Young brothers firing in playoffs for Franklin, Indiana Wesleyan

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

A pair of brothers are pitching for their respective colleges during the 2023 postseason and doing it well.
Senior right-hander Jackson Young is at Franklin (Ind.) College in the NCAA D-III Birmingham (Ala.) Regional. He is slated to start the tournament opener on the hill for the Lance Marshall-coached Grizzlies (33-11) today (Friday, May 19).
Sophomore righty Drue Young is with Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Ind.) in the NAIA Opening Round in Kingsport, Tenn. He started Tuesday, May 16 for the Rich Benjamin-coached Wildcats (39-18-1) and helped them secure a spot in the final by earning the win against Bryan. He struck out five in six innings.
IWU, which received votes in the final NAIA national poll, beat No. 11 Missouri Baptist 7-6 Wednesday, May 17 and punched its ticket to the 2023 NAIA World Series May 26-June 2 in Lewiston, Idaho.
It will be the first World Series appearance for Indiana Wesleyan.
Jackson Young, who is 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, has made 12 mound appearances this season (11 as a starter) and is 8-0 with two complete games, a 3.76 earned run average, 72 strikeouts and 12 walks in 81 innings. Donning No. 3 in Navy Blue and Old Gold, he went the distance and whiffed eight May 12 in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament win against Transylvania.
The team won its fourth HCAC tournament title.
At 5-7 and 175, Drue Young is 6-2 with two complete games in 16 appearances (15 starts), a 3.84 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 22 walks in 91 1/3 innings.
For his FC career, Jackson Young has taken the bump in 38 games (21 starts) and is 17-2 with one save, a 4.15 ERA, 141 strikeouts and 46 walks in 167 innings. Also a third baseman, he amassed 58 at-bats in 2020 and 2021. He has been used exclusively as a pitcher in 2022 and 2023. He hit .368 as a Center Grove High School (Greenwood, Ind.) senior in 2019.
In two seasons at IWU, Drue Young has pitched in 39 contests (23 starts) with a 4.32 ERA, 144 strikeouts and 47 walks in 154 1/3 innings. He wears No. 20 for the Red and Gray.
First-team all-conference status was accorded to both Young brothers — Jackson in the HCAC and Drue in the Crossroads League.
Both Young brothers were born in Greenwood and graduated from Center Grove — Jackson (22) in 2019 and Drue (20) in 2021.
Trojans head coach Keith Hatfield has allowed the Youngs to use the Center Grove facilities to train in the off-season. They’ve also traveled up to Noblesville, Ind., to put in work at PRP Baseball.
While they have spent plenty of training time together, they’ve only played together one time. Drue subbed for a sick player and pitched for Jackson’s Indiana Astros travel team.
“Physically we’re different,” says Jackson. “But when it comes to the mental aspect of pitching we both have similar mindsets. We both love to train. We push each other.
“Even when we’re not physically together and at school. We’re calling each other and talking about how our pitching session went and things like that.”
Says Drue, “We’re super close. We pretty much do everything together.
“Both of our seasons are a testament to how hard we worked over the summer. We set the bar for ourselves regarding expectations. We exceeded our expectations.”
Marshall has been Franklin head coach since the fall of 1997 and won more than 600 games. The year’s squad has already reached the highest victory total during his tenure.
“Coach Marshall has kept us motivated this entire year,” says Jackson. “He’s always trying to keep our energy up and for guys to be active and involved in the games.
“He believes in us.”
Benjamin’s first season as Indiana Wesleyan head coach was 216 and 2023 will be his last. After the season he will become athletic director at Mississinewa High School in Gas City, Ind. He has amassed more than 500 career wins, including more than 150 at IWU.
The Wildcats beat Huntington to win the Crossroads League tournament and went into the Opening Round as the No. 4 seed.
“Nobody expected us to win,” says Drue. “We went there are played super loose. We played free. We didn’t have any pressure. It was awesome.
“(Coach Benjamin) encourages us a lot to play for each other and be selfless individuals on the field. He’s done a really good job of instilling the culture into the program.”
Jackson throws a four-seam fastball, slider and change-up from a high three-quarter arm slot.
The four-seamer which cuts with glove-side run (in to a left-handed batter and away from the right-hander) sits in the mid 80s and has topped out at 90 mph this season.
More of a “slurve” or “sweeper,” the slider has been clocked at 75 to 79. The split change-up drops and is normally 80 to 81 mph.
Drue delivers from a three-quarter slot with a four-seam fastball, curve, slider and change-up.
“The four-seamer runs and sinks a lot,” says Drue. “It’s been up to 92 this year. It’s usually sitting around 89 to 91.”
A “slurvy” 11-to-7 curve travels at 75 to 78 mph.
The slider has depth and late drop — sometimes going to the back foot of the lefty hitter — goes 80 to 84.
The norm for the change-up is 82 to 84.
Jackson, who is a Sociology major with a focus in Criminal Justice, has decided he is coming back to Franklin for his fifth year in 2024.
Drue is a double major at IWU — Marketing and Sports Management.
Jackson and Drue are the sons of Chris and Julie Young. Chris Young owns a flooring distribution business. Julie Young is the principal at Isom Elementary School in Greenwood.
With the brothers on different teams and schedules, it becomes a matter of coordination for their parents.
“We lucked out this year,” says Drue. “(Jackson) was mostly pitching on Sundays while I was pitching on Fridays. Most of the time they were able to be at both games.
“Last year it was more split. We were both throwing on the same day. It’s just a divide-and-conquer thing.”
Older sisters are Brianna in Tampa, Fla., and Emily in Noblesville.
Jackson played for many teams growing up culminating with the Indiana Astros. Those 17U and 18U travel teams were coached by former Franklin College players Jacob Burns and Tyler Ison.
Drue was at Center Grove Little League early. In high school, he played travel ball with Indiana Elite and at 17U, the Indiana Mustangs.
From sixth grade to sophomore year, Drue was also a wrestler.
“I attribute wrestling to my toughness,” says Drue. “It was something really good to get into, keeping versatility in my blood. Things happen where some sports get in the way of others. When you find the sport you love the most (baseball) you ride with it.”

