Jaksich helping pitchers reach their goals with PRP Baseball

BY STEVE KRAH 

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

A daily improvement mindset.

That’s what Luke Jaksich wants to see from the players who train with PRP Baseball at Mojo Up Sports Complex in Noblesville, Ind.

“Our goal is to make sure that each day they’re progressing whether it’s mechanical or mindset,” says Jaksich, a former collegiate pitcher who is now helping others. “It’s not just looking at the end goal, it’s looking to the daily goal. What are you focusing on that day to get better?

“The guys that come in consistently get the best results.”

Jaksich, who graduated from Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., in 2016 and Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in 2021, was hired nearly three years ago as a performance coach and is now Assistant Director of Pitching. 

Munster (Ind.) High School graduate Anthony Gomez, who is a bullpen coach for the Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, is PRP’s Director of Pitching. Carmel (Ind.) High School alum Greg Vogt, who is rehab pitching coach for the Blue Jays organization, is PRP’s Founder/Director.

Jaksich, 26, and the staff work with 8-year-olds and big leaguers, including Cleveland Guardians left-hander Timmy Herrin and Miami Marlins right-hander Bryan Hoeing. There were upwards of 20 professional pitchers at PRP this winter. The place operates seven days a week November until early March with in-person and remote clients.

During the peak times, many weeks culminate with bullpens and pitchers going live against batters.

“Friday Compete Day is fun,” says Jaksich. “Those are always a good time.”

It’s slower now, but it will pick back up again at the end of May as college and high school seasons wind down.

“We’re attacking the little things with those older guys,” says Jaksich. “They might have one thing that needs to click from everything to get better.”

Jaksich notes that high schoolers and younger are still in the development stage.

“We do a couple of things at a time and make sure we’re really in-depth with what we’re working on,” says Jaksich. “We make sure they’re staying consistent with their work.

“Attention to detail is big. That is the biggest separator. Pro guys come in and get all their work done. High schoolers forget. We have to keep reminding them.”

Among those on the PRP staff working with pitchers besides Jaksich, Gomez and Vogt are Joey Romence, Nick Slone, Seth Story and Max McKee.

To ensure quality time with athletes, no more than about 25 come in during a block of time and they are helped by five or six coaches. Jacob Douglass leads the PRP hitting department.

“We have to balance it out to make sure we are very attentive on the floor when we’re coaching,” says Jaksich. “We try to find the factors that are going to benefit them. It’s not going to be the same thing for each guy. There’s no one way to do it. If there was, it would be a lot easier. 

“As coaches, we have to keep gaining knowledge.”

Communication is key.

“The more an athlete can communicate with us about certain things they’re doing it’s more beneficial for them,” says Jaksich. “That proves that they’re learning and trying to get the best out of everything instead of them looking for answers from us. We want to get answers from them.”

“We talk with each person each day. We create that relationship where they can trust us for their development.”

Jaksich was born on the south side of Chicago and lived there until the eighth grade then moved to northwest Indiana. 

He was with several travel ball teams including the Indiana Playmakers. He also played for the Northwest Indiana Oilmen of the Midwest Collegiate League (now Northern League).

Jaksich played for Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Dave Pishkur at Andrean. Pishkur led the 59ers to Class 3A state championships in 2014 and 2015.

His high school pitching coach was Joe Plesac.

“Joe’s an awesome guy,” says Jaksich. “I stay in-touch with him.”

A member of the program in 2014, left-hander Jaksich started on the mound for Andrean in the 2015 championship game and pitched into the fifth inning before moving to first base.

From Andrean, Jaksich went to Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind. As a freshman in 2017, he started in 11 games and won three. That turned out to be the NCAA Division II Pumas’ final season as the school shut down and long-time head coach Rick O’Dette headed to Florida to guide the program at Saint Leo University.

Jaksich transferred to Ball State and hurled for the Rich Maloney-coached Cardinals 2018-21. At BSU, he made 65 mound appearances (51 in relief) with nine victories and one save and also earned General Studies degree with a Psychology minor.

He then pitched in six games with the 2021 independent American Association’s Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers before joining the coaching staff at Alderson-Broaddus University in Philippi, W.Va., where 2011 Westview High School graduate and former Saint Joseph’s assistant Zac Mishler was Battlers head coach. ABU closed in 2023.

Jaksich reflects back on his career.

“The minute I stopped caring about the result is when I started getting better,” says Jaksich. “That’s the way to go about this game. You’re going to fail. I stopped caring about being perfect out there.

“I wish I had more training like this when I played,” says Jaksich. “The private sector training has really taken off.”

Luke Jaksich. (PRP Baseball Photo)

Luke Jaksich. (Ball State University Photo)

Guffey, Purdue Polytechnic Broad Ripple Lynx eye program’s first sectional

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Purdue Polytechnic High School North in Broad Ripple got unanticipated news when the Lynx learned they would be playing in the IHSAA state tournament for the first time in 2024.

The program that debuted in 2022 was due to wait out a probationary period but was approved for the postseason this spring since the team at the other campus of the Indianapolis-based charter school — Purdue Polytechnic Englewood — is already in the IHSAA tourney.

“We got fast-tracked this off-season,” says Grant Guffey, who is in his second year as head baseball coach at Purdue Polytechnic Broad Ripple, who is an athletic independent and has an enrollment of about 280. “It was very unexpected. It was a surprise to say the least.”

The Lynx are part of an IHSAA Class 1A sectional grouping in 2024 with Bethesda Christian (host), Indiana School for the Deaf, Providence Cristo Rey and Tindley. 

As for the regular season, the Lynx get to experience plenty of variety and miles.

“We travel all over the place,” says Guffey.

A 28-game schedule also features dates with Attica, Blue River Valley, Brebeuf Jesuit, Burris Laboratory School, Christel House, Crothersville, Edinburgh, Faith Christian, Herron, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard, Indianapolis Shortridge, Indy Genesis, Irvington Preparatory Academy, Liberty Christian, Monrovia, Purdue Polytechnic Englewood, Southmont, Taylor, Tri and Waldron.

Housed in the former Broad Ripple High School on the near north side of Indianapolis, Purdue Polytechnic North. The old football and softball fields are sometimes utilized and the team also practices at Broad Ripple Park. A handful of home games are scheduled on a lighted diamond at Forest Park in Noblesville, Ind.

While Purdue Polytechnic students have access to an academic path that leads to Purdue University, there is no connection between the high school athletic program and the Purdue Boilermakers or any of the other Purdue branch campuses.

