By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
There is a certain honor that comes with being the Opening Day starting pitcher, and Rem Maxwell gets that.
But he looks at his starting assignment for the Burlington Bees in Wednesday’s season opener against the Quincy Gems as an opportunity.
“It does mean a lot to get this chance,” the 20-year-old right-hander from Georgia said. “I’m very excited for this.”
Maxwell redshirted last season at Georgia Southern as a freshman and didn’t pitch this season. He is in the NCAA transfer portal, looking for a new home, and this summer is a chance to show his talent to prospective schools.
It’s Maxwell’s first time in Iowa, and he arrived here on the recommendation of Eric Alonzo, who played for the Burlington Bees in 2015 and 2016 when they were a Class A Midwest League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.
Alonzo, a former Georgia Southern player, is the owner of Full Count Baseball in Georgia and worked with Maxwell.
“I was skeptical about it because it’s so far from home, like, 13 hours away,” Maxwell said. “Then I decided I wanted something different.”
Alonzo recommended Maxwell to Bees manager Owen Oreskovich, who saw one video clip and was convinced he would be a good addition to the pitching staff.
“(Alonzo) had great things to say about him, talked about how he works really hard, and is at a great school,” Oreskovich said. “I’m excited for him to go out there, get his innings in, and show what he can truly do. Then he can go somewhere (in the fall) and compete for a spot there.
“He’s a very respectful person. ‘Yes, sir.’ ‘No, sir.’ I really like him.”
The summer is an opportunity, Maxwell said, to get better as a pitcher.
“There’s a lot of work I want to do here,” Maxwell said. “Holding baserunners, not tipping pitches. Compete, get ahead in counts, stuff like that.”
It’s also a chance to get to know new teammates.
“It’s definitely stepping out of my comfort zone,” Maxwell said. “A lot of the guys are really friendly, easy to talk to. It’s been a little different, but it’s all good.”
Maxwell’s parents made the trip with him to Burlington to see Wednesday’s game. But what could be a night with the pressure that goes with being the first on the mound for a new season doesn’t feel that way to Maxwell.
“There should be (nerves), but there’s not,” he said. “I’ve been throwing lately, and it’s been pretty good. So I’m just looking forward to getting out there.
“I want to win. Everybody goes out there and competes. But I want to win.”
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