There is one pitcher on every team that is looked at to put out the flames of an opposing team’s offense late in the game. That player for Eastern this season has been closer Mike Ziroli.

Ziroli, the only senior pitcher on this year’s squad, posted a 2-0 record last week to go along with a save.

The righthander allowed only one run and three hits in 7 and 1/3 innings to be named the Ohio Valley Conference ‘Pitcher of the Week’ as well as earning Top Cat honors for the week.

“This past week I have felt pretty good on the mound,” Ziroli said. “I just try to go out there and not let them score any runs. If I can do that, then we will win a lot of games.”

Ziroli has not only been impressive this past week, but has pitched well for the past month and a half after starting out the year sluggishly.

The senior is 6-2 this season with a 3.13 ERA and six saves. Ziroli has also struck out 39 batters in just 46 innings, and opponents are hitting just .219 against him.

“I think that Mike has really handled the pressure of being a senior and not starting as well as he would have liked,” Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said.

With the six saves this season Ziroli broke the Eastern career record for saves with 13 that was held by Mike Fahey, who had 12 saves from 1991-1994. But Ziroli doesn’t think the record is that important.

“It’s a nice record to have here, but they haven’t kept the save stat at Eastern for too long,” Ziroli said. “And no matter how high it gets here in the end of the season, I think someone will come along and break it.”

One of the reasons that Ziroli has been so effective in the late innings of a game is his forkball, which he can use as both a table setter and a strikeout pitch.

“Sometimes when I’m throwing the forkball for strikes I can tell that the other team is getting frustrated,” Ziroli said. “If I can drop it in there early in the count, then they don’t what I’m going to throw next, and I have ultimate confidence in my forkball.”

But Schmitz thinks the reason Ziroli has been so effective this season is not only the forkball, but his experience of having a year of closing ball games under his belt.

“The key for Mike has been: A – he has been able to get his forkball over early in the count,” Schmitz said. “And B – he had last year to get accustomed to the role of the closer, and I think that has helped him tremendously this season.”

Experience is something that Ziroli, a four-year player for Eastern, is full of. But being the oldest player on the team brings with it some responsibility.

“I have to help some of the younger guys with the little things,” said the product from Lyons Township High School in La Grange. “Things like what to pack on road trips and what to do on pickoff play – things like that.

“But I like that role because I know when I got here some of the guys helped me out, so I figure it is my turn to help out some of the younger guys now,” he said.

With only pitching the ninth and sometimes the eighth inning of a game, what does Ziroli with all of his free time?

“I watch the game until coach sends me down to the bullpen in the sixth inning just to stretch,” Ziroli said. “Then I just hangout with whoever else is down there and wait to warmup.”

But, Ziroli says, there is a problem that he can’t get a

handle of when he is about to warm up.

“Every time I get down there and I am getting ready to

warmup I have to use the bathroom,” Ziroli said. “The thing about it is after I go, everyone who is down there has to go, too.”

With the closer’s last regular season game quickly approaching one of the things he has had time to think about in the bullpen is where his team might end up come May.

“In a month, I expect to be in a NCAA regional somewhere,” Ziroli said. “Without a doubt.”