As a school drawing students from all over, Purdue Polytechnic does not have a natural feeder system. Though not part of the Purdue system, a Broad Ripple middle school will soon be moving into the same building and Guffey says there may be an opportunity to get baseball players for the Lynx program.

“When freshmen come in, we do our best to recruit and tell them who we are,” says Guffey.

Guffey, a 2018 graduate of New Castle (Ind.) High School and recruitment coordinator for Henry Community Health in New Castle, is a former pitching coach at Pike High School in Indiana and has coached travel baseball with the Indiana Expos, Indiana Primetime and Indiana Nitro. He will guide the Nitro 14U Gold team this year.

Guffey resides in New Castle with girlfriend Hannah and cats Ozzie (like Ozzie Albies) and Strider (like Spencer Strider). Guffey is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan and plans to attend the team’s home opener Friday, April 5.

Guffey’s Lynx coaching staff features Cacey Bertram, Ke’Shawn Barker, Davon Hardy, Brian Clark and Kendel Tilton.

Newcomer Bertram (New Castle Class of 2015) coaches with Guffey with the Nitro. 

Newcomer Barker is pitching coach for the Lynx and also coaches in the Oaklandon Youth Organization.

Newcomer Hardy has coached at various places in central Indiana.

Returnees Clark and Tilton are both volunteers with sons on the team — Alistair Clark (Class of 2024) and John Tilton (Class of 2024).

Purdue Polytechnic Broad Ripple had 18 players in 2023, including just one senior who did not go on to college baseball.

Among the 15 players on the 2024 squad (which is varsity only) are two with college diamond interest — shortstop/right-handed pitcher Chrystan McNeal (Class of 2025) and middle infielder/right-handed pitcher Matthew Clements (Class of 2026).

There is a mix of talented players and those new to the game so there is an emphasis on development.

“It’s a lot of telling those to control what we can control, develop what we can develop and go at our own pace,” says Guffey. “We can’t do everything all at once. We can’t go at hyper speed. 

“Ultimately, we have to play our own game and make our own culture.”

Grant Guffey.

Grant Guffey (left).

Purdue Polytechnic Lynx baseball.

Ke’Shawn Barker (left), Grant Guffey, Cacey Bertram, Brian Clark, Kendel Tilton and Davon Hardy.

Forest Park in Noblesville, Ind.

Mariners minor leaguer Wainscott always learning about the game

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

With continued devotion to strength, Indianapolis native Jesse Wainscott is preparing for his first full season of professional baseball.

“I’m consistently in the weight room,” says Wainscott, a 6-foot-1, 207-pound right-handed pitcher signed with the Seattle Mariners as a minor league free agent on Aug. 10, 2023 and assigned to the Arizona Complex League Mariners to do a six-week rehab assignment. “For a pitcher, it’s how fast and explosive can you be? 

“It’s smooth, controlled explosion. When I was younger I knew I wanted to throw harder and I wasn’t always the tallest guy. With bigger, stronger legs I can produce more force.”

It’s the principle of Mass = Gas.

Throwing from a three-quarter arm slot, Wainscott delivers a four-seam fastball, slider and change-up. 

The “rise/run” four-seamer has reached 95 mph this spring. The “gyro” slider is thrown harder and breaks later than a “sweeper” and generally travels 84 to 85 mph.

Wainscott describes his change-up grip as “mid-split.”

“If you were to take a two-seam grip and move it up on the horseshoe, my middle finger is on the right horseshoe and my ring finger grabs the other one,” says Wainscott, who saw his first pro action in minor league Arizona spring training games. “It’s all about refining and fine-tuning your best pitches.

“I enjoy having three (pitches) because the change-up I have now really opens up everything to (left-handed batters). They don’t just minimize and take out one pitch because I have a change-up and that helps me out tremendously.”

His focus is on winning 0-0 counts and getting first-pitch strikes.

“If I’m doing that it doesn’t matter what pitch it is,” says Wainscott. “Getting ahead in the count is very big.

“In pro ball, we’re putting ourselves in a spot to succeed.”

Wainscott, 23, expects to find out soon where he will begin the 2024 season. Mariners affiliates after the Peoria Sports Complex-based ACL Mariners are the Low Class-A Modesto (Calif.) Nuts, High-A Everett (Wash.) AquaSox, Double-A Arkansas Travelers and Triple-A Tacoma (Wash.) Rainiers.

To get ready for spring training, Wainscott went to PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., working extensively with Assistant Director of Pitching Luke Jaksich.

“He’s smart and knows what he’s talking about,” says Wainscott of Jaksich, who played at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Ind., Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., Ball State University and for the independent pro Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers.

Wainscott pitched four seasons at Eastern Illinois University (2019-22), where he was a Communication Studies major and Dietetics minor.

With an extra year granted because of the 2020 season being shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hurler spent a fifth year at Arizona State University (2023) where he was a teammate of former Fort Wayne Carroll High School and Valparaiso University right-hander Nolan Lebamoff.

In 36 mound appearances (28 in relief) for the Jason Anderson-coached EIU Panthers, Wainscott went 3-5 with one save, a 5.12 earned run average, 83 strikeouts and 52 walks in 91 1/3 innings. In 2022, he held teams scoreless five times and struck out at least one person in all of his 15 appearances (14 as a reliever).

Wainscott played in the summers following each of his first four college seasons — Prospect League’s Danville (Ill.) Dans in 2019, College Summer League at Grand Park (Westfield, Ind.)’s Snapping Turtles in 2020 and 2021 (as a CSL All-Star), MLB Draft League’s West Virginia Black Bears for about two weeks in 2021 and Northwoods League‘s Kenosha (Wis.) Kingfish in 2022.

“The was a fun summer,” says Wainscott. “There was a lot of morale, good dudes and good baseball.

“That summer I felt like I finally came into myself with mound presence and confidence. My velo ticked up and my breaking ball really started snapping harder. I really came into the back-end bullpen role.”

He had the chance to return to EIU, but Wainscott opted to transfer to Arizona State for the exposure and competition that he would have the chance to experience at such a high-profile program.

In 16 games (all out of the bullpen) for the Willie Bloomquist-coached Sun Devils, the righty went 1-1 with two saves, a 6.53 ERA, 18 strikeouts and five walks in 20 2/3 innings.

Wainscott grew up in Perry Township on Indy’s south side and is a 2018 graduate of Perry Meridian High School. He honorable mention all-Mid-State Conference as a sophomore after posting a 2.05 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings in 2016. He was first-team all-MSC and honorable mention all-state after going 5-3 with 1.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings in 2017.

Jake Banwart became Perry Meridian head coach in 2018.

