Burlington Central’s AJ Payton isn’t taking anything for granted.
After missing nearly a calendar year on the field with a dislocated rib, the junior first baseman knows how crucial this season is — not only for his college future but for his team.
“I didn’t play all year,” Payton said. “It’s nice to come out here and pick up where I left off last time I played. It’s really important to play right now, especially since it’s my junior year.
“This is the main year everything happens (in recruiting).”
Payton is taking full advantage of his health and opportunity so far.
That progress continued Wednesday in a 14-6 Fox Valley Conference win over Jacobs. Payton went 3-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season, two runs and five RBIs.
Jake Herman also hit a grand slam in the first inning for the Rockets (11-9, 6-4). Brady Gilroy had three singles and reached base all four times while scoring three runs and driving in two. Chase Powrozek picked up the win.
Christian Graves hit his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot, and added an RBI double for Jacobs (10-10, 5-6). Paulie Rudolph had a two-run single.
As far as the 6-foot-5 Payton goes, Burlington Central coach Kyle Nelson noticed a change when workouts started.
“You could tell right from the beginning of the year when you saw him in the cage that it was just jumping off the bat a little bit differently,” Nelson said. “The approach was a little bit different.
“He’s been swinging it well all year. He’s really turned the corner for us.”
Nelson said Payton showed flashes during his first two seasons, both on the varsity, but he has been putting it all together as a junior.
“I think just seeing pitching in the Fox Valley for two years and physically developing a little bit more has really helped him at the plate,” Nelson said. “He’s starting to understand at-bats and what pitches he’s hunting and that sort of thing a little bit more.
“He’s doing a great job.”
Evidence of Payton’s evolution showed on his two-run homer in the fourth inning. Following Gilroy’s two-run single, Payton powered a pitch to dead center to build a 9-1 lead.
Payton said he and his teammates worked on seeing off speed pitches before the game and that paid off.
“He threw me an off-speed,” Payton said. “I didn’t think it was going over. I thought it was a pop out at first. I thought he was going to catch it.
“It felt good. It’s definitely a confidence booster. Hitting is mostly mental, so when I have that confidence, I know I can play better.”
Jacobs hung around, however.
Graves’ homer in the fourth inning got the Golden Eagles on the board. That was followed by a three-run fifth as they cut the lead to 9-4 but ended up leaving the bases loaded.
“I’m proud of our guys, fought back,” Jacobs coach Jamie Murray said. “Baseball is a game of failure, and we have to learn how to embrace that and own that and get better and improve on the areas we need to improve on.
“It’s a process. We’ll be fine. I really love this group.”
Payton, meanwhile, knows the eyes of college coaches are going to find him, but he tries not to let that affect his day-to-day preparation.
“I don’t really think about who’s watching,” Payton said. “I think about the game itself, and if somebody happens to see me, someone happens to see me.
“It’s all about the team.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.