<p><strong>E</strong>ven without a senior season, Center Grove’s No. 1 pitcher had assembled enough of a résumé to be noticed by college baseball programs.</p><p>All the same, Grant Herron is glad he signed his national letter of intent in November.</p><p>“Or else college baseball might not have happened,” said Herron, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander who signed with Bradley University, at Missouri Valley Conference school located in Peoria, Illinois. “At the time, I felt Bradley was a good fit, so I jumped on that opportunity.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>“I really like the coaches, and the facilities are nice, too. We play at a minor league ballpark (8,500-seat Dozer Park, home of the Class A Peoria Chiefs). It looks like a pitcher’s park.”</p><p>With spring sports canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis, the opportunity to use baseball season to garner additional recruiting interest was negated. But after posting a 7-1 record as a junior with barely visible earned-run average (1.02), Herron was already being noticed.</p><p>The University of Indianapolis and St. Leo (Florida) University, both Division II schools, made scholarship offers to Herron. Indiana State and Ball State were also showing interest by the time Herron signed to play at Bradley, a program averaging 30 victories per season over the last five years.</p><p>In 2015, the Braves advanced to the NCAA Division I regional in Louisville before being eliminated with a loss to Michigan.</p><p>In these unprecedented times of social distancing, Herron and his Trojan teammates have mostly worked out on their own in order to stay in baseball shape. Nine of Center Grove’s 11 seniors have committed to play college baseball, a number that speaks to how special this squad could have been had a season been played.</p><p>“I’ve literally been playing with or against these players since I was 6,” Herron said. “I’ve just tried to keep doing what I’ve been doing over the winter, throwing weighted balls, playing long toss and things like that. It’s hard not to be lifting weights, so I’ve been doing body-weight exercises in my basement.”</p><p>Another big part of Center Grove’s 23-3 record in 2019 was Herron’s .400 batting average, mostly from the third spot in the lineup. Herron led the Trojans in home runs (5) and runs batted in (40), sharing Daily Journal Player of the Year honors with since-graduated Indian Creek pitcher Dustin Sprong.</p><p>Herron was poised for another monster season before the pandemic changed everything.</p><p>“Grant had a great season for us last year, but he probably made more (offseason) changes at the plate than on the mound,” Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. “We shortened his swing, and we were looking forward to watching his development.</p><p>“But it’s not like he was a kid who was never seen. Grant had enough interest from enough people, he would have gone somewhere to play. He’s a kid who would have been fine.”</p>
