Shuckers pitcher Nick Bennett moves from rotation to bullpen

Now he wasn’t in the highlights tonight, but one of the familiar faces on the Shuckers roster this year is left-handed pitcher Nick Bennett, who’s taking on an unfamiliar role in 2023.

A sixth-round selection out of Louisville in 2019, Bennett says he’s making the transition from the starting rotation to the bullpen, where he still poses an interesting challenge for opposing hitters, featuring a four-pitch mix of cutter, sinker, slider, and change-up.

Only 12 of Bennett’s 59 minor league appearances have come out of the pen, but he says the organization gave him plenty of heads up to make the adjustment. “I think it might be a little tougher for hitters just to see me one time. That might make a little bit of a difference. But I’m not thinking too much into that. My job is more just to get outs and help the team win and that’s what we’re all here to do. A lot of relievers these days have two pitches they use, and I think an interesting dynamic with me is I’m still going to use all four of those. I think I can keep batters on their toes with all four, so I’ll still be using my whole arsenal I used as a starter.”

Last season, Bennett led the Shuckers with 124 innings pitched and 125 strikeouts.