Hobart’s Ivan Balboa takes his leadership role seriously.
With the Brickies’ youth and talent, the senior shortstop believes their present and future both are bright.
“I’m just trying to guide them,” Balboa said. “I’m trying to give them a standard for them to surpass once they become a senior or a junior. … My job as a senior is to come in and instruct these guys how to teach our younger levels about our program.”
Of the 15 players on Hobart’s game-day roster, three are sophomores and five are freshmen. Of those eight players, six typically start, with sophomore outfielder Jevan Andrews atop the lineup. First-year coach Trent Howard said there are even more freshmen on the junior varsity team who would be playing at the varsity level in most seasons.
“Ivan’s one of our few older guys, and he’s really stepped up,” Howard said. “He’s been very important to the growth of our young team. He’s one of our hardest-working guys. I don’t think he missed more than one or two workouts all fall and winter. He was always at lifting, always setting the tone.
“For as young as we are, guys need to see that, especially from a guy who’s going to college. He’s clearly one of our best players, and if he’s working hard, you best be too.”
Entrenched in the third spot in the order, Balboa, an Ivy Tech Fort Wayne recruit, was hitting .360 with 12 stolen bases for Hobart (8-0, 2-0) entering Tuesday’s Northwest Crossroads Conference doubleheader at Munster (4-1, 1-1) after Monday’s postponed game.
He also recorded 8 ? scoreless innings in two pitching appearances, including one start, allowing six hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts.
“I’ve been having a good approach at the plate and seeing pitches well,” Balboa said. “Same thing on the bases. I’ve been reading pitchers well and just knowing my counts and surroundings.”
Balboa worked diligently in the offseason to increase his strength and speed. He started primarily at second base — the position for which colleges recruited him — as a freshman. He shifted to shortstop last year after his sophomore season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But Balboa said he feels more like a shortstop this season with his quicker and improved footwork and “smoother” hands. That quickness also has translated to the base paths after he stole five bases last season, when he hit .308.
An emphasis from Howard also has contributed.
“We came in this winter and worked straight on on stealing bags and reading pitchers,” Balboa said. “We’re getting a lot of one-on-one instruction. We’re getting a lot of in-detail looks on how to do different things, whether it’s base running or hitting or anything.”
The Brickies have embraced Howard’s approach. A left-handed pitcher who graduated from Clark in 2008, Howard had an all-conference career at Central Michigan, was picked in the seventh round of the 2011 draft by the Baltimore Orioles and reached Double-A in his three seasons in their organization.
“One of the first things I wanted to do was really set the culture,” Howard said. “We’re here to work hard and have fun too.
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“Having a group of guys who are hungry and wants to work hard makes my job 10 times easier than it should be. These guys want to work. They want to get better. They want to win for each other.”
Balboa has embodied that spirit.
“He leads by example,” Howard said. “He’s always working. He knows how to relax too. He’s not like a drill sergeant. He helps the younger guys relax too. If a young guy boots a ball in practice, he’s the first one to pick him up. He’s, like, ‘Hey, you’re fine, don’t worry about it. Coach, give him another one.’ He wants them to get some confidence.
“I’ve told the guys, ‘We’re never going to yell at you for a physical mistake. The best in the world make physical mistakes. We just need you to know your job and know the mental side of the game.’ From that end, Ivan’s done an absolutely phenomenal job buying into that philosophy and supporting his teammates.”
Balboa committed to Ivy Tech in September. He plans to honor that commitment even though the board of trustees earlier this month voted to discontinue the baseball program following the 2023 season for financial reasons.
Balboa has remained focused on lofty aspirations for Hobart, which last won a sectional title in 2014.
“We’ve been saying since day one, ultimately our goal is to get to Victory Field,” he said. “That’s everyone’s clear vision. We’re definitely the underdogs of the whole Region right now. Everyone looks at Hobart and they think, ‘Oh, it’s Hobart, they’re going to finish mediocre in conference, lose first round of sectionals.’ But coach has been holding us to that higher standard.”