Just as long as he does, Amir Gray doesn’t care how he gets on base for Brother Rice.
The senior first baseman, a three-year varsity starter, doesn’t even care if he gets a hit, gets hit by a pitch or takes advantage of an error. All that effort usually adds up to wins.
“Just find a way to get on,” Gray said of his approach. “You’ve always got to get on, especially in games like this. Being in the three hole, I’ve got to do my job, get those RBIs.
“I have to find a way to get on base.”
Gray found every which way Thursday for the host Crusaders in a 16-8 Catholic League Blue victory over Mount Carmel in Chicago. The Purdue recruit singled and doubled.
But that was only the beginning for Gray. He also reached on an error and got hit by a pitch for Brother Rice (13-9, 9-1). He scored two runs and finished with three RBIs.
Sophomore shortstop Jackson Natanek had two hits, two runs and three RBIs for the Crusaders, while senior outfielder Bryce Nevils walked twice and scored twice. Junior outfielder Ryan Hartz added two steals and two RBIs.
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Freshman third baseman TJ McQuillan went 2-for-4 with a double and scored two runs for Mount Carmel (13-7, 4-5). Senior DH Joey Russo added two hits and three runs.
And then there’s Gray. In addition to excelling on the field and at the plate, he has turned into more of a vocal leader this spring, according to Brother Rice coach Sean McBride.
“He’s a captain for a reason,” McBride said. “He’s a kid who has really grown and matured into a great person and a great leader. He’s everything you want in a Crusader.”
Senior second baseman Sean Sullivan sees the same qualities in Gray that his coach does.
“Amir is a great leader on the field,” Sullivan said. “He’s one of the most vocal guys I know. He gets behind every guy if they mess up. I messed up today. He picks them up.”
Over the years, Gray has learned about the leadership role. He’s always been the youngest on teams, but he was proactive about that part of the game.
“I talked to some guys who led last year and asked them how they did it,” Gray said. “Just make sure everybody is good. Just including everyone.”
While Gray made life miserable for four opposing pitchers Thursday, that’s nothing new. He started playing baseball at age 4 and worked his way into the Top Tier travel program.
In his early years, Gray played third base, but when the South Holland native arrived at Brother Rice, he was promoted to varsity as a sophomore and things changed.
He was handed a first baseman’s mitt and told to get familiar with the position. He’s a steady presence there now, including a scoop that completed a double play in the sixth.
“Personally, I think I got good from watching guys in the major leagues, Freddie Freeman and Anthony Rizzo, play the position,” he said. “I worked, getting reps, taking reps all day.”
Last season, Gray earned all-state and all-conference honors, setting up a senior year where he entered Thursday with a .382 batting average and .455 slugging percentage.
That should bode well for Purdue, where he plans to study law. His parents are teachers, so the opportunity to cover both academics and athletics at a Big Ten school was perfect.
But there’s still the matter of his senior season and what he’s going to leave behind for his teammates and future Crusaders.
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His advice?
“Just work your butt off,” he said. “You can only go up if you work hard.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.