[Batpuff]

When life threw al Sportsman of the Year for the 2010-11 season.
“That’s pretty incredible, what a great honor,” Shepherd said.
Keeton is utterly aware of what esoteric company with which that places Shepherd, because he’s got his own spot in the 11-person club. Shepherd joins a star-studded lineup that includes names like Brandon Webb, Ivan McGlone and Hop Brown, among others.
“It’s exciting that the two of us have been recognized like this,” said Keeton, who received the honor in 2008. “That’s two of the last four years for Lawrence County.”
Shepherd capped his remarkable high school baseball career, in which he started five and played six full varsity seasons, with a 12-1 record this past season. He fired two no-hitters, one of which occurred in the presence of 11 major league baseball scouts, and tallied six shutouts. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander struck out 139 batters in 74 2/3 innings and his earned run average wound up a miniscule 0.65.
The University of Kentucky didn’t feel the need to wait on Shepherd to supply statistical reason in his senior season for the Wildcats to offer him a scholarship. Shepherd signed with Kentucky before his senior stint, and then was drafted in the 41st round of the MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox in June.
“I don’t mean this in a bad way, but I really didn’t pay attention to all that,” Shepherd said. “The most important thing to me was the Bulldogs winning.”
Shepherd has until August 15 to make a decision on which route he will choose. Currently, Shepherd is playing for his elite summer team, the Midland Redskins out of Cincinnati.
For his high school career, Shepherd amassed incredible numbers, especially considering he was 4-5 as a seventh-grader and missed a whole season as a junior. He went 40-12 with 512 strikeouts in 353 innings pitched. Throw in a career 1.67 ERA (85 total earned runs) and 17 total shutouts, and the record books welcomely open up — Shepherd is fifth all-time in career wins in Kentucky, and second all-time in career strikeouts.
The lanky light-hitting righty turned big-time power threat was almost as impressive offensively. For his career, Shepherd hit 24 home runs (17 total in 2010 and 2011) and drove in 129 runs. He recorded 197 career hits.
Shepherd said he wouldn’t have been so successful without influences such as Keeton and his grandfather, Jim Dotson, in his life. Dotson played some professional baseball and tried out for the Reds, according to Shepherd.
For his illustrious six-year career, Shepherd was part of 150 Lawrence County wins.
“The impact he’s had on our community, I hope, won’t be forgotten,” said Bulldogs baseball coach Travis Feltner, who referred to his star pitcher as “Chan.” “All the kids around Lawrence County, they want to grow up to be Chandler Shepherd.”
“I want kids to look at me and be like, ‘Chandler did it, so why can’t we do it?’” said Shepherd, who frequently helps with his young cousin’s baseball team. “I give all the kids my cell phone number. They know they can call me anytime.”
As a kid himself, Shepherd was dominant on the diamond.
“I first saw him when he pitched a Little League game against Russell,” Keeton remembered. “I think he struck out 17 out of 18.
“He started 4-0 as a seventh-grader,” Keeton added. “He probably threw about 80 (miles per hour) then, and he had a very good little knuckleball.”
Velocity increased by double digits over the course of his career. Shepherd hits 91 mph regularly now, and has picked up a fine cut fastball.
Before the operation that replaced a ligament in his elbow, Shepherd was ascending to heights rarely reached by high school pitchers.
As a freshman, Shepherd was sensational as he tossed a four-hit shutout against Greenup County in the state tournament quarterfinals. A year later, Shepherd steamrolled through 46 consecutive scoreless innings, a state record. He pitched well again at the state tournament in Lexington, but the Bulldogs fell in extra innings to Owensboro Catholic.
During his sophomore season, Greenup County baseball coach Greg Logan was even prompted to make this statement about Shepherd following a regular-season shutout of the Musketeers: “I would say that Shepherd is the best pitcher in the state of Kentucky at this time,” said Logan.
Shepherd was also on the heels of another fall as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback.
