Bucknell University Athletics
Buursma is Anything but Typical
5/8/2006 8:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 8, 2006
By Jillian Jakuba, Bucknell Athletic Communications
It is hard enough for any freshman to come in and make an impact on a team. But imagine doing that almost 2,700 miles away from home while working towards a double major. As difficult as it is to fathom, Jason Buursma did just that in his first year with the Bucknell baseball squad. In 2005, he started 28 games as a third baseman/designated hitter for the Bison and finished the season with a team-best .366 batting average while also leading the squad with five home runs and 30 RBI on his way to Second Team All-Patriot League honors.
A native of Seattle, Wash., Buursma first heard of Bucknell through his high school guidance counselor and made the initial contact with the Bison coaching staff about playing baseball.
"It was a general trend for my high school for kids to go to the East Coast for college," says Buursma, "So it was kind of natural for me to come East. I was apprehensive at first, but it doesn't really feel that far from home thanks to e-mail and phones. It was hard to get used to at first, but I settled in."
If Buursma just contributed at the plate, it would certainly be more than expected of such a young player, but in his sophomore season in addition to serving as the team's starting first baseman, he has come into his own as a tough submarine-style pitcher and has been an invaluable asset to the Bison as a closer.
"I started throwing submarine style my sophomore year of high school after just messing around one day, throwing a ball against the wall in our fieldhouse," Buursma recalls. "Then I went to my coach and it turned out that my high school pitching coach threw submarine in semi-pro ball so he taught me some pitches and helped me learn the technique."
On the mound this year, Buursma has recorded nine saves in 18 appearances, which ranks among the national leaders in the category, and has a minuscule ERA of 0.93, while averaging a strikeout per inning. He has also started 44 of 45 games at first base, a new position for the second-year player, and leads the team in home runs and triples with four each. Buursma is hitting .276 and has 25 runs scored and 22 RBI to his credit as well.
"It was a big adjustment moving from third to first," Buursma admits. "Moving to another infield position would not be as much of a change, but going from third to first is a big deal. There is a lot more to think about at first base."
However, the change seems to have gone rather smoothly as he has a .971 fielding percentage in his first season at the position. The biggest challenge is perhaps juggling his dual role.
"The hardest part is having time to get loose," says Buursma, who often moves from first to the mound without the advantage of warming in the bullpen as a usual relief pitcher does. But like everything else, he finds a way to make the unorthodox circumstances work. "I'll throw submarine in the infield warming up before the inning," explains Buursma. "Then when I get my warmup pitches, I'll throw as many fastballs as I can to loosen up. I'm always throwing over the top in the game so the biggest adjustment is getting a different set of muscles ready to go."
Buursma still has plenty of time left at Bucknell and prefers to enjoy what he has at the moment, but admits he has thought about the possibility of taking his talents to the next level once his time with the Bison is up.
"It's not really a goal to play professionally," remarks Buursma, "If it happens, it happens, and I'd love to play pro baseball, but I don't want to set my sights on it and say `oh, I've got to get drafted', because if I don't then I'll be upset about it. I'd rather have fun now."
Judging by his work in the classroom, Buursma is a prime prospect for the business world as well. As a double major with a minor in philosophy, he has a 3.58 GPA, making the Dean's List in two out of three semesters.
"I've always wanted to start my own business," he says.
Whatever challenges the future holds for this bright, young student-athlete, he has proven he can tackle any tough pitch life throws him or work out of a tight situation and come out on top.
