Carmel’s Emerson Larson isn’t the type of pitcher who can surprise an opposing lineup.
The hard-throwing, 6-foot-6, 257-pound senior right-hander announces his presence with his first warmup pitch. There are advantages to that, although effectiveness is not guaranteed.
“When I was younger, my control wasn’t good,” Larson said. “Eighth grade was probably the hardest for me. You always want velocity, but my control was everywhere. I was hitting guys, throwing it over the catcher.”
Larson’s reputation followed him to high school. Carmel coach Scott Anderson, who was an assistant in 2023, remembers a conversation he had with an umpire during Larson’s freshman year.
“(The umpire) said he was all over the place and that he was afraid he was going to get hit,” Anderson said.
So Larson, who can throw his fastball 90 mph, committed to improving his mechanics and learning how to use his body.
“That was a big project for sophomore year,” he said. “A lot of it was being able to get down the mound more and moving more efficiently toward the plate and toward the hitter and staying even in your body throughout the pitch. Now my mechanics are pretty much set.”
That has translated into results for Larson, who struck out 53 and walked just 18 in 39 1/3 innings last year. He has pitched twice for the Corsairs (4-2) so far this season, striking out 11 and walking two in 6 2/3 innings while allowing three earned runs.
“We’re pretty regimented in our process as a pitching staff, and he’s a very smart kid who can be trusted to always do all of his preparation work on his own,” Anderson said. “Last year, he pitched all of our biggest games.
“He’s grown a ton in terms of his mechanics and maturity. He’s a pretty laid-back kid, so you don’t think he’s as much of a competitor. But once he’s on the bump, something switches, and he’s pretty competitive.”
Larson, a Quincy University commit, added a split-finger pitch to his repertoire during the offseason. He needed time to become comfortable with it, but he didn’t hesitate to use it in his first two starts.
“It was trial and error at first because it’s where you put your fingers that makes it effective,” he said. “It’s like a two-seamer, but you spread your fingers. I have my thumb up close to my pointer finger a little higher up on the ball. It drops off and moves toward a right-handed batter and away from lefties. I’ve been really satisfied with it.”
Larson, who also throws a slider, can make at-bats uncomfortable for hitters.
“We did a lot of live AB’s during workouts, and he was obviously very good last year, but you can see a huge difference this year,” Carmel senior second baseman Preston Dahm said. “He paints the outside with a fastball and then mixes in the off-speed, and it really fools you. It’s fun to watch when he does it to other hitters.”
Dahm fondly recalls a game last season when Carmel held off state power Nazareth. Larson, who was deployed in relief, struck out two of the Roadrunners’ best hitters to clinch the win for the Corsairs.
“When I’m out at second base and he’s on the bump, I’m definitely confident in our chances to win,” Dahm said. “He’s our guy that we want out there in crunch time.”
Larson likes having that responsibility. Teammates elected him to be a captain, and he takes his leadership role seriously.
“I remember as a sophomore looking up to older teammates and thinking, ‘I’d like to be like one of those guys,’” he said. “I want to do my part as a pitcher by going deeper into games, but I also want to help out the team in general as much as I can.”
Larson’s effort extends beyond the team. As part of the high school selection process, Anderson’s son Connor, an eighth grader, had a shadow day at Carmel. The student he chose to follow was Larson.
“Being a captain, it’s important that I’m always helping out, warming guys up, showing guys how to do certain drills, even if they’re not playing,” Larson said. “It’s almost like I’m a teacher. Making sure I’m doing everything right.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
