From IMG to UCF, how Bellis keeps Kid-like Love for the Game with Fiery Mentality on the Mound

Bellis (left) and Catcher Dylan Murphy (right) Watching Fireworks Show by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md.- There are many ways to describe what it means to be the ace of a baseball organization. The ace is often referred to as the “stopper.” When a team is in a funk, the manager can give the ball to their pitcher and count on him to stop the bleeding and get the team in the win column.

The Bethesda Big Train are currently leading the North Division, but they did not get off to a hot start. The team started 0-2 and had surrendered 22 runs in those two contests. Needing to settle things down, Manager Sal Colangelo handed the ball to Drew Bellis, a left-hander from the University of Central Florida, against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts. Bellis carved through the T-bolts lineup in his three innings of work. The southpaw gave up only one hit and struck out six to propel the Big Train to a 3-1 victory for their first win of the season. Bellis got the Big Train on track, and the team hasn’t looked back ever since. 

Bellis’ playing days go back to when he was a young kid in his backyard. Although he now toes the rubber, his love for baseball started when swinging a piece of lumber. 

“My earliest memory is my mom was throwing me some wiffle balls, and I remember crushing one back at her, and it hit her in the leg,” Bellis recalled. “She had a bruise on her leg.”

Bellis joked that although he has become a full time pitcher, he still believes he “can still rake.” The Ohio native likes to have a loose personality when talking with teammates. He tries to have that same mindset when dictating the pace of play on the bump. 

“I’m not a guy who is going to do well off of trying to be super intense,” Bellis said. “I like to go out there and have the mindset of this is a kid’s game.”

Bellis played for the Prep Baseball Report (PBR). PBR is an opportunity for young players to showcase their talents and skills before moving onto the next phase of their baseball journey. During one the biggest games of his prep baseball career, Bellis had a performance for the ages. 

“I threw a no-hitter in the PBR junior futures game against Team Pennsylvania,” Bellis said. “I was 13, and it was the biggest event I ever did. I had nine strikeouts, and I had the last guy 0-2, and I really wanted to strike him out, so I could get double digit Ks, but he popped out. We ended up winning the championship for Team Ohio.”

Drew Bellis vs. Senators by Mark Thalman

Colangelo joked that his lefty “doesn’t shut up in a good way.” The Big Train manager compared Bellis to a UCF graduate and former MLB closer Cody Allen. Allen also pitched for the Big Train in 2008 and 2010.

Bellis’ outgoing nature isn’t just felt on the field, it’s also helped build a strong connection with teammate Michael Kass. The two grew very close over the last year at UCF and are now living with the same host family as both are key arms on the Big Train’s staff.

“We feed off of each other,” Kass said. “We create a balance of what we know and what we do. His advice and mindset is something I look up to.”

 Bellis just finished his freshman season at UCF where he was only asked to pitch for two innings. With the limited workload, he wanted to pitch over the summer. Bellis is thankful of the support he’s had from the Big Train. He attributed his teammates and coaches as why he is able to go out, have fun and be at his best every time he takes the field. 

“I’m here for a reason, Bellis said. “I don’t need to tweak something every single time I play catch.” 

Before he committed to UCF, Bellis played at IMG Academy, one of the top high schools for baseball. Bellis moved from Ohio to Florida to attend IMG. He explained that it was great to hear different perspectives from so many players with diverse pitching styles. 

“You take stuff from them, this guy does this and that,” Bellis said. “It’s picking each person’s brain.”

Bellis made one of his high school starts against The Bolles School, a high school in Jacksonville. The pitching coach at The Bolles School used to play under UCF Manager Rich Wallace. 

“He didn’t even know what his name was.” Wallace recalled the Bolles coach telling him. “[He told me Bellis] was ‘the best left-handed pitcher I’ve seen all year.’”

Once Bellis got on Wallace’s radar, he sent his pitching coach, Drew Thomas, and Recruiting Coordinator Norberto Lopez out to get a first-hand look at the southpaw. 

