Lockport senior Ryan Moerman is nearly unrecognizable from the last high school baseball season. He was only a sophomore then.
The Illinois recruit has added 30 pounds of muscle to his 5-foot-10 frame.
Because of an increase in strength, Moerman is swinging a bigger bat — a 34-inch, 31-ounce version instead of the 33-30 he hit with his first two seasons.
He’s also far more aggressive at the plate, attacking the baseball when it’s in the strike zone.
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All of this has resulted in the biggest difference of all — a massive power display.
After hitting one homer in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons, Moerman has nine in 20 games.
It’s not by accident.
“Before this season, I never went to the batter’s box and tried to hit a home run,” he said. “Now, I’m trying to hit the ball over the fence. If a pitcher makes a mistake, I’m trying to make them pay.”
Moerman didn’t devote countless hours to the weight room during the last year to remain a singles hitter.
Overall, he’s batting .394 with 25 runs, seven doubles and 27 RBIs to go along with those nine home runs.
Moerman believes his mental approach is as important to his success as his physical transformation.
“I’m waiting for a good pitch,” he said. “The difference is what I’m trying to do with it. I swing and miss, I still have two more strikes. Even if I mishit a ball, now that I’m bigger and swinging a heavier bat, I can still hit it over the fence.”
Moerman made it clear he’s not swinging wildly at every pitch. He remains patient and selective.
He has no problem taking a pitch on the outer half of the plate and driving it to right field for a single or double.
However, if a pitcher makes a mistake up in the zone, he’s thinking one thing.
“Make them pay and hit it over the fence,” he said. “I’m staying patient and I’m very confident.”
The one area where his increased muscle and power hasn’t affected him is at shortstop. He remains silky smooth with the glove, flashing a powerful arm.
And according to Lockport coach Andy Satunas, Moerman is an even better teammate than player.
“Ryan has always been a great player for us since he started on varsity as freshman,” Satunas said. “The biggest growth I have seen since his sophomore year has been his leadership skills. He is always first in everything he does.
“He is the first to show up. First to set up for practice. First to cheer on a teammate. First to pick up the dugout. Between his physical, mental and leadership skills, he is one of the best all-around players I have been around in my 20 years of coaching.”
Bats on fire: Lincoln-Way East coach Eric Brauer isn’t surprised at how well his pitching staff has performed this season.
Led by senior right-hander Landen Looper, a Louisville recruit, the Griffins (18-2) have made life miserable for most opponents.
What Brauer didn’t expect was his offense to score runs in bunches.
Max Polad, Matthew Michaels and Randy Seymour have been consistent run producers in the middle of the lineup. Zak Keegan and Alex Stanwich have done a nice job setting the table at the top.
“One through nine we’ve been hitting the ball,” Brauer said. “I knew we had depth on the mound. But the bats have really been a pleasant surprise.”
Did you know? Homewood-Flossmoor graduate Zaid Walker is hitting a team-high .291 with seven doubles, one triple, one homer and 24 RBIs for Michigan State. The sophomore outfielder also has seven stolen bases in 38 games.
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