College baseball: Frisby takes winding path to find success with Falcons

Danny Frisby took a circuitous route to wind up at UTPB.

After graduating from Dallas Bryan Adams High School, Frisby signed and was set to come to Midland College to play baseball.

When Texas-Pan American came calling later in the summer and offered him a chance to pitch at the NCAA Division I level, he took them up on it and left Midland College in his rearview mirror.

"I was young and stupid," Frisby said. "I didn't get to pitch as much as I wanted, and I thought I could do something better."

Frisby left Edinburgh and wound up back at Midland College for his sophomore year. He connected with UTPB coach Brian Reinke and transferred to the Odessa school.

"Financially we made it so he could afford it," Reinke said. "He liked being in the Midland-Odessa area, and all those factors combined played an equal part into it."

Frisby finished with a record of 4-5 with a 4.34 ERA in 2007 when he was one of UTPB's top three pitchers.

This year, though, it seems as if Frisby is finally comfortable and has found that place he wants to be. Te senior right-hander boasts a 4-0 record with a 1.53 ERA. One of those was a 9-3 dicesiion over then-No. 20 St. Edward's on Feb. 29.

"I've just been pounding the strike zone," Frisby said. "I don't have a lot of strikeouts. I just throw strikes and make people hit groundballs and popups. It helps keep my pitch count down so I can throw more innings."

Reinke said Frisby's stuff hasn't changed from last year. He still tops out in the low to mid-80s and mainly relies on a changeup with a lot of movement, but the coach did say he thinks the change has come from within.

"No. 1 is his competitiveness," Reinke said. "He is going to go out there every time and do whatever he can to win and keep us in the game. He doesn't light up the radar gun, but he knows how to pitch."

Learning how to pitch is one positive Frisby took from his Division I xperience at Texas-Pan American.

"He's pitched against Division I and in a great junior college conference," Reinke said. "He's seeing the fruits of all that labor from the last three years."

THE BASICS

>> Who: Lincoln University vs. UTPB

>> When: Noon today and Sunday

>> Where: Roden Field, UTPB campus

>> What: Heartland Conference doubleheader (seven-inning games)