The kick changeup is the newest twist on baseball's toughest pitch to master. Changeups, most pitchers say, require endless repetition and experimentation to find the right grip and arm motion. Fooling the hitter with an 82 mph pitch that looks every bit like the 92 mph pitch is a masterpiece of muscle memory.
Wichita State's Brady Hamilton went into the summer needing to add a changeup to his repertoire, he and pitching coach Anthony Claggett agreed. Hamilton finished last spring with a promising stretch. Backing that up with an improved changeup seemed like the next step.