Among his travel ball teams were the Indiana Prospects and Tom Ancelet-coached Midwest Astros (now 5 Star National Indiana).

Jesse is the oldest of Vince and Patty Wainscott’s two sons and considers them both strong mentors.

“I call my dad after every bullpen or outing,” says Jesse. “I go to him for baseball/life advice all the time.

“My mom doesn’t always understand the baseball side. Early in my career, I really looked up to Coach Ancelet. He always trusted me with the baseball.” 

Wainscott’s mentality is about adapting and growing. He’s always picking the brains of other players and coaches.

“I just try to pick up on things,” says Wainscott. “If I’m learning something new everyday, I’m consistently getting better.”

Younger brother Chris Wainscott (Perry Meridian Class of 2020) is a thrower (discus, hammer and shot) on the track and field team at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., after beginning his college career at Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Ky., as a track and football athlete.

“He’s just a tank,” says Jesse of his 270-pound sibling.

Jesse Wainscott. (Kenosha Kingfish Image)

Jesse Wainscott. (Seattle Mariners Photo)

Jesse Wainscott. (Eastern Illinois University Photo)

Jesse Wainscott. (Arizona State University Photo)

Jesse Wainscott. (Arizona State University Photo)

Taylor takes toughness, persistence to field for Purdue Boilermakers

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Keenan Taylor does not settle.

The Purdue University baseball player is convinced there is always room for improvement and he does not let adversity stand in his way.

“I’m always an unfinished product,” says Taylor, a 22-year-old righty swinger who regularly takes reps at third base, second base and both corner outfield spots and used by the Boilermakers as a designated hitter this past weekend in Greenville, N.C. “I consider myself to be a guy who will be to be successful in any situation I’m in. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of being able to play multiple spots. I’m good with playing where the team needs me.

“I have a great relationship with Coach (Chris) Marx I’ve learned a lot from him in the infield last fall and this spring. I’ve changed my mechanics. I’m staying back on my right leg and moving through the ball.

“I soak in everything everybody tells me and try to apply it to my game.”

Taylor, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 195 pounds, plays for head coach Greg Goff, who sets the bar high for his players.

“We need to be tough and energetic and things are going to be hard,” says Taylor. “You’ve got to be willing to rise to the challenge every time.

“Be ready for adversity to hit because it will.”

A quote from strength coach Tony “Ty” Webb also sticks with Taylor: “Persist without exception.”

Heading into the March 5 game at Notre Dame, Taylor has appeared in eight games for Purdue (8-3) and is hitting .313 (5-of-16) with three doubles, seven runs batted in and and two scored. 

After donning No. 37 last year, he switched to No. 13 (worn in 2023 by Jake Jarvis) for his final collegiate season in 2024.

“I’ve just always liked lower numbers,” says Taylor. “I wanted to switch it up for my senior year.”

In 2023, Taylor played in 22 games and hit .200 (4-of-20) with one homer (in pinch-hit role), two doubles, three RBIs and four runs.

“My career has had its ups and downs,” says Taylor.

While making his first start at first base, he collided with a runner while taking a throw from the outfield. The play resulted in a concussion and adversely effected his back and shoulder.

“I had to build myself back up,” says Taylor. “It’s just one of those things. If you choose to be persistent — no matter what — you’re going to get what you want.”

After playing for the Prospect League’s Danville (Ill.) Dans in the summer of 2021 and splitting the following summer with the Dans and MLB Draft League’s West Virginia Black Bears, Taylor was with the Northwoods League’s Madison (Wis.) Mallards in the summer of 2023. 

Through a recommendation from former Purdue teammate Paul Toetz, Taylor connected with trainer Brady T. Knudsen, owner of Madison-based High Definition Performance.

Working with Knudsen helped Taylor get back strength and mobility.

Taylor is also a Type-1 Diabetic.

“That’s another bit of adversity I’ve had to overcome,” says Taylor. “I want kids with Type-1 Diabetes know they can play college sports at a high level.

“It takes work, but you can do anything you put your mind to and I’m a true believer in that.”

Type-1 Diabetes — like baseball — is very numbers-based and Taylor manages the numbers regarding his insulin etc.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 2001 to Todd and Jennifer Taylor, Keenan moved around during his childhood. 

His family, which includes younger siblings Brynn Taylor (now a Purdue sophomore studying Hospitality and Tourism Management) and Ian Taylor (a Guerin Catholic sophomore center fielder who also plays for the Indiana Bulls and is and football running back at GC), went to Oregon, Wisconsin, Texas and back to Wisconsin before landing in Westfield, Ind., when Keenan was 12.

He played travel ball for the Indiana Bulls until we moved until he aged out. He spent his 18U summer with the Indiana Nitro and joined the Midland (Ohio) Redskins for one tournament.

Taylor is a 2020 graduate of Guerin Catholic High School in Noblesville, Ind., where he experienced three head coaches — Brad Lantz, Rich Andriole and Tony Meyer.

“(Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Andriole) was a legend,” says Taylor of the coach who passed away in 2020. “He was a very positive influence on all of us at Guerin. He taught us the value of hard work and what it looks like to be a highly-successful baseball player.

“We spent the first practice just playing catch in the outfield.”

Among his prep teammates was current Purdue senior outfielder Weston Gingerich, Matt Parenteau (now at Indiana State University) and Jake Andriole (now at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina and one of Rich’s sons).

Guerin Catholic won Circle City Conference baseball titles in 2017 and 2019. In the latter season, Taylor hit .419 with 16 extra-base hits, 19 RBIs, 29 runs and was honorable mention all-state, all-Hamilton County and all-CCC. The 2020 season was wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Taylor was at Butler University in Indianapolis in 2021 and Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., in 2022 before landing at Purdue.

Keenan says he has heeded the words of his parents.

“Every day when I went to bed as a kid, he told me to, ‘dream big; there’s nothing in this world you can’t accomplish,’” says Taylor of his father. “Pursuing those goals and believing you’re capable of great things is the biggest battle a lot of people face. They’re told they’re not going to be this or they’re not going to be that. It’s something I had to battle early in my high school career. I wasn’t the biggest guy. I wasn’t the fastest guy. I always had a deep belief that I could go play in a conference like the Big Ten.”

Todd Taylor encourages oldest child to be willing to think outside the box.

“Go out on your terms,” says Keenan. “With everything he does, he has a great attention to detail. That’s something I’ve tried to apply, too, especially in my baseball career.

“My mom has also been important for me. She says, ‘you gotta have a keep moving attitude; life is going to be tough. You’ve got to be willing to be tough and fight back.’”

