Exceptional stats result from routine

Central Arkansas pitcher Connor Gilmore has started 43 games in his career and holds several of the school’s career records, including victories, shutouts and innings pitched.
Central Arkansas pitcher Connor Gilmore has started 43 games in his career and holds several of the school’s career records, including victories, shutouts and innings pitched.

CONWAY -- No matter tonight's results, Connor Gilmore's plans are set.

He'll start on the mound for Central Arkansas against Northwestern (La.) State, throwing the first pitch for the Bears for the 44th time in his four-year career. About three hours later, Gilmore will head across campus to the student recreation center and put in about 25 or 30 minutes on a treadmill. If it's closed, he'll jog around campus to continue a process that has helped him become one of UCA's most durable pitchers ever.

In the books

• Central Arkansas senior right-hander Connor Gilmore has set several school records in four seasons. He’s also among one of the most productive active Division I pitchers.

STAT;TOTAL;UCA RANK;DI RANK

Victories;22;1st;tied 12th

Complete games;13;1st;2nd

Innings pitched;305 2/3;1st;4th

Shutouts;5;1st;tied 2nd

Games started;43;1st;tied 14th

Gilmore (2-6, 4.34 ERA) will have about five more starts in his distinguished UCA career.

The Little Rock Catholic graduate is already UCA's career leader in games started (43), victories (22), innings pitched (305 2/3), complete games (13) and shutouts (5). He ranks sixth in strikeouts (171) and eighth in career ERA (2.77).

"It's pretty eye-opening," Gilmore said. "Did I think when I came here that I was ever going to be in the books? No, I didn't. I wanted to come here and make an impact and give myself the best chance to win."

He's done it by helping UCA through a run in the Southland Conference Tournament and to the final of an NCAA regional as a freshman. Then he became a dependable part of its weekend rotation. He's started 38 games over the past three seasons, the last two seasons as UCA's Friday night starter, a role for which Coach Allen Gum said he prefers a "tough guy" to start a conference series.

In addition to the 13 complete games, which rank second among active Division I pitchers, Gilmore has pitched into the eighth inning at least a dozen other times, and he hasn't missed a start in three years. The closest he came was last year when his grandmother died and the funeral was on a Friday, the same day UCA played at Houston Baptist. The next day, Gilmore's father drove him to Houston, and he pitched in the Sunday series finale.

"There's no question that Connor has given us everything that he's got," Gum said. "He's always pitched well. He's pitched well this year, too, but we haven't always given him the support behind him."

Gilmore's durability isn't an accident.

His routine starts with Friday night jogs after a start. The next day, the 6-5, 225-pound Gilmore will play catch and lift weights. The day after that, he'll run some more and play catch again. With one bullpen session in between, by the next Friday, Gilmore said he's ready to give UCA 100 or so pitches.

"I know going out there that coach is going to ride me into the eighth or the ninth, even if runs are scored," he said. "It's a will kind of thing. Coach looks at me in the dugout and says, 'How do you feel?' Even if I feel terrible, I'm going to tell him I feel fine."

Gum, in his 11th season as a college coach, said he's never worried about the health of Gilmore's arm, even with the prevalence of arm injuries in baseball.

Gilmore, who said he's never felt any arm pain, doesn't have a set pitch count, Gum said, but he's never gone past 120 in a game. Gum said he looks at fastball velocity, which ranges from 89-93 mph, and location to decide whether Gilmore can keep going.

"If the ball starts leaving up, then that means he's tired and fatigued and it's time to get him out," Gum said. "But is it 106 or 120? I don't know. What if he's still throwing 90-92 at 120 pitches?"

Besides, it's not like it's easy to get Gilmore out of a game.

"He's like Jack Morris," Gum said. "Try to get the ball from Jack Morris. He wants to finish the game. And what's wrong with that?"

Gilmore has never had a problem with it, and he hopes his durability turns into a phone call in June from a major league team during the weekend of the draft. Gilmore's fastball has topped out at 94 mph this season, and he also throws a slider and change-up.

"I would love to get that phone call," he said.

Sports on 04/22/2016

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