He smiles at the thought of Park, a freshman third baseman this season for the Pioneers (24-6), who are seeking their fifth NCAA Division III championship.
“Braden is the poster boy student-athlete at this level,” Deegan said. “He’s a tremendous student, but he can also play. You’ve got to have both here. We compete at a national level, so they need to have a certain level of skill. It’s more like a small Division I program. That’s probably the best way to describe it.”
Park is Marietta’s starter at the hot corner. The Talawanda High School graduate is hitting .358 with eight doubles, a home run and 16 RBIs.
He missed the first game of the season after teammate Logan Lewis cracked his helmet with a scrimmage pitch, sending him on a precautionary trip to the hospital.
The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Park didn’t have a blazing beginning, but he’s been in the starting lineup 27 times.
“He had a really good fall,” Marietta coach Brian Brewer said. “His strong suit is just his knowledge offensively. He knows the strike zone. He does a nice job with two strikes. The weakness is that he’s not a real quick, real fast-twitch type guy, but he’s working on that. And he’s figuring out how to play at this level defensively.”
Deegan, who’s also the Pioneers’ hitting coach, said increased strength will be the key to Park’s progress.
“He’s got very advanced plate discipline for a kid his age,” Deegan said. “He does come around on the ball a little bit. He hits a lot of balls from the shortstop to the foul line instead of driving balls to the alleys.
“I know it doesn’t sound right, but getting stronger goes hand in hand with hitting balls in the middle of the field,” he continued. “The stronger he gets, the more confidence he’ll have in driving the ball to the opposite alley. With his body type, he has the ability to really make big gains. How much stronger he gets is going to make the difference in whether he’s good or great.”
Park said he chose Marietta over Wooster and Heidelberg in large part because the Pioneers needed a starting third baseman.
In Brewer’s view, timing is everything.
“What we say to all the kids throughout the recruiting process is, do your strengths meet our needs at this time?” the seventh-year Marietta coach said. “This year, we’re graduating our top two catchers. The conversation we had with every high school third baseman last year, it’s the same conversation we’re having with every catcher this year.”
Park said his annual goal is to hit .400. Even if that happens, he realizes it won’t guarantee him anything.
College coaches look for better players every year. That’s how the system works.
“What it means is, you just can’t slack off,” Park said. “That’s the difference between high school and college. I know I’ve got to make an impression on the coach every day. Anything can happen.”
Marietta’s year-round workout program is demanding, and Park has grown accustomed to dealing with foot pain, just as he did during his days at Talawanda.
He misses football, having been a standout quarterback with the Braves. Park toyed with the idea of playing football and baseball at Marietta.
“I remember going to their first two home football games here, just watching every play and having a lot of memories,” he said. “That was hard. But it’s one of those things you deal with when you have to make a decision in your life. I miss it, but I had to do it.”
Park, who spent his early childhood in Canada, feels comfortable on the eastern edge of Ohio. The 19-year-old was ready to experience life away from home, though Park said he’s happy to see his parents in the Marietta stands on a regular basis.
He started the school year as a sports medicine major, but quickly realized it wasn’t for him. He’s now considering business or finance.
“Right now, I feel like this is my home,” Park said. “I fit better in a small place. It just feels right.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2194 or rcassano@coxohio.com.
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