Taylor is a Communication major.

“I figured that would be a good thing to study,” says Taylor. “You can take that knowledge and apply it to many things in life.”

Keenan Taylor. (Purdue University Photo)

Keenan Taylor. (Purdue University Photo)

Accountability important to new Hamilton Heights head coach Hughes

By STEVE KRAH 

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Adam Hughes has coached baseball and football with similar points of emphasis.

“It’s about personal responsibility and holding yourself and each other accountable to do the right thing,” says Hughes, who became head baseball coach at alma mater Hamilton Heights High School in Arcadia, Ind., after Christmas 2023 and is also on the Huskies football staff and in his second tenure at HHS coaching both sports. “Baseball is a game of failure. You learn to deal with a 4-for-4 and an 0-for-4 the same way. You have a short memory and make the adjustment.”

Hughes, an offensive coordinator to head football coach Jon Kirschner and a Lifeskills Instructional Assistant at the school, was a baseball assistant to Ryan VanOeveren when Hamilton Heights enjoyed a super 2021 season. The Huskies went 19-10 and won the IHSAA Class 3A Yorktown Sectional.

With a job change, VanOeveren is now a volunteer assistant on Hughes’ coaching staff. Other assistant include Brad Pitts, Alex Petty, Evan Warner and Garrison Bregey.

Hamilton Heights (enrollment around 710) is a member of the Hoosier Athletic Conference (with Benton Central, Lafayette Central Catholic, Northwestern, Rensselaer Central, Tipton, Twin Lakes, West Lafayette and Western).

The Huskies are part of an IHSAA 3A sectional grouping in 2024 with Brebeuf Jesuit, Guerin Catholic, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard and Indianapolis Shortridge. Overall, Hamilton Heights has won three sectional titles.

The 2024 season is to open in Winchester, Ky., with three games (April 1, 3 and 4) during spring break.

The Huskies are to play a doubleheader at Anderson April 6.

Non-conference opponents include Carmel, Clinton Prairie, Daleville, Elwood, Frankfort, Hamilton Southeastern, Kokomo, Lapel, Maconaquah, Madison-Grant, McCutcheon, Noblesville, University and Western Boone.

“We play big schools around here and then walk into a sectional (with teams that are) just as good.

“We’ve beefed up our schedule to get ready for that.”

Two recent graduates — pitchers Lucas Letsinger (Class of 2021) at Ball State University after a stop at Indiana University-Kokomo and Drew VanOeveren (Class of 2022) at Kankakee (Ill.) Community College — moved on to college baseball.

While third baseman/catcher Dean Mason (Class of 2024) looks to be a college football punter and outfielder/pitcher Jon Irion (Class of 2024) is also expected to be an impact player, Hughes says there are no current college diamond commits.

“We have a strong junior class,” says Hughes. Among those in the Class of 2025 are pitcher Levi Chandler, coach’s son first baseman Adam Hughes and pitcher/shortstop Nick Hulen. Pitcher Dillon Pitts (Class of 2026) is also a standout. 

The younger Adam Hughes is part of a Huskies legacy.

The elder Adam Hughes graduated from Hamilton Heights in 1996. Gary McGee was the head baseball coach. Eric Fisher was an assistant.

“We had ups and down my four years of playing,” says Hughes. “Playing in the Hamilton County sectional didn’t help either.”

Adam and Julie Hughes have two sons. Besides 17-year-old baseball player Adam, there’s 14-year-old eighth grade football/baseball athlete Owen.

Father/granddfather — the late Joe Hughes — was in Hamilton Heights’ first graduating class and played on the first baseball team in 1966. HH was founded in 1965 with the consolidation of Jackson Central and Walnut Grove. Jackson Central was formed from Arcadia, Atlanta and Cicero.

The Huskies play on an expansive home diamond located on-campus.

“It’s definitely large,” says Hughes of the unnamed field with lights and natural grass. “It’s 365 (feet) to the power alleys and 405 to dead center. There’s a lot of ground to open. 

“Outfield plays is huge for us.”

With little cover, the field is subject to the effects of the winds day to day.

Feeding the high school program are the Hamilton Heights Amateur Sports Association (T-ball through middle school) as well as the Indiana Eagles, a Cicero-based travel organization with teams 8U to 14U.

Adam Hughes.

Hamilton Heights High School.

Former catcher, veteran coach Henson changes way he views, teaches position

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Feb. 2 was National Catchers Day. Founded in 2019 by Xan Barksdale (former USA Baseball coach, pro catcher and NCAA Division I coach and author of Catching-101 and founder of CatcherCON), it is “meant to shine a light on this foundational position in the life of baseball and softball, showing some appreciation for all who spend time right behind home plate!”

The day after NCD 2024, Noblesville (Ind.) High School baseball assistant coach Scott Henson shared this on X (formerly Twitter): “I doubted the new way of catching, then I did something crazy … I educated myself. Went to be around the best catching minds. I learned. I adjusted my paradigm. Now my guys will benefit from it and that is what’s important.”

Henson played the position at Pendleton (Ind.) Heights High School, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) and the University of Indianapolis and for the independent professional Richmond (Ind.) Roosters. He has been on the Noblesville coaching staff since 2021-22 and teaching Social Studies at the school since 2022-23. 

He was an assistant at Indiana University-Kokomo in 2020-21, working with staff featuring Matt Howard, Drew Brantley and Ryan Cheek. 

Henson’s last season as head coach and teacher at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Ind., was 2016-17 and he went into business. 

“I’m kind of an old-school guy,” says Henson. “I was a catcher and the way I was taught, the way I did it is absolutely different than anybody’s doing it now.”

Henson admits skepticism in the new way of playing the position. 

What changed his mind was his year of coaching at IUK.

“I really got to dive into just being a catching coach,” says Henson. “I got to watch guys up-close and be around other catching coaches. 

“I was able to look at it at a different angle.”

Since college catchers play many more games than high schoolers, some of the mechanical changes came with mobility and comfort in-mind.

“The only thing a lot of people see is that (the catcher) has his knee down or he doesn’t — that’s the difference,” says Henson. “What I learned is that there is so much more to it. 

“There’s understanding which knee have down and when to have that knee down. When are you able to move from one knee down to a more traditional stance? There are different stances for one-knee down. There’s kickstand, a more traditional one-knee down and a starter’s position.”

Henson says the average observer assumes that a catcher with a knee down is not going to be a good blocker of balls that hit the ground.

“It was not until about 2015 that (Major League Baseball) started keeping some more detailed statistics on catching,” says Henson. “In the major leagues in 2023, there were over 700,000 pitches thrown. Only 28 percent of those were block opportunities. 

