[Stardust]

A shoulder injury may have kept Bishop Brossart senior baseball player Jared Hahn from his main love in the game – playing in the field – for the majority of this season, but it hasn’t kept from doing what he also does very well, which is hit.

Hahn, a starter at shortstop since his sophomore season, hasn’t played in the field for about the past six weeks after being diagnosed with severe inflammation in his labrum and rotator cuff, but he has still contributed to the Mustangs’ run to the state tournament - entrenched in the leadoff spot in the batting order as the designated hitter.



Brossart (25-12), the 10th Region champion, will play a first-round game in its first ever Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Baseball Tournament appearance at 6 p.m. on Monday against 15th Region champion Pikeville (27-7).

Hahn is coming off a 10th Region Tournament in which he went 6-for-10, including 3-for-4 in the regional title win over Harrison County, and is batting .381 on the season, with nine doubles, two triples and 36 runs scored, which ranks third on the team.

After being diagnosed with the inflammation, which according to Hahn his doctor initially thought would lead to surgery, he was kept out of baseball entirely for a week.

“When the MRI was negative for surgery, he wrote that I could hit and it was a relief,” said Hahn, who is heading to Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky. to continue his career. “Being a senior and all it was pretty bad watching my teammates go out there and play, but they’ve stepped up and played well and it’s good I get to hit. My passion is playing the field, but I’m glad I still get contribute to the team.”

Sophomore Nate Verst, who also pitches, and senior Jesse Orth have filled in for Hahn at shortstop.

Hahn said it hurt a lot to even swing the bat when he first came back to hitting, and that it still hurts some, but daily physical therapy has helped significantly.

“It hurts sometimes when I follow through, but once the game starts the adrenaline helps,” said Hahn. “The inflammation and the pain have gone down a lot since I quit throwing.”

First-year head coach Ron Verst said it’s a tribute to Hahn that he worked hard just to return to hit.

“It just shows how much he wanted to be a part of the team,” said Verst, whose father is a first cousin to Nate’s father and also to the father of sophomore Conner Verst. “It’s been frustrating for him.. That was the one constant we had was Jared Hahn at shortstop. Not many schools our size have something like that, because usually that guys pitching.”

The diminutive Hahn, who has hit only one home run in his career, but has gap-to-gap power, said he loves hitting leadoff to set the table for the Mustangs’ potent middle of the order of senior center fielder/pitcher Zach Fardo (.327 BA, 10 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 7 HRs, 36 RBI, 47 runs), junior catcher Tanner Norton (.425 BA, 17 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 3 HRs, 29 RBI, 34 runs), senior left fielder/center fielder Trevor Bezold (.425 BA, 11 2Bs, 5 3Bs, 5 HRs, 44 RBI, 37 runs) and senior first baseman Bobby Roderick (.354 BA, 26 RBI).

“I like being the guy that sets the table, because it pretty much sets the momentum for our team,” said Hahn. “We have a lot of guys behind me who knock me in.”

Hahn will especially be important against Pikeville, which has a 1.50 team ERA.

“I think he relishes that role,” said Ron Verst. “He wants to be on that field so much so he’s going do everything he can to lead the team. “He always puts the bat on the ball and gives you good at bats. He’s just a good leadoff batter. We’ve gotten ahead quickly in a lot of games because of him and it will be nice if we can do it for a few more games.”http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...306020073/

[Stardust]

[Image: http://cmsimg.nky.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bil...p-Brossart]