{"id":45566,"date":"2024-12-13T01:45:26","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T09:45:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=45566"},"modified":"2024-12-11T17:09:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T01:09:13","slug":"up-and-coming-pitcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2024\/12\/13\/up-and-coming-pitcher\/","title":{"rendered":"Up-and-coming pitcher"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jake Finkelstein\u2019s repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and changeup. <\/i>(photo by Justin Morash)<\/i><\/p>\n

Pitcher Jake Finkelstein is looking forward to his third season in the Victoria HarbourCats lineup next summer.<\/p>\n

Finkelstein, a 2020 King David High School graduate, told the Independent<\/i> the decision to return to the region was a \u201cno-brainer\u201d and that it \u201cfeels great\u201d to be coming back. During his first year with the club in 2023, the HarbourCats took home the WCL North Division title and nearly won the WCL championship. The team was knocked out during the 2024 North Division semifinal series, leaving what Finkelstein described as a \u201ctremendous hunger to win it all\u201d in 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The HarbourCats are part of the West Coast League, a collegiate baseball circuit that was started in 2005.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe past two summers I\u2019ve played there have been some of the most fun I\u2019ve had,\u201d said Finkelstein. \u201cOne reason why Victoria is such a great place to play is the fans. They create one of the most electric atmospheres in all of summer ball and it\u2019s a privilege to get to play for a city that cares about the team the way Victoria does.\u201d<\/p>\n

The left-handed pitcher credits Victoria head coach Todd Haney, a former Montreal Expo, for recruiting not only players who can perform at a high level but who are team players, making it very easy to build relationships during the short WCL summer season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Jake Finkelstein has played two summers with the Victoria HarbourCats. (photo by Christian J. Stewart)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cVictoria is also such a great place to play because of the coaching staff. They do a great job of keeping everyone on the same page while making sure we enjoy our summer. The HarbourCats are a team that wins, and I believe that the relationships that the players gain with one another, as well as the coaching staff, are a major reason as to why,\u201d Finkelstein said.<\/p>\n

Now spending the academic year at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) in Lawrenceville, a suburb northeast of Atlanta, Ga., Finkelstein has also played for Montana State University Billings and Spokane Falls Community College.<\/p>\n

The move to GGC was a big decision for Finkelstein. However, after numerous conversations with the GGC coaching staff and some with the players, the lure of suiting up for a college baseball powerhouse ultimately won him over.<\/p>\n

\u201cGGC baseball has one of the most knowledgeable coaching staffs in the nation,\u201d said Finkelstein.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile winning is a huge part of the program, and our track record proves it, development and unlocking an athlete\u2019s full potential are the top priorities. Everything we do on a day-to-day basis reflects that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking with my now-friend and -teammate Austin Testerman before I decided on GGC, I was able to get a glimpse into the mindset that one must possess and the way one must act to be a GGC Grizzly. This was my selling point. I didn\u2019t know much about the minor ins and outs of the program, but I knew that I was walking into a place where I had a chance to be a part of something special.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old HarbourCat veteran, whose repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and changeup, sees his biggest strength as being able to throw strikes consistently. A pitcher\u2019s job, he said, is not about simply throwing hard, but getting the ball to \u201cend up wherever you want while making it do weird things.\u201d<\/p>\n

That control, coupled with composure, according to Finkelstein, are tremendous assets on the mound.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing a pitcher is very stressful and can be very humbling at times,\u201d he acknowledged. \u201cI\u2019ve always noticed that the best pitchers keep the same body language and demeanour no matter what is happening in the game. Even if a home run was just hit off of them, they\u2019re right back at it, throwing strike one to the next guy. That is what I pride myself on and try to embody every time I am on the mound.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he continues to hone his craft, Finkelstein would like to finish innings on fewer throws.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting every batter you face out, but throwing five or more pitches to each of them adds up and tires you out. Being able to keep your pitch count down is essential to maintaining longevity on the mound. So, I would say that my biggest facet of pitching that I am working on right now is being able to get hitters out early more consistently,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Turning professional is Finkelstein\u2019s ultimate goal \u2013 whether it be affiliated, independent or overseas baseball. Academically, he is working towards a degree in business management with a minor in finance. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The HarbourCats are also excited to have Finkelstein back for another summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cJake\u2019s a great kid. First and foremost, he is a quality individual who has been a tremendous teammate and a competitor. He is a pitcher not a thrower, he wants to get hitters out,\u201d said Jim Swanson, the HarbourCats managing partner. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe works a good curve that is especially problematic for left-handed hitters and his fastball has more than enough to get guys out,\u201d said Swanson. \u201cHe has always played very well for us and been a gamer.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Swanson, a game during the 2023 divisional playoffs against the Bellingham Bells stands out. Victoria trailed 6-0 when they brought Finkelstein in and, thanks to his tenacity on the mound, and HarbourCats hitters finding their way around the bases, Victoria came back to win 9-7.<\/p>\n

Finkelstein, a college junior, earned academic all-America team accolades at NCAA Division II Montana State University Billings and is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honour Society. (His sister Leann played collegiate softball for Long Island University Post and Simon Fraser University.)<\/p>\n

Last season, Finkelstein made 11 appearances, including nine starts, threw 38.1 innings, struck out 23 and won two games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The HarbourCats 2025 home opener is June 6 against the Port\u00a0<\/span>Angeles Lefties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam Margolis<\/b> has written for the <\/i>Globe and Mail, the <\/i>National Post, UPI and MSNBC.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jake Finkelstein\u2019s repertoire includes a fastball, curveball and changeup. (photo by Justin Morash) Pitcher Jake Finkelstein is looking forward to his third season in the Victoria HarbourCats lineup next summer. Finkelstein, a 2020 King David High School graduate, told the Independent the decision to return to the region was a \u201cno-brainer\u201d and that it \u201cfeels […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":45568,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[3688,23686,23685,4508,6224],"class_list":["post-45566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local","tag-baseball","tag-harbourcats","tag-jake-finkelstein","tag-sports","tag-victoria"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45566"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45566\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}