“In 2015, there were only 12 (big league catchers) who had a better than 50 percent strike percentage on what we call the low-shadow strike — the one that’s at the bottom of the zone that may be a strike and may be a ball. In 2023, you had 34 guys that had better than a 50 percent rate on that same strike.

“That’s a 300-percent increase in the number of strikes being called because guys are in a better position.”

As for wild pitches or passed balls, there’s only about one per game on average in the MLB and they call it wild for a reason. The stance won’t make a difference.

“The worst receivers can cost you three to four wins,” says Henson. “If you’ve got a guy who just can’t keep strikes strikes that can add up.

“That can cost you.”

The way Henson sees it, catchers operate in the shadows.

“I tell my guys I don’t make balls strikes, I want you to keep strikes strike,” says Henson. “One thing that knee-down catching has done has increased the number of strikes the guys are getting.”

At IUK, Henson began having his catcher load with their catcher’s mitt. They gave the target to the pitcher then putt the glove down to the ground.

“You can think of it like the guy who’s loading his hands and getting ready to hit,” says Henson. “The reason we start at the bottom if you’re able to get around every pitch easier. I trying to get where my thumb and my elbow on a ball that’s to my glove side on the outside of that baseball and keep it in the zone. As a I catch it my glove’s moving into the zone.

“It’s a timing thing.”

As soon as the pitcher commits to coming toward the plate, that’s when the catcher loads and puts his glove down.

If the pitch is to the catcher’s arm side, he is still trying to get outside the ball and keep it in the zone and one, smooth movement.

“If I have that glove stagnant in front of me and that pitch goes real hard to my outside, it is very, very difficult to catch a ball going away from you and maintain that rigidity in your arm to keep that ball in the strike zone,” says Henson. “You glove’s going to go with the ball. Nobody’s that strong.

“You want to minimize that negative movement.”

Henson began going to Barksdale’s CatcherCON at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tenn., near Nashville. The Dec. 8-10, 2023 event had a Friday night “Hot Stove” with J.P. Arencibia (New York Mets), Kyle Cheesebrough (Mississippi State) and Todd Coburn (The Catching Guy). 

Besides Barksdale, Saturday speakers included Tom Griffin (Carson-Newman University), Ethan Goforth (Pittsburgh Pirates), Brett Thomas (The Catching Academy), Tyler Goodro (University of Nebraska-Omaha and Goodro Catching), J.D. Closser (Atlanta Braves), Dallas Correa (University of Hawaii) and Jerry Weinstein (Colorado Rockies).

A group of about 80 attendees included former big league catcher and current Boston Red Sox game-planning coordinator Jason Varitek.

“He was in the attendance listening and learning,” says Henson. “He’s one of the best to do it at every level.”

Cheesebrough was an assistant coach at Indiana University.

Closser was Indiana Mr. Baseball at Alexandria (Ind.)-Monroe High School and is now a minor league catching coordinator.

Weinstein has been coaching catching for 60 years and is a multiple-time big stage speaker at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention.

“All these catching guys pretty much get along,” says Henson. “We understand what we’re seeing is something new. Some of us are learning a little faster than others, but we’re all pulling in the same direction. 

“We’re seeing that it really is what’s best for this position.”

At Noblesville, where son Cole Henson is a sophomore player, Scott is on a staff with Justin Keever as head coach, Kevin Fitzgerald and Bryce Worrell as fellow assistant and volunteers Quentin Miller and Ben Yoder.

Besides catchers, Henson is in charge of scouting, defensive prep and defensive game-calling.

During the current IHSAA Limited Contact Period, he is having catcher involved in various drills.

“We do a lot of drill work that helps with the movement patterns we will be trying to replicate through the course of the game,” says Henson. “Luckily, the IHSAA now counts throwing as part of conditioning. We’re able to get that out of the way so it doesn’t waste all our repetition time.

“I don’t want them throwing too much, too early. Outside of pitchers you can throw as much as anybody on the team.

“Throwing stuff will be more toward the start of the season. Right now, we’re doing a lot of receiving and blocking work.”

Scott Henson.

Scott Henson.

Scott Henson.

Noblesville (Ind.) High School assistant coach Ben Yoder (left), trainer Gerald Mickler and assistants Kevin Fitzgerald and Scott Henson.

Persistency pays for Indianapolis-raised left-hander Wynja

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Hayden Wynja’s career as a baseball pitcher has not gone in a straight line.

In fact, the lanky left-hander looked to be at the end of the line on more than one occasion. 

But Wynja persisted through rough patches and finds himself preparing for his third year in the pros with the San Francisco Giants organization.

“All I ever wanted to do was play professional baseball,” says Wynja, 25. “It’s been a crazy, crazy, crazy journey. But it’s been a lot of fun.

“I’m very blessed. That’s for sure.”

A 2017 graduate of Heritage Christian High School in Indianapolis who helped the Dan Ambrose-coached Eagles win three IHSAA sectional titles was selected in the 30th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Atlanta Braves but did not sign.

Wynja (pronounced Win-Yuh) red-shirted in his first year at Purdue University (2018) then hurled 11 2/3 innings over eight outings for the Boilermakers in 2019.

“I essentially got cut,” says Wynja.

During the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020, Wynja got into five games and logged 13 1/3 innings at Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill.

At the University of South Florida in Tampa in 2021, the lefty pitched in just two games and two innings. 

“I kind of got cut again.” says Wynja.

One of his USF teammates was catcher Jake Sullivan, son of Florida Baseball ARMory founder Randy Sullivan in Lakeland.

“I gave everything to the ARMory,” says Wynja who landed at Murray (Ky.) State University. “Murray State and the Florida Baseball ARMory are why I’m still playing baseball.”

With the Dan Skirka-coached MSU Racers, Wynja earned the Friday night starter job in 2022. He took the mound 15 times (14 starts) and went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 24 walks in 73 2/3 innings

Last off-season, Wynja wrote the 70-page paper he needed to complete a Communications degree from Murray State.

Signed by the Giants as a minor league free agent July 28, 2022, Wynja pitched in three contests and 3 1/3 innings for the the Orange team in the Arizona Complex League that season.

In 2023 with the Low Class-A San Jose (Calif.) Giants and Advanced-A Eugene (Ore.) Emeralds, Wynja made 29 mound appearances (16 starts) and went 7-6 with two saves, a 4.16 earned run average, 115 strikeouts and 38 walks in 97 1/3 innings. He fanned batters at a rate of 10.6 per nine innings.

