CHEBOYGAN — With the game slipping away, the Cheboygan baseball team needed to make a play just to get out of the inning and give itself a chance.
While the Sault (Canada) Black Sox looked poised to extend its lead to beyond four runs, Nolan Schley decided to do something about it his way.
As one of the Black Sox hitters ripped a ball to deep left center field, the Cheboygan junior center fielder got on his horse, put his body on the line, and made a highlight-reel diving catch to keep the Chiefs alive.
“I saw it was off the bat, and saw it was going to be between me and left field, and I was starting to think that I’ve got a chance, and I was getting close, and I just centered out and made the play,” Schley said.
Although the Chiefs fell short in the contest, it was another one of those impressive defensive plays from Schley, who’s made more than a few as Cheboygan’s starting center fielder, a position he’s relished since taking over at the start of this season.
“I really like it out there, honestly, because playing center, I feel like any ball I have a chance to get, I should be the one to take it, so I just take control out there,” Schley said. “I just feel like I take a lot of pride out there and try to do my thing. If you do anything bad, you just need to shake it off and get onto the next play.”
Noticing Schley’s jump from a quality outfielder to an elite one is Cheboygan coach Kevin Baller, who noted the junior has made several sensational plays since the season started.
“His defense has been phenomenal all year,” Baller said. “As a matter of fact, we were in Elk Rapids, and he had a very similar play like that, only he was stretched out a little bit more. He’s strong, fast, and covers a lot of ground out there. He’s doing a great job defensively.”
As rock-solid as Schley’s defense has been, his offensive numbers aren’t bad, either. Against the Black Sox, Schley finished with two hits in game one. By the end of the doubleheader, his batting average was a team-best .324. On a team that’s desperate for more offensive success, Schley has provided it.
“He’s been working in the cage, and when we get opportunities to be off the tee, he’s taken advantage of the extra opportunities to get a chance to hit when he can, and he just works at it,” Baller said. “He works hard and gets after it.”
Just as important, Schley — who’s been a varsity player since his freshman year — is leading admirably on a Cheboygan team full of freshmen and underclassmen. With only two seniors on the squad, Schley has taken it upon himself to set an example each game.
“He’s been around — this is year No. 3 for him –—and he’s doing great,” Baller said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he does set an example, and he leads by that example that he sets.”
Cheboygan returns to Northern Shores Conference play when it hosts Boyne City on Monday, May 11.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan’s Nolan Schley making elite plays, leading young team
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
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