Said former Lawrence County football coach Billy Goldsmith: “He’s one of the best athletes that’s ever come through Lawrence County. I have said for years that we’re going to watch this kid on TV. He’s done nothing to change my mind about that.”
Keeton lumped Shepherd into a group alongside former Lawrence County greats Jason Michael, Gerad Parker, Steve Blevins and Spencer Harris.
The outlook was blindingly bright for Shepherd, so, while it was difficult and grueling at times, he remained dead set on keeping it that way after undergoing successful surgery by Dr. Timothy Kremchek and 18 months of rehabilitation.
“To me, he showed his competitive nature,” Feltner said. “He had surgery in July, he was in a sling until September, and he was talking about going out to play basketball.”
When baseball finally came around, his focus was limited to a four-by-six foot rectangular box adjacent to home plate.
“In his mind, he was always a pitcher first,” Feltner said. “That was taken away and he took off with it. He was a staple in our lineup every day in 2010.
“That was a hard year for him, but he matured a lot mentally and emotionally in that time,” said the third-year Bulldogs coach. “I think he was either going to do that or it was going to go in the opposite direction.”
Feltner credited the leadership of Shepherd and fellow senior Tate Banks for the Bulldogs’ 28-5 record this season, which ended with a 13-3 loss to Newport Central Catholic in the first round of the state tournament.
Shepherd’s outstanding career shouldn’t be overshadowed by his final outing — he relented seven runs, albeit unearned, in 1 2/3 innings against N.C.C.
“That was tough,” Feltner said. “After the team got on the bus, and I spoke to them, Chandler asked if he could talk to everybody at the hotel. He talked to the team for about three or four minutes.”
Shepherd was Kentucky Mr. Baseball runner-up, finishing behind Warren East’s Mark Biggs, a Louisville signee who was drafted in the eighth round by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Despite all of Shepherd’s accolades he has stayed grounded and humble, according to Feltner.
“He’s had a reputation around here for years,” Feltner said. “But in our locker room or dugout, he’s never been treated any different and didn’t want to be.”
AARON SNYDER can be reached at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.Chandler Shepherd a curveball, he swung for the fences.
That was the Lawrence County legend’s only option, because when the stardom-destined pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2009, he was determined to deny any sort of sad ending to his story.
A .531 batting average with 10 home runs and 38 runs batted in provided some sanity for Shepherd, who was shut off from the pitching mound his entire junior season after his golden arm finally gave out as a 16-year-old.
Shepherd itched so badly to compete in something during his recovery that prevented him from playing football that he nearly laced up the high-tops again. He hadn’t played basketball since eighth grade, but he “could have probably played at the next level in football or basketball too,” said Randy Keeton, Lawrence County’s athletic director and Shepherd’s baseball coach from seventh to ninth grades.
“He’s as good an athlete I’ve ever been around at this age,” Keeton said.
Shepherd’s just that kind of athlete, with that rare breed of competitive nature embedded within. Therefore, with an amazing comeback and a sterling start bookending a rigorous road to recovery, a sports legend in Louisa has landed himself on a select list. Shepherd is The Independent’s Tony Curnutte Memori

[lcgrad2002]

A very good story by Aaron Snyder of the Ashland Daily Independent. A prestigious award given to only a select few. Chandler is an outstanding young man with a hunger to win and a know how to get there. It has been a complete pleasure to watch him play baseball for my four years that I have watched him. He is the best I have seen come out of Lawrence County, and I wish him the best. Congrats Chan the Man!!!

[Stardust]

Congrats to Chandler

[IHIGH JCTV]

Congrats Shep! Well deserved!

[indian18]

great honor

[Blue Chrome]

And he's a heck of a nice guy. Chandler is very humble when you talk to him.

[Stars and Stripes]

I'm glad Chandler got this award. He deserves every ounce of the success he has, and is a first class kid and worker. Best of luck to him at UK.