Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – During the first three years of his prep career Mitch Gahan made small strides as a pitcher.

The Regina right-hander lowered his earned run average and dropped his walks while upping his innings pitched each of the past two seasons.

Gahan saved his biggest step forward for when Regina needed him the most.

With senior all-state pitcher Ryne Schooley on the shelf with an arm injury Gahan has taken his game to a different level as a senior.

Gahan has shined in his new role as the staff ace for third-ranked Regina (27-7), helping the Regals return to the Class 2A state tournament for the second consecutive season.

“Knowing what we’ve known about Schooley not being able to go we talked to Mitch and kind of worked him early knowing that he would be that number one and he has just embraced it from the beginning,” Regina coach

Jeff Pacha said. “Mitch is one of the best guys you can coach because even if he didn’t want to be the number one he would do it but he’s absolutely embraced it.”

Gahan was solid in his first three seasons putting up an 11-8 record with a 3.88 ERA and 1.38 WHIP.

In his new role as the staff ace Gahan has gone from solid to star as a senior.

Gahan is 8-2 with a 1.39 ERA and .83 WHIP entering a Class 2A state quarterfinal rematch with Treynor (19-13) on Monday at 11 a.m. at Principal Park in Des Moines.

“I have the same mindset that I had last year I just try to get up on the mound and pitch my game and pitch for outs,” Gahan said. “I try not to think about being an ace or anything like that, it just adds more pressure. I try to stay away from all that and just try to keep a clear head.”

Pacha new Gahan had what it took to lead a rotation.

The fourth-year Regina coach saw evidence of that last season when Gahan posted a 5-3 record and career-best 3.62 ERA in 48 1/3 innings.

When Pacha, who works with the Regina pitchers, learned Schooley wouldn’t be available atop the rotation this season he began working with Gahan on developing the mentality of a true ace.

Gahan picked up on it immediately.

“He’s worked on a couple of things, on the mental side he’s done an unbelievable job,” Pacha said. “There is pressure there being that workhorse. It’s not just being on the mound in big games but it’s knowing that you don’t want use a lot of pitchers in that game so there is a lot that goes into it.”

Gahan looked like an ace early, allowing just one run in 18 innings in his first four starts.

He took a loss in relief against sixth-ranked Monticello and allowed a season-high seven runs in a loss to top-ranked Cascade on June 18.

Gahan responded in true ace fashion, with back-to-back no hitters to close the regular season.

“It’s been awesome watching him step into that role,” Schooley said. “I’ve tried to help him out with it any way I can but I think he’s done a great job to where I just tell him to go do his thing. He’s mentally strong enough to go out there and do it.”

Gahan has done everything at an ace level this season.

During his first three seasons he struck out .82 batters per inning.

Thanks to an offseason spent working on his off-speed pitches Gahan is fanning 1.37 batters per inning and has more than doubled his career-best strikeout total in a season with 69.

“I’ve been able to throw all my pitches in any count and I feel like my slider has gotten a light tighter with more movement this season,” Gahan said. “The slider is probably my go-to pitch, I have really improved on that and I’ve been able to put some movement on my changeup.”

Gahan has improved his command, evident by a career-low nine walks, and upped his velocity all while pitching a career-high 50 1/3 innings.

“I’d say I have a stronger arm this year,” Gahan said. “I haven’t had as much arm issues as I did the first couple of years pitching. I’ve just gotten stronger.”  

In high school the true test of an ace comes in the postseason when rest time gets shorter and pressure gets higher.

A year ago, Gahan watched as Schooley handled those situations while helping Regina reach the state tournament for the first time since 2014.

This season he handled those duties while leading Regina back to the state tournament.

Gahan struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings in a 7-3 win over Mid-Prairie in the Regals’ postseason opener and allowed one run on four hits with six Ks in a 4-1 substate final win over Central Lee.

“I felt good going into Central Lee,” Gahan said. “I had a few nerves running against Mid-Prairie but I think I got it out of the way and against Central Lee I was fine.”

Gahan will get the ace treatment on Monday as he takes the ball in a state quarterfinal for the first time.

A year ago Gahan took the loss in a semifinal shutout against eventual 2A state champion Dyersville Beckman.

Gahan allowed five runs on six hits and a walk in the loss to the Blazers as his state tournament debut lasted just two innings.

“I think he was internally motivated,” Pacha said. “He was the one on the mound for that loss to Beckman and they hit him around pretty good after having pretty good stats last year.

In what has been a season of improvement Gahan intends to improve on his state tournament performance from a year ago.

The goal for Gahan on Monday is to earn another start this season which would come in the state title game on Saturday.  

“I think the difference between this year and last year we were happy just to be there,” Gahan said. “This year there is a different expectation. We feel like we should be there and I think we can take a step forward and win the whole thing.”