Carmel grad Quinten Sefcik ready to pitch in Cincinnati Reds farm system
By Jon J. Kerr
Carmel graduate Quinten Sefcik, seen here pitching for Illinois in April, was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. (John Peterson / AP)
As the Major League Baseball draft stretched into its third day on June 5, Quinten Sefcik paced for hours inside his parents' Wauconda home.
"I was extremely nervous the entire day," said Sefcik, a 2014 Carmel graduate. "I was peeking at the MLB Draft Tracker on my phone every few minutes."
That's how Sefcik, a right-handed pitcher, learned that he had been selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 24th round.
Then he received a call to confirm the great news: Sefcik was a professional baseball player.
"I was expecting to get a call before I was picked, but I got picked and got the call after," said Sefcik, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound relief pitcher for Illinois. "I ran out and gave my dad a hug."
Through years of hard work and plenty of ups and downs, Sefcik gradually worked his way toward being drafted. Illinois coaches saw Sefcik working out at The Athletic Barn in Wheeling while he was a Carmel sophomore, and he soon committed to the Illini.
Illinois pitching coach Drew Dickinson said Sefcik's velocity as an underclassman made offering him a scholarship a possibility.
"He was throwing high 80s, low 90s, and you can't ignore that," Dickinson said. "We took a chance not knowing what would happen."
Sefcik redshirted his freshman year, then had three OK seasons as he tried to get past some nagging elbow discomfort. As Sefcik entered his redshirt senior season, there were questions about his professional prospects.
"He needed to take ownership of his stuff, of his mechanics and delivery," Dickinson said.
While working with Dickinson during the offseason, Sefcik had a breakthrough. Film study revealed how Sefcik snapped his head toward first base when completing his pitching motion.
"Your eyes go where your body goes," Dickinson said. "The ball was not going towards the target."
Another flaw in his finish was causing extra stress on his arm.
"When you look at big league pitchers, they have a stiff front leg when releasing the ball. This creates a whiplash effect, which helps you create velocity," Sefcik said. "My front leg was collapsing on my front knee and didn't allow my legs to get through home plate. I was throwing all arm."
Sefcik knew he needed to get his entire body involved in the pitching process. A tweak in his mechanics helped immensely, as did time in a pool to loosen his muscles before pitching.
Sefcik became Illinois' set-up man. He struck out 39 batters in 30-1/3 innings and only walked 16. He held opponents to a .208 batting average and only four extra-base hits all season.
"He always had a plus changeup, and when the velocity went up, his stock soared dramatically," Dickinson said.
Sefcik's competitive nature came in handy, too. Carmel coach Bill Taylor recalled Sefcik as a teenager with a strong fastball and a hunger to stay on the mound.
Moving forward: Size is a strength for determined Carmel squad
Global baller: Mundelein grad Sean O'Brien brings his best to Europe
Introducing the 2019 Pioneer Press Baseball All-Area Team
Introducing the 2019 Pioneer Press Softball All-Area Team
"He was aggressive and tough-minded, a bulldog," Taylor said. "Pitching out of the bullpen is not for everyone. It takes a special breed, and he has it in him."
After being drafted, Sefcik headed to the Reds' spring training facility in Arizona, where he awaited his minor league assignment.
He'll need to stay aggressive and mechanically sound at the next level, and he's ready for the challenge.
"It's a pretty cool and exciting time," Sefcik said.