Sahith Theegala feeling the nerves ahead of throwing out first pitch Saturday

The Houston Astros will host the New York Yankees in a nationally televised game at Minute Maid Park at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. But Sahith Theegala, who shot a second-round 70 to likely make the cut at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, was already fretting on Friday about the game, where he will throw the ceremonial first pitch.

“It's probably the most nervous I'm ever going to be,” Theegala said.

So nervous, he added, that he expects it to be up there with his first tee shot in his first Masters Tournament last year and the putt he faced to finally earn his PGA TOUR card in late 2021.

To ratchet up the difficulty even further, he added, he doesn’t play baseball. He never has. He said it’s the only sport he’s never played, or even made an attempt to play.

“I'm going to be nervous,” he said. “My caddie, Carl, bought a couple mitts and a ball last night at Dick's (Sporting Goods), so we're going to go to my gym at home and get some shots up, loosen my shoulder with some basketball … and 55 or 60 feet, I'm going to cheat all the way to the front of the mound. Whatever it is, 55 feet, it's a long way. If anything, I'm going to sail it. I will not put it in the dirt. I hope I can keep that promise. …

“I have long arms so I feel like at least I can throw with some power,” he added, “but my accuracy's going to be very suspicious. We'll see if my very average athletic ability can pull through for me one time. But no experience. I've played catch like three times in college just like soft tossing a baseball. That's about it. I've tried to hit baseballs off a tee and it's just not good.”