TJ Schuyler has loved everything about baseball for as long as he can remember.
There isn’t a day that goes by when the Antioch junior doesn’t engage in some type of baseball activity.
When Schuyler gets home, it’s more of the same.
“I’ve got a whole room covered in pennants and flags, with a bunch of balls and gloves,” he said. “We’ve always been a big baseball family, and I was brought up watching it and enjoying the baseball experience.”
That experience includes an extensive collection of baseball memorabilia, the crown jewel of which might be an autographed Barry Bonds rookie card that Schuyler’s uncle gave him. Schuyler’s father, Doug, who played football at Wisconsin-Whitewater, owns a signed ball by the 2005 World Series champion White Sox.
But Schuyler isn’t just a fan. The Indiana recruit has the skills and the desire to maximize them that might allow him to play the game for years to come.
“I’ve always felt like I wanted to play baseball for as long as I possibly could,” Schuyler said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the game.”
Schuyler entered the week hitting .466 with an OPS of 1.212 and had struck out just five times. He also is a very solid catcher, combining physical and mental traits necessary to call games.
“He’s just a man out there on the field, and he makes a lot of things look effortless,” Antioch coach Chris Malec said. “In our first workout this winter, his arm strength really jumped off the page. That was the hardest I’ve seen a ball thrown in our gym.”
That was Malec’s first up-close look at Schuyler because this is the first year he has played for Antioch. He played only for his travel team as a sophomore, and his freshman season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Playing for the Sequoits has been mutually beneficial for Schuyler and the team. Antioch gains a big bat in the middle of the order and someone to build around, while Schuyler gets to play with longtime friends.
“Playing for your school, there’s more of a community behind you,” Schuyler said. “I’ve been playing with some of these guys since I was 8 or 9, so it’s really special. Travel ball is more like a business, where this is a lot of fun.”
One of those friends is middle infielder Anthony Sacchetti, who began playing with Schuyler at the 8U level. While Schuyler rested a tweaked knee this week, Sacchetti noticed what he was doing to help.
“He was running people’s stuff out to them in between innings, cheering everyone on and getting all over everyone,” Sacchetti said. “It’s pretty cool to play the game you love with people you really like.”
Schuyler’s work on the travel circuit gave such a vivid glimpse of his potential that he was able to commit to Indiana in November 2019, months before he would have had a chance to play an inning for Antioch.
Having a college chosen so early took a lot of pressure off Schuyler, allowing him to relax and concentrate on improving his game, which is a never-ending quest.
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Schuyler said he uses his perspective as a catcher to gain an advantage over opposing pitchers and has implemented a mechanical adjustment in his swing this season.
“I’m trying to get my hands to the ball instead of the barrel to the ball,” he said. “I don’t want to catch the ball with my bat too far behind in the hitting zone.”
That focus keeps Schuyler way ahead.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.