When the American Defenders need outs, Piechowski gets the call

American Defenders of New Hampshire team president and co-owner Dan Duquette came into the press box the other night after Adam Piechowski had thrown one of his usual quick innings.

“There,” he said. “You got to see all three of his pitches.”

Indeed, the question is, have scouts? Piechowski has been the organization’s best pitcher over the last two seasons, in both a setup and closer role. He’s got a fastball, tough slider and a calculating curve. His velocity seems fine.

So why hasn’t someone tried to scoop him up? If anyone might know, it would be a former major league general manager - perhaps one like Duquette.

“Well, he doesn’t have a lot of experience yet,” Duquette said. “But his tough is pretty good. Pretty good to pitch professionally at higher levels than here.

“I don’t know how much exposure he got. But he can get the hitters out. He’s pretty good.”

Piechowski, who turns 24 in two months, started the year a little slow, hurting his forearm in a preseason game because he really hadn’t thrown during the off-season while he was student teaching, graduating from Central Connecticut and also becoming a father.

But this kid, who is 0-0, 0.00 in 10 appearances this year, deserves a shot. He’s got that level head that relievers need, isn’t afraid of any situation, and says in another week or so his velocity will be back where it needs to be.

“I just probably came into the season a little too quick,” he said. “I’m back to 100 percent now. It doesn’t matter to me (closer or setup). As long as we can win the game in the late innings, and that’s what we’ve been doing. The only difference is you don’t get the actual save in the stat column.

“To me it’s whatever. I’m just trying to pitch.”

And while patient, he knows he could be on the verge of moving on.

“I hope so,” he said. “I’m trying, man. I don’t know what else I have to do, so we’ll see.”

“He’s a pretty accomplished professional,” Duquette said. “He can throw strikes with all three of them. I think somebody will get a good pitcher, because he has three good pitches, you know? His curve is about 90 with good life, and he takes the sting out of the bat for left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters.”

He showed that with one of his 1-2-3 innings during a March exhibition game against Red Sox prospects down in Florida. Surely he must have caught someone’s eye.

“I would think so,” said Defenders manager Brian Daubach. “Just keep doing what he’s doing. He can only control when he gets the ball here. Hopefully at the end of the year his numbers stack up as good as anybody in this league.”

If Daubach was a scout, would he sign him? Can he get somebody out at a level higher than this, as Duquette says he can?

“I definitely think he would be good like we use him here, a reliever, and he’s going to be really good vs. righties with that big sweeping breaking ball he has,” Daubach said. “Possibly work on something better to get lefthanders out, maybe a better changeup or some kind of split.

“I don’t think there’s any reason why he couldn’t go with an organization right now and get outs.”

He shouldn’t be here for long. But as we’ve seen, judging baseball talent is an inexact science. But all Daubach knows is when he calls on Piechowski, it’s pretty much a sure thing.