He then chosen to take part in the Arizona Fall League.

“It was a super honor,” says Wynja, who worked in five games and went 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 10 innings. His K-per-9 rate with the Scottsdale Scorpions was 14.4.

Throwing from a high three-quarter arm angle, Wynja delivers a four-seam fastball that traveled at 90 to 94 mph and a hard slider that went 81 to 84 mph.

“That’s my swing-and-miss pitch,” says Wynja. “I’ve had a couple of hitters call it the ‘ghost ball.’ — you can’t quite see the spin.

“I execute my slider really well. I haven’t developed nearly what I will be. I’m not a polished product. I don’t go into outings trying to strike out guys ever. But I try to attack and get ahead in the count. My thought process is when it gets to 1-2 or 0-2, they’re mine every time. I have that much trust in my slider.

“I put people away quick.”

In 2023, he threw his change-up 4 percent of the time and is now working toward 15-percent usage.

It was also in the AFL that Wynja began diving into his release point.

At 8 feet, 2 inches his extension is one of the longest in baseball.

Wynja joined an exclusive club on May 13, 2023 when he threw an immaculate inning (nine pitches and nine strikes) against Lake Elsinore.

“That was crazy,” says Wynja. “That’s one of those things you never think about having.”

Beginning the season as San Jose’s closer, Wynja was moved to the starting rotation and it was in the final inning of one of his first starts that he went immaculate.

San Jose pitching coach Dan Runzler told Wynja to empty the tank and that’s what he did.

The goal-oriented Wynja only held one job before joining the Giants and that was as grocery store bagger for a few months in his early teens. As a minor leaguer he does not make lots of cash, but he manages and uses Airbnb while traveling to train.

“I’m getting paid for pitching,” says Wynja. “It’s hard to complain.”

One of Wynja’s goal this off-season is to put on some pounds.

The 6-foot-9 southpaw is currently tips the scales at 218 (up from 205 at season’s end). 

“The idea is to get to up to 220 to 225,” says Wynja. “I heard that’s where (6-foot-10 Hall of Famer and lefty) Randy Johnson sat at.

“Putting on weight does a couple of things for me. It’ll provide me a lot of consistency with my delivery. I’ll stay strong and it’ll help my velo increase. As my weight goes up I’ll become a better pitcher.”

Wynja returned to Indianapolis in mid-November. After a couple weeks of rest, he trained at PRP Baseball in Noblesville, Ind., during the week with some weekend workouts at RoundTripper Sports Academy in Westfield, Ind. He started his throwing progression a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s great to be from Indiana and play baseball,” says Wynja. “We have a lot of resources.”

At PRP, Wynja got to observe and talk with big leaguers Tim Herrin and Bryan Hoeing. Both 6-foot-6, lefty Herrin is a Terre Haute (Ind.) South Vigo High School graduate and former Indiana University hurler now with the Cleveland Guardians and righty Hoeing is a Batesville (Ind.) High School alum who shined at the University of Louisville and is now with the Miami Marlins.

The day after Christmas, Wynja hit the road. The plan was to see his girlfriend in Atlanta and fly to New York to spend time with family while celebrating father Brad Wynja’s birthday (Hayden is the oldest sibling of two blended families and has a sister — Bella Wynja — who plays volleyball at Mercer University in Macon, Ga.). 

After vacation, Wynja goes back to Atlanta and then heads to the Florida Baseball ARMory — something he did last winter — to ramp up for spring training in Scottsdale.

“I’ll be around a whole new set of big leaguers,” says Wynja. Among those is Seattle Mariners 6-foot-6 right-hander Logan Gilbert. “When I’m a big leaguer I hope to look like (Gilbert). We have similar builds. We move similar. We think about pitching in similar ways. I could pick his brain for hours and hours and hours.

“(FBA gives me a) great environment for me to buy in and really improve. I want to learn how big leaguers train in the off-season — how they eat, sleep, recover. I know I have one shot at this. I’m going to emulate these guys who are super-successful.

“You want to surround yourself with who you want to be or where you’re trying to go.”

Hayden Wynja’s immaculate inning. (San Jose Giants Video)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (San Jose Giants Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Eugene Emeralds Image)

Hayden Wynja. (Eugene Emeralds Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Eugene Emeralds Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Scottsdale Scorpions Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Scottsdale Scorpions Photo)

Hayden Wynja. (Scottsdale Scorpions Photo)

Dungan goes from Royals to Padres through Rule 5 Draft

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

After four seasons of college baseball and five professional years (four on the field), Clay Dungan finds himself heading for a new experience.

The 2015 graduate of Yorktown (Ind.) High School shined at Indiana State University (2016-19) and was selected in the ninth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals. He played four seasons in the KC system (four pro seasons (2019, 2021-23 with 2020 canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic).

On Dec. 6, he was chosen by the San Diego Padres during the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft and expects to report to that organization’s Peoria, Ariz., camp in late January or early February. 

During the off-season, Dungan has been working out and teaching hitting and infield lessons at 5 Tool Academy in Yorktown. The facility is run by former Muncie Northside High School and University of South Carolina player Mark Taylor. The Delaware County Hall of Famer has a son — Jackson Taylor — on the team at Indiana State. Tony Dungan — Clay’s father — is a 5 Tool instructor.

Before heading to Arizona, Dungan expects to go to PRP Baseball at Mojo Up Fieldhouse in Noblesville, Ind., for live at-bats against top-notch professional and college pitchers.

“It’s definitely fun to get some live reps before spring training,” says Dungan. 

A lefty-swinger at the plate, Dungan has played shortstop, second base, third base and in the outfield in the pros.

“It’s basically wherever I’m needed,” says Dungan, 27. “I try to practice every position. In college, our coaching staff did a good job of moving us around. Even if we were an everyday (player) we’d go all over the diamond and get reps.”

In 2023, the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder played 33 games at second base and 25 each at shortstop and third base. He tends to use a Rawlings Heart Of The Hide 11.5 for all three. 

As a hitter, Dungan wields a club made by Homewood (Ill.) Bat Co.

Dungan was in 389 games as Royals farmhand and hit .272 (387-of-1,422) with 23 home runs, 14 triples, 72 doubles, 176 runs batted in, 245 runs scored, 70 stolen bases and a .747 OPS (.356 on-base percentage plus .391 slugging average).

While dealing with the effects of a broken hamate bone in his right wrist — an injury suffered during spring training — Dungan got into his first regular-season game on May 5 and logged 89 games with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers in 2023, positing a 

.273 (74-of-271) average with three homers, one triple, 14 doubles, 30 RBIs, 50 runs, 16 steals and a .751 OPS (.386/.365).

