CORRECTION: A previous version of this story included inaccurate stats and have since been removed. Elon News Network regrets this error.
When junior Justin Mitrovich stands firm on the mound one word is going through his head: execution. He scans the field and remembers his set plan for every single person on his opponents team. Mitrovich researched and studied the team a few days before and now watches as the team’s next hitter took their place at the home base. All he can do now is hope he can execute and perform his job as the Friday night starting pitcher for Elon’s baseball team.
Mitrovich fell in love with baseball at the age of 7, when his father taught him how to pitch and swing a bat. He had been playing soccer but didn’t enjoy the sport anymore, so instead he picked up baseball and it turned into a lifelong passion.
With a fast ball velocity of low to mid-90s, Mitrovich is a strong contender for the MLB draft this year, which he is automatically eligible for. For head baseball coach Mike Kennedy ’90, what stands out to him is Mitrovich’s changeup, which Kennedy calls his “elite pitch.”
Kennedy has been a head baseball coach at Elon for 29 seasons and has helped 52 players “develop” to the MLB.
“I know what a really good changeup looks like over my time and he is up there with the best of them,” Kennedy said.
Standing at 6-foot-3-inches, Mitrovich is slightly above the average height of a professional baseball player, according to the MLB website. His career earned run average stands at 4.11 and he has pitched about 170 innings. He is coming off a year where he was second in the Coastal Athletic Association in strikeouts with 96, the most by an Elon pitcher since current MLB All-Star George Kirby threw 107 in 2019. For Mitrovich his long term goal is to join the likes of Kirby and play professionally, but for now he is solely focused on winning. For him, he plans to start achieving this by focusing game by game.
“You got to just take it one day at a time, just execute it,” Mitrovich said. “Just keep building off of each game.”
With this comes growth, something Kennedy said he has seen in Mitrovich since freshman year. He’s seen Mitrovich apply the mental side of the game, understanding hitters and the metrics of his pitches.
“He’s just totally locked in on how to get better,” Kennedy said. “He has a really good understanding of all facets of the game.”
Kennedy said he “doesn’t miss a beat” when it comes to training. He never takes a day off, gets his work done and takes care of himself. Kennedy said Mitrovich also leads by example with his team. For Kennedy, Mitrovich is more stoic in nature and leads by his actions rather than words.
“He really has a good understanding of supporting his teammates and what it takes to be good, and he tries to share that with the younger guys,” Kennedy said.
Mitrovich said he feels like the team is in a good spot this year. What stands out to him is the maturity that the team, specifically newcomers, have displayed since the start of this season.
“We had a freshman start their day at shortstop, and looked like he played there for two seasons,” Mitrovich said.
Mitrovich has two seasons under his belt, as he started his third season just a few weeks ago as Elon went up against Texas A&M, who was then ranked No. 1 in the country. But Mitrovich doesn’t feel the pressure when he’s on the mound. For him it’s just another day on the job that he loves.
“You can take your time, you’re intentional in everything you do and you just execute,” Mitrovich said.