A gap year is not easy.
While it provides tremendous opportunity to improve, its also a young man at 18-19 years old that has to have the discipline to do a lot of self directed work.
His gap year he took a full 16 credits, in addition to his training program, throwing program, mechanical work, and nutrition plan and prep.
He handled it very well though. There were bumps, and conversations after his sessions were just as much about discussing his program as it was about making wise decisions in his personal life.
As he worked to gain discipline and maturity, his training took off. He nailed a 535 lb flat back deadlift, and his explosive markers took off as well
For the first time his strength was now enough to make his mechanics efficient and repeatable, and his location in bullpens vastly improved
His velocity steadily gained as well, jumping all the way from 74-76mph to upper 80's in his pens.
That summer we were able to place him on a team in one of the top collegiate summer leagues
After barely even getting to face high school hitters, lineups packed with D1 hitters had ups and downs, but overall he pitched very well and greatly enjoyed his experience.
He received a couple scholarship offers that summer, but ironically the offer he ultimately accepted was from a school we'd sent a video of him throwing a bullpen.
The very thing he’d avoided before starting with us out of protecting his ego-getting gunned on video-was what was now getting him a scholarship!
-Fenske