Portage's Kyle Ketchum catches less often this season. But he's hitting much more, no matter where he plays.
This season has been one of adjustments for Portage senior Kyle Ketchum.
A relatively new position, playing primarily first base instead of catcher. A retooled swing, keeping the mechanics simpler. A redefined body, having dropped about 50 pounds from his 6-foot-5 frame.
But Ketchum is experiencing a new level of success too.
'Kyle has molded into a very good player, and his best baseball is in front of him,' Portage coach Shane Prance said.
Ketchum, an Olive-Harvey commit, was hitting .476 with six RBIs, seven runs scored and four stolen bases before the Indians (7-0, 3-0) played Merrillville in their Duneland Athletic Conference series finale Wednesday.
'He really figured out his swing in the offseason to just keep things simple and just find barrels,' Prance said. 'Having that big of a body, it's going to supply its own power for him.'
But with senior catcher Devon Ortiz also in the lineup, Ketchum is playing at first base much of the time.
'He's great defensively for us, playing both first and catching,' Prance said 'I have two senior catchers who are good, and I just have to find a way to keep his bat in the lineup.'
Ketchum, who handled the bulk of the catching duties last season, doesn't mind the position change.
'I've been playing first base a lot, and it's actually new to me,' he said. 'I've never really been at first base. I've always been behind the dish most of my life.
'They just needed me in the lineup. That's our best defense, when I'm at first and Devon's behind the dish. That's the best spot.'
Ortiz appreciates Ketchum's contributions no matter where he plays.
'He's going to have a quality at-bat, and he's going to help us defensively every play,' Ortiz said. 'He's going to put the ball in play and make something happen.'
Ketchum, who hit .264 with a homer, 11 RBIs and four runs last season, explained how he has tweaked his approach at the plate.
'Hitting was definitely a big miss in my game last year,' he said. 'Last year, I had a bigger step and a longer swing. This year, I spread my feet out and I don't have much of a step. I just sit back on my back leg and short hands to the ball. Just look middle out.
'I'm not looking to pull anything this year. Last year, I was trying to go for the fences, big hits. This year, it's just working out so much better. I'm looking to go up the middle, hit it hard.'
Ketchum put in the hard work in the offseason. He said he weighed as much as 255 pounds toward the end of last season and is down to 205 this spring. Ketchum also said he has been 'eating better' and has gotten into yoga, which has helped get his 'mind right' and improve his flexibility.
'I was on the bigger side last year, but we all grinded, hit the weight room a lot,' he said. 'I didn't want to lose the weight and not gain muscle, and I've gained a lot of muscle. My throwing velocity has gone up from 70 to 80 (mph). My exit velo has gone up — I hit 101, and last year I wasn't close to that.'
Prance, a 2008 Portage graduate who is in his third season as coach, has emphasized the complementary nature of the Indians.
'We have a good core group of guys that have grown with the program since they were freshmen,' he said. 'They take turns on whose day it's going to be to be the superstar. I love that. I love the team baseball aspect of it.
'You're not going to be perfect every day, but if your teammate can pick you up and he can be the guy that day, it just makes it that much more fun. They're rooting for each other, and in that sense, it becomes more of a team game. That's been our success.'
Ketchum agreed that the Indians, who went 12-15 overall and 4-10 in the conference last season, have developed an important connection.
'Everyone has trust in everyone else,' he said. 'Top of the order, middle, bottom — everyone in the lineup can do something.
'From the season we had last year, we just built off of it. This offseason, we just grinded, just focused on us and our game. We definitely know we can be up there with the big dogs. We're going to compete.'
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