s campus and culture and I wanted to be apart of it. The coaches also played a huge role as they made it really hard to say no. The direction of the program at Penn State is promising and I can’t wait to be a Nittany Lion. Throughout my process, I talked to schools like Duke, Boston College, Wake Forest, and Penn to name a few, but when it came down to the end of it, my decision was between Maryland, Louisville and Penn State.
Q: Do you participate in any other extracurricular activities at Episcopal Academy? What sparked your interest in these activities?
A: I play football and basketball at Episcopal mostly because I’ve played them my whole life and am not ready to give them up. Honestly, I think that playing my last football game this upcoming year at EA will be one of the hardest things I have to go through. I love the game and this will be the last year I get to play it. In addition to sports, I participate in a farming club, which grows food that is donated to people that are less fortunate, and an admissions club which assists with open houses and taking prospective families on tours of the school. I love to be involved at EA and these two clubs help me feel like I’m giving back at least a little to this school that has done so much for me.
Fun facts – Kyle Vrbitsky
Favorite book: Moneyball.
Favorite TV show: Big Brother.
Favorite movie: Superbad.
Favorite athlete: J.J Watt.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill.
Favorite team: Denver Broncos.
Favorite place to visit: “I love going to my grandparents, who live in the Poconos.”
Favorite pre-game meal: Wawa hoagie and a yellow Gatorade.
Favorite colors: Blue and white.
Persons I most admire: “My mom and dad.”
Born: Oct. 8, 1998 in Atlanta, Ga.
Family members: Leslie (Mom), Bill (Dad), brothers Brian and Jake.
(To be selected Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
