Most baseball players grow up learning to throw the ball the same way. Point your non-throwing arm at the target, use the seams to grip the ball and generate spin and then release over the top. Yet, some of the game’s greatest pitchers did not always follow that last rule. Dennis Eckersley, Walter Johnson and Satchel Paige were known to drop into a sidearm release often, evidencing there is success to be had outside the norm.
On the 2026 Cotuit Kettleers there is just one player who is a true sidearm pitcher, that being Chase Van Ameyde (Michigan State). The right-hander out of Lake Orion, Michigan could use his imposing six-foot-five frame to overpower hitters, but instead he uses it to confuse them with a unique release.
But if most kids, including Van Ameyde, grew up learning how to throw the same way, where did Van Ameyde’s unique delivery originate? He attributes it to playing infield and practicing it during warm-ups.
“I was always a third baseman so I would throw from angles and in catch with friends I would practice it,” Van Ameyde said. “One time my catch partner told me I should try it in a scrimmage and so I did and it was pretty successful.”
Van Ameyde grew up in a big baseball family, with his dad Mark serving as the pitching coach for Chase’s future school. Having a pitching background in his own family helped Van Ameyde develop his unique throwing style in a way that was healthy for him.
“When I came back to my Dad with what I was experimenting with he was like ‘If you’re all in, I’m all in with you,’” Van Ameyde said. “He’s been incredibly supportive of me and has helped show me the mechanics and pitch designs to make sure I am throwing safely.”
But Mark is not the only other member of the Van Ameyde family in college baseball. Chase’s brother Cole also plays for the Spartans while his other brother Cash plays for Oakland University. Growing up the three were very competitive, which Van Ameyde credits his growth and maturity to.
“I love my two younger brothers, but we used to go at it in everything,” Van Ameyde said. “I think looking back at us as men now I think that it made us all better baseball players and people.”
The first time Van Ameyde began to notice his success with sidearm pitching was his junior year. As a pitcher at Brother Rice High School (where he was teammates with fellow Kettleer Ryan Tyranski), he was First Team All-State and a MaxPreps All-American.
As for how he likes his delivery, Van Ameyde sees a lot of benefits to having a unique delivery like he does. Factors like generating whiffs and sneaky velocity make him a valuable asset to any team he is on.
“I get told people can’t see my fastball. They see it and a lot of times they swing and miss at it…” Van Ameyde said. “Also, when people think of sidewinders they don’t think of velocity but I can still generate that from down there which makes people uncomfortable.”
Whatever Van Ameyde does has been working. Out of all pitchers who have thrown at least five innings as of July 2, no pitcher strikes out more batters per nine innings than Van Ameyde. He sits at a whopping 18 per nine, or two batters per inning pitched. On his day, it is very hard to generate good contact off of him. Cotuit will look for more solid outings out of Van Ameyde and his trademark sidearm delivery as the season progresses.
