Lindebaum brings heat
Senior hurler fronts Rio Mesa's rotation
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers ROCK AND FIRE- Rio Mesa senior pitcher Jordan Lindebaum works from the mound Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans open the preseason today at home vs. Valencia. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

Standing 6-foot-6, Rio Mesa High senior Jordan Lindebaum looks like a basketball player at first glance. Pacific View League opponents may soon be wishing he was.

Instead of shooting hoops, Lindebaum does his damage on the baseball diamond, where the Spartans are hoping he can lead them this year as their No. 1 pitcher. Last season Lindebaum went 6-3 with an ERA of 3.05 while striking out 41 batters.

"Jordan did a good job of handling the No. 2 role last year, and this year we are looking for him to be our ace," Rio Mesa head coach Dave Soliz said.

"He is our guy, so to speak, and whenever we need someone to pitch a big game for us it's going to be him."

Although Lindebaum is now the Spartan ace, it's something that didn't happen overnight. Two years ago, Soliz had to make some adjustments with Lindebaum's mechanics.

Jordan Lindebaum

"We changed his delivery a little bit by working with him to have the ball thrown from one consistent spot in his delivery every time," Soliz said. "It took a little while for him to get that down, but he is light years better now than he was his sophomore year. He has more of an easier release. His delivery is no longer a twelve o'clock motion, but it's not sidearm, either."

During Lindebaum's sophomore year, he would often find himself pitching in the Saturday tournament games but waiting patiently on the bench when it came to league play. Lindebaum remained confident, knowing that his time would come.

"During those games I waited, I would sometimes become a nervous wreck," Lindebaum said. "But I learned a lot from those Saturday games I pitched, and it would eventually help me in my junior year and early on this year."

Lindebaum improved even more when he decided to put in some extra practice time at home.

"My sophomore year I made a mound in my backyard," Lindebaum said. "I did it mostly because I wanted to work on my mechanics. After a while it became too much of a project though, as I saw myself working on the mound rather than my homework."

Soliz said Lindebaum's extra work at home goes to show how much commitment he has to the sport and to his team.

"I always said that what makes a good work ethic is what you do when nobody is watching," Soliz said. "And well after practice is done, he has worked at home off that mound."

Although Lindebaum has the luxury of an ex-catcher in Soliz to help guide him, most of the time this season the senior will have a freshman, Mo Griffith, behind the plate catching him. Lindebaum said that so far the battery is doing just fine.

"I've got to have patience with him, but he is a very coachable kid," Lindebaum said. "Even though he is a freshman and they don't usually get respect that quick on a team, he already has it from everyone. He has proved his worth, and when I threw off the mound last Saturday in a scrimmage, you wouldn't have known he was in his first year by the way he called the game."

Griffith said Lindebaum has made his first year on the varsity a lot easier.

"At first, I had to get used to the speed difference of catching someone like him as opposed to what I used to catch," Griffith said. "I was a little nervous the first time I caught him, but after that I became very comfortable. I think we work well together, and if I see something wrong I will tell him on the mound."

Although Lindebaum is a fastball pitcher that should get many strikeouts in 2007, he's more confident than ever with the defense playing behind him.

"I know that I have good coaching, good hitting and good fielding behind me this year," Lindebaum said. "I do my best to not give up any runs, but at the same time, if I give up one run I am confident our team's bats will score more." His teammates seem to look up to Lindebaum both physically and mentally, with Soliz saying the pitcher is like having another assistant coach on the team. "I don't assign captains on the team, but he is definitely a leader," Soliz said. "If I need something done I tell Jordan to tell the kids, and they seem to respond to him. He is very responsible and productive, no matter what he's doing. He's a good person that is very respectful to his teammates and his teachers. I enjoy having him on this team."

Rio Mesa plays its first game of the season at home today against Valencia. Game time is set for 3 p.m.