Jackson Young. (Franklin College Photo)

Jackson Young. (Franklin College Photo)

Drue Young. (Indiana Wesleyan University Photo)

Drue Young. (Indiana Wesleyan University Photo)

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Right-hander Herron contributing on mound at Morehead State

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

When Grant Herron delivers a baseball from a pitching mound it’s not hard to see what his tennis serve looks like.
Herron is now a junior in the starting rotation at Morehead (Ky.) State University (27-17 overall, 10-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference).
But he was a standout on the court while at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind., where he graduated in 2020.
Serving over-the-top, Herron joined doubles partner Nic Ballesteros to be first-team all-state in the fall of 2018.
“There is a direct correlation,” says Herron, who is slated to pitch the second game of the Eagles’ OVC series Saturday, May 6 against Eastern Illinois.
As a pitcher, the 6-foot-5, 230-pound Herron employs a two-seam sinking fastball that sits between 87 and 90 mph and tops out around 92 plus a “1-to-7” curveball and a splitter (split-finger fastball).
“I couldn’t throw a change-up when I was younger,” says Herron. “I switched to the splitter the COVID summer (2020) and just stuck with it.
“It’s a lot easier for me to throw (than a change-up). It’s a little slower and just topples off the table.”
In 2023, Herron has made 11 mound appearances (10 starts) and is 5-1 with a 4.97 earned run average, 58 strikeouts and 41 walks in 50 2/3 innings.
For his college career, the righty is 10-6 with two saves, a 5.79 ERA, 137 strikeouts and 91 walks in 115 innings over 45 games (19 starts). He was the OVC Pitcher of the Week in early 2022.
During his athletic career, Herron has learned that knowledge is power.
“It’s knowing what I’m doing when I’m supposed to be doing it,” says Herron. “That’s a tell tale sign for a lot of athletes.
“Athletes that know what they’re doing automatically look like better athletes.”
Herron has also displayed leadership with his teammates.
“You have your outspoken leaders and people who lead by example,” says Herron, who considers himself a vocal leader. “For me, it’s not telling them what to do, but giving them advice and telling them what’s led to my success and what I think will help them with their success.”
Former Notre Dame head coach Mik Aoki is the field boss at Morehead State.
“He’s a very smart individual,” says Herron of Aoki. “He’s high energy. He knows a lot about pitching. He does a lot with the pitchers.”
Brady Ward, a 2019 Tiffin (Ohio) University graduate, is the Racers pitching coach.
“He’s young and he’s easy for a lot of the guys to talk to,” says Herron of Ward. “I like that he’s not so concerned with the numbers, but the action of the pitch.”
Last summer, Herron did not play for a team. Instead, he went to P3 (Premier Pitching Performance) in the St. Louis suburb of Wentzville, Mo., got an assessment and came back to Greenwood to train. He trained with Jay Lehr at Pro-X Athlete Development in Westfield, Ind., in the summer of 2021 and played in the College Summer League at Grand Park in Westfield in 2020.
Herron anticipates working with Pitching Performance Lab in Lexington, Ky., this summer. PPL has partnered with Morehead State.
Born in Indianapolis, Herron grew up in Greenwood.
He played rec ball until 8 or 9 then entered the travel ball world. First came the Center Grove Trojans then Indiana Elite and in high school the Northern Stars (coached by former professional pitcher Jamie Sailors).
Herron was on the CG junior varsity baseball team as a freshman. As a sophomore, he pitched on varsity and hit on JV. He was full-time varsity as a junior. The COVID-19 pandemic caused his senior season to be canceled.
In 2019, Herron went 7-1 with a 1.02 ERA, 68 K’s and 15 walks in 48 innings on the bump and hit .400 with five home runs and 40 runs batted in for the Keith Hatfield-coached Trojans.
“I think he’s a very good coach,” Herron says of Hatfield. “I liked playing under him. He always had the best intentions for high school players. He was always worried about the next step in kids’ careers. He was getting them ready to go to college and play ball.”
Coaching the pitchers when Herron was at Center Grove was Jeff Montfort with help from Hatfield.
Herron also got pointers from Lehr and Paul Butcher.
A Finance major on track to graduate in May 2024, Grant is the son of Mike and Amy Herron and has a younger sister, Madison Herron.

