It’s funny how things worked out for Illiana Christian’s Kevin Corcoran.
“I just had to remember not to try to do too much,” he said. “Being a senior this year, you feel like you have to be the best at everything. But just trusting guys and not trying to do everything yourself, it was huge for me — especially in the state game.
“You don’t have to strike everyone out. You don’t have to hit a home run every time up. You don’t have to be a hero. The coaches always say that nobody is above the team, but nobody is below the team either. Just play to your ability, and there’s nothing else anybody could ask for.”
By not trying to do everything, Corcoran excelled doing virtually everything for the Vikings. The ace left-hander led them to their second straight Class 2A state championship from the mound, was usually their No. 3 hitter and patrolled center field exceptionally well when he wasn’t pitching.
The all-around performance by Corcoran, the 2023 Post-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year, impressed Illiana Christian coach Jeff VanderWoude.
“Kevin dominated on the mound, and he dominated batting too,” VanderWoude said. “To follow up last year and be even more productive, stronger on the mound, it’s amazing.”
The 5-foot-11 Corcoran went 10-2 with a 1.12 ERA for the Vikings (25-9). He had 126 strikeouts and 20 walks in 68 ? innings.
With the exception of an early season outing against Class 3A state runner-up Andrean, Corcoran was “pretty much untouchable,” VanderWoude said.
Corcoran also hit .438 with 34 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.
He closed his Illiana Christian career by spinning a six-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk in a 3-0 win against Covenant Christian. He also was the winning pitcher when the Vikings beat Centerville 10-1 in the 2022 state championship game.
“Being with the team and still just talking with them about the thing we did, it’s so special,” he said. “Being a senior this year and obviously we were talking a lot about going back to back … the odds of that happening are not in your favor. So especially that this team had a lot of younger guys, it’s really special, and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”
Corcoran recalled being “so scared” last season when he saw all of the Centerville fans behind home plate at Victory Field and heard all of the noise they were making. This season, he said he was “more calm, more collected” after having gained that experience.
That applied throughout the season, not just in the state championship game. He also increased his velocity, honed his off-speed offerings to have four pitches he could throw for strikes consistently and fine-tuned his rapport with junior catcher Aaron Gouwens to better set up hitters. Offensively, Corcoran tried to cut down on strikeouts to put the ball in play more frequently.
“He’s a great kid — great baseball player, even better kid,” VanderWoude said. “He’s a worker. He’s a leader. He’s done nothing but help the younger kids and give back to our team. That’s what we want as much as anything as a coaching staff. Making it their team, him and the other players did that very well.
“I’ve coached Kevin since he was 8 or 9 years old. He always just takes the ball, goes out there and competes and gets the job done.”
VanderWoude has no doubt Corcoran has Division I talent and the demeanor to match. VanderWoude also has no doubt Corcoran is going to be highly successful at Webster, a strong Division III program.
Corcoran, whose father is an assistant for the Vikings and who called VanderWoude “a second father to me,” has left an indelible mark on the program. He also noted the potential of the team next year, with the likes of Gouwens, junior shortstop Isaac VanderWoude
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and sophomore third baseman/pitcher Gavin Meyer, who has won two state titles in as many high school seasons.“I don’t want to jinx them, but I could see another state title for those guys,” Corcoran said. “They’ll have a lot of experience back, they’ll have talent and they’re hungry to keep this legacy going. But winning a state title is a byproduct. How we play the game, how we practice, how we act, that’s a big staple. It’s more than just baseball. The coaches try to prepare us for life.
“In 10 years, you want to see they’re winning, but (also) that they’re playing and practicing the same way. That’s my biggest goal going forward. That’s something we built on, and we want to continue to keep building on it.”