Kirn ready to shoulder load of being No. 1 starter in Hawks’ rotation

QUINCY — Griffin Kirn understands the expectation and the challenge.

“It’s all about giving the guys a chance to win,” he said.

The No. 1 starter in the Quincy University baseball team’s rotation has a history of doing just that.

Over the past four seasons — the first two with left-hander Riley Martin as the ace and the last two with right-hander Spencer Walker on the bump — the Hawks have gone 36-9 in series-opening games and the starter has thrown at least five innings in 40 of those 45 starts.

That’s the legacy Kirn inherits.

As the Hawks embark on the 2024 season, kicking it off Friday at North Georgia as part of a seven-game road trip, the junior left-hander will be the ace of QU staff. It’s a position the Quincy Notre Dame graduate embraces and has spent the past nine months prepping to take.

“I want to set the tone for the weekend and give the guys the best chance to win,” Kirn said. “Get Game 1 out of the way and hopefully save the bullpen a little bit depending on how the game goes. Being the Friday starter is all about getting us off to a good start.”

It’s exactly what he watched Martin and Walker do. Martin went 30-11 in 55 career starts with a 3.85 ERA, while averaging six innings per start. Walker went 24-5 in 38 career starts with a 3.76 ERA, while averaging 6 ⅓ innings per start.

“I learned a lot watching both of them,” Kirn said. “I saw the way they held themselves on the mound. They did a really good job of having the guys behind them and trusting the defense. It’s about playing for each other instead of playing for themselves.”

Kirn, who was the No. 2 starter last season and is entering his third season as a starter, is 14-7 in 26 career starts with a 6.02 ERA, while averaging 5 ⅓ innings per start. However, he went 7-2 last season with a seven-inning gem against Northwood in the Midwest Regional, setting the tone for his ascension to the top arm.

“Griff and I talked pretty much right after last season ended and I told him, ‘This is your team,’” QU coach Matt Schissel said. “Since that day, he’s done everything you want your Friday night guy to do. He goes out and pitches. He helps the younger guys practice. He’s a leader on the field, he’s a leader off the field. He’s made it pretty clear he’s the Friday guy and everybody in this locker room will agree with that.”

He’s put in the work to be ready for the responsibility.

“Harder than you can honestly know,” Kirn said. “Going back to the gym, whether that’s just to stretch or work out, has been a part of my routine. Everything I’ve done is to fill that void and become that Friday night guy.”

Setting the right tone is vital to helping the Hawks achieve their goals — win another ring and make a trip to Cary, N.C, for the NCAA Division II World Series.

“Anything else is falling short of what we’ve set out to do,” Kirn said. “Everything we do in the fall and the spring is geared to what we want to do. We play for each other more than ever. When all is said and done, we’re going to do whatever it takes to be in that situation.”