“When I came back (from injury), the most-painful thing was pulling the ball,” says Dungan. “I went opposite field pretty much all year.

“It helps in the long run. (In 2024,) I hope to keep that opposite-field approach and am still able to pull the ball with power.”

Comparing and contrasting college to pro ball, Dungan says college mixes classes and other things with baseball activity while pro is focused on the sport with games almost everyday. 

Then there’s the relievers coming into the contest. In the pros, they all throw in the upper 90’s and usually have wicked breaking stuff.

“From top to bottom it’s just better,” says Dungan. “That’s the way the game is going. There are so many people throwing hard now.

“There’s so much technology that pitchers get really good at tunneling their pitches. Everything looks the same the first, 20, 30, 40 feet or so.”

Before starting his pro career, Dungan completed all but a semester of student teaching to finish a degree in Physical Education for grades K-12 from Indiana State.

For the past two years, Clay has been married to the former Alexis Higgins. She played softball at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, where she graduated in 2014, and ISU — where the two met during his freshman year — and is now working in sports marketing. The couple resides in the Muncie area.

Clay Dungan. (Omaha Storm Chasers Image)

Clay Dungan. (Kansas City Royals Photo)

Clay Dungan. (Omaha Storm Chasers Photo)

Clay Dungan. (Omaha Storm Chasers Photo)

Clay Dungan. (Omaha Storm Chasers Photo)

Indiana-raised right-hander Gray closing the door in Mexico

BY STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

Peyton Gray has been mowing down batters on either side of the border.

Following a spring and summer season in which he was a 2023 American Association All-Star with the Franklin, Wis.-based Milwaukee Milkmen the right-handed pitcher finds himself back in the Mexican Pacific Winter League — this time with Algodoneros de Guasave (Guasave Cottoneers) — and he just recorded his circuit-leading 13th save for a first-place team at 26-14 through Nov. 29.

“Baseball’s very huge in Mexico,” says Gray. “There are a ton of fans. I enjoy it down here. It’s very winning-focused. They value wins and playing hard.”

The lifestyle, including the food, are different in Mexico than the U.S. but Gray sees the common denominaters.

“The way you have to look at it is that you’re still playing a kids’ game for a living,” says Gray. “You’ve got to just have fun with it. You may not speak the same language as the umpires or the fans, but it’s still baseball. I’m still pitching, the strike zone’s the same, the hitters are the same.

“It’s nice to play in a different country. I know it’s going to be great memories.”

Gray, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound right-hander, has made 21 mound appearances so far in 2023-24 and is 0-0 with a 0.00 earned run average (he’s allowed two unearned runs). In 21 innings, he has 33 strikeouts and seven walks. He averages 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

After a dozen days of summer training, the season opened in mid-October and runs until late December. The playoffs in January are three best-of-seven rounds. The league winner moves on to the 2024 Caribbean World Series Feb. 1-9 in Miami.

On Nov. 28, Gray locked up a job for the 2024 season by signing with Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican Baseball League.

“I’m technically still a free agent,” says Gray. “I can still sign with a (Major League Baseball) club or Japan or Taiwan team.”

In Milwaukee in 2023, the 2014 graduate of Columbus (Ind.) East High School pitched in 37 games (all in relief) and went 1-2 with nine saves, a 1.38 ERA, 64 strikeouts and eight walks in 39 innings. His K/9 rate was 14.8. Gray turned 28 on June 2 and earned the save for the East in the American Assocation All-Star Game at Franklin Field on July 18. 

“I gave that league all I had and posted some pretty good stats,” says Gray of the American Association. “I wasn’t really getting signed out of that league.”

He had also hurled for the Milkmen in 2020 and 2022 with stints in the Colorado Rockies (2018 and 2019) and Kansas City Royals (2021) systems.

Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery came for Gray in August 2021. Cleared to play again in July 2022, he was released by the Royals and went back to independent ball with Milwaukee.

Gray pitched in seven games for the MPWL’s Yaquis de Obregon in 2022-23 and went 0-0 with a 7.11 ERA, six strikeouts and four walks in 6 1/3 innings.

“I wasn’t quite 100 percent again from my surgery but I wanted to get my foot in the door and the opportunity to play in Mexico,” says Gray. “(Guasuave) liked what they saw this summer and gave me a shot to come down and be the closer. I took it and ran with it.”

Flash forward to the present day and Gray is a tick up in velocity since the surgery and recovery.

“I’m a little better than I was,” says Gray. “I did tear my (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) on a single pitch. I don’t know if my elbow was messed up for awhile. I throw a little harder (with the four-seam fastball going from about 90 to 93 mph to 92 to 94 while almost touching 96) and my slider and change-up velocity has gone up.”

A relief pitcher throughput his pro career, Gray has noticed more resiliency since surgery which replaced his UCL with Palmaris Longus tendon taken from his right wrist.

“I’ve noticed that I’m able to bounce back a lot faster,” says Gray. “My recovery’s a lot shorter. I can throw more days a week.

“At first it’s hard to get conformable and really let it rip. Once you realize that — man — I’m 100 percent and mentally I’m super-confident in my arm. It’s healthy and I’m not going re-tear my UCL.”

Gray threw five times last week, including ends of a Nov. 20 doubleheader.

Rehab has shown Gray how to stay healthy with shoulder and mobility work between trips to the mound.

There’s another important part of his routine.

“I try to drink a lot of water,” says Gray. “That’s definitely going to help me recover, stay hydrated and have energy.”

After reporting the to field, he stretches, runs and plays catch. Around the third inning he ramps up his focus and begins getting his body ready. He walks out to the bullpen in the fifth inning and does his band and plyo ball work — things he has done while visiting PRP Baseball at Mojo Up Fieldhouse in Noblesville, Ind.

“It’s one of my favorite places to train,” says Gray. “I’m thankful for everything (PRP founder) Greg (Vogt) did for me (when I made my first velo jump in 2019).

“I still message those guys and ask them questions. They’re always there for me.”

Peyton and wife Samantha Gray — the Columbus East alum answers to Sam and her maiden name is Watters — were married in 2021. The couple resides in Fort Myers, Fla. Sam’s family has a vacation home in nearby Cape Coral. 

This winter, she has been going back and forth to Mexico about two weeks at a time. 

Gray pitched one season at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo (2015), one at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla. (2016) and two at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers (2017 and 2018). 

“I still have a lot of college buddies down there which is nice,” says Gray. “It’s great weather and it’s nice to throw outside year-round.”

