BY STEVE KRAH
Justin Reed has piled up plenty of hits in his time with the Anderson (Ind.) University baseball team.
On Monday, April 15 in an 11-1 win against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent Defiance at Don Brandon Field, Reed went 3-of-5 with three runs batted in.
“I just go up there and try to see strikes,” says Reed of his batting approach. “When I see a strike that I can do damage with, I try to hit it as hard as I can.”
So far in 2024, the righty-swinging shortstop and graduate student sports an average of .368 (43-of-117) with no home runs, one triple, eight doubles, 23 RBIs, 28 runs scored and five stolen bases over 29 games (all starts). He bats No. 3 or No. 4 in the order depending on where head coach Matt Bair decides to use the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder.
“He’s a competitor,” says Reed of Bair. “He’ll do whatever it takes to put the best nine guys and pitching rotation on the field to win a game.”
While collecting 11 multi-hit games, Reed has helped NCAA Division III Anderson post an 18-11 overall record and 8-4 in HCAC contests. He produced four hits April 6 in the first game of a doubleheader against Transylvania.
Reed, 23, is in his fifth season with the Ravens. For his career-to-date he is hitting .358 (246-of-688) with 17 homers, nine triples, 66 doubles, 162 RBIs, 165 runs and 52 stolen bases in 166 games.
“I have the green light,” says Reed of his chances of swiping a bag. “It all depends on who is batting behind me.
“We’ve had a pretty good lineup the last two years. There’s no point in me trying to get the extra base when I have guys behind me that’s going to get me there anyways.”
As long as Reed has been around, he has spent quite a bit of time with some of his teammates. Tyler Smitherman (Westfield High School Class of 2019) and Walker Stull (Pendleton Heights Class of 2019) are also fifth-year AU players.
His career hit total has him ranked third all-time behind the 264 of Andrew MacLachlan (1985-88) and 249 by Brian Heigle (1987-90).
“I’m trying to chase that,” says Reed of the mark in the school record book.
In 2023, Reed was named first-team all-conference as well as first-team all-region and fourth-team All-American as selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Reed was second-team all-HCAC and third-team all-region in 2022.
In 2021, he earned all-conference first team and second-team all-region.
In the field, Reed values anticipation and proper technique.
“I’m always thinking of where the ball should go before it’s put in-play. I’m always trying to use my footwork to make plays on defense. If you don’t have the right footwork, you’re not going to be accurate and make the routine plays that you should make.”
It’s helpful that the Don Brandon Field infield is turf.
“It makes a big difference,” says Reed. “When you’re fielding the ball deep in the gap you don’t have to have to throw it all the way to (the first baseman), you can one- or two-hop it and get it there just as fast as a hard throw.”
Reed has already earned a Mechanical Engineering degree at AU and is working toward a Master of Business Administration. He needs to take a summer online class to finish it.
He technically has another year of eligibility past this spring, but does not intend to use it. Reed says is going to try to get a job in the Indianapolis area, most likely in the engineering field.
Why did reed choose Anderson?
“When I got on campus I realized there was a culture here I really liked,” says Reed. “Everyone was here for each other and not just for themselves.”
Once AU’s engineering program became accredited he knew it was the right place for him.
As an NCAA D-III school, the Ravens practice as a team for a month in the fall then have two months to do individual work and strength training on their own before coming back together in January.
Anderson plays most of its games on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We rarely miss class,” says Reed. Next up are two games Saturday, April 20 and one Sunday, April 21 at HCAC foe Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute.
The son of Tom and Kelly Reed and older brother of Kevin Reed (Martinsville Class of 2023 and a freshman left-handed pitcher at the University of Evansville), Justin was born and raised in Martinsville, Ind.
He played travel ball for the Indiana Bulls from 10U to 13U, the Midwest Astros 14U to 16U and the Tyler Ison-coached Indiana Astros in his 17U and 18U summers.
Growing up, Reed’s favorite player was Albert Pujols and he is still a fan of the Los Angeles Angels, a team he adopted when “The Machine” was traded there from St. Louis.
Reed follows a lot of shortstops, but his all-time favorite player is Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.
A four-year varsity player at Martinsville High School, where he graduated in 2019, Reed played three years for Jeff Scott and one for Jeremy Honaker.
“Coach Scott was hard-nosed and would get in your face,” says Reed. “He’d always put the best nine guys on the field.
“Coach Honaker was more of a laid-back coach. I like both coaching styles. Both transformed me into the player I am today.”
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