By STEVE KRAH
It was two years ago this weekend that Ben Gregory that helped Penn win the 2022 IHSAA Class 4A state baseball championship.
Gregory threw an 84-pitch complete game three-hitter with seven strikeouts as the Kingsmen shut out Indianapolis Cathedral 3-0 at Victory Field in Indianapolis and the right-hander was presented with the Bob Gardner Mental Attitude Award.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate with a 4.1 grade-point average and membership in the National Honor Society, Gregory went 4-1 on the bump for Penn as a senior.
As a junior, he was MVP of the Kingsmen and the Northern Indiana Conference as a first baseman who also played designated hitter and pitcher. He hurled in travel ball with 5Star National Midwest in the summer until hurting his arm. He underwent Ulnar Collateral Ligament surgery Sept. 7, 2021.
“I had a newer variation of Tommy John called Primary Repair with Internal Brace,” says Gregory. “My UCL tore off the bone and not in the middle so it wasn’t a complete tear. Instead of taking a tendon out of my wrist, they used the pre-existing ligament, put a screw on either side to lock it in-place and put a brace over the middle to keep it intact.”
Gregory then worked his way back to take the hill for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Greg Dikos, who became a six-time state champion in 2023. Only Lafayette Central Catholic’s Tim Bordenet (9), Andrean’s Dave Pishkur (8), LaPorte’s Ken Schreiber (7) and Jasper’s Terry Gobert (6) have at least that many titles.
“It’s the best coaching and team experience I’ve had,” says Gregory. “He was without a doubt one of the most influential coaches in my life. A lot of Penn’s success is just the type of coach he is. Practices pretty strictly-ran. We had the specific outline of what we wanted to do each day.
“(Dikos) was super open to conversation. If I had something I wanted to take about, he would always listen.”
From Penn pitching coach Tom Stanton, Gregory learned about pitch sequencing and was helped in his post-surgery timeline.
His junior and senior years were Gregory’s two years on varsity. The 2020 season was taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic and he was with the freshman team in 2019.
Following surgery, most the colleges Gregory was talking to moved on so he reached out to nearly every NCAA Division II baseball program in the Midwest and landed at Maryville University, a private institution in Town and Country, Mo., near St. Louis.
In his first season with the Saints, Gregory made 14 mound appearances (11 starts) and went 6-3 one save,a 6.23 earned run average, 68 strikeouts and 37 walks in 60 2/3 innings for a team that went 36-20.
Maryville posted a 40-19 mark in 2024, losing to Indianapolis in the NCAA D-II Super Regional. Gregory pitched in 15 contests (all starts) and went 7-5 with a 5.88 ERA, 60 strikeouts, 37 walks in 78 innings and 361 batters faced.
Pat Evers is head coach of the Saints.
What does he do best?
“It’s his leadership and ability to manage a team,” says Gregory. “He creates a good environment.”
While Evers has been the main coach working with pitchers during Gregory’s time at Maryville, that duty is transferring to Alec Whaley.
Gregory, a Sport Business Management major, plans to get his undergraduate degree with third year of eligibility and start a masters degree during his fourth.
While did not pitch the past two summers, Gregory is with the wood-bat Northwoods League’s Madison (Wis.) Mallards and is 2-0 with three starts and an 0.00 ERA through 15 innings. Maryville coaches have capped summer starters at five innings per outing.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound teenager (he turns 20 in August) delivers from an arm angle somewhere between high three-quarter and over-the-top.
“At release point it has dropped since high school,” says Gregory. “My arm path has gotten a lot smoother and cleaner.”
Gregory throws a four-seam fastball that has reached 95 mph and sits at 90 to 93.
His “circle” change-up is usually in the low 80’s.
“I like it to straight drop off the plain of my fastball,” says Gregory.
Added since he reached college is a slider.
“It’s more of a sweeper,” says Gregory. “It’s pretty much all horizontal break and no vertical.”
Then there’s the knuckle-curve. He grips with one finger nail on one seam and holds the other seam with his middle finger with 12-to-6 action and the hope of swing-and-miss.
Born in South Bend, Ind., and growing up in Granger, Ind., Gregory played at what is now Harris Baseball & Softball.
His father — Chad — started a 9U Granger Cubs travel team and Ben — always young for his grade — played for that organization through 11U.
Then came the Indiana Nitro at 12U, Midwest Astros at 13U and 14U. He began the 15U season with the Indiana Nitro and ended it with 5Star National Midwest.
Chad and Laura Gregory have four children. Ben is the oldest.
Lillian Gregory was one of Penn’s valedictorians in 2024 and is bound for Purdue University to study Chemical Engineering.
Evelyn Gregory will be a Penn freshman in 2024-25 and involved in orchestra.
Younger brother Cam Gregory is heading into sixth grade.
A Chicago Cubs fan who grew up playing shortstop, Gregory’s favorite pro player was Starling Castro.
“That’s why I wore No. 13 at Penn,” says Gregory, who has donned 41 at Maryville and Madison.
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