Borden begins professional career in Houston Astros system

BY STEVE KRAH
http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Tim Borden II just wanted a chance to show what he can do on the diamond.
So the infielder and 2018 graduate of Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., transferred from the University of Louisville to Georgia Tech for the 2022 collegiate baseball season. He was familiar with the school and program since the two schools are both in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Playing in 55 games for the ’22 Danny Hall-coached Yellow Jackets, the righty swinger hit .316 (60-of-190) with 18 home runs, 11 doubles, 53 runs batted in, 56 runs scored and 1.106 OPS (.448 on-base percentage plus .658 slugging average).
“I felt like I had to give myself the opportunity to play every day,” says Borden, 23. “It’s been my lifelong dream to be a professional baseball player.
“It all worked out the way I wanted to.”
Borden, who was selected in the 37th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Cleveland Indians but opted for college, was chosen in the 16th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. He got into 26 games with the Florida Complex League Astros and Asheville (N.C.) Tourists and hit .286 (24-of-84) with six homers and 21 RBIs. He played shortstop, third base and second base.
“I’m very familiar with all three of those positions,” says Borden. “I like them all equally. As long as I’m out there playing every day I’m OK with wherever I play.”
The last day of the Astros two-week instructional league in West Palm Beach, Fla., was Sept. 25.
He plans to spend his off-season working out in Louisville with Eric Hammer.
Borden, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, describes his hitting approach.
“I’m always looking to attack the fastball early on in the count,” says Borden. “Any off-speed pitch that starts in the middle or down in the zone I’m letting go by.”
His best athletic qualities are twofold.
“Being a competitor and being confident are the two biggest things,” says Borden. “I always know my confidence is going to be through the roof because I put in the preparation. I’ve done the work.
“When it comes to game time I’m able to be free and have fun.”
Tim Borden II is the son of Tim Borden Sr. and grandson of Ray Borden and considers them his two biggest mentors.
“Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today,” says Tim II. “They’ve always shown me what hard work looks like whether it’s in a business forum or in the weight room.
“I’ve always looked up to them in every aspect of life.”
Borden graduated in three years from Louisville as a Sport Administration major with a minor in Communication. He was studying History, Technology & Communication at Georgia Tech.
Born in Jeffersonville, Ind., Borden spent the first nine years of his life there and played at Jeff/GRC Little League. He played travel ball for the Ironmen, Evoshield Canes and Georgia-based Team Elite.
A four-year baseball letterwinner and three-time first team All-State selection at Providence, Borden helped the Pioneers win an IHSAA Class 2A state title in as a sophomore in 2016.
He hit .417 with seven homers, 12 doubles, 38 RBIs and 28 runs as a junior in 2017. He hit .484 with six homers, 12 doubles, 41 RBIs and 28 runs as a senior in 2018.
Scott Hornung was Borden’s head coach all four years at Providence.
“He allowed me to play my game and to compete at a very high level with all the other guys on my team,” says Borden of Hornung. “That’s what allowed us to run to make a run to a state cham[pionshiup and to the semistate the year after that.”
“Coach Hornung was always in my corner and for that I will always be grateful.”
Marissa Hornung, who played volleyball at Providence and Purdue University, is one of Borden’s best friends.
Borden was redshirted for his first year at Louisville (2019) and played for the Dan McDonnell-coached Cardinals for two years (2020 and 2021), earning Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. In 32 games at U of L, he hit .309 (21-of-68) with one homer and 14 RBIs.
He worked out at Louisville in the summer of 2018. He split the summer of 2019 with the Prospect League’s Quincy (Ill.) Gems and Northwoods League’s Rochester (Minn.) Honkers. He was in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., in its first two seasons (2020 and 2021).
Tim Borden Sr. and wife Patty have three children — Tim II, Grant and Brooke. Providence senior infielder Grant Borden is committed to play baseball at Mercer University (Macon, Ga.). Brooke Borden (Class of 2025) plays volleyball for Providence.

