13 ways to pitch successfully on game day

1. Try and stay ahead of the hitter.
2. Have the hitter hit a pitcher's pitch (in other words, the one you want to and feel comfortable throwing. This can be the fastball or it can be another pitch).
3. Know your best pitch on a given night and use it when in trouble.
4. Have confidence.
5. Know your own weaknesses and try to correct them by making minor adjustments.
6. Know the outs. (Some coaches advocate knowing the score, too, but I don't think the score should ever dictate how you pitch -- your attitude, your approach.)
7. Know the importance of the outs and know where runners are on base (does a runner represent a tying or wining run?).
8. Know who is covering the base. (This usually is for pickoffs or throws to second base, but  sometimes applies to plays to first, too.)
9. Know the speed of the runner; know the speed and range of your infielders. (However, on balls hit to the right side of the infield, you must ALWAYS cover first base.)
10. Never show temper and fight umpires. They could get even.
11. Keep control of yourself when errors are made behind you. If you can't control yourself, you can't control the ball.
12. Pick up the target before making the pitch. It'll help increase your accuracy.
13. Be the boss when you're on the mound. BE MEAN AND AGGRESSIVE. If you're a pro, don't let the hitter take money out of your pocket.