May 31, 2002

By Marcus Nelson, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 31, 2002

In a tight game against Bethune-Cookman earlier this year, Florida Atlantic sophomore pitcher Chris Pillsbury felt his heart beating like it was coming out of his chest.

It wasn't the first time this had happened, but Pillsbury (9-2, 4.03 ERA) thought he had experienced the last time his heart would approach 300 beats per minute.

Less than a month earlier, Pillsbury had undergone a heart procedure to control episodes where his heart would beat faster and faster, causing him to have shortness of breath and to feel exhausted.

"The episodes were getting real bad," Pillsbury said. "You feel tired and light-headed. Then you go from throwing 88 to throwing 50. The only way to stop it was I would lift my feet up for about 15 seconds, and that would work."

A few minutes later in the game against the Wildcats, Pillsbury's heart calmed down and he was relieved to discover he was experiencing pre-game nervousness for the first time.

"I didn't know what my heart was supposed to feel like," he said. "My heart felt like it was beating fast and I thought I was having another one, but I was just excited."

Pillsbury's performance immediately following the procedure -- which included victories in his first nine decisions -- left FAU coach Kevin Cooney excited as well.

It was Cooney who told Pillsbury before the season that he had to get his condition -- called Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) -- taken care of.

"It was happening so frequently during the fall that I finally told him that I didn't want him out there until he gets it taken care of," Cooney said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, SVT occurs when weak electrical signals produced by the heart cause the ventricles to not fill with blood properly.

Pillsbury underwent a procedure known as catheter ablation in early January in his hometown of Jacksonville. The surgery uses a flexible insulated wire placed into the leg near the groin that is snaked up to the heart where a short shock is given.

Pillsbury said the procedure was relatively painless, except for that he was supposed to be unconscious during the surgery, but never went under.

"I asked then how it was going and they looked at me like 'You're still awake?' That was the only scary part," he said.

The surgery was a success, and he no longer has to take medication for the condition.

"It hasn't made me feel worn down or anything," Pillsbury said. "I feel as strong as I've ever been."

FAU pitching coach Bob Deutschman said having the procedure has helped Pillsbury relax when he's pitching.

"Anytime you have a heart situation, it certainly is serious, but it wasn't affecting him on a day-to-day basis," Deutschman said. "I think the procedure helped him mentally more than anything. I think it scared him a little bit when the frequency increased. Now that he's had (the surgery), he's in good shape physically."

Pillsbury has struggled lately, which forced the Owls to move him from the No. 1 spot in the rotation to the No. 2 slot, but his recent struggles were more mental than physical and had nothing to do with his surgery, Deutschman said.

"He's a high-energy player and he was tired mentally because we threw him three times in eight days vs. Jacksonville, Miami and Stetson," Deutschman said. "I think he's over that now."

Although Pillsbury is considered the team's No. 2 starter, the Owls will adjust their rotation for the NCAA regional, which begins today when FAU plays Auburn at 2:30 p.m. at Sewell-Thomas Field in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

FAU (43-18) will start No. 3 starter Travis NeSmith vs. the Tigers (34-24) and likely will send No. 1 starter Danny Core to the mound in the second game, with Pillsbury available in relief or to start a third game, which the Owls hope is the championship game Sunday.

"We are going out to win it as opposed to playing it safe and trying to win a game or two," Cooney said. "We are going to pitch NeSmith because he's got to pitch in a big game sometime in the tournament anyway. He's a good pitcher and he's got good stuff. As coaches, we need to go there with the attitude that we want to win it. If it's a bad decision, it's not the players' fault, it's the coaching, and that falls back on me."

No. 1 seed and tournament host Alabama is expected to not start its staff ace in its tournament opener vs. Southeast Missouri State. Lance Cormier likely won't pitch until the Crimson Tide's second game, potentially vs. FAU if both teams win their openers.

marcus_nelson@pbpost.com