Before sophomore pitcher Hunter Greenwood made it to Sacramento State, he was just like any other high school baseball player with aspirations of playing college ball.

But he wasn’t sure what it took to get to the next level. So when he did, he determined he needed to take what he learned and pass it down the line.

Greenwood spends time mentoring high school pitchers from Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove. During his sessions, he teaches them how to improve their mechanics, avoid injuries and develop a positive mentality on and off the field.

“I really like working with kids and I’ve always had a pretty good (ability) to get through to them,” Greenwood said. “I really try to have open, friendly communication with them.”

Greenwood said when he was in high school, he did not have much guidance on what to do once he graduated or how to keep his arm healthy so he could pitch through college.

This concern became a reality during his first season at Sac State.

“One thing I encountered last year is that I dealt with injury big time, and it’s because I wasn’t taken care of in high school,” Greenwood said. “I had no idea how to take care of myself. So by teaching them that at a young age, they’re way ahead of the game because they’re not going to be dealing with a bum shoulder when they get to college if they end up pitching.”

Cosumnes Oaks’ head coach James Murdock said this has been one highly valued aspect of Greenwood’s instruction.

“Hunter is in touch with the most current info that our kids can get,” Murdock said. “He showed us a stretching routine that’s far superior to ours because it warms up the shoulder in a much more thorough way than what we do.”

Murdock said Greenwood knows how to talk to the kids, who see him as a mix between a teacher and a big brother.

“It takes a very special person to be a role model because most people just care about themselves,” Murdock said. “But Hunter is a very giving person.”

Alex Kropp, a sophomore pitcher on the Wolfpack’s varsity team, agreed with Murdock. Because of his age, he said he thought he would only be a relief pitcher, but credits Greenwood with getting him to the top of the rotation.

“I just think it’s nice that he can take the time and give back to people,” Kropp said. “He’s not all about himself. He likes to make other people better and give other people the (tools for) success that he has.”

Kropp’s father, Michael Kropp, said he considers Greenwood a great role model for his son.

“(Alex) has a lot of confidence now,” Michael Kropp said. “And I think that comes from Hunter being positive, and kind of like a parent almost, but someone who has also been there and is young enough to understand what it’s like.”

Greenwood said working with the kids is all about living out the responsibility people have to help others.

“You can make a big influence on someone in their life,” Greenwood said. “Don’t ever get too caught up in yourself to where you can’t help out other people because at one point or another, somebody helped you along the line to get (you) to where you’re at.”

David Somers can be reached at [email protected].