STARKVILLE — Luke Hancock remembers his first time catching for Jurrangelo Cijntje.
Even for a veteran backstop like Hancock, it took some getting used to.
“He threw 15 pitches right-handed, then he was like, ‘Alright, I’m going to throw left-handed now,’” Hancock recalled.
That’s how it is with Cijntje, a freshman from Pembroke Pines, Florida, who throws with both arms — the SEC’s only ambidextrous pitcher.
And what Cijntje does is no gimmick, according to Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis.
“It’s not a circus act,” Lemonis said. “He’s really good with both.”
Per MLB.com, Cijntje reaches 94 to 96 miles per hour right-handed and 88 to 92 mph left-handed. He’s a natural lefty, but he began throwing with both hands at age 6.
And his talent is real.
Cijntje earned looks from professional clubs and was even selected in the 18th round of July’s draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.
He turned down the professional ranks, willing to bet on himself and bolster his draft stock while at MSU.
“I’m honored of getting picked, but I’m still a bulldog!!” Cijntje wrote on Twitter after the Brewers selected him.
Born in the Netherlands and raised in Curaçao, Cijntje moved to the Miami area two years ago. He’s already fitting in during his first season in Starkville.
He saw action during several of Mississippi State’s preseason scrimmages and is expected to contribute in a midweek or bullpen role during the year.
And he’s turning his teammates’ heads, too. The Bulldogs’ other pitchers, like right-hander KC Hunt, are indeed jealous.
“You’ve got to be, right?” Hunt said. “Every time I see him out there, I’m like, ‘Damn, I wish I could do that.’ It’s really cool.
“It would be the first and probably the last person that I see throwing righty and lefty.”
Cijntje’s unique situation comes with unique challenges. During a fall scrimmage at Alabama, Cijntje struggled during his second inning of work, giving up runs for the first time all fall.
He pointed out to Lemonis he’d only gotten five warm-up pitches — not enough to get both arms loose. The Bulldogs coach had to convene with the game’s umpire crew and change the rule to allow Cijntje to warm up both arms.
“There’s just so many little things with him,” Lemonis said. “Luckily, he’s mature enough to handle those type of things.”
Just because Cijntje can throw with both arms doesn’t mean he can be deployed twice as often as any other pitcher.
Arm care remains a factor the Bulldogs will have to monitor, and pitching takes a toll on the rest of the body as well.
“Some people think we can just throw him left-handed one day and then run him back out there right-handed,” Lemonis said. “It doesn’t really work that way. But it’s special.”
So how does it work?
Cijntje must declare before each at-bat whether he will pitch right-handed or left-handed. It’ll depend on each batter’s handedness; lefty hitters will likely see Cijntje throw with his left arm, and vice versa.
That presents a challenge for not only hitters but Hancock and the Bulldogs’ other catchers.
“You’ve got to get used to catching both sides of the ball or whatever,” Hancock said. “It was challenging at first, but I’ve gotten a grasp on it now.”
Hancock and MSU might have Cijntje figured out.
The Bulldogs hope the rest of the country won’t be so quick to catch on.
“For a young kid, he’s going to be a big part of what we do on the mound,” Lemonis said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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