Q & A with alumni Josh Collmenter Diamondbacks starter
On Oct. 4, 2011 the Arizona Diamondbacks season was on the line against the Milwaukee Brewers with a spot in the National League Championship Series in danger.
Central Michigan alumnus and Diamondbacks rookie starting pitcher Josh Collmenter took the ball and won it for Arizona with seven innings allowing one run. He spoke with Central Michigan Life reporter Kristopher Lodes recently:
Kristopher Lodes: What was the atmosphere like in Milwaukee for that game three?
Josh Collmenter: In Milwaukee their fans are into the game, they had the towels going, all the sound was echoing back and forth. There were 48,000 people and they were hanging on every pitch and you can feel the tension and excitement.
KL: What was it like to face the strength of that lineup of Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks?
JC: It was fun because at anytime those guys can hurt you so it makes you be at your best. There are no easy outs, especially against those guys. With pitching it’s a thrill and rush because you get to control all the action.
KL: What was conversation like with your parents after that game?
JC: They got to come out to the game and it was pretty neat. You can see how proud they were. My dad is a man of few words, but my mom wears her heart on her sleeve and she had tears in her eyes.
KL: You came to Michigan earlier to face the Tigers, what was it like to face the home state team?
JC: It was a lot of fun and it was special for me because I had a lot of fan support and to have people rooting for me that particular day and abandoning the Tigers for one day was special, not for just me, but everyone who came and seeing the stadium from inside prospective is something I’ll always remember.
KL: You hear players in all sports talk about their ‘welcome to the big leagues moment,’ what was yours?
JC: My second start playing against the Atlanta Braves and Chipper Jones stepped into the box. Growing up the Braves won 14 straight division titles and were always on TV. I had Braves posters in my room and for him, having rooted for him as a kid, and having him come into the batter’s box was my big moment.
KL: What’s it like to play for Hall of Famer Kirk Gibson?
JC: I really like playing for him; I like his style because he no problem taking you out and taking you aside and telling what was wrong and at the same time he’s behind you and he gave me his vote of confidence when I was struggling midway through the season.
KL: Who helped you the most while here at CMU?
JC: Pitching coach (Mike) Villano without a doubt, he was one of the big reasons why I came to Central Michigan. Everything he taught me was preparing me for success here and my future. He believed in me and loved what I did with my unique style.
KL: What was your most memorable moment?
JC: My freshman year (2004-05) was fun season because we had a lot of senior leadership. We had a walk-off home run win against Toledo here when Kurtis Wells hit a ball off the scoreboard and that really jump started our season. I was in the clubhouse today and saw a couple pictures from that game.
KL: Are there any last things you’d like to say about the program here at CMU?
JC: They breed excellence and everything they talk about is championship, it has a championship culture whether it’s in the classroom, on the field or just a person. We have some great coaches and I’m really proud to be a part of this group.
