Pitcher John Modugno Gets Opening Day Call for Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — There's been a lot of turnover with Indiana's pitching staff this season, which was expected after four hurlers — including all three weekend starters — were drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The next wave has arrived, though, and Indiana coach Jeff Mercer and new pitching coach Dustin Glant are confident that pitching will once again be a strength of this team.
It all starts on Friday with a three-game series against the Clemson Tigers in Clemson, S.C. Games are at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, 3 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. And John Modugno, who was 3-1 with a 2.09 earned run average last year as a reliever and spot starter for the Hoosiers, will get the ball first on Friday.
Jack Perkins, a Kokomo, Ind., who transferred to Indiana. from Louisville in the offseason, will start Saturday.
"We'll go Modugno on Friday, Perkins on Saturday and to be determined on Sunday. No one really stepped up completely to grab that spot on Sunday, so we'll play it by ear and see where we stand on Sunday,'' Mercer said. "I don't plan on that being a long-term thing, but for this week and until we get off a little bit, we'll see how that plays out. We feel really good about these two, and things will separate themselves.''
Modugno has earned that first start, Mercer said. He was very good a year ago, and has only gotten better in the offseason. The 6-foot-5 junior from Upper Saddle River, N.J., is a battler too, and Mercer likes that makeup in an opening-series starter, much like Tommy Sommer was a year ago. Sommer was drafted by the Chicago White Sox.
"John has a track record here, and he's done a really good job,'' Mercer said. "He's very competitive and very stable. His off-speed stuff has taken a really nice jump this year, which is a normal progression for a guy that transitions from a bullpen/spot starter guy to a full-fledged starter. Dustin's done a really good job of developing the off-speed pitches, so you do feel like he's got a four-five pitch repertoire that can go out and give you a good start on a Friday.
"He's competitive enough the be the first guy through the wall, and that's a big deal with a Friday guy like we've had with Tommy in the past. You want that competitive guys with composure in that spot to get you out the gate.''
Perkins has been impressive too since arriving on campus.
"Jack Perkins has done a wonderful job,'' Mercer said. "He's got a four-seam (fastball), a two-Seam, cutter, slider and curveball, good changeup. He's got a really nice mix of stuff, and he's athletic and can control the mound and control the running game too.
Mercer likes the one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Sunday's starter is a wait-and-see thing for now, which is fine with Mercer — for now. He's got plenty of options, and for this week, he'll wait to see how he needs to use guys out of the bullpen the first two days.
Opposing hitters will see different stuff the first two days too, which Mercer likes. He had that a year ago too, with Sommer, McCade Brown and Gabe Bierman, who were all very different starters.
"John and Jack, they're different profiles, too,'' Mercer said. "John is going to throw in the low-to-mid 90s with a good sinker. Jack can ride it up an d throw a good four-seam in the mid-90s but he can sink the ball too, kind of based on what the opponents' weaknesses are.''
Modugno said the staff is coming together nice, and it's another close-knit group, even with a lot of new faces.
"In year's past, we've always had good chemistry with the pitching staff. We just like being around our teammates, and we're always together and messing with each other,'' Modugno said. "We like each other, and we'll stay around for bullpens and watch other guys throw, too.''
Modugno is excited to be the first one ''through the wall,'' like Mercer said. He's r eady to take on those Clemson hitters
"It feels amazing (to get the first start). A lot of guys who came before me taught me how to got after it and compete,'' Modugno said. "Tommy, Gabe and McCade really pushed me a lot to be the kind of pitcher i am today. It's a lot of new faces this year, but it's that same philosophy, that we're going to come after you and get your ass.''
Modugno has a new pitching coach this year, with Dustin Glant coming over from the New York Yankees organization, replace Justin Parker, who left for the same job at South Carolina. It's been a great fit so far, Modugno said, and he's ready to get started.
"Glant has taught me a lot of stuff that I didn't know, and I've been doing this for a long time,'' he said. "It's been good so far, and we're ready to go. We're built up to a certain point, but it's not like, hey, you're stopping here, but it's more of a feel thing.''
Friday's game is streaming on ESPN-Plus, and the radio feed is available on the Indiana website. Here are the links:
- Watch on ESPN-Plus: CLICK HERE
- Listen on IUHoosiers.com: CLICK HERE
UPDATE: Indiana's batting order has been released. Here is the Opening Day lineup:
- Tyler Doanes, 2B
- Phillip Glasser, SS
- Bobby Whalen, CF
- Matthew Ellis, DH
- Kip Fougerousse, 1B
- Morgan Colopy, RF
- Carter Mathison, LF
- Peter Serruto, C
- Josh Pyne, 3B
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