My Husband is a Hall of Famer!

Before September 2, 2001 I liked baseball.  I liked all sports.  Basketball always has and always will be my favorite, but starting on that date, baseball began to grow on me.  That day in September is when my relationship with Justin Pegump began.  And Justin Pegump loves baseball.  He loves baseball so much he worked his entire young life to become a great pitcher.  What a great pitcher he became!  So great that he recently found out he will be inducted into the Mount Mercy University Athletics Hall of Fame in October! 

The highlight of Justin's career was definitely his senior year when he broke 5 Mount Mercy baseball records and still holds each one today, 8 years later.  His records are:

278 Career Strikeouts
82 Single Season Strikeouts
14 Single Game Strikeouts
18 2/3 Consecutive Scoreless Innings
5 Career Shutouts

He also has the most starts in a career, the most batters faced, and is second in wins.  He was a go-to pitcher for Mount Mercy all four years. 

There are several things that brought Justin's success.  First of all, he was extremely coachable.  He was willing to learn and do what his coach said, and he had a fantastic coach!  Justin was focused, he worked hard, and he knew his capabilities.  Justin generally threw in the mid-80s for his fastball.  But he prided himself in hitting his spots and throwing the correct pitches to get batters out.  He didn't just try to over-power hitters.  Justin was very passionate about pitching and took it very seriously.  I used to tease him about hiding behind his glove out on the mound and how quickly he kept the game moving, but those things are part of the reason he was successful. 

As I said before, his senior year was definitely his best.  It was very memorable with all the records he broke and because it was the most successful for the team.  Justin was always a huge team player and never wanted credit for his success.  He did it for the team and just wanted to be successful as a team.  A big part of his senior year was his catcher, Troy.  Troy transferred in that year and he and Justin were instant friends.  They share the same pure passion for baseball and made a great battery for Mt. Mercy. 

I have so many awesome memories of following Justin's baseball career.  I missed his freshman year because we didn't really know each other then, but I followed the other three years very closely.  I went on weekend trips with his family all over the Midwest to watch games in snowfall and in blistering heat.  I went on all three spring break trips, getting to see Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana.  One of the best games Justin pitched was on the "spring" trip his senior year in Kentucky.  I sat through the game in my snow pants and winter coat because it was about 40 degrees and snowing.  It didn't seem to bother Justin because he gave up an infield single in the first inning and a bloop hit in the seventh inning (they only play 7) to throw a two-hit, complete game shutout.  He pitched a fabulous game that day and his best friend and catcher, Troy, saved the ball for him.  It is still on display in our basement. 

My favorite memory is actually very bittersweet.  It was in Justin's last game for Mount Mercy.  They were playing in the regional tournament.  He pitched the first game of the regional tournament and beat the #1 seed in the tournament.  They won two other games in the tournament, but were getting killed in the game to go to the championship.  These games were nine innings and in the eighth inning, Justin's coach asked him if he wanted to pitch one more time for his career.  Of course he did, so Justin went out there for the ninth.  I was at the game with Justin's family and my parents.  My mom, Justin's mom, Justin's sister, and I were all crying as he went out there.  Justin struck out the first two batters he faced.  Then, his coach went out to the mound.  We were really sobbing then.  Justin later told us his coach came out to tell him what a pleasure it was to coach him the past four years and seemed a little choked up.  I'm not sure how Justin pitched to that last batter, but he struck him out, too and those three strikeouts gave him the single season record.  We didn't know about the record at the time.  We just all appreciated the special moment he got with his coach who molded him into such an amazing pitcher. 

Justin is a super humble guy.  You will never, ever hear him brag about his accomplishments or even really mention them.  He loved what he did and has many fond memories.  The teammates, the competition, the baseball were the things that meant the most to him.  I am so happy he is being rewarded with the greatest honor from Mount Mercy because he really deserves it.  He was the kind of athlete Mount Mercy wanted to represent their school.  Congratulations, Justin!  I loved watching you pitch.  I could see your dedication, work ethic, and character way back then and it is those same things that make you a wonderful husband and father today!