Tim Borden II. (Georgia Tech Photo)

Tim Borden II. (Georgia Tech Photo)

Tim Borden II. (Georgia Tech Photo)

Tim Borden II. (Asheville Tourists Photo)

Tim Borden II. (Georgia Tech Photo)

Tim Borden II. (Georgia Tech Photo)

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Former Andrean, Georgia Tech hurler Ryan reflects on first pro season

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Zac Ryan does not have to be the last pitcher on the mound for his team to act like a closer.

Ryan, a 2013 Andrean High School graduate, learned in his first professional baseball season in 2017 to take a game-ending mentality to him no matter the situation.

“Even in my one start, I was told to act like you’re closing,” says Ryan, who went 2-2 with a 1.95 earned run average while finishing 14 of 21 games at Orem and Burlington.

The 6-foot-1 right-hander was selected in the 23rd round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Angels.

Ryan was a closer at Georgia Tech where he posted a 3-5 record, 3.33 ERA and team-best five saves in 27 appearances (all in relief) as a senior. In four seasons, he was 16-12 with a 4.65 ERA and 14 saves in 89 games (77 as a reliever).

“I was really happy with my season,” says Ryan, 23, of his first pro experience. “I worked with some really good pitching coaches and coordinators. They taught us grips and different pitches and helped us get better. It wasn’t a cookie cutter type of program where they tried to get everybody to do the same thing.”

Jonathan Van Eaton and Mike Burns shared pitching coach duties for the Rookie-level Pioneer League’s Orem Owlz while Jairo Cuevas led hurlers for the Low Class-A Midwest League’s Burlington Bees. Tom Nieto was the Orem manager while Adam Melhuse was the Burlington skipper.

The Angels organization wants its pitchers to attack hitters and — when possible — get outs within the first three pitches.

“They wanted us to go 0-2 (in the count) as much as possible,” says Ryan. This approach was to keep pitch counts down and to give hitters less opportunities to see what the pitcher had to offer.

Ryan found that the big difference between college and pro ball is that minor league batters are more aggressive.

“It was easy to get people to chase pitches (for strikeouts and out pitches) in pro ball,” says Ryan. “You also had a lot more freedom (as a pro). You do what you want to do with your career, but they are going to guide you with it. In college, they give you a role.”

As an Angels farmhand, Ryan says he worked the right side of the plate often with his sinker and slider, looking for ground balls or weak contact. He also mixed in a change-up.

While his velocity sat at between 92 and 94 mph and touched 95 and 96 mph a time or two, Ryan continued to stay away from being a max-effort pitcher.

“That way I can get more movement and place it where I want to,” says Ryan. “I’m serious with mechanics. I’ve never been too jerky-jerky and had a slow wind-up and slow delivery.”

Since he reached his limit during the spring and summer, the Angels opted not to send Ryan to instructional league or winter ball. Instead, he will follow a prescribed program while also working with his personal pitching coach since age 7 — John Coddington of Michiana Sports Medicine.

“He’s like a second dad to me,” says Ryan, who lives in Chesterton and is the son of Henry and Jill Ryan and has an older sister named Kelly.

At Georgia Tech, Ryan played four seasons for head coach Danny Hall and had Jason Howell as his pitching coach the while time.

“He taught me about sequencing and how to use pitches to set up pitches,” says Ryan. “I learned a lot of about who I was as a pitcher. I never threw a slider before college. I also learned the mentality I needed to be a closer. That brought me all the success I’ve had.”

Ryan was a freshman at Andrean with a 3-1 record when the 59ers won the IHSAA Class 3A state title in 2010 for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dave Pishkur. Ryan was in the rotation for the season, but it was senior left-hander Sean Manaea (now with the Oakland Athletics) that took the ball in the semistate and senior right-hander Ken Mahala in the state championship game.

Ryan credits the Pishkurs — Dave and his son Ryan — for teaching him tenacity.

“They taught me how to take a leadership role,” says Ryan. “That gave ave me a lot of confidence, which is something you need on the mound.

“That program is about fighting and never quitting. That’s the biggest takeaway you get from there. And it’s any part of your life. It doesn’t have to be sports. You have to keep on pushing because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Zac Ryan, a product of Andrean High School, made his professional baseball debut in the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2017. (Burlington Bees Photo)