There are many different roles to be filled on a pitching staff in college baseball. You have your weekend and midweek starters, long relief, 7th/8th inning, lefty-specialist, possibly righty submarine, closer, and "innings of experience". Some guys confuse these innings of experience and confidence boosters as "mop up" innings. I like to call them this because I've learned there is no such thing as a mop up situation, especially with aluminum bats--anything can happen. Every inning that you pitch is an inning that you can use to get better. You also have to think about that inning as an inning you're taking away from someone else. Starters have it easier in the sense they know every 7th day they are getting the nod but the pen is a different story.
Over the course of my career I've been used in about every possible role out of the bullpen. I've been a 7th/8th inning guy, middle relief, long relief, righty sidearm, up/down a lot, to picking splinters out of my ass. A 56-game season is long and roles can change week by week or even game by game depending on the depth of the pitching staff. Some guys will have a short leash and some will get more opportunities in bigger roles than others and a coach might even ride the hot hand. You always have to be ready mentally and physically because you never know when you might get the ball.
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