Dutch switch pitcher impresses in first collegiate baseball start in the US
Jurrangelo Cijntje, 19, represented the Netherlands at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup, where he performed as a switch-hitting second baseman.
Dutch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje showcased his rare switch-pitcher talent in his first start for Mississippi State University. The 19-year-old clocked up to 97 miles (155.2 kilometres) per hour as a right-hander and reached 92 miles (147.2 kilometres) as a left-hander.
Cijntje struck out six batters as a right-hander and one as a left-hander.
The switch-pitcher allowed only one hit over four scoreless innings against the University of Louisiana Monroe, leading Mississippi State to a 14-3 victory.
Cijntje was the starting second baseman for the Netherlands at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup in 2018. He went 10-for-25, a .400 batting average, as a switch-hitter and committed just two errors on 18 playing opportunities.
He was born in Gravenhage, Netherlands when his father Mechangelo pitched in the Dutch leagues. He grew up in Curaçao and moved to the United States to enrol at Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah, Florida, as a 16-year-old.
The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 18th round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) 2022 draft, but he opted for a college education.
There were only six switch-pitchers in the history of MLB. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, only two after 1896.
Greg Harris faced four Cincinnati Reds hitters, two as a righty and two as a lefty, for the Montreal Expos in 1995.
Pat Venditte appeared in 61 MLB games from 2015 to 2020. He made his debut for the Oakland A'S but also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Miami Marlins.
Venditte represented Italy at the WBSC Europe/Africa 2019 Olympic Qualifier.
