Interview: 10-4 season leaves SAU fans wondering if Landon Simpson will be high MLB draft pick

When we last caught up with Southern Arkansas pitcher Landon Simpson he was just hitting his stride in the 2015 season. The former Arkansas Razorbacks relief pitcher was stretching his arm out as a No. 1 for the Muleriders posting a 4-3 mark through nine starts. In those nine starts he had 53.2 innings pitched, a 43/11 strikeout to walk ratio, and an ERA of 2.01. More importantly he was just named the Great American Conference Pitcher of the week after throwing a 4-hit shutout lowering his ERA to 1.89. The outing also earned him National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America Pitcher of the Week.

Two months and eight games later Simpson continued the hot streak ending with a 10-4 mark on the year, with 5 complete games, 115 innings pitched, a 73/22 K/BB ratio, and a 2.66 ERA over 17 games. In those five complete games, four were shutouts.

The Magnolia, Arkansas native is his own man and his own pitcher, but a need bloodline note must be added. Older brother Hayden Simpson was a first round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2010 after his junior season leading many to wonder if history is about to repeat itself in 2015.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview we caught up with Landon after the Muleriders finished their season 40-18, with a Great American Conference regular season and postseason trophy, and a trip to the NCAA Central Region Tournament in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

 

Landon, first, congratulations on a great season.

“Thank you.”

Have the postseason GAC honors come out yet?

“Yeah, I ended up getting First-Team All-GAC, MVP of the GAC Tournament, and I think I ended up getting Second-Team All-Region.”

I’d like to see the stats of the guys that got first-team all-region.

Help me understand in the NCAA Regional why the Muleriders were forced to play two games on the opening day, especially after you guys won the first game.

Walk us through the conference tournament. You guys lost the opening round game 8-5 to Harding and then won three straight coming up through the loser’s bracket (beat Ouachita Baptist 4-2, beat Henderson State 6-2, and beat Henderson State 6-3). How did the tournament go for you guys?

“We won the first game. Going into the second game the score was 4-2 going into the eighth. They got a couple of hits and then in the top of the ninth, actually I take that back, in the bottom of the ninth their catcher came up and hit a two-run home run. After they had already scored a run to beat us.

“After that, obviously we had been in that situation before, every year, this is what I have been told, we lose that first game and come back and end up winning that tournament. Four years in a row now.”

When we last talked you were just starting to get into your zone and throwing really well. From 4-3 and then going 6-1 the rest of the way what was different for you on the mound?

“I started getting comfortable with my approach and started pitching my game. Everything really just started falling in place for our team. It seemed like every time I went out we were flawless and the hitting came through. Everything just kind of fell in place for me.”

From a pitching standpoint was anything different going on? Where you getting better movement on your ball or better snap on your breaking stuff or was it all just approach and comfort?

“I think it was mostly being more comfortable playing with the guys and making better pitches. But also, my velocity went up too. I think that helped too.”

When we spoke last you said in high school you were hitting 94 on the gun before your injury and then you were around 91-92. What were you hitting on the gun towards the end of the season?

“I was around 89, 91 to 92. I think I hit 94 a couple of times in the conference tournament.”

How did you hit 94? Where you trying to squeeze a high fastball past someone?

“It was actually on a 3-0 count. I was just trying to relax and throw a strike. It always seems to workout that way. You relax and your mechanics are better and it just turns out that way.”

In the conference tournament how well did you do?

“I gave up three runs in a complete game we won 10-3 I think. I came back on three days rest pitched six innings and we won 6-3.”

Was your arm worn out by then?

“We had a good approach to that. We knew I was going to have to come back to throw. Me and Coach (Justin) Pettigrew, our pitching coach, we had a good plan to get me back where I could throw again.”

How did you pitch in the tournament?

“In the tournament I went 8 innings and gave up two runs. We ended up winning 9-2.”

“What happened was we got rained out the first day. The NCAA said we had to have the tournament done by Sunday. Everybody had to play twice on that first day.”

That effectively took you out of the tournament.

“Yeah, that did not help us any.”

Against Emporia State you beat them 9-2, threw 8 innings give up 2 earned runs, was that your last collegiate start?

“It’s one of those things that you just never know what might happen. It’s a dream to get drafted. If it doesn’t work out this year then I will definitely be back at SAU. It’s just one of those things you don’t know how everything will fall into place.”

The Major League Baseball Draft starts on June 8, running through the 10. Have you heard from any scouts so far giving any indication about what could happen for you? Any talk or whispered rumors about the possibility of you getting drafted?

“Not really. I filled out some stuff for them. Until that day comes you’re probably not going to know until you get that phone call. That’s just how that kind of stuff goes.”

Which teams have you filled stuff out for so far?

“The Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds.”

Are there any other guys on the team that stand a good chance of getting drafted this year?

“Oh absolutely, a lot of them that could. Our whole team is really talented. Billy Germaine had a lot of homeruns this year (12) and hit around .350 I think (.338). A lot of our team was younger. Honestly any number of them could get drafted this year.”

In years past you’ve pitched for the Waterloo Bucks in summer ball. Is that a possibility this year if you don’t get drafted?

“I don’t think so. I pitched 115 innings in the spring. I’m going to give the arm a little bit of a break. I’ll play catch later in the summer and start throwing some bullpen but I won’t throw to a live hitter until we pick back up in the fall.”

If you’re not pitching for the Waterloo Bucks this summer what will you do with your time off? Will take classes or go on a fun vacation?

“I’m actually not taking classes this summer. I graduate next May. I’m pretty well lined up with school right now. As for the summer – fishing. I actually caught a 9.5 pound bass two days ago in the pond right across the street from my house. I’ve fished there for 13 years now and caught nothing no where close to that.”

Good luck when the draft comes around. I hope it works out for you.

“Thank you.”

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: magnoliareporter.com; No. 23 Landon Simpson

Photo credit: SAU sports information; Landon Simpson takes the mound for SAU