SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Some athletes try to stay pretty low-key, just playing the game quietly. Alex Valentin doesn’t exactly abide by that line of thinking.
“I’ve always been a guy that people hate to play against but people love to play with,” said Valentin, a sophomore pitcher for Texas State.
Valentin has moved into their Friday starter after beginning the season without a defined role.
After a year at Nova Southeastern, an NCAA Division II school in his home state of Florida, Valentin transferred to Texas State. Playing at the highest level is something he appreciates.
“Love for the game, just passion,” said Valentin about his mentality when pitching. “It’s a big deal to me every time I get on that mound.”
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That passion comes through. Valentin does a shimmy before he throws a pitch out of the windup. It’s reminiscent of MLB pitchers like Johnny Cueto or Nestor Cortes. Valentin says his version is something he’s always done, but just for timing and not inspired by anyone else.
He hit some internet stardom earlier in the season after a win Feb. 25 over Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park in College Station. Chris Phillips, the founder of the website SEC Unfiltered, and ESPN’s Sportscenter featured him on their social media platforms for his high-energy approach. The video from Phillips on X garnered around 3 million views and roughly 27,000 likes, and a similar video on Sportscenter’s Facebook page racked up around 1.1 million views.
Phillips named Valentin one of his “Psychos of the Midweek,” an endearing term that simply means Valentin pitches with endless energy and passion. The way Valentin talks to himself on the mound, a lot, also factored into the decision to feature him.
Everything Valentin does on the mound — strutting around, talking to himself and firing up the crowd — is calculated.
“It beats up your opponents mentally,” Valentin said. “My biggest theory has always been if you can beat up your opponents mentally before you get to them physically, it becomes impossible for them to ever catch up.”
Valentin and the Bobcats open the Sun Belt Conference tournament as the No. 7 seed against Appalachian State. The first matchup is set for 3 p.m., Tuesday, in Montgomery, Alabama.
