Stepping into the batter’s box against classmate Noah DeArmitt at practice last week, Franklin sophomore Max Clark was eager for the opportunity to rake against live pitching on a decent enough March afternoon.
Alas, the opportunity never really came. Clark took two pitches out of the zone before a third came in high and tight, smacking into the earpiece of his helmet.
("Oops," DeArmitt tweeted that evening.)
Clark shook off the sting and stepped back in, only to watch ball four zoom past and go back to waiting.
Patience is a virtue that Clark has had plenty of time to develop. Long regarded as a top-shelf player — he verbally committed to Vanderbilt in November of 2019 — Clark was eager to get on the field for the Grizzly Cubs last spring before the onset of the pandemic wound up wiping out the high school baseball season before it started.
"That was probably the most disappointing thing I’ve gone through in my baseball career," Clark said. "I have been looking forward to playing in front of Franklin for probably four or five years now. I never really got a chance to play in front of my hometown, or with any of my guys, because I left for the (Indiana) Bulls when I was 12. Having that stripped away was actually really heartbreaking.
"But coming back this year, we’ve got a really strong team behind me and Jace Fowler; we’re going to be something great and something that Franklin hasn’t had in a while."
Indian Creek has won the last two Johnson County tournament titles and Center Grove — ranked sixth in the preseason state coaches poll and second by Prep Baseball Report — is the bright, shiny object heading into the season, but the Grizzly Cubs have raised some eyebrows as well.
One of the primary reasons, of course, is the long-awaited arrival of Clark.
Franklin coach Ryan Feyerabend calls him "a five-tool kid" and notes that had there been a 2020 season, Clark would have been the first freshman to pitch varsity innings during his tenure. With a fastball that tops out in the low 90s, he can certainly impact a game from the mound, but he’s primarily projected as an outfielder down the road.
The sum total of Clark’s skills are enough to put his name near the top of the Class of 2023 heap. Prep Baseball Report ranks him as the No. 2 sophomore in the country; Perfect Game rates him seventh.
Neither number is good enough for Clark, who dreams of hearing his name called at or near the top of the Major League Baseball draft right after he graduates from Franklin.
He’s appreciative of the accolades he’s received thus far, but he’s not letting them go to his head.
"I’ve seen people that have been ranked high, ranked No. 1, and then they just fall down in the draft stock later on. Right now, my goal is to get to No. 1 and stay at No. 1," Clark said. "I’m still 16 years old, and I’m only a sophomore. A lot can happen in these next two years, so I’ve really got to dial in for these next two years and make sure that I am No. 1, or I am a draft pick, because nothing is set in stone."
Some players with such a high skill level might bristle at the idea of taking constructive criticism from their high school coach, thinking that they’ve got it all figured out already and don’t need to listen. But there’s no hint of prima donna in Clark at all.
"One of Max’s better traits, surprisingly, is his coachability," Feyerabend said. "He just listens to anybody on the coaching staff. … He’s just a very humble and coachable kid. He comes to work and wants to succeed at a high level."
Perhaps just as importantly, Clark wants his team to succeed. As soon as the season was shut down a year ago, he and several of his teammates started working out together at Powerhouse Athletics in Franklin — hours a day almost every day.
The expectation among the Grizzly Cubs is that they’ll reap the rewards for all that work in the weeks to come.
"Right now, we’re just taking it one game at a time," Clark said. "Our goal is obviously never lose a game, but there’s a lot of studs out there. But I know that our team that we have right now can compete with just about anybody in the state."
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<strong>Center Grove Trojans</strong>
Coach: Keith Hatfield
Top returnees: Tyler Cerny and Mitchell Evans, juniors
Key newcomers: Drue Young, senior; Caden Curry, Sam Griffith, Owen Guilfoy and Jacob Wilson, juniors
Outlook: While the Trojans only have two players with any varsity experience, they’re also loaded with highly rated travel players and Division I prospects, especially in the sophomore and junior classes. Though Center Grove is ranked sixth in the state’s preseason coaches poll, Hatfield is hesitant to consider his team even a sectional favorite since it hasn’t won a single postseason game since 2016. Still, there’s no denying that this is one of the most talent-rich squads in Indiana and should be for the next couple of years.
