Class 1A-4A baseball: Decatur Heritage's Nash Rippen repeats as Player of the Year
Jun. 16—When the smoke cleared, the last batter pitchers facing Decatur Heritage wanted to see standing at home plate was Nash Rippen.
The Decatur Heritage catcher has a first name that rhymes with smash, which is what Rippen can do with a bat in his hands.
The last name Rippen is also a pretty good description of what it looks like when he explodes into swing mode and sends a ball soaring into the distance.
"He's an amazing young man who can hit a baseball like few people I've ever seen," Decatur Heritage coach Steve Meek said.
Rippen helped Decatur Heritage (28-11) advance to the Class 2A state championship series where the Eagles fell short in a tight series with powerhouse G.W. Long.
The Wallace State-Hanceville signee finished the season hitting .465 with 47 hits, 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 RBIs, 17 two-out RBIs, 34 runs scored and 36 walks.
Those numbers earned him the Class 2A Hitter of the Year All-State honor. He's also the Daily's Class 1A-4A Player of the Year. It's his second season in a row to receive The Daily's honor.
If you combined Rippen's numbers for the last two seasons, he had 87 hits in 193 at bats for a .451 average with 52 extra base hits, including 24 home runs, 67 runs scored and 103 RBIs.
"This season didn't end the way we wanted, but I'm happy we got to go to the championship series," Rippen said. "We had a season full of memories that will last forever."
Producing big numbers hitting is one thing. Doing it in clutch situations is another. The fact that 17 of Rippen's 50 RBIs this season came with two outs is a testament to his ability to produce in pressure situations.
His numbers from Decatur Heritage's playoff run are equally impressive. The Eagles went 8-3 in the playoffs. Rippen hit .414 with 12 hits, including six home runs and three doubles. He drove in 15 runs and scored 11 runs.
"There's just something about the playoffs," Rippen said. "That's when it's important to be at your best."
Rippen admits he's had bittersweet feelings since the season ended. He's looking forward to his future at Wallace. Playing at the junior college gives him a great opportunity to impress coaches at four-year colleges and even pro scouts.
"That's really exciting," Rippen said. "Playing at the next level is something I've always wanted."
It's still difficult for Rippen to leave the experience at Decatur Heritage behind.
"Most of us that play baseball at Heritage also played football. So Coach Meek is the only head coach we've had in high school," Rippen said. "We sure wanted to get him a championship to close out his career. That's the way he deserved to go out."
— david.elwell@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @DD_DavidElwell.
