Andrew Kittredge delivers for Ferris

It happened almost four years ago, but Ferris High School baseball coach John Thacker can remember the first time he watched junior Andrew “Bud” Kittredge like it was yesterday.

“I was up here in the summer working with the older kids, and we had heard there was an eighth-grader coming into Ferris,” Thacker said. “I was here with one of my former players. … All of sudden, Bud showed up.

“So we got him on the mound and were just kind of curious to watch and see what he had. He probably threw 20-some pitches, and we just looked at each other and said, ‘This guy’s going to be good.’

“We just gave it that nod that this guy’s got some pretty good stuff. That was the first time we saw him, and he just continues to get better each year,” Thacker said.

Kittredge’s improvement on the mound has been a big reason the Saxons have been at the top of the Greater Spokane League his entire career.

His freshman year, Ferris advanced to regionals, just missing out on a state tournament berth.

“It was just an awesome time,” Kittredge said. “I didn’t hit too well, but it was a lot of fun. The guys on that team were a lot of fun.”

Last year, the Saxons came away with a league title. But they lost a number of players to graduation this season, so they have to rely on the arm of Kittredge more than ever.

“We had a huge turnover this year,” Thacker said. “Last year, we had 10 seniors, and we won the GSL. This year, it’s a brand-new group at just about every position except two.

“Bud just has to continue what he’s doing. He’s gone in and finished every game except one. He’s just getting better every time out.

“If he just continues to do what he’s doing in terms of his approach, changing speeds and getting ahead, he’s going to have success throughout the year,” Thacker said.

Kittredge’s fastball has been measured from the high-80 mph to low-90 mph range, similar to a pitcher he grew up admiring.

“I always liked watching Pedro Martinez pitch because he was dominant and threw good stuff,” Kittredge said.

The junior also throws a curveball and changeup, pitches he has used to help improve his pitching makeup.

“I like to keep the hitters guessing, throwing off-speed in fastball counts, but I like to challenge guys a lot, too,” he said. “I just want to make sure I’m throwing strikes a lot and not giving up walks.”

When the All-GSL hurler isn’t on the pitching rubber, he’s playing right field for the Saxons.

“He’s a guy who’s both an offensive and defensive player,” Thacker said. “He really takes pride in his hitting as well as his pitching.”

“I’m just trying to hit the ball hard, on a line,” Kittredge said. “I just want it back up the middle of the box.”

Kittredge’s success on the mound has led to a number of colleges, including Gonzaga and Washington State, showing interest.”They’re both very high on Bud,” Thacker said. “I know the U of W (Washington) also has expressed interest. We’ve had some mail from Oregon State, Arizona State, South Carolina, so his game is out there.

“I think someone told me he might be the No. 1 or 2 kid in the junior class in the state in terms of pitching,” Thacker said.

First things first, though, for Kittredge as he hopes to lead the Saxons to another GSL crown.

“Overall, I think we’ve played pretty well,” Kittredge said. “Hopefully, we’ll get out of districts and make it to the regional tournament again and see where we go from there.”