Ben Miller enters his last fall with Nebraska baseball with the same hopes for more and the realization that any position would be fine.
Miller, a senior who was picked in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, is known as a first baseman/designated hitter.
But this fall, like his last three, he’s looking to get some more time pitching.
“Coach (Darin) Erstad likes saving his arms in the fall and I might get a good couple of chances this fall to pitch some,” he said. “I always hope I can get some time on the mound, but if it works out that I’m back at first base, that’s good, too.”
Although the 6-foot-4, 270-pound native of Clive, Iowa, has always had his heart set on doing some pitching, he’s thrown only 2 2/3 innings the past two seasons combined.
Meanwhile, he’s picked up first base quite well. He had just one error in 375 chances last year and earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.
He also saw his batting average climb from .279 to .317 last year, picked up enough extra-base hits to improve his slugging percentage from .395 to .457 and hit a career high six home runs last year.
He was on base often enough with 77 hits, second most on the team, that his famous belly slap, a two-hand slap to the gut, gained plenty of smiles from his teammates.
“We look back at losing two in a row in the Big Ten Tournament and two in a row at the regionals and we didn’t earn a thing,” he said. “Everybody around here wants more and we’re willing to do all the little things to make that happen in each practice.”
The Huskers get 28 practices in the fall.
“I feel a lot of energy around here and I want to take it all in because it’s my last time around,” Miller said.
Miller is one of four seniors returning from last year’s team that reached the NCAA regionals. The others are second baseman Jake Schleppenbach, starting pitcher Derek Burkamper and backup catcher Brady Childs.
Miller and Schleppenbach played some summer baseball for a short while in Alameda, California, before returning to Lincoln for summer workouts and some summer college courses.
“I’m excited to be back here and feeling healthy,” he said. He added there was almost no chance that he would turn pro after his junior year. “We talked when they drafted me and even after I told them I was likely coming back to Nebraska, where they have given me so many opportunities, they called back some more before the July (15) signing deadline.”
He said he also is impressed by the newcomers to the team.
“There are a lot of new guys, new guys every year, but there’s a lot of young talent this year and a couple of (junior college) guys who have experience. We’ve got three weekend starters back (Burkamper, Jake Meyers and Matt Waldron) and we have talented guys everywhere.
“There are no spots taken and we know that we weren’t everything we wanted to be last year,” he said. “It should be a great fall.”
Reach the writer at 402-473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @PanchoHam.
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Miller, a senior who was picked in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, is known as a first baseman/designated hitter.
But this fall, like his last three, he’s looking to get some more time pitching.
“Coach (Darin) Erstad likes saving his arms in the fall and I might get a good couple of chances this fall to pitch some,” he said. “I always hope I can get some time on the mound, but if it works out that I’m back at first base, that’s good, too.”
Although the 6-foot-4, 270-pound native of Clive, Iowa, has always had his heart set on doing some pitching, he’s thrown only 2 2/3 innings the past two seasons combined.
Meanwhile, he’s picked up first base quite well. He had just one error in 375 chances last year and earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.
He also saw his batting average climb from .279 to .317 last year, picked up enough extra-base hits to improve his slugging percentage from .395 to .457 and hit a career high six home runs last year.
He was on base often enough with 77 hits, second most on the team, that his famous belly slap, a two-hand slap to the gut, gained plenty of smiles from his teammates.
“We look back at losing two in a row in the Big Ten Tournament and two in a row at the regionals and we didn’t earn a thing,” he said. “Everybody around here wants more and we’re willing to do all the little things to make that happen in each practice.”
The Huskers get 28 practices in the fall.
“I feel a lot of energy around here and I want to take it all in because it’s my last time around,” Miller said.
Miller is one of four seniors returning from last year’s team that reached the NCAA regionals. The others are second baseman Jake Schleppenbach, starting pitcher Derek Burkamper and backup catcher Brady Childs.
Miller and Schleppenbach played some summer baseball for a short while in Alameda, California, before returning to Lincoln for summer workouts and some summer college courses.
“I’m excited to be back here and feeling healthy,” he said. He added there was almost no chance that he would turn pro after his junior year. “We talked when they drafted me and even after I told them I was likely coming back to Nebraska, where they have given me so many opportunities, they called back some more before the July (15) signing deadline.”
He said he also is impressed by the newcomers to the team.
“There are a lot of new guys, new guys every year, but there’s a lot of young talent this year and a couple of (junior college) guys who have experience. We’ve got three weekend starters back (Burkamper, Jake Meyers and Matt Waldron) and we have talented guys everywhere.
“There are no spots taken and we know that we weren’t everything we wanted to be last year,” he said. “It should be a great fall.”
Reach the writer at 402-473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @PanchoHam.
See Link
