Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki Baseball Conversation | Ryan Netemeyer
10/08/2017 | 3:43:00 | Baseball
Ryan Netemeyer is heading into his senior year. He broke the SIU single-season saves record last year with 15, and he is three saves away from setting the career record. We sat down with him to discuss the mentality of a closer, pitching on a torn ACL in 2016, records, and much more.Â
Previous conversations » Ken Henderson | Michael Baird
What did you do this summer?
I worked an internship in Nashville, Ill. I worked for Nascote Industries on the manufacturing of cars. It was fun but very time consuming. I'm hoping to stick in sports. I'd love to work for Nike, Under Armour or Rawlings.Â
You pitched the entire 2016 season with a torn ACL. Can you take us through that entire process—from the injury, to when you found out about it being torn, to the recovery process?
We were doing conditioning (in fall 2015). I went to jump, and I felt a pop. I knew it wasn't good, but I thought it wasn't that bad. My knee swelled up, and the doctor said it was too hard to tell. We put a brace on it—one of those big football braces that the linemen wear—and I pitched on it all year. There was pain all year. We knew something was wrong with it; we just didn't know what. We thought it just needed to be cleaned. After the season, we planned a surgery with the doctor to get it scoped out. When I woke up, he told me my ACL was completely gone. He said all my cartilage in my knee protecting those two bones was completely gone. It shocked me. It was hard to rehab completely, especially on a shortened time frame. Fortunately, I was in good enough shape that I felt I could contribute to the team. It wasn't completely healed (for the 2017), but it was healed enough to where I could play. Any injury, they say it's 6-8 months or whatever it is. But it's more of a mental thing, trusting your knee. That was the hardest part for me last year. I completely changed my mechanics because I was too scared to put all my weight on my front side. I'm completely healed now. My knee feels great and I finally trust it.Â
So this is your first fall practice when you're healthy?
Yes. Last year, I didn't start throwing off the mound until December or early January. This is a lot better. I can actually see improvement and not worry about being hurt. I actually get to do everything. I don't have to be sidelined. I hate sitting out.Â
When did you start thinking of yourself as a closer?Â
It never really crossed my mind until the end of my freshman year. We went to Indiana State and I came in for a latter-innings role twice. (Netemeyer recorded his first career save in a 7-4 win on April 11, 2015). It just felt natural. You get a big adrenaline rush, and it just felt right. The team got you that far. You just need to get three outs or six outs or whatever it takes. Shut the door. I'm the last guy. I'm what's keeping us from winning or losing, so let's go.Â
You had a breakout year in 2016
You don't really think about it. My dad always taught me to live pitch-by-pitch. Peyton Manning always said it well: "When you do well, go back to zero. When you do bad, go back to zero. Stay in that even plane." I don't think about it much. I live pitch-to-pitch and focus on the next one.Â
You'll probably break the school saves record. Have you thought much about that?
Not really. I don't like to think too much about that kind of stuff. A lot of guys get lost in stats. I just don't want to be that guy.Â
Last year, you broke the SIU single-season saves record. Were you thinking about that?Â
I knew about it generally, but I wasn't thinking about it that night until J-Bro (Jacob Williams) reminded me right before I went in the game. It was completely out of my mind, and I heard him yell, "Go break that record!"Â
What's a focus for improvement going forward?Â
I've been trying to eliminate the walks. Going back, I would get two early outs, and then make it interesting. Last year, sometimes I would walk the first two guys before I got going. This year, I'm focusing on letting my defense work. We have the best defense behind us in my whole career here. I'll let them make a play for me instead of dancing around so much.Â
What are the goals for the team and individually?
Mostly, I have team goals. I want to get to 40 wins, and I think we can win conference this year. It's wide open. Nobody knows anything about the league this year. We have a new team, but our work ethic will serve us well this year. There are a lot of hard workers on this team, and we play scrappy baseball. I hope to break the saves record, but that comes along with the team goals. They have to coexist.Â
What have you seen from the new guys?
It's similar to my freshman year. You see guys trying to win spots. They're pushing older players. They're working twice as hard to get that first college appearance. It's really helped the team out a lot because everyone is being pushed.Â
What's next for you after this year?Â
It would be nice to be drafted and play a few more years. I don't want to hang it up. After baseball, I'll find a job in engineering. I enjoy building something and seeing it go up. I think the new football helmets are interesting, how they're engineered better. I don't think there are too many sports people who contribute to that, so I'd like to be involved.Â
Â
Previous conversations » Ken Henderson | Michael Baird
What did you do this summer?
