Left to Right: Jon Reid (Azusa Pacific), Mike Reitcheck (UPenn), Tyler Feece (Illinois St)

There are few positions more unique in baseball than left-hander pitchers. They come with their own stereotypes, skill sets, and specialized roles. Each team is picky about how many left-handed pitchers they carry and what they will be asked to do. Yet, since taking over as head coach six years ago, Nick Davey, a former left-handed pitcher himself, has been stockpiling talented left-handers in Albany each summer. 2015 appears to be no different, with the Dutchmen adding three veteran left-handers to a talented pitching staff, Mike Reitcheck (University of Pennsylvania), Tyler Feece (Illinois State), and Johnny Reid (Azusa Pacific).
 

A converted closer, Mike Reitcheck has proven himself to be a versatile and effective pitcher in his two seasons at Penn. As a true freshman last season, the 5’11” 185-pound lefty made eleven relief appearances, recording five saves and a 4.22 ERA while striking out 16 batters in 10.2 innings. A two-time high school regional champion, First-team All Conference and First-team All-Area honoree, Reitcheck has made a return to the rotation in 2015 with an equal amount of success. Through 23 innings pitched, he has compiled a 2-1 record and a 1.96 ERA, while holding opponents to a .233 batting average and issuing only four walks. With such a long history of success in various roles, Reitcheck figures to be an important member of the staff in whatever role Coach Davey has planned. Reitcheck's Player Profile

Joining Reitcheck on the staff will be Illinois State red-shirt freshman Tyler Feece. A 5’10” 190 pound left-hander, Feece took a red-shirt last year after a prodigious high school career in Vernon Hills, Illinois. A four-year member of the varsity team, Feece ended his career with a 1.77 ERA in his senior year, tallying 88 strikeouts and earning all-area and all-conference distinctions. This followed a junior year in which he recorded a 0.77 ERA and a 12-2 record, while striking out 97 batters in 72 innings. Since joining the Redbirds, Feece has begun earning his innings out of the pen, making two appearances so far in his first year of collegiate action. A versatile arm with a successful track record, Feece will be another valuable tool in the Dutchmen pitching staff entering 2015. Feece's Player Profile

Pitching alongside Feece out of the Dutchmen bullpen will be Azusa Pacific sophomore Johnny Reid. A transfer from Pepperdine, Reid has come out of the gates impressively for the Cougars. During his high school career at Bonita High School in La Verne, California, Reid was primarily a starter, totaling a 1.47 ERA and 62 strikeouts in his senior season, earning first team all-league honors as a captain. Since entering college, the 5’10” 170” pound Reid has thrown exclusively out of the bullpen, totaling 13 innings for Azusa Pacific. In those twelve appearances, Reid has allowed only eight hits and nine walks, while striking out 19, holding opponents to a .174 batting average against, and not allowing a single run on the season. With Azusa Pacific sitting at 24-9 on the season, Reid has proven himself to be an invaluable members of the staff and a likely leader for the Dutchmen bullpen in 2015. Reid's Player Profile