When Northwestern Lehigh pitcher Carter Welch climbed to the top of any mound during the 2021 season, he was more than a ballplayer. He was a pitching artist.

The limb attached to Welch’s left shoulder was like a paint brush, which weaved overpowered-batter after starstruck-hitter across the baseball diamond canvas.

Welch could paint in almost any medium. Twirl an Uncle Charlie (curve ball) that falls off the table?

Check.

Kick, deal and fire some heat?

No problem.

Change speeds that makes a hitter double clutch?

Sure thing.

Creativity, he rationed, isn’t that hard. Here’s what I throw. If you hit it, you win. If you don’t, I win.

“I throw a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, curve ball, slider and a change up,” Welch noted. “I like to mix them up on different counts to keep hitters off balance and thinking.”

Batters did a lot of thinking, and not much hitting, as until the District 11 4A Championship outing against Bethlehem Catholic, Welch gave up five earned runs over 28 innings this season in helping the Tigers post a 19-5 record.

It was this resume Welch used, in part, to accept an offer to attend the University of Delaware. The pact was formally consummated during Northwestern’s annual collegiate commitment ceremony, held this past Tuesday at Tiger Stadium.

“Delaware has a great program, and it is a great academic school,” said Welch. “It’s also pretty close to home.”

Welch is a good athlete and could have played many sports, so why baseball?

“I tired out for a lot of sports when I was younger, but I just fell in love with baseball,” he said.

When Welch is on the mound, he produces a minor spectacle. From the stretch, he offers hitters a slight pause during an otherwise symmetrically poised and balanced delivery.

“When I’m out there I’m thinking about locating, throwing it to where the catcher is set up and trying to get outs,” Welch said.

But there’s more to the game than just that. For Welch, there was the camaraderie with his Northwestern teammates.

“You just develop a family when you’re with someone almost every single day,” said Welch. “Those friendships will last a long time.”

When a pitching artist like Welch, one is almost assured to have friends.

Except, of course, the opposing hitters who had to step into the batter’s box against Welch.