“I definitely like the way it’s going right now,” Richardson said. “But I want to keep going – I don’t want to let up.”
Richardson has struck out 43 and walked only seven. That’s a strikeout-to-walk ratio every coach loves.
“He’s definitely beyond his years, that’s for sure,” Butler coach Trent Dues said. “First of all, he’s very poised, which is very uncommon for a freshman. He’s very confident in all his skills, and obviously his skill set is pretty large. He has a natural amount of savvy that is hard to teach.”
Richardson’s fastball sits in the low to mid-80s, maybe a little faster at times. The last time he was clocked was last summer at 86 mph. He likes his two-seam fastball best for the way in runs in on left-handers. He’s 15 so his fastball projects into the 90s by the time he finishes high school. And he’s left-handed.
Those factors got the early attention of college coaches who saw him pitch in summer tournaments and at camps. Lots of big-name schools were calling him, including Kentucky, a family favorite. In early January, Richardson took the unusual early step of committing as a freshman. The choice is Kentucky.
“When I was talking to the coach, he brought up a good point,” Richardson said, “that once you find what you want in a school, why wait, why keep getting all these offers, even though it’s early. If you like it, just take it.”
To that point, when the recruiting began Richardson talked with his parents about what he wanted to do in college – play baseball and study engineering.
“I had a plan for not coming to school just for baseball,” he said. “My parents taught me a lot about life after baseball, if I were to stop playing, and they want me to have a good career.”
The Aviators (11-2, 7-1 Miami Valley League) are having a good season with a young team following a trip to the Division I regional final last year with a senior-led team. Sophomore Jordan Taylor makes for a strong 1-2 starting pitcher punch. He has a 2.71 ERA in 20 1/3 innings.
“I really didn’t know what to expect because we had so many unknowns,” Dues said. “But there were a lot of sophomores and juniors that did not get a chance last year because we had so many good seniors. I knew they were quality kids. So I wouldn’t say it’s a huge surprise, but somewhat of a surprise.”
Bama bound: Springboro junior shortstop A.J. Ewing recently changed his mind about college baseball. After originally committing to Wright State, he announced a decision to play in the SEC at Alabama.
Ewing is ranked No. 5 in Ohio for the class of 2023. He’s batting .350 with a .422 on-base percentage for the Panthers. He has 10 RBIs, one homer and three stolen bases.
GWOC race: Miamisburg, Springboro, Centerville and Fairmont entered Friday’s games with one loss apiece. The losses have all come to each other.
Miamisburg (11-1, 5-1) and Springboro (10-2, 5-1) are the top hitting teams. Junior Teagan Williams leads Miamisburg with a .500 batting average and 12 RBIs. Sophomore Alec Poole leads Springboro with a .467 average and 12 RBIs. Both teams have strong pitching as well. Springboro’s team ERA is 1.98 and Miamisburg’s is 2.86.
Senior catcher Matt Graveline, who is committed to Ohio State, leads Centerville (6-3, 5-1) with a .462 average, six RBIs and six stolen bases. Fairmont’s strength is a pitching staff with a 1.88 ERA, led by junior Lane Coulter (2.00) and senior Cooper Moran (0.50).
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