04-06-2012, 03:26 PM
Jeffersonville sophomore Drew Ellis is a fast-rising star among baseballâs new breed, an athlete now playing a misnamed position.
Ellis is a shortstop, ranked among the nationâs best high school stars by MaxPreps, Prep Baseball Report and ESPNHS. He actually should be called a âtallstop.â He certainly stands tall in the middle of the infield.
At 6 feet 3, Ellis is following in the footsteps of such players as Cal Ripken Jr. (6-4), Derek Jeter (6-3), Alex Rodriguez (6-3), Troy Tulowitzki (6-3) and Hanley Ramirez (6-3). Those major league stars broke the old-school mold of shortstops being all-field, no-hit splinters.
âI donât find my height as any problem,â Ellis said. âYou might not expect a big guy to have good footwork or speed. I just want to get better and help my team get better. Itâs great to be ranked so high nationally, but thereâs always room for improvement.â
Ellis already can hit. Last year he slugged a team-high six home runs and drove in 30 runs while batting .383. This year he will be cemented in the third or fourth spot in the Red Devilsâ lineup. His focus has been on defensive smoothness and improvement rather than relying solely on his rocket arm (he also pitches and throws 90 mph) to gun down runners.
âHe has the ability, even if he bobbles the ball, to throw them out,â Jeffersonville coach Matthew Rigsby said. âHe probably won six or seven games last year just based on his defense alone. The only thing he has had trouble with was his footwork. But heâs also a kid that obsesses about something until he fixes it.â
Obsessing can be stressful in baseball, where batters usually fail and even the best fielders make errors. Playing basketball (Ellis averaged 5.9 points as a reserve on Jeffâs sectional championship team) helped bolster his lateral quickness and footwork.
âI know what I needed to do to become a Division I shortstop,â he said. âYou have to play one game at a time, and the most important play is always the next play. You have to keep your mind-set of making that next play. If you do make an error or go 0 for 4, you have to bounce right back. Itâs over with.â
http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...ny&site=B2
Ellis is a shortstop, ranked among the nationâs best high school stars by MaxPreps, Prep Baseball Report and ESPNHS. He actually should be called a âtallstop.â He certainly stands tall in the middle of the infield.
At 6 feet 3, Ellis is following in the footsteps of such players as Cal Ripken Jr. (6-4), Derek Jeter (6-3), Alex Rodriguez (6-3), Troy Tulowitzki (6-3) and Hanley Ramirez (6-3). Those major league stars broke the old-school mold of shortstops being all-field, no-hit splinters.
âI donât find my height as any problem,â Ellis said. âYou might not expect a big guy to have good footwork or speed. I just want to get better and help my team get better. Itâs great to be ranked so high nationally, but thereâs always room for improvement.â
Ellis already can hit. Last year he slugged a team-high six home runs and drove in 30 runs while batting .383. This year he will be cemented in the third or fourth spot in the Red Devilsâ lineup. His focus has been on defensive smoothness and improvement rather than relying solely on his rocket arm (he also pitches and throws 90 mph) to gun down runners.
âHe has the ability, even if he bobbles the ball, to throw them out,â Jeffersonville coach Matthew Rigsby said. âHe probably won six or seven games last year just based on his defense alone. The only thing he has had trouble with was his footwork. But heâs also a kid that obsesses about something until he fixes it.â
Obsessing can be stressful in baseball, where batters usually fail and even the best fielders make errors. Playing basketball (Ellis averaged 5.9 points as a reserve on Jeffâs sectional championship team) helped bolster his lateral quickness and footwork.
âI know what I needed to do to become a Division I shortstop,â he said. âYou have to play one game at a time, and the most important play is always the next play. You have to keep your mind-set of making that next play. If you do make an error or go 0 for 4, you have to bounce right back. Itâs over with.â
http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...ny&site=B2