Kuwik’s unique grip translating to strong performances

Stacy Kuwik stepped inside the circle Wednesday without the typical anxiety of a freshman. Despite making her first appearance at SU Softball Stadium, the first-year pitcher took the field and showed a tremendous amount of poise and confidence.

Kuwik showed no apprehension against St. John’s standout Kacee Cox — who was second in the Big East with a .448 batting average coming into the game — as she promptly dispatched the Red Storm’s catcher on just three pitches in the top of the first inning.

No nerves, because Kuwik trusts her pitches. She knows she can get any hitter out. And she has an advantage that other pitchers do not.

Big hands.

‘She tends to be able to get her hands around the whole ball,’ said Jim Kuwik, Stacy’s father. ‘Most of her pitches are with two fingers. Some are kind of surprised with that, because they throw with three fingers. Three fingers slows the ball down.’

Kuwik’s two-finger grip on the ball has gotten her off to a fast start in Big East play. She is 2-1 in three Big East appearances, allowing just three earned runs in 19 innings pitched. She’ll likely earn another start this weekend, as Syracuse (17-15, 3-2 Big East) hosts Providence (11-16, 2-3) in a three-game set at SU Softball Stadium. The first two games are Saturday starting at noon. The final game of the set will be Sunday at the same time.

The freshman threw a one-hit shutout in her first career Big East start against Georgetown last Saturday, and was almost as impressive Wednesday. She allowed six hits and one earned run against St. John’s, striking out five. Her velocity, thanks to the big hands and two-finger grip, froze the Red Storm early on.

By the time they began to adjust, it was too late.

‘We had heard mixed reviews about her,’ St. John’s head coach Amy Kvilhaug said. ‘It seemed like she worked us a ton more inside than we were expecting to see. She had some good pop going, she came at us hard, and she was able to utilize her off-speed pitches as well.’

Kuwik first learned her two-finger grip from her high school pitching coach, Amanda Herberger. Herberger, a former pitcher for St. John Fisher, told Kuwik that she had big enough hands to grip the ball with two fingers instead of three.

The grip gave her fastball more speed. It gave her curveball more bite.

Kuwik’s curveball is unique in its own right. She is able to wrap her hand underneath the ball as she releases it. Having her hand under the ball allows for the pitch to break more.

‘It’s kind of like a hook grip,’ said Kuwik, who also has a home run at the plate this season. ‘I’ve honed it better within my time here, with Coach (Wallace) King and Angela Tincher. They’ve really helped me become better.’

Kuwik is improving, but it’s not like she was a bad pitcher to begin with. In her senior year at Fairport High School, she went 22-3 with a 0.20 ERA, 309 strikeouts, seven no-hitters and a perfect game. She was named to the New York Class AA All-State First Team for her performance.

Even after posting such phenomenal numbers as a senior in high school, Kuwik came into Syracuse eager to learn. The SU coaching staff saw that Kuwik had a unique grip. They took advantage of her big hands, helping her polish her game and become a smarter pitcher. And Kuwik listened.

She continues to listen and learn. The gift of her big hands, allowing for her unique grip, would mean nothing if she wasn’t coachable.

‘It’s kind of an ‘I love to play the game and I’m going to go hard’ (mentality),’ Ross said. ‘She’s that type of kid that will work hard. She isn’t going to worry about consequences, she’s just going to go hard and do all she can.’

Kuwik’s parents, Jim and Dawn, will be at the games this weekend. They have not seen the freshman pitch in a Syracuse uniform.

For Jim Kuwik, he’s just happy that SU catcher Lacey Kohl will be the one doing the catching. Dad can sit in the bleachers, relax, and enjoy this weekend instead of icing his hand down.

‘I spent a lot of time catching her, and hurting from catching her,’ he said. ‘I have a lot of sore fingers and sore shins from that.’

mcooperj@syr.edu