Grant Herron. (Morehead State University Image)

Grant Herron. (Morehead State University Photo)

Grant Herron. (Morehead State University Photo)

Lebanon alum Harker hurling for Harwich in Cape Cod Baseball League

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

A year ago at this time, 2021 Lebanon (Ind.) High School graduate Garrett Harker suited up for the North in the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series.
In the summer of 2022, the right-handed pitcher is in the high-profile Cape Cod Baseball League with the Harwich Mariners, managed since 2003 by Steve Englert.
In his first two outings covering 3 2/3 relief innings, Harker has allowed no runs and two hits while striking out seven and walking none.
“It’s the best league you can play in,” says Harker, 19. “I’m blessed to be here and have this experience. I’m probably one of the youngest guys.
“I’m just trying to get some innings and throw in front of as many people as I can.”
During his freshmen season at the University of Cincinnati this spring, 6-foot, 200-pound Harker appeared in 16 games (six starts) and went 4-3 with one save and one save and a 7.08 earned run average. He produced 38 strikeouts and 22 walks in 48 1/3 innings.
The UC Bearcats head coach is Scott Googins. Harker works closely with pitching coach JD Heilmann.
It’s been competitiveness that Heilmann has emphasized with Harker.
“Go at the hitter and be the competitor you’ve been,” says Harker. “I’m not the biggest, fastest, strongest guy out there. I’m going to give you 100 percent no matter what I do.”
Born in Indianapolis, Harker grew up in Lebanon. He played at Lebanon Little League until about 9 then played for various travel ball teams, including the Lebanon Thunder, Indiana Baseball Club, Indiana Elite, Indiana Outlaws, Indiana Bulls and Team Indiana (fall ball).
With the 2020 prep season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harker played three seasons at Lebanon High School for Rick Cosgray.
“He’s a players’ coach for sure,” says Harker of Cosgray. “He’ll go to battle for you as long as you give 100 percent.”
In 81 high school games, Harker hit .431 (113-of-262) with 13 home runs, 56 runs batted in and 89 runs scored. As a pitcher, he went 19-7 with two saves and a 1.44 ERA. He whiffed 264 and walked 42 in 156 innings. As a senior in 2021, he was 8-0 with one save, a 0.67 ERA, 111 K’s and eight walks in 52 1/3 innings.
He was the IHSBCA District K Player of the Year and was the on the Prep Baseball Report Indiana All-State Team and All-USA Central Indiana Postseason Super Team.
Harker, who turns 20 on July 23, says it was during his junior year of high school that he really learned how to pitch.
The righty throws from a high three-quarter arm angle.
“I figured I needed to get on top of the ball and get more spin rate and spin efficiency — all that stuff,” says Harker.
He mixes a four-seam fastball that has been clocked as high as 95 mph, a sinking two-seam fastball, “circle” change-up (usually delivered around 80 mph), a traditional slider (with horizontal movement and vertical depth).
Harker’s 2020 summer was spent with the 17U Indiana Bulls. In 2021, he got in a few outings with the PRP Baseball Mambas and had workouts for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
Besides baseball, Harker played four years of football (three years as starting quarterback) and one year of basketball at Lebanon. During his gridiron days, he passed for 4,399 yards and 43 touchdowns, including 2,028 and 21 as a junior in 2019.
Garrett is the youngest of Larry and Teri Harker’s four children — all former Lebanon athletes. Former Tigers basketball and softball player Kalyn Harker (Class of 2011) is the oldest, followed by former football, basketball and baseball player Isaac Harker (Class of 2014), former volleyball, basketball and softball player Tori Harker (2018) and Garrett Harker.
Kalyn played softball at Southern Illinois University. Isaac played quarterback at Indiana State University and Colorado School of Mines and been in the Canadian Football League. Tori played volleyball at Indiana University East.
Larry Harker works for Cincinnati Bell Technology Services. Teri Harker is a stay-at-home mom.