<strong>Edinburgh Lancers</strong>
Coach: Dennis Smith
Top returnees: Noah Detling, senior; Ian Buchanan and Riley Palmeter, juniors
Key newcomers: Cade Anderson, Landen Burton and Colin Richardson, juniors; Jared Turner, sophomore; Gabe Bennett, freshman
Outlook: The Lancers don’t have much varsity experience returning, so Smith isn’t sure how they’ll fare against a daunting schedule early on. There is, however, a great deal of talent coming in, with some multi-sport athletes out for the first time and a promising freshman in Bennett, who has played travel baseball for years. Smith believes that as the guys who haven’t played in a while get their bearings, Edinburgh should grow into a sectional title contender by season’s end.
<strong>Franklin Grizzly Cubs</strong>
Coach: Ryan Feyerabend
Top returnees: Jackson Klem and Brodie Rinehold, seniors; Jace Fowler, junior
Key newcomers: Ethan VanLannen, senior; Xavier Brown, Logan Devenport, Nolan Netter and Titus Phillips, juniors; Beau Baker, Max Clark, Noah DeArmitt, Drew Doty, Jackson Henry and Pryce Rucker, sophomores
Outlook: Thought just three players with meaningful varsity experience remain from 2019, Feyerabend has what he calls the best collection of talent he’s had since taking the job. Leading the way are a pair of Division I recruits in Fowler (Indiana State) and Clark (Vanderbilt). The Grizzly Cubs aren’t lacking for firepower or confidence, and they should be in the mix for county, conference and sectional titles. If Center Grove is the favorite locally, Franklin is a close second.
<strong>Greenwood Woodmen</strong>
Coach: Andy Bass
Top returnees: Charlie Brooks, senior; Alex Honeycutt, junior
Key newcomers:Â Collin Campbell, Matt Jobe, Blake Owens, Chad Prentiss, Zak Rasener, Isaac Simpson and Ryan Tuttle, seniors; Luke Fiesel, Aidan Luttrell, Josh Miller, Connor Stidham, Nic Whitecotten and Dom Wright, juniors; Payton King, sophomore
Outlook: Two years removed from a dismal 2-22 season, Bass believes the Woodmen will be far more competitive this spring. He’s got more athletes to work with than in recent years, and a deeper reservoir of serviceable pitchers. Whether it’s enough to crack the upper half of a tough Mid-State Conference remains to be seen, but Greenwood should be able to make a decent jump upward in the win column.
<strong>Greenwood Christian Cougars</strong>
Coach: Doug Hagist
Top returnees: Gabe Nelson, Jake Simons and Garrett Wright, seniors; Caleb Parson, junior
Key newcomers: Eli Ellis, Trey Harney and Jake Potter, sophomores; Charlie Overton and Micah Vessely, freshmen
Outlook: Hagist is excited about this year’s group despite having only four players with varsity experience. For one, he believes he’s got good pitching depth, with five capable arms. In addition, the underclassmen are the first group he’s had come up through the lower grades together at GCA. If some of those freshmen and sophomores can become regular contributors, the Cougars should be able to compete for a sectional crown in late May.
<strong>Indian Creek Braves</strong>
Coach: Steve Mirizzi
Key newcomers: Justin Partyka and Caden Walker, seniors; Sam Boyd, Drew Gavin and Jackson Wong, juniors; Nolan Ankney, sophomore; Brock Bragg, freshman
Outlook: Aside from Partyka, who played at Brown County two years ago, the Braves don’t have any players who have seen varsity action. Mirizzi expects to have at least three freshmen in his starting lineup, led by a promising catcher in Bragg. Though Indian Creek faces a tough schedule, both early on and in the conference, the hope is that the baptism by fire will help fuel the young players’ growth and contribute to what is expected to be a bright future.
<strong>Whiteland Warriors</strong>
Coach: Scott Sherry
Key newcomers: Nick Dwenger, Corey Gordon, Preston Pitzer and John Wray, seniors; Quinn Warweg, junior
Outlook: A senior-dominated outfit in 2019, the Warriors have exactly zero players who have even put on a varsity uniform in the past, so Sherry isn’t quite sure what to expect. Whiteland should get contributions from players in every class; what those contributions will amount to in terms of wins remains to be seen, but this program has always managed to put a competitive team on the field in years past, and the year should be no exception.
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