“The first game I pitched, against the University of Mary, I threw a one-hitter,” said Zongol. “That was pretty memorable. It was a good way to enter the season and prove to my teammates what I’m about.” In that game, Zongol threw nine innings, allowing no runs, one hit, six walks, and he also struck out 14 batters.

Just nine days later, Klein crafted a gem of his own against Stevens Tech in New Jersey, the team’s first game after its season-opening trip to Florida. He also threw a complete-game shutout, allowing only five hits and walking none. “Florida was fun, we played really well,” said Klein. “It was a lot colder up here, though. We didn’t really know how guys were going to play, so it was good that we played really well when we got back.”

Having each other around has only helped the two elevate their game. Although they have two different styles, there are plenty of statistics to compare. “The guys try to get on us,” said Zongol. “Who’s the best freshman pitcher? We kind of compete against each other, and Charlie [Yarnold] tells us the stats.”

“Almost every day,” added Klein. “Who’s got a better ERA, who’s got a better WHIP.” When asked who actually did, they each knew immediately the numbers down pat. “His ERA is two-tenths better than mine, but my WHIP is below one.”

“I have more strikeouts,” Zongol was quick to add, before deflecting. “But he has fewer walks. It’s two different styles.”

Zongol is a strikeout pitcher, whereas Klein looks for groundballs. When Zongol gets ahead in the count, look out. “I really try to reach back a little more and try to blow it by him…just throw something really nasty that they won’t be able to hit.” With 49 strikeouts in 36.2 innings, his stuff has been sick all season.

Both have pitchers they try to emulate. Klein compares himself to Greg Maddux, because he “doesn’t get too many strikeouts, and [the opponents] put the ball in play,” but he’s still an effective pitcher who gives his team a chance to win games.

Zongol compares himself to another NL Central pitcher. “In the past couple of years, I’ve begun to like Mark Mulder’s style of play: Being a lefty, throws pretty well, mixes pitches pretty well.” Zongol mixes pitches pretty well too. “I’ve got a fastball, changeup, and my curveball. It’s more of a slurve. I can throw it 12-to-6, or throw it as a slider. I change it up,” he said.

Not only can he throw a curveball, he can teach it too. Klein mentioned having a “two-seam fastball, changeup, and curveball” in his arsenal, but it wasn’t that way at the beginning of the year. “I only had a fastball and a changeup coming in,” Klein said. “I broke my right wrist as a sophomore in high school, and I never was able to get back a curveball. I could get it back for a week or two, but then something would just happen and I couldn’t throw it again. So, I worked with Joe for a couple of days in the gym. I really just throw it, I don’t try to locate it; I just hope it’s good…we’re trying to help each other, and just work together.”

They’ve been working well together and helping push one-another, and the team is the same way. “I think the whole team generally gets along pretty well,” said Zongol, and Klein agreed wholeheartedly. “We understand that we’re freshmen and we have to do stuff, but they don’t bust us down or anything,” he said. “That’s what makes this pretty easy. They actually, from day one, let us know we were part of the team.”

And their goals remain lofty. Each has high standards for both himself and the team. “I hope we go as far as possible. World Series, definitely,” remarked Klein. “We have the talent to do it. We just have to play really well to get there. Individually, I need to just keep pitching the way I am. I’m getting a lot of groundballs; I’m giving the team a chance to win.”

“The team goal is to just go as far as possible,” agreed Zongol. “With our talent, there shouldn’t be too many teams that will be able to stop us. Personally, I want to cut down a little bit on my walks. I just want to go out there and pitch well enough to keep the team in the game.”