Garrett Harker (University of Cincinnati Photo)

Garrett Harker (University of Cincinnati Photo)

Sprinkle helping Franklin College as assistant coach

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

Franklin (Ind.) College enjoyed a 25-14 baseball season in 2021.
The Grizzlies hit .299 as a team with 152 extra-base hits (45 home runs) and 87 stolen bases.
Of the top eight players in at-bats, six were seniors. Franklin’s fall workouts included many newcomers.
“We worked a lot on team offense and defense,” says Jake Sprinkle, who is in his second season as a Franklin assistant coach in 2021-22. “We have a lot of new faces and we want to get those guys acclimated.
“We had a lot of scrimmages, letting pitchers and hitters show what they’ve got.”
NCAA Division III rules restrict coach-player contact in the winter.
“We don’t have individual time,” says Sprinkle. “Seniors and leaders are setting up hitting and throwing groups. They’re making velo and exit velocity jumps and getting stronger in the weight room.”
Sprinkle, who works for head coach and associate director of athletics Lance Marshall, has been hitting the recruiting trail and getting plans in place and equipment ordered for the spring of 2022. The season is slated to begin Feb. 26 against Albion at Grizzly Park.
“This time of year we’re getting a lot of kids on-campus,” says Sprinkle of recruiting. “We’re trying to get some guys bought-in. We’re still working on 2022 (recruiting) class and reaching out to some 2023’s we’ve seen in the past.”
The Franklin website lists a 2021 roster of 45 with 40 of those hailing from Indiana.
Sprinkle, who turns 26 on Dec. 28, was born and raised in the Franklin Township section of Indianapolis. He played tennis and baseball at Franklin Central High School. Twin brother Ben was his tennis doubles partner and a baseball teammate. The Flashes were coached on the diamond by John Rockey.
“He was an awesome guy,” says Sprinkle of Rockey. “He brought a ton of energy to practice. He taught us what we needed to do at a younger age and prepared guys for college.
“We wanted to show up and work every single day.”
Jacob Wickliff (now head baseball coach at Beech Grove High School) was a Franklin Central teammate of the Sprinkle brothers.
Sprinkle was a right-handed pitcher at the University of Indianapolis.
As a UIndy freshman in 2015, Sprinkle went 8-2 with 2.97 earned run average. He struck out 32 and walked 11 in 63 2/3 inning.
Tommy John arm surgery caused him to miss the 2016 season and he was granted a medical redshirt before pitching for the Greyhounds from 2017-19. For his four college seasons, he was 22-9 with 3.86 ERA, 179 strikeouts and 68 walks in 240 innings.
Sprinkle’s first four years were spent with Gary Vaught as head coach with Al Ready moving up to be head coach his fifth year.
“(Coach Vaught) was so personable,” says Sprinkle. “He made everybody feel like they were special and created a personal bond. He would make sure people knew he was there for them.
“(Coach Ready) is extremely dedicated and hard-working. He’s a guy who’s going to put his best foot forward, do his research and whatever he can to win.”
Landon Hutchison was the Greyhounds pitching coach Sprinkle’s last few seasons.
After his college playing days, Sprinkle was briefly in the United Shore Professional Baseball League in the summer of 2019 then spent a year as a UIndy graduate assistant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports Marketing/Information Systems and a master’s degree in Sports Management from UIndy.
He joined Marshall’s Franklin coaching staff in September 2020.
“(Coach Marshall) is an awesome guy,” says Sprinkle. “He’s extremely hard-working and does everything the right way.
“He builds a championship culture — on and off the field.”
Besides recruiting, Sprinkle is in charge of Grizzlies infielders and hitters and helps with pitchers.
“With our infielders, we’re big on making the routine play,” says Sprinkle. “We re-set every play. It’s about being athletic.
“The hitters’ approach is about being on-time and driving the baseball in the gap.”
Last summer, Sprinkle coached a 17U travel team for Mike Chitwood’s Indiana Elite organization and will be leading a 17U squad for Chad Fowler’s Powerhouse Athletics group in the summer of 2022.
“I thought that’s where my path would take me,” says Sprinkle of coaching. “I was very fortunate to have a lot of great coaches.
“I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”
Sprinkle comes from a baseball-loving family. He and his brother grew up being coached by their father, Tracy Sprinkle with support from mother Lori Sprinkle and sister Malorie Sprinkle (a former Franklin Central softball player who’s now a Butler University freshman). Ben Sprinkle began went to Kentucky Wesleyan College for baseball before transferring to Franklin.

