By STEVE KRAH
Jack Moroknek finished his high school baseball career as all-state and all-county and headed to college.
Moroknek, a 2021 graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, earned honorable mention on the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 3A all-state team and was selected to the All-Marion County first team as a third baseman.
Among his top high school memories is winning the county championship as senior and socking four home runs in one day. He clubbed 11 his senior season.
The two-year starter had front row seat to Andrew Dutkanych IV’s no-hitter in the 2021 Marion County final.
“The four-homer (day) was incredible,” says lefty swinger Moroknek. “Before that day I had never had a game with more than one homer in it so when I hit the second homer in the first game I was pretty pumped. I always wanted to do that.
“I had a lot of motivation going into that year after getting my junior year canceled due to COVID. I wanted to play my senior year for the guys that didn’t get it like Gabe Wright, Shane Bauer, Quinn Simmons, Karl Meyer and Andrew Pickett.”
As a sophomore, Moroknek hit .297 with 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored.. He went 3-for-3 against Southport left-hander Avery Short, a 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft selection.
Moroknek’s head coaches with the Braves were Jeremy Sassanella (one season) and Jeff Scott.
“It seemed like he had a lot of knowledge from playing in the minor leagues,” says Moroknek of Sassanella. “It was a good introduction to what high school baseball was.
“Coach Scott is one of the biggest role models I’ve ever had in my life. He changed the way I thought about baseball and put a lot of emphasis on how this game translates so much into life.
“He transformed the Brebeuf baseball program into a family in four years.”
Moroknek went from Brebeuf to Butler University in Indianapolis. He is considering pursuing a double major in Marketing and Accounting.
Before he could play for the Blake Beemer-coached Bulldogs he underwent Tommy John elbow surgery on Oct. 19, 2022 and missed the 2023 season.
“Rehab is progressing well,” says Moroknek, who can throw the ball up to 200 feet and is a designated hitter for T-Rex Baseball in the Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League in Scottsdale, Ariz., this summer. He played for the Local Legends in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in 2022.
Since high school, Moroknek has made a big jump in his strength. He has put on 50 pounds and is now 6-foot-3 and 210.
“That is all a credit to our strength coach at Butler — Cam Razzano,” says Moroknek, 19. “He’s pushed me to work harder every day and is a key piece of our team’s success.”
A versatile player, Moroknek has spent more time as an outfielder since entering Butler.
“My defensive keys start before the pitch is thrown,” says Moroknek. “I want to make sure I know who’s throwing for us each game and how he likes to put his pithes and I can adjust based off that and also what batter is up.
“Depending on what spot in the outfield I’m playing, I have to moved based off what side of the plate they hit from. Especially late in the game I make sure to play deep with ‘no doubles’ and to keep the ball in front.
“I want to make sure I get a good jump off the bat and get behind the ball to make a strong throw if there’s a play to be made.”
When he steps in the batter’s box, Moroknek takes a patient approach.
“I definitely look for my pitch when I’m ahead in the count and make sure to learn the umpire’s strike zone early in the game,” says Moroknek. “When I get ahead, I’m usually looking for something straight and over the heart of the plate.
“I have a leg kick in my swing so when I get two strikes I try to shorten it a little and get it down early to react to breaking pitches.”
Born in Carmel, Ind., Moroknek attended Smoky Row Elementary and Carmel Middle School.
He played for the 8U and 9U Carmel Pups, 10U to 12U Indiana Prospects and 13U to 16U Indiana Nitro then 5 Star National Midwest. His head coach with the Prospects and Nitro was the Jeff Cleckner.
Jack’s parents are Dave and Barbara Moroknek. Dave Moroknek is retired. Barbara Moroknek is a librarian.
Older brother Max Moroknek (Brebeuf Class of 2018) played golf in high school, graduated from Miami (Ohio) University and now works in New York.
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