May 8, 2014 4 min read

Shawn Blackwell worked more angles last year than a geometry teacher or a carpenter.

A second-year starting pitcher with the Wild Things, Blackwell spent last season trying to rediscover the “high three-quarters” throwing motion he used so successfully before being converted to a sidearmer in 2012 by the Texas Rangers.

It was a season of struggles for Blackwell. He never did find the old arm angle – or slot, as the baseball scouts are fond of saying – and the numbers showed a pitcher battling inconsistency.

However, one year of relentless work on his mechanics and a month spent in Harlingen, Texas, have enabled Blackwell to regain his old throwing motion and rebuild his confidence.

Blackwell threw four shutout innings Friday night in the Wild Things’ 2-0 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers in the exhibition opener at Consol Energy Park. The 23-year-old Blackwell allowed four hits, but he struck out three and most importantly, did not walk a batter.

“I don’t think I had the same arm slot two games in a row last year,” Blackwell said. “My muscle memory was gone. It was a struggle to repeat my release point.”

Blackwell’s statistics with the Wild Things last year did not match those he put up while the Rangers system, when his worst season produced only a 4.10 ERA. With Washington, Blackwell had a 4-10 record in 19 games (18 starts) and a 5.36 ERA. He issued 59 walks in 100 2/3 innings. The 6-5, 195-pound right-hander had walked 56 batters in three years with the Rangers.

“I didn’t have muscle memory, and I had to think about my release point with every pitch,” Blackwell explained. “The more I thought about it, the harder it got to pitch well. Then it became a mental thing.”

During the offseason, Blackwell finally rekindled the old form and wanted to test it against hitters. He went to Harlingen in February to participate in the Texas Winter League, which featured a handful of independent leaguers and a bunch of former college players hoping to earn a contract with a professional team. The results were stunning.

Blackwell was the most dominant player in the league, overwhelming the competition with performances that were off the charts. In six starts, Blackwell had a 4-0 record and allowed only one run, which was unearned. In 24 1/3 innings, he struck out 42 and walked just five. There was even some serious interest from the Philadelphia Phillies, but an invitation to minor-league spring training was not extended.

“In the Texas Winter League, I finally felt comfortable on the mound,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about my mechanics. The league benefitted me because it gave me a pre-spring training.”

Washington manager Bart Zeller, who is counting on Blackwell to be one of his five starting pitchers, says the month in south Texas was just what his pitcher needed.

“He was having success in the winter league, and he had to leave there feeling good about his stuff and his mound presence,” Zeller said. “You have to remember, he’s only 23. Not many 23-year-olds have three years of experience in affiliated ball. He still has an excellent chance to get back there.”

Right-hander Jordan Elliott followed Blackwell with two scoreless innings, and Matt Purnell, Zach Fleshman and Andy Smithmyer completed the shutout, each throwing one inning.

The Wild Things scored single runs in the second and third innings off Lake Erie starter Roberto Padilla. Nick Ratajczak drew a two-out walk in the second and came around to score on consecutive singles by Daniel Poma and Ryan Kresky. In the third, Stewart Ijames had the second of his three singles, adbanced to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a single by Jim Vahalik.

Prior to the game, the Wild Things released shortstop Nico Slater and right-handed pitchers Dan Goldstein and Casey Cannon. Goldstein pitched in eight games for Washington last season. The Wild Things also re-signed left-handed pitcher Al Yevoli and added third baseman Carter Bell to the roster. Yevoli is back for his third stint with Washington. He pitched in 20 games last year before having his contract purchased by the Chicago Cubs. Yevoli pitched well at Class A Kane County but was released after spring training this year. Bell played at Oregon State and spent four years in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ system. He played one game last month for Class A South Bend of the Midwest League. … Former Wild Things pitcher Vidal Nuno got his second major league win Wednesday night, throwing 6 1/3 innings in the New York Yankees’ 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Nuno (1-0) allowed one run and four hits. He retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. … Joe Charboneau, who was the Wild Things hitting coach for two seasons (2002-03) has the same job with Lake Erie.