Peyton Gray. (Algodoneros de Guasave Image).

Peyton Gray. (Mexican Pacific Winter League Image).

Peyton Gray. (Algodoneros de Guasuave Photo).

Peyton Gray. (Algodoneros de Guasave Photo).

Peyton Gray. (Algodoneros de Guasuave Photo).

Peyton Gray. (Algodoneros de Guasuave Photo).

Peyton Gray. (Milwaukee Milkmen Photo).

Peyton Gray. (Saraperos de Saltillo Image).

Hitting coach Brown makes transition from amateur to pro

By STEVE KRAH

http://www.IndianaRBI.com

See It Big, Cut It In Half.

That phrase is on hitting coach Quentin Brown’s Twitter page.

What does it mean?

“It’s about being aggressive,” says Brown. “Squaring the baseball up. That’s what it’s all about. See it big and hit it right through the middle of the field. I’ve worked with a lot of guys about mechanics and whatnot but my whole goal is to create good hitters.

“It’s about being good in-game hitters vs. good cage-hitters.”

Brown, 36, has been imparting his wisdom about hitting the baseball at the professional level for the past two seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

A graduate of Western High School (2005) in Russiaville, Ind. (near Kokomo), and Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne (2010), where he played four years, Brown coached travel ball for the Indiana Pony Express, Indiana Cage Rats, Fort Wayne Cubs (now Fort Wayne Diamondbacks) and Indiana Primetime Baseball and coached at Western from 2014-16 (the Brown-led Panthers were 2016 IHSAA Class 3A state runners-up) and served as an instructor at what is now Mojo Up Fieldhouse in Noblesville, Ind.

In 2022, he joined the Pirates as a hitting coach. He was with the rookie-level Florida Complex League team the first year and the low Class-A Florida State League’s Bradenton (Fla.) Marauders in 2023. He expects to learn his 2024 assignment by late November.

“We want guys to put the right swing on the ball and use the middle of the field correctly,” says Brown. “When the ball is on the outer half (as a right-handed batter) and I hit the ball to right-center that is still taking the ball through the middle of the field.

“When we see guys get out of that approach is when the ball’s on the outer half and they hit a ball to the shortstop or the third baseman. Now we’re not using the middle of the field. We’re getting around the baseball. The ball’s on the inner half and the guys hitting it foul. That’s not using the middle of the field.

“Using the middle of the field is about keeping good direction. Then if the pitch is away, down or up — whatever — it gives us the best chance for adjustment.”

It’s not a cookie-cutter approach.

“Every hitter’s different,” says Brown. “It’s the coach’s job to find what are that player’s strengths.”

Coach Q sees many players come to him that were taught to try to hit every pitch to the opposite field.

“It’s ‘hit the ball oppo!,’ and then two weeks into pro ball they realize that approach doesn’t work because (pro pitchers) have better stuff and better command.

“It’s about working back toward the middle where I know I can do damage on that pitch. That’s what it’s all about. What are the best zones and areas for me to do damage?”

The 2023 Marauders — with Brown as Hitting Coach, former hitting coach Jonathan Johnston at Manager, Casey Harms as Integrated Baseball Performance Coach, Gustavo Omana as Development Coach Gustavo Omana plus Matt Ford as Pitching Coach —  set some franchise records, including home runs (117), walks (783) and stolen bases (222).

Bradenton led the FSL with a .365 team on-base percentage Jesus Castillo drew 102 free passes.

“It was definitely a collective effort,” says Brown. “To have success, you have to have good players and we had a bunch of good players. I’m just glad they took ahold of the philosophy and we had success with it.

“Our whole goal and mindset was about winning every pitch,” said Brown. “We call it the Pitch War. It’s about owning the (strike) zone. If we strike out on the edge it’s OK, but we’re not chasing outside the zone.

“We’re not swinging a ton. When we do it’s impactful.”

A typical gameday with Bradenton during a home series had Brown getting to LECOM Park at 11:30 a.m. to noon where he began game planning and sending information to players about that day’s starting pitcher and potential relievers. That was followed by team and individual defensive work and batting practice (on the field on Tuesdays and often in the cage on other days), a pregame meal, team meeting, down time and then 6:30 p.m. first pitch.

Minor League Baseball has a pitch clock and Brown has embraced it.

“I like it because it keeps (hitters) locked in,” says Brown. “It makes guys turn the page quicker (from the result of the pitch). You have about 14 seconds to get ready. The next pitch is coming.”

The Marauders had very few violations during a season in which the team played 130 games.

“We harped on it a lot and made sure guys were ready,” says Brown. “A lot of that starts with preparation in the dugout. If you’re in the hole, you’re standing next to me and we’re talking about what the plan of attack is, the situation coming up and understanding what the (pitcher’s) process is.”

The first off-season instructional camp for the Pirates was to begin today (Oct. 16).

“My heart’s still in Indiana but for the job I’m down here,” says Brown, who spends most of his off-season in Florida and plans to visit family and friends in Indiana in November and December with a little time instructing hitters at Mojo Up. Matt Nicholson is Indiana Primetime Baseball director and Jacob Douglass (Western Class of 2016) a highs school travel coach as well as a performance specialist for PRP Baseball (also housed at Mojo Up).

Brown says the amount of teaching for high schoolers and pros is the same.

“It’s more of teaching fundamentals at a higher level (for pros),” says Brown. “The fundamentals never stop. The expectation is greater. The biggest difference is the talent you’re working with.

“In high school, we are trying to get (players) the skill sets to throw harder, run faster and hit the ball harder, be more stable in their swings — all this type of stuff — in pro ball you have those skill sets. You have guys who throw the ball really hard, have fantastic gloves and guys with big-time power. 

“Now you try to teach them how to harness all those things consistently (over a much longer season).

“Situations are amplified times 100. It’s a big adjustment.”

With higher skill and more games, where is more time to focus on the finer points.

Brown and his hitters can talk about what sink and ride is or a running fastball, 12-to-6 breaker or sweeper. 

“In high school a lot of time talent’s going to beat you,” says Brown. “In pro ball, everybody’s got talent. There’s not a team that’s not talented. Day and day out we’re seeing 93 to 100 (mph).”

It’s often been said that baseball is a game of failure. But some players don’t experience much of that as an amateur and see it for the first time as a pro.

“A lot of guys come into pro ball that have never had a bad day in their life,” says Brown. “All of a sudden they go into a 1-for-15 streak and they don’t know how to handle that. It’s definitely an adjustment.”

Quentin Brown. (Bradenton Marauders Photo)