T.J. Zeuch (Pittsburgh) was waiting in line for ice cream at Short 'n' Sweet off 137 in Chatham earlier this week. As he stood there in an Angler sweatshirt and hat contemplating what to order, a gentleman walked from around the corner of the store. When the two made eye contact, the man staggered backwards a few steps.

“Oh my gosh,” said the man as he regained his balance. “You must be a pitcher. You must be able to get a great arc and throw that ball down hard.”

Zeuch humbly chuckled and shook the man’s hand. There would have been no way to tell from the modest pitcher’s reaction, but the man’s comments only begin to describe the ability Zeuch has demonstrated this summer.

The 6-foot-7-inch Zeuch is 2-0 with a perfect ERA of 0.00 over 16.2 innings pitched. He has recorded 13 strike outs to 4 walks, and the Anglers have won all three games the right-hander has started.

While his physical gifts have undoubtedly aided in getting Zeuch to this point, it may be his mental approach to the game that has allowed him to put together one of the most dominant stat lines on the Cape this summer.

“Honestly, I just try to come out here, play baseball, and have fun,” said Zeuch after his second start. “I don’t worry about anything else around except playing.”

Zeuch’s simple and laid-back approach allows him to relax in even the most difficult situations on the hill. The Brewster Whitecaps (8-9) found this out the last time they faced Zeuch at Veterans Field. Brewster moved four runners into scoring position, including one with no outs, but failed to score a single run on the Chatham starter.

Zeuch is expected to lead the Anglers (10-9) against that same Brewster team at Veterans Field, 7 p.m. tonight. The start will be Zeuch’s last on the summer because of a pre-determined inning limit. The Whitecaps are expected to start Hunter Martin (Tennessee), who is 0-1 with a 3.85.  

First pitch is 7 p.m. at Veterans Field. Dominic Cotroneo and Jonny Wincott have the call live, starting with the Anglers Extra Pregame Show at 6:40 p.m. It can be viewed/heard on TRZ Teamline or heard toll-free at 1-800-846-4700, code 3841.