When Jacobs’ Christian Graves steps up to the plate, the crowd takes notice due to the reputation he has for his power.
The senior infielder/pitcher, who hit four homers before the calendar flipped to April, has the pedigree and the stature at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds to garner attention.
“I like it,” Graves said. “Not like I’m an attention seeker. I just like the excitement and the energy that everyone brings when I go up to the plate. It makes me more locked in.
“I just go out there and play. I just love the energy every single game. I love the loudness, the excitement, everything like that.”
Graves carries himself in a way that shows the pressure doesn’t get to him, either.
“People might misinterpret his walk as arrogance,” Jacobs coach Jamie Murray said. “It’s not like that. That’s just who he is. I told him I want him to play like that.”
Graves has never had a problem generating power. The Bradley recruit is also not shy about big moments, such as his walk-off grand slam last spring against Cary-Grove.
“I’ve always been a big kid,” Graves said. “I was just born a big kid, and my power has always come easy. As you get further and on to the next level, things become a lot harder and pitchers figure you out.”
That’s why this offseason, his focus was not only on improving his athleticism. Working on his mental game was also a big part of his development.
“I think he’s made some improvements on the outer third (of the plate),” Murray said. “That’s part of the growth, right? He’s extremely coachable. We talk a lot about approach, the mental side of it. He’s a fantastic kid.”
Graves knew with college baseball on the horizon, he had to fine-tune some things this season, which is another aspect that makes him stand out.
He’s self-aware enough to know there is always something to work on.
“I would say the biggest thing from last year is my approach,” Graves said. “Last year, I took a lot of first-pitch breaking balls. This year I really jump early in the count because I know I’m not going to get much in the at-bat.
“I’ve worked on my swing a lot. I’m seeing the ball well, and I just feel good overall at the plate.”
Murray thinks that no matter what adjustments have been made, however, the reason Graves draws so much attention is his raw power.
“He’s a power hitter and he will not get beat,” Murray said. “If they make a mistake, he will crush it. You have to hit certain spots against him.”
Graves isn’t one-dimensional, though. He’s also one of the most important pitchers for the Golden Eagles (4-3). He works in the mid-to-upper 80s with his fastball and mixes in a breaking ball and change-up.
While Graves was recruited as a hitter by Bradley, Murray believes he could be a two-way player.
“I think he can pitch at that level,” Murray said. “He’s got swing-and-miss stuff. He’s just getting better there, too. He has good command.
“He throws his secondary pitches with confidence, and he’s working on his change-up. Around here he’s going to cause some problems.”
While Graves realizes this could be his last season as a pitcher, he’s open to continuing to do both in the future.
“I love pitching,” Graves said. “I love competing. I feel like it’s just me against everyone in their lineup. I love that. I couldn’t give it up now.”
Right now, his outlook is on making an impact Jacobs in every way possible.
“It’s my last season here,” Graves said. “This is my dream — to make something happen here my senior year.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.