Jeff Cleckner | www.IndianaRBI.com

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

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.

Jack Moroknek. (Butler University Photo)

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

Arsenal Indiana is expanding for the 2021-22 travel baseball season.
The affiliate of Arsenal USA Baseball is to go with 12U, 13U, 14U and 15U squads in its third season.
“Within two or three years I want to have teams from 12U through 17U,” says Arsenal Indiana director Jeff Cleckner. “I want to have one team at each age group and be very competitive.
“I don’t want to water down the brand with seven 15U teams.”
Cleckner, a graduate of Fremont (Ind.) High School (1989) and Purdue University living in Fishers, Ind., says the focus is on skill development at the younger levels and that the older ones grow their mental approach to the game as they prepare for college baseball.
But first the current campaign where Arsenal is fielding a 17U team with Cleckner as head coach and Arsenal Indiana director and a 14U squad guided by Steve Smitherman. In 2020, 16U and 13U teams took the field for the organization.
Playing six weekends of seven — starting with the first one in June — the 17U team has competed or will take part in events sponsored by Prep Baseball Report, Perfect Game and Bullpen Tournaments.
The team placed second during the holiday weekend at the PBR Indiana State Games at Championship Park in Kokomo. The 17U’s were 22-9-1 through 30 games.
The season wraps with the Perfect Game 17U BCS National Championship July 21-26 at Major League Baseball spring training fields in Fort Myers, Fla. All the other tournaments have been staged at Grand Park in Westfield.
“It’s nice with Grand Park,” says Cleckner of the large complex in central Indiana. “Everyone comes to us.”
High schools represented on the 17U roster include Avon, Fishers, Harrison (West Lafayette), Heritage Christian, Huntington North, Indianapolis Cathedral, Indianapolis North Central, Noblesville, Penn, Plainfield, South Adams, Wapahani, Wawasee, Westfield and Zionsville in Indiana and Edwardsburg in Michigan.
Since the older teams can play as many as seven games in five days, there are often a number of pitcher-only players (aka P.O.’s).
“It’s nice to have P.O.’s,” says Cleckner. “We can supplement as needed with position players.
“We’re mindful of arm care and arm health.”
The 14U Arsenal Indiana team began in early April and will play until mid-July and could easily get in 60 games in 3 1/2 months. The 14U team plays in same types of tournaments that the 17U teams plays at Grand Park in Westfield.
Arsenal Indiana tryouts are planned for late July or early August, likely at Grand Park.
A fall season of four or five weekends features a trip to the Perfect Game WWBA 2022/2023 National Championship Oct. 7-11 in Jupiter, Fla., for the upperclassmen.
“The goal of the fall season is getting a little more work going into the winter,” says Cleckner. “You have new kids who’ve joined your team and you’re creating some chemistry and camaraderie.”
The fall also provides more college looks for older players.
Arsenal Indiana trains in the off-season at Finch Creek Fieldhouse in Noblesville.
What is now Arsenal USA Baseball was began in 1995 by Joe Barth Jr. and son Bob Barth as the Tri-State Arsenal with players from southern New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Pennsylvania. Besides USA National in New Jersey, there are affiliate locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.
Many professionals and college players have come through the Arsenal program.