I worked an internship in Nashville, Ill. I worked for Nascote Industries on the manufacturing of cars. It was fun but very time consuming. I'm hoping to stick in sports. I'd love to work for Nike, Under Armour or Rawlings.Â
You pitched the entire 2016 season with a torn ACL. Can you take us through that entire process—from the injury, to when you found out about it being torn, to the recovery process?
We were doing conditioning (in fall 2015). I went to jump, and I felt a pop. I knew it wasn't good, but I thought it wasn't that bad. My knee swelled up, and the doctor said it was too hard to tell. We put a brace on it—one of those big football braces that the linemen wear—and I pitched on it all year. There was pain all year. We knew something was wrong with it; we just didn't know what. We thought it just needed to be cleaned. After the season, we planned a surgery with the doctor to get it scoped out. When I woke up, he told me my ACL was completely gone. He said all my cartilage in my knee protecting those two bones was completely gone. It shocked me. It was hard to rehab completely, especially on a shortened time frame. Fortunately, I was in good enough shape that I felt I could contribute to the team. It wasn't completely healed (for the 2017), but it was healed enough to where I could play. Any injury, they say it's 6-8 months or whatever it is. But it's more of a mental thing, trusting your knee. That was the hardest part for me last year. I completely changed my mechanics because I was too scared to put all my weight on my front side. I'm completely healed now. My knee feels great and I finally trust it.Â
So this is your first fall practice when you're healthy?
Yes. Last year, I didn't start throwing off the mound until December or early January. This is a lot better. I can actually see improvement and not worry about being hurt. I actually get to do everything. I don't have to be sidelined. I hate sitting out.Â
When did you start thinking of yourself as a closer?Â
It never really crossed my mind until the end of my freshman year. We went to Indiana State and I came in for a latter-innings role twice. (Netemeyer recorded his first career save in a 7-4 win on April 11, 2015). It just felt natural. You get a big adrenaline rush, and it just felt right. The team got you that far. You just need to get three outs or six outs or whatever it takes. Shut the door. I'm the last guy. I'm what's keeping us from winning or losing, so let's go.Â
You had a breakout year in 2016
You don't really think about it. My dad always taught me to live pitch-by-pitch. Peyton Manning always said it well: "When you do well, go back to zero. When you do bad, go back to zero. Stay in that even plane." I don't think about it much. I live pitch-to-pitch and focus on the next one.Â
You'll probably break the school saves record. Have you thought much about that?
Not really. I don't like to think too much about that kind of stuff. A lot of guys get lost in stats. I just don't want to be that guy.Â
Last year, you broke the SIU single-season saves record. Were you thinking about that?Â
I knew about it generally, but I wasn't thinking about it that night until J-Bro (Jacob Williams) reminded me right before I went in the game. It was completely out of my mind, and I heard him yell, "Go break that record!"Â
What's a focus for improvement going forward?Â
I've been trying to eliminate the walks. Going back, I would get two early outs, and then make it interesting. Last year, sometimes I would walk the first two guys before I got going. This year, I'm focusing on letting my defense work. We have the best defense behind us in my whole career here. I'll let them make a play for me instead of dancing around so much.Â
What are the goals for the team and individually?
Mostly, I have team goals. I want to get to 40 wins, and I think we can win conference this year. It's wide open. Nobody knows anything about the league this year. We have a new team, but our work ethic will serve us well this year. There are a lot of hard workers on this team, and we play scrappy baseball. I hope to break the saves record, but that comes along with the team goals. They have to coexist.Â
What have you seen from the new guys?
It's similar to my freshman year. You see guys trying to win spots. They're pushing older players. They're working twice as hard to get that first college appearance. It's really helped the team out a lot because everyone is being pushed.Â
What's next for you after this year?Â
It would be nice to be drafted and play a few more years. I don't want to hang it up. After baseball, I'll find a job in engineering. I enjoy building something and seeing it go up. I think the new football helmets are interesting, how they're engineered better. I don't think there are too many sports people who contribute to that, so I'd like to be involved.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
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