Coldwater's Brock Thornton signs with Ivy Tech Baseball

Legendary New York Yankees skipper Casey Stengel once said “No baseball pitcher would be a darn without a catcher who could handle the hot fastball.”

While the merits of that quote are certainly up for debate, what isn’t up for debate is the importance of a leader behind the plate, one who can make a difference at the plate and one who can make a major difference behind it. For the past several years that is what the Coldwater Cardinals have enjoyed with the now graduated Brock Thornton, the starting catcher for the past two seasons under head coach Randy Spangler. And now, that is what Ivy Tech Baseball will enjoy as Thornton recently signed his letter of intent to play baseball for the Ivy Tech Titans.

“I was playing in a tournament down in Fort Wayne, IN. and someone from Ivy Tech approached me and asked if I would interested in coming in for a visit,” said Thornton. “The campus was really nice and I started to look at the baseball team and I saw that it was a pretty solid program and from there I figured it was a pretty good fit. I had looked at places like Hope College, Trine and Olivet but in the end Ivy Tech felt like the right fit. For me, being able to play baseball 100% factored in to where I chose to go to college.”

In Thornton, Ivy Tech is bringing in a smart, tough and athletic catcher to help add to an already solid roster that finished 16-19 on the season. The Ivy Tech roster however will say goodbye to much of their depth at catcher from last season, including one of their leading hitters in Noah Matheson who appeared in 29 games behind the dish for the Titans while batting .329 on the season.

Thornton looks ready to step right into the line up after season that saw him continue to be a steady presence behind the plate, in the field and on the mound for Coldwater this season. Day in and day out Thornton proved to be one of the best in the conference both on defense and at the plate. Offensively Thornton finished the season with a robust batting average of .318 after recording 27 hits in 85 at-bats, a number that included 18 singles, five doubles, two triples and two home runs, including one grand slam, to go along with 18 Rbis and 17 runs scored. Thornton also drew nine walks on the year compared to only 16 strikeouts. Perhaps Thornton’s best game at the plate came in a May 4 drubbing of rival Pennfield when he finished 2 for 3 with a double and a walk-off grand slam home run to complete the 15 run mercy rule lead.

Thornton was no slouch in the field either as he bounced between playing numerous positions, including catcher, pitcher and in the outfield. In all Thornton had 139 put outs in 164 chances for a fielding percentage of .963. Thornton had 19 assists on the season compared to only six fielding errors throughout the year. Behind the plate Thornton caught a total of 126 innings of baseball, allowing only 11 passed balls while throwing out 10 opposing base runners attempting to steal.

In addition to his prowess at the plate and in the field, Thornton was a pretty solid pitcher for the Cardinals this season. Thornton made seven starts this year, throwing a total of 34.1 innings, compiling a record of 2-4 overall with an ERA of 3.466. Thornton gave up a total of 30 hits over the 34.1 innings pitched while walking 27 batters and striking out 30.

“I think Brock (Thornton) has the opportunity to play a couple of different spots at Ivy Tech, I mean he’s a solid catcher but when they see his arm they may be interested in having him pitch,” said Coldwater head baseball coach Randy Spangler. “Nowadays good catchers are very hard to find but in the same token, so are pitchers, so I think in the end Brock will head down there and see where they want him to go and wherever that is he’ll work hard to get on the field. I think his athletic ability is amazing, he’s very strong and very gifted at a lot of things, and he has worked really hard on the mental aspect of the game, thinking through each situation and what needs to happen when the time comes. I think that has given him an edge this season, one that has helped him reach new heights in terms of ability. For Brock (Thornton), like any other athlete heading to college, it’s important being able to balance athletics with academics. Some kids struggle with that, some kids don’t, I don’t foresee Brock having any trouble there. He’s got all the tools he needs to succeed at the next level, he just needs to put them all together when he gets there.”

Thornton is well aware of the challenges of moving on to the collegiate level and he knows what he needs to work on in order to find himself a spot in the lineup for the Titans. “I just need to work on all the little things that makes a baseball player good,” said Thornton. “Like hitting the ball low and away and getting the timing right when I’m catching different pitchers, stuff like that. But with a few weeks of practice I think I’ll be able to get that down pretty well.”

Thornton was a three sport athlete for Coldwater High School, earning varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball, all while enjoying some amazing moments on the field. Looking back on his time at Coldwater Thornton had a number of favorite memories, but the one that stood out the most involved not his spring sport, but his fall sport. “My favorite memory, if I’m going to be honest, is Friday Night Lights (football). There is nothing like that experience, the moments before the game, we have that team prayer before we go out and then the adrenaline rush as you run out there, there is nothing like it.”

Wherever Thornton ends up on the field at Ivy Tech he will most assuredly make a difference as his skill, athleticism and dedication will surely help him adapt to any situation. Congratulations to Coldwater’s Brock Thornton on his decision to continue his academic