ENCINITAS — Encinitas native and San Dieguito Academy graduate Jack Hostetler signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in July, joining the organization as an undrafted free agent after playing college ball at Whitman College.
Hostetler, a right-handed pitcher who grew up in Encinitas, has been a fixture in the local baseball scene from a young age, playing for Encinitas Little League and later under Mustangs coach Carlos Fletes.
“Encinitas Little League was a huge part of my baseball career,” Hostetler said in an interview with The Coast News. “Everybody involved with that organization was kind of dedicated to winning and making the best baseball players they could.”
A self-described “sinker, slider, change-up guy,” Hostetler said his formative years on the mound were heavily influenced by his former little league and pitching coach, Brian Mazone.
“[Brian] was my pitching coach throughout little league and high school, and I was super fortunate to have him as a resource,” he said. “He’s got a lot of knowledge, and to be able to have that resource basically at my fingertips in little league and high school was huge.”
Hostetler recently wrapped up summer ball as a starting pitcher with the Matsu Miners in the Alaska Baseball League, where he was named to the All-ABL First Team earlier this month.
Last season at Whitman, Hostetler went 6-2 in a breakout campaign, recording 92 strikeouts and 35 walks for a 4.54 ERA. Before signing with the Brewers, Hostetler was set to transfer to the No. 10 Oregon State Beavers to play his final season of college ball.
In a conversation with The Coast News, Mazone said Hostetler possesses a strong work ethic, noting that he has always been focused and driven, with a “nothing’s going to get in my way” attitude. Over time, he observed Hostetler’s growth, not only in his physical abilities, such as increased velocity, but also in his mental maturity and understanding of the game.
“He works really hard, and he’s focused on what he’s doing, and he has a goal,” Mazone said. “I think he’s also starting to grasp the mental part of it, the mental preparation and the maturity… that’s kind of taken him to the next step.”
Drawing from his own experiences as a former pro pitcher, Mazone advised Hostetler and other aspiring athletes to focus on “controlling the controllable” and maintain blinders to avoid being distracted by outside pressures and comparisons.
Hostetler signed with the Brewers after an area scout noticed his performance. He’s currently training at the Brewers’ spring training complex in Phoenix, participating in a developmental Bridge League for new signees.
“Right now, it’s just a matter of getting ready to perform when I need to and being ready when my name’s called,” Hostetler said. He hopes to move up within the Brewers’ minor league system, with a long-term goal of reaching the major leagues within five years.
Hostetler will be eligible to join one of the Brewers’ minor league affiliates — he said most likely in Low- or High-A — following the completion of the Bridge League season, which ends in September. But he said he aims to be in the majors within five years.
“There’s definitely stress,” he said when asked about the competitiveness of where he’s at in his career. “But at this point, I feel like I know myself pretty well, I know my mechanics pretty well, and I have all kinds of things to fall back on when I do feel that stress.”
