Andrew Mitchell gives Zion-Benton a ‘real opportunity at winning.' But first, he had to fail.

Chicago Tribune

25-03-2025

Andrew Mitchell surprised people at Zion-Benton baseball tryouts two years ago.
A freshman at the time, Mitchell immediately impressed Zee-Bees coach Tim Schiappacasse, and he wasn't the only one.
'We hadn't heard of him coming up, but on the first day of tryouts, I was sitting with one of my captains at the time,' Schiappacasse said. 'As soon as Drew started throwing, he turned to me and said, 'He's coming to varsity, right?' That was the first flash from him.'
There have been many others since that positive first impression as Mitchell became a pitcher that the Zee-Bees trusted to be on the mound in important situations. But he needed to be convinced that he wasn't being moved along too quickly.
'Playing with such older kids, I didn't know what to expect, and I remember thinking to myself, 'This is going to be a very difficult level,'' Mitchell said. 'But when the first game came, I saw the other pitcher, and he didn't seem like anything so different from me. That helped make me feel like I could fit in.'
After an up-and-down freshman season, which included closing out North Suburban Conference rival Waukegan in the annual Battle at Bowen, Mitchell posted a 3.84 ERA and struck out 61 in 54 2/3 innings as Zion-Benton's ace last year. He showed good control with 3.2 strikeouts per walk.
So Mitchell considers that debut season a solid foundation.
'It was good that I got hit around because I still had to develop,' he said. 'It made me better for my sophomore year because you have to learn from bad experiences. The step I took last year, a lot of that was from failing as a freshman. It wasn't as much of a physical thing, but more of a mental step.'
It became obvious to Schiappacasse that Mitchell was pitching with much more confidence last season.
'He really started to compete last year,' Schiappacasse said. 'Every conference game he pitched, we had a real opportunity at winning. It's been fun to see him evolve as a pitcher.'
Mitchell's evolution continues. No longer 'just throwing the ball,' as he described his approach during his freshman season, the junior right-hander has a rationale for throwing each pitch, and he is much more cognizant of game situations and the need to be as efficient as possible.
Schiappacasse saw Mitchell's progress during Zion-Benton's 13-0 season-opening win against Round Lake on March 18. Mitchell threw a five-inning complete game, scattering three hits and striking out nine.
Mitchell's first pitch was roped on a line to left field. The ball was caught for an out, but Mitchell took note.
'You could see him adapt to that first swing and figure out what he needed to do,' Schiappacasse said.
Mitchell, who is 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA after two starts this season, also struck out nine in a complete-game effort during Zion-Benton's 8-3 win against Hoffman Estates on Monday. He recognizes the strides he has made.
'It's the IQ of pitching, stuff I hadn't even thought of before,' he said. 'You don't need to strike everyone out. A groundout to third is just fine. And if I fall behind, you're not getting a BP fastball. Those could turn into doubles or home runs.'
Mitchell's success shouldn't come as a surprise. His father Derek, a 1993 Waukegan graduate, was a member of the U.S. national team in 1995, played in the minor leagues for three organizations over seven seasons and then trained local players for nearly 20 years.
Derek Mitchell is on Zion-Benton's coaching staff, which allows him to share some of the knowledge he accrued over the years and to get a close-up view as his sons, including sophomore pitcher Jake Mitchell, develop as players.
'I don't put any extra pressure on him,' Derek Mitchell said of Andrew. 'I just want him to go out and compete and be a good teammate.
'I've been blessed that both of my sons are very coachable. I've never had to drag them onto the field. I've found over the years that when kids don't want to get better and they're forced into trying, they plateau fast.'
That's not the case with Andrew Mitchell, who has heeded his father's advice.
'He's taught me so much, and he stresses more about the mental side than the physical side,' Andrew Mitchell said. 'He understands every situation from his baseball experience.
'He stresses how important it is how you react to failure. If you have a bad game, how do you move on to tomorrow? Those are things that I've tried to improve on.'