“Within 15 pitches we knew he was someone that could help our program,” Wallace said. “You do not go to IMG and leave your family behind unless you’re really trying to do something with your career as a baseball player.”

Wallace has sent many players from his program in the past to the Big Train. Wallace and Colangelo have connected for so long that Colangelo takes Wallace’s word when UCF players are sent to Bethesda.

“I didn’t have to recruit [Bellis],” Colangelo said. “I just accepted him. He’s got really, really, really good stuff. His secondary stuff is phenomenal.” 

Bellis facing Thunderbolts by Andrew Weitzel

Colangelo mentioned Bellis has incredible spin rates and depth that allow his off-speed pitches to fool the opposing lineup. 

Wallace wanted Bellis to have the best possible training and development over the summer. He explained that he sends his best incoming sophomores to the Big Train because he trusts Colangelo will prepare them for the road ahead. Just by speaking with him on the phone, Wallace can tell Bellis’ confidence has already grown. 

“I thought after his freshman year he needed to go somewhere he could start,” Wallace said. “The guy is going to play a big role in our program. I knew what he would bring this summer.”

A pitcher’s in-between starts routine serves as a critical time to prepare for one’s next appearance. Bellis likes to have at least one full day to just recover. As he ramps up, the lefty cited lifting and mobility exercises as the key to gearing up for his next time on the mound. Kass has admired Bellis’ routine since the two of them became friends. 

“He’s made my pre-throwing routine go from something that looks very high school to something that is college ready and is going to play at any level,” Kass explained. “It’s the routine that gets you in the right mindset.”

Bellis leads the Big Train with 40 strikeouts (21 more than the next closest player) in just 18.2 innings. Colangelo said the goal for any of his pitchers is to throw first pitch strikes 65% of the time. 

“He’s been blessed with a good arm and has a sense of how to pitch,” Colangelo said. “The best thing we can do as coaches when a guy feels it, is just stay out of the way and don’t mess it up.” 

In his first start against the Southern Maryland Senators, Bellis allowed three runs in the first inning. With the bases still loaded, the lefty dialed in to get out of the jam. He settled in, as he followed it up with two shutout innings. Even though the Big Train’s offense didn’t come back, Bellis kept his team in the game even when he didn’t have his best stuff. 

“I haven’t pitched in awhile,” Bellis said of his limited workout in the spring. “I was hungry to go out there and pitch again.”

Bellis against the Aces by Mark Thalman

Although Bellis likes to think of himself as layback both on the mound or in the dugout, his summer ball manager recognizes the competitive fire that he possesses. 

“The biggest thing that stands out is that he competes,” Colangelo said. “He gets himself going. He is high on life.”

Kass has seen Bellis’ competitive nature blossom. In his eyes, Bellis has fully developed a new mentality once he steps on the diamond. 

“I’m seeing a side of Drew on the mound that I’ve never seen before,” Kass said. “It screams attack, attack, attack. Drew’s up there attacking the hitter like he’s in a fistfight with them.”

Wallace is excited for Bellis to return to Florida in the fall. When the season kicks off next spring, he believes Bellis can be used in just about any role and can be a weapon for the UCF Knight’s pitching staff. Wallace mentioned that the players constantly need to adjust to the speed of the game at the college level. Despite only pitching in limited spots, Wallace has already seen Bellis catch up to the speed to put himself in a good position heading into his sophomore season. 

“The chance for him to start, the chance for him to throw high leverage innings out of the bullpen are all there,” Wallace said. “What that role is depends on him.”

Colangelo remembers the first time he laid eyes on the six-footer. As Bellis was throwing a bullpen session, Colangelo turned to Pitching Coach Craig Lopez and said two words: “wow” and “electric.” The longtime Big Train manager knew Bellis was going to be in the starting rotation from day one, and Bellis has performed just like Colangelo drew it up.