The IndyStar is recognizing two standout players as our Baseball Player of the Year award winners.
Two-way stars Gannon Grant of Center Grove and Aiden Smith of Shelbyville have earned Co-Player of the Year honors.
Grant, a Kentucky commit, finished his senior season 8-1 with a 0.96 ERA. He struck out 94 batters over 58⅓ innings. He threw a no-hit shutout against Richmond, sending the Trojans to the Class 4A semistate semifinals. At the plate, Grant batted .343 with 27 RBIs, six doubles, one triple and five home runs. He walked 17 times and struck out just 10.
Smith, a Kentucky commit, finished his senior season batting .479 with 30 RBIs, seven doubles, seven home runs, three doubles and 15 stolen bases. He walked 22 times and struck out just 15. On the mound, Smith went 7-0 with 1.16 ERA and 77 strikeouts over 42⅓ innings. Smith ends his career as Shelbyville’s all-time leader in batting average (.416), hits (129), home runs (18), RBIs (86), innings pitched (181⅔), ERA (1.97) and strikeouts (281).
Here’s a Q&A with our award winners.
Question: What’s it like preparing for your senior season as a two-way player?
Grant: “It’s definitely hard, being a two-way player. It’s a lot on your body, but this offseason I really took care of my recovery and made sure I had great sleep, great diet, and really took care of that side, which can help me play baseball better. … Just staying in the facility, working out with my buddies, all my senior friends, my junior friends, makes me better. I make them better doing that all offseason, and I put some weight on. I think I grew an inch over this offseason, too. So, just that stuff combined with all the recovery just made me play good this year, and I’m proud of what I did.”
Smith: “All of my offseason focus is primarily pitching. I normally don’t pick up a bat until around January, January, February, and then we have our offseason practices where we practice three times a week, so just getting at least three to four rounds in per practice and getting a total of 12 to 15 rounds a week, roughly, and just working on different angles and different pitch shapes and stuff, just learning to hit and getting closer to season. Just getting as many live (at-bats) in as I can, and once it comes to season, just having a good approach, and just jumping on the fastball.”
Q: Favorite offensive moment of the season?
Grant: “Playing against Greenfield Central. I went 2-for-2 with two bombs and two hit by pitches. I don’t know if the coach was mad at me or something, but that was probably the best offensive day.”
Smith: “My grand slam against Mt. Vernon meant a lot to me, because it was a big moment against a big team, and that was just a no doubter. That meant a lot. That was a big momentum swing for our team, starting the year. And then my all-time hit record-breaker was a grand slam as well to center field, and the moment it went over, everything went dark and silent, and just such a surreal moment.”
Q: Favorite start as a pitcher?
Grant: “Probably regionals, when I went 13 (strikeouts) with the no hitter. My first-ever no-hitter, in my life. So, that was one of my best games. I’ll say, overall, too. I had a home run that game too. It was at home; it was the last home game. So that was probably one of my favorite games this year.”
Smith: “My Victory Field game. It was a good stat line, but nothing crazy, but it was just getting to go out and play on a big stage in front of my community with my friends and all the guys I grew up playing with and going out there to play on a big stage with them, and just going out and having a super fun game. It’s always fun to play against a conference rival in New Pal, and going out there and going seven innings to shut them out and get a 9-0 victory was awesome. You gotta be grateful for the opportunity to get to play on a big stage like that.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Center Grove’s Grant, Shelbyville’s Smith share Baseball Player of the Year honors
Reporting by Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
