Prior to coming to the University of Maine, Sebastian Holt said he hadn’t pitched since he was “12 to 13 years old.”
He thought he was going to be a first baseman for the Black Bears.
He had sent UMaine head coach Nick Derba a video someone had taken of him pitching.
“It was a joke. I said ‘Hey, look at this. I told you I could pitch,” grinned Holt.
Derba actually thought Holt would become a pitcher at UMaine thanks to his talks with Holt’s summer league coach, Mike Porzio. So when Holt struggled as a hitter during fall ball his freshman year, that sealed the deal.
“He had a really bad fall [as a hitter] but he showed real promise on the mound,” said Derba. “That’s where his future was.”
He entered this season with a resume that included just nine innings of mound duty over his first two seasons, followed by Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in the summer of 2023.
He missed all of last year but has been one of the catalysts to UMaine’s good start with his league-leading seven saves. He has yet to blow a save and his seven saves heading into the weekend tied him for 15th in the country among relievers from 299 Division I programs.
UMaine entered this weekend’s home America East series against the University of Maryland Baltimore County with two more wins than all of last year (14) and the same number of conference wins (8) with 12 conference games remaining.
UMaine is 14-20 overall, including a current six-game winning streak, and 8-4 in America East. UMBC, winner of three of its last four, is 14-16 and 6-6, respectively.
Holt has made 13 appearances covering 20 ⅓ innings and has posted a 1.77 earned-run-average. He has struck out 13, walked six, hit two batters and given up just one homer. Opponents are hitting .230 off the righthander.
He has a 1.08 ERA over his last 11 appearances and has allowed only one earned run over his last 9 ⅔ innings.
“I’m definitely happy with the season so far but I’m not satisfied,” said the 6-foot-3, 225-pound native of Woodbridge, Connecticut. “Nothing matters unless you get a ring and get to play in a [NCAA] Regional.”
The ring refers to winning the America East tournament, which earns the champion a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
UMaine won the conference tournament two years ago but finished last in the America East a year ago during an injury-marred season. The Black Bears were the only team to miss the six-team conference tournament last year.
Holt said he injured his elbow in January, 2023, but tried to pitch through it. He made three appearances that spring before having the surgery that July.
The comeback wasn’t easy.
“But I had a real good supporting cast around me,” Holt said. “I have a great family and great friends and they kept me focused and on track. It’s definitely tough to go 635 days between outings.”
To say Holt has persevered would be an “understatement” said Derba.
“He lost two years,” said Derba.
It wasn’t easy, but Holt said he kept his confidence up.
“I had no option but to keep going,” Holt said.
He made his first appearance against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 15 and tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout. It was his first outing since he threw two-thirds of an inning in an 11-8 win over Bryant on May 20, 2023.
“I knew my stuff was good and I could compete with anyone in the country and the conference. It was a matter of going out and giving everything I had,” said Holt.
He features a fastball that has topped out at 94 miles an hour and he also has a slider and a splitter.
He said he has confidence in all three pitches and has learned to be resilient.
“You aren’t always going to feel 100 percent or have your best stuff but you learn how to battle through it,” said Holt.
Derba said Holt “makes you beat him” by locating his pitches well.
“You have to hit him. He isn’t going to walk you,” said Derba. “He doesn’t have an overpowering fastball but it has good movement on it and he commands it well.”
His slider is a “pretty good pitch” according to Derba and his splitter is still a work in progress.
Both Derba and Holt feel there is room for improvement.
“He hasn’t pitched to his capability yet. There’s more to be had. And that’s going to happen,” said Derba.
“I definitely feel I’m capable of better,” said Holt. “I haven’t had my best stuff since we started conference play. There’s still another level I can tap into going into the playoffs.”
He’s hoping to add some velocity and “do a better job hitting my spots and executing my pitches” moving forward.
UMaine had only five saves as a team a year ago and Holt said he knew he had to step up and answer the call in the closer’s role.
Closers are always in high-leverage situations and he loves that role.
“Every time you’re in the game, it’s make-or-break,” Holt said. “You control the game. The hitter has to embrace the storm that a closer is applying and, as a closer, you are applying the storm and the pressure on the hitter.”
Holt said he has benefitted from having what he considers the best three-man starting rotation in New England in front of him in Colin Fitzgerald, Caleb Leys and Gianni Gambardella.
“When they’re rolling, they make it really easy as a closer to come in and finish the job,” said Holt, who added that he enjoys pitching in front of the “best fans in America East” and a supportive community.
