Holtmeyer's Season May Be One For The Record Books
Apr 8, 2010 | Baseball, General
OMAHA, Neb. - Athletic records are meant to be broken. Some last only a season, some for decades. At the age of 20, UNO sophomore right-hander #Joe Holtmeyer# is already on his way to rewriting a number of school records.
The Omaha native currently holds the school's record for lowest opponent batting average against at .175, and is on pace to break the single-season strikeout record of 112 set by Barry Miller in 1961.
“It would be a nice record to have, but I think wins for the team are the most important thing for me personally,” Holtmeyer said. “Those [records] are usually a bi-product of just going out there and helping the team win. If I strikeout 15 in a game, that's just 15 outs less that the defense has to make. So, really it's just about helping out the team.”
At 6'3” and 240 pounds, Holtmeyer has amassed 99 K's in just 54.2 innings this season and has a record of 6-1 in eight starts. He is just 13 batters away from Miller's single season strikeout record.
Miller, a former minor league player for the then-Milwaukee Braves organization, said that he has high hopes for Holtmeyer and for the UNO program.
“I wish him the best of luck,” Miller said. “I didn't even realize that the record was still there [laughing]…that's almost 50 years ago. We played in the Central Intercollegiate Conference then, but we [UNO] were always a competitive program. It's good to hear that there is still some good talent coming out of UNO.”
As a senior at Creighton Prep High School, Holtmeyer posted a 7-1 record while striking out 65 batters, earning him first team all-state and all-metro honors. In his first season of collegiate action, he led UNO in shutouts (2) and finished second in strikeouts with 77.
He ended 2009 with a 6-4 record as a starter, 7-4 overall, and posted a 3.49 ERA in 49 innings pitched. This season he leads the MIAA in numerous categories, including a conference best 0.53 ERA and 11 hits given up.
“The seniors last year taught me a lot about pitching, which has helped me get to where I am now,” Holtmeyer said. “This year I really just wanted to step up to that “Ace” role. I wanted it, and I have worked really hard in the off-season for it.”
With a fastball clocked at 94 MPH, he has struck out 54 batters in his last four starts, including a pair of complete game one-hit shutouts against Truman State and Southwest Baptist. He was named MIAA Pitcher of the week in consecutive weeks.
Tim Huber, another former Creighton Prep standout and UNO's all-time career strikeout leader (05-08), said that he isn't surprised by what he is seeing out of Holtmeyer.
“Joe has been nothing but impressive,” Huber said. “I watched him throw against Emporia, and he's a big kid, throws hard and really mixes up his pitches well. If he can stay healthy, I think he has a long future ahead of him in baseball.”
Currently holding a 1.65 ERA, the sophomore has allowed only 10 earned runs in 54 innings pitched, while giving up only 25 hits and two homeruns. At his current pace, Holtmeyer could surpass Huber for UNO's all-time strikeout mark of 277.
“There's no better kid than him to do it,” Huber said. “I've talked to him a few times and he's a good character guy so… if he broke the record, that would be fine by me.”
