Late in his freshman season, Drew Naumovich tied a Franklin College baseball standard likely not to be broken for some time.
Naumovich hit six singles in as many at-bats to lead the Grizzlies to an 18-8 win at Manchester in 2016. The feat matched Jesse Wilson’s accomplishment of four years earlier against Augustana (Illinois).
“It was very, very impressive,” said FC coach Lance Marshall, who witnessed both six-hit performances. “That’s a difficult thing to do.”
In Naumovich’s case, it was his third career start, immediately setting the bar high in regards to the remainder of his college baseball career. Fast-forward to today as Naumovich, a steady presence at the plate and playing first base, attempts to savor every aspect of his final season.
“It’s been better than I ever could have expected,” said Naumovich, a Greenwood resident whose father, Jim, is commissioner of the Great Lakes Valley Conference that includes the University of Indianapolis, among others.
“Once I visited Franklin College I knew that’s where I wanted to end up. It’s gone fast. That Manchester game seems like it was just yesterday. I’m trying to enjoy all those little things like morning workouts with teammates and bus rides while I still have them.”
In March, the Grizzlies returned from a six-game swing through Florida in which Naumovich finished with six hits and six runs. As a junior, he was named first team all-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference after batting .346 with four home runs and 27 runs batted in.
Last year’s Franklin College squad finished 39-5 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Central Regional in Sauget, Illinois. The Roncalli graduate is one of the Grizzlies’ captains this season with senior Sam Claycamp and juniors Ryan Bixler and Jarrod Smith.
On the field and off, Naumovich is someone the Grizzlies will miss.
“Drew swings the bat real well. He has a good approach at the plate, hunting for good pitches. It’s a very mature and very intelligent approach,” Marshall said. “Drew is a baseball kid. He understands the nuances of the game.
“But as good of a player as he is, he’s a huge blessing to Franklin College and to our program on an athletic and personal level. I probably can’t come up with enough superlatives to describe him. He’s been a pleasure to have in the program.”
