CLEVELAND — For Jake Brumfield, it’s hard to believe six months ago his baseball career was seemingly over.

The former Adams County Christian School right-hander left Pearl River with a 15-4 record and a 3.10 ERA in 2014. Brumfield, who had intentions of playing with Nicholls State University, decided to enroll at LSU. But a phone call from Delta State assistant coach Stephen Waggener in late October changed everything.

“I had no idea that was coming,” Brumfield said. “As soon as he called me, I had no doubt I was going to play at Delta State.”

With the given circumstances, Brumfield got a late start with the team, and with two returning starting pitchers in Jonathan Moody and Drew Milligan, Brumfield knew he had an uphill battle to earn a spot in the rotation. Brumfield adapted and accepted a reliever role, which proved to be a difficult transition in the early goings.

“It’s a big mental deal,” said Brumfield who was the 2012 Natchez Democrat All-Metro Player of the Year. “My whole life I’ve been a starter, and as a starter, you get 45 minutes before the game to stretch. When you’re in the pen, you get loose before the game, and then you get five minutes to get ready before you go in. It’s a whole different mindset.”

Brumfield worked hard at his new role and earned midweek starts with the Statesmen. Again, Brumfield found himself in a mental battle on the mound.

“The biggest thing has been the third inning,” Brumfield said. “If I can get through the third inning, I can roll.”

Getting past the third inning wasn’t a problem for Brumfield against Valley State Wednesday, where Brumfield led Delta State to a 3-1 win, pitching five innings and striking out eight in the victory. Following the win, Brumfield is now 2-0 as a starter for Delta State this season, and he’s looking to gain a role as a starting pitcher in the rotation sooner than later.

“I’ve done pretty well in my three starts with the team, and I’m hoping to get that weekend start pretty soon,” Brumfield said.