Jake Sprinkle (Franklin College Photo)

Guthrie eager to get going with Prairie Heights Panthers

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

T.J. Guthrie was just hired as the head baseball coach at Prairie Heights Community High School near LaGrange, Ind.

Guthrie and his coaching staff are young and eager to work with the Panthers.

“There’s not a staff out there more excited to get going,” says Guthrie, who at 26 is the oldest in a group that also includes Prairie Heights alums Tanner Perkins (who played at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne), Mike Gustin (who played at Trine University in Angola, Ind.) and Zach Smith. “We’re young and connected to the community.

“We have to have the youngest aggregate age in the state.”

Guthrie’s hiring was approved by the school board too late for the fall Limited Contact Period. The next window for baseball activities opens in a little over a month.

“I’m counting down the days until Dec. 9, I know that,” says Guthrie. That’s when teams can have two-hour blocks twice-a-week for baseball activity. He plans to precede that with an hour of weight lifting and conditioning, putting  as baseball practice at 7:30 p.m. after winter sports practices.

“I want to give everybody an opportunity to get on board early,” says Guthrie.

Why conditioning before practice and not after?

“I want to see them perform when their legs are not fresh,” says Guthrie. This equates to being able to make plays late in games when they’re worn out.

Perkins pitched at Indiana Tech, where head coach Kip McWilliams ran practices with a fast tempo. Guthrie plans to adopt that style for his Panthers.

“I want to see how they (perform) in bottom of seventh when they’re worn out,” says Guthrie. “When you practice at a high pace, once you get in a game everything seems to slow down.”

Building Heights up from the bottom will be a priority.

“We’re going to make sure we focus on the little things a lot,” says Guthrie. “As part of part of our warm-up routine, infielders will be working on their hands and footwork every single day. Outfielders will be doing drop steps and sprinting to the baseball.

“We want to start from the ground up and make sure everything fundamental is correct. We want to make sure we play the game the right way.”

Guthrie also intends to use plenty of technology and metrics, using Blast Motion to measure launch angle and exit velocity.

“We’re top of the cage enthusiasts,” says Guthrie. “We’ll do a lot of weighted-bat training. We’ll work on our hit path and getting the barrel on a plane. It’s rotational hitting.

“We want to lead the conference and, ideally, the state in doubles and home runs.”

This is Guthrie’s second stint on the Panthers staff. He wound up a run after the 2017 working with Nick Pfafman, who left to join head coach Greg Perschke at Trine.

A 2011 Fremont (Ind.) High School graduate who played for Eagles head coach Justin Bock, Guthrie went to Trine to be a pitcher and first baseman. He blew out his elbow in the first couple of practices and opted to focus on his studies and earn an accounting degree which he now puts to use with marketing and sales for his parents’ business, Casey’s Cove Marina on Crooked Lake in Angola.

Guthrie got his coaching start in the Sandy Koufax League in Fremont and coached in travel ball with the Indiana Elite and Sturgis, Mich.-based Hitters Edge.

Prairie Heights plays on-campus at Kellett Field, a facility that has been recently edged and is going through infield work. There are now double-barrel bullpens on both sides of the field. A year ago, the field got new fencing. The playing surface and irrigation system went in five years ago. There are no lights.

“The field is going to play very nice,” says Guthrie. “We have maintenance staff ready to help us out.”

While he has a young squad and no current college baseball commitments, Guthrie has players with those aspirations.

“I’ll put a big emphasis on trying to get guys to the next level,” says Guthrie. “I’m working hard to develop relationships with a lot of these area junior colleges (including Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, Mich., and Ivy Tech Northeast in Fort Wayne).”

Recent Prairie Heights graduate Jacob Heller also played baseball at Trine.

Four communities with their own youth leagues — Stroh, South Milford, Ashley-Hudson and Orland — feed into Prairie Heights and Guthrie intends to become a familiar face to those players and coaches.

“A number of players are in travel baseball,” says Guthrie. “I want wake sure I’m getting involved with the guys that are staying local and get them ready for high school.”

Prairie Heights (enrollment around 410) is a member of the Northeast Corner Conference (with Angola, Central Noble, Churubusco, Eastside, Fairfield, Fremont, Garrett, Hamilton, Lakeland, West Noble and Westview).

Each team plays each other once with the home team alternating from year to year. There’s also an in-season tournament. Teams are guaranteed two games. Most weekday games are played at 5:30 p.m.

The Panthers are part of an IHSAA Class 2A sectional grouping with Bremen, Central Noble, Fairfield, LaVille and Westivew. Prairie Heights has won two sectional titles — 1977 and 1984.

T.J. and Cheyene Guthrie were high school sweethearts. The couple, which resides in Angola, celebrated four years of marriage in September.

T.J. Guthrie is the new head baseball coach at Prairie Heights Community High School near LaGrange, Ind. He has recently been coaching travel ball for Hitters Edge.

T.J. Guthrie (right) stands with a trophy he won in a coaches home run derby at a Gameday USA travel tournament with Hitters Edge. Celebrating with him are former player T.J. Vanderkuyl and assistant coach Jacob Summers. Guthrie is a 2011 Fremont (Ind.) High School graduate who recently became head baseball coach at Prairie Heights Community High School near LaGrange, Ind.

T.J. and Cheyene Guthrie take in a baseball game. T.J. Guthrie is now head baseball coach at Prairie Heights Community High School near LaGrange, Ind.

 

Devotion to routine has Jeffersonville’s Ellis excelling in Diamondbacks system

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Drew Ellis has displayed baseball talent from an early age.

With father Derek Ellis as his coach, Drew was part of the Jeff/JRC team that won a Great Lakes Region championship and went to the 2008 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. His team went to make the Final Four of the 2010 Junior League World Series in Taylor, Mich.

Drew — the oldest of three Ellis boys — turned heads at Jeffersonville (Ind.) High School and in travel baseball with the local Indiana Elite and Indiana Bulls. He graduated from Jeff in 2014 after being honorable mention all-state three times in baseball and twice in basketball.

He excelled in two seasons at the University of Louisville. After redshirting in 2015, Ellis hit .309 with three home runs, six doubles and 22 runs batted in over 47 games his first collegiate season of 2016.

Then came 2017.

Ellis, who was born in Louisville, helped the Dan McDonnell-coached Cardinals (53-12) by hitting .355 with 20 homers, 18 doubles and 61 RBIs in 65 games for the 2017 College World Series qualifiers.

American Baseball Coaches Association, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game all named Ellis a First Team All-America. He was on the Baseball America and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Second Team All-America squads along with being a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award. He was also all-Atlantic Coast Conference first team on the diamond and the ACC Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a sports management major.

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Ellis in the second round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

After hitting .227 with eight home runs, eight doubles and 23 runs batted in over 48 games for the Short Season Class-A Hillsboro (Ore.) Hops in 2017, Ellis moved up to the High-A Visalia (Calif.) Rawhide in 2018 and is hitting .267  with 10 homers, 26 doubles and 52 RBIs through 73 games.

The links’ in the Diamondbacks minor league chain above Visalia of the California League are the Double-A Jackson (Tenn.) Generals and Triple-A Reno (Nev.) Aces.

In his last 10 games, he’s at .341 with one homer and 10 RBIs through July 4.

MLB Pipeline calls the 6-foot-3, 212-pound righty-swinging third baseman the No. 8 prospect in the D-backs organization. Three of the top seven are pitchers.

In his second minor league season, Ellis compares professional and college baseball.

“Professional baseball is a lot more on your own,” says Drew Ellis, 22. “You’re told what to do in college. In professional baseball, you’re held accountable for what you do. If you don’t do the things you need to do to get ready for each day, you’re not going to have success.

“In college, everybody does the same thing because you’re on a schedule. When you get to professional baseball, you’re on your own and you create your own destiny with that.”

To keep contributing to his team, Ellis has found a way to prepare that suits him.

“I have my own routine,” says Drew Ellis. “You have to figure out what works and what doesn’t. It’s all about making adjustments and sometimes you have to make adjustments on the fly.

“But it starts with your routine.”

With 52 homers and 82 doubles since his junior year of high school, many would call Ellis a power hitter.

“I guess you could say that,” says Drew Ellis. “I look at myself as a professional hitter, whether I’m going up and seeing six or seven pitches or barreling up every ball I see. I like to see myself as a really good hitter.

“I’ve stayed with my approach this year and have not strayed away from it. I recognize the pitch and put a good swing on it.”

Derek is not hesitant to agree with Drew’s employer in labeling him a power hitter.

“The Diamondbacks think he’s a power hitter and is going to hit 25 or 30 homers a year as he progresses,” says Derek Ellis. “He’s doing great. I’m not going to bet against him.”

Derek Ellis has been on the Jeffersonville High coaching staff since the 2008 season and the Red Devils head coach since 2013. He watched Drew play shortstop for four seasons at JHS and then move to Louisville, where McDonnell made him an everyday third baseman.

“What a blessing for Drew to play for a guy like that,” says Derek Ellis of McDonnell. “What you see is what you get. He’s genuine. He’s a great motivator. He’s one of the best coaches in the country.

“The U of L program is really regimented. It really helped him make the transition to pro ball.”

In December 2017, Derek opened the Ellis Baseball Academy in Jeffersonville. The training facility takes up half of an 8,000-square foot building and has three batting and one pitching tunnel. Several area travel teams have asked to use the space.

All three of Derek and Jennifer Ellis’ three sons are baseball players.

Ian Ellis (20) is a right-batting third baseman/second baseman/right-handed pitcher who finished his second year at Olney (Ill.) Community College in 2017 and transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan College.

Jack Ellis (17) is heading into his senior season at Jeffersonville and has already committed to play college baseball at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn. This summer, the lefty-hitting third baseman is with the Indiana Bulls Black 17U team, which went to the Perfect Game 2018 Grads or 17U World Wood Bat Association National Championship at the LakePoint Sports Complex in Cartersville, Ga.

Derek Ellis played for three Hall of Fame coaches — Don Poole at Jeffersonville, Jerry Blemker at Vincennes University and Bob Warn at Indiana State University.

“Those two are instrumental in who I am,” says Derek Ellis of Poole and Blemker. “(Poole) expected you to show up and play hard and taught me a lot about game strategy.

“(Blemker) taught me how to be a man. I was a boy going into junior college and thought I knew everything.”

Drew Ellis shows the batting form that has him hitting .267  with 10 home runs, 26 doubles and 52 RBIs through 73 games for the High Class-A Visalia Rawhide. Ellis is a Jeffersonville (Ind.) High School graduate and former All-America at the University of Louisville. (Visalia Rawhide Photo)

Drew Ellis, a former Jeffersonville (Ind.) High School and University of Louisville standout, is now enjoying baseball success in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. (Visalia Rawhide Photo)