Quick Q&A: Cole Jernberg, Mahtomedi baseball

Jernberg, a senior righthander, is expected to be a key component to a Mahtomedi pitching staff that will be among the top teams in the Metro East Conference and a contender in tough Section 4 of Class 3A.

Q Do you play any other sports?

A I used to when I was much younger, but for a long time now it's been all baseball, all the time.

Q Who do you play for when it's not high school season?

A I've been playing for the Minnesota Blizzard [baseball club] for the last two years.

Q How did you start playing for the Blizzard?

A .I've been playing fall ball for a long time. My brother played for them, so I went over and tried out and I loved it right away.

A .We're free to go to the facilities and practice just about any time we want to. We just have to call up Adam Barta, who's one of the owners, and he or one of the coaches will let us in.

Q Describe yourself as a pitcher.

A My fastball has been up around 86 [mph], but it's pretty consistent around 84. I throw a lot of pitches — a four-seamer, a two-seamer, slider, curve and splitter — and I'm fairly comfortable throwing all of them at any time in the count.

Q There has been a lot of talk about overuse of young arms and the damage it can cause. How do you keep your arm healthy?

A Our coaches are very careful about keeping our arms in shape. Playing baseball year-round, they make sure to give exercises and rehab for pitchers.

A I'm pretty much just a pitcher now. I used to be a catcher, but that was a lot of wear and tear on my knees. I still think of myself as a pretty good catcher, though.

Q What is one thing that gets you excited to play baseball?

A When you see the snow melting off the field and it starts coming around. You get excited to get out in the grass and the dirt and get ready to play outdoors.