Thatcher Hurd burst onto the scene in 2022 at UCLA as an incredibly promising newcomer, garnering national attention and skyrocketing up future draft boards. What's even more impressive is that he had only transitioned from a catcher to a pitcher in 2021. With a mid-90s fastball and a 6 ft 4 frame, Hurd, a true Freshman, elicited plenty of comparisons to past first-rounders. After earning a spot in the starting rotation and leading UCLA's staff in almost every statistic, Hurd went down with a back injury in April, stopping his season after just 34 innings pitched.
Going into 2023, Hurd was poised to come back for the Bruins and help lead their staff to another regional and beyond. However, Hurd decided to enter his name in the transfer portal, which was the craziest it had ever been in the summer of 2022. He was highly sought after, but ultimately decided on LSU. Hurd cited LSU's availability of information and technology, including Newtforce, as a huge reason for transferring to LSU. Thatcher opened up about his transfer portal experience and some of the factors that went into his decision.
The Newtforce pitching mound has been a game changer for me. As someone who is constantly seeking information to refine my movements, the insight gained with the mound, along with other technology, is a huge reason I decided to transfer to LSU. The quantifiable data the technology shows on a single pitch allows me to understand how my body transfers force. I have always put an emphasis on training my lower half to be explosive, with Newtforce I was able to take the feedback to focus on training pitching specific movement patterns that address deficiencies as well as improve my strengths.
The ability to see ground forces in between pitches and make adjustments based on that has removed any guesswork when it comes to my lower half. The feedback the mound provides not only shows why an adjustment should be made but how to do so. As I continue my career at LSU and beyond, the Newtforce mound will play a huge role in gaining the edge I am looking for in clear, concise and objective data.
On the biggest stage in College Baseball, Game 3 of the College World Series, Hurd came up huge for LSU. He threw 6 innings, giving up two runs on two hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks against an offense that had just put up 24 runs in game 2. When the lights were at their brightest, he shined.
A big thanks to Thatcher Hurd for sharing his experience with our mound and we wish him continued success as he continues his push to be the best. We are excited about the opportunity to be part of your ongoing development and look forward to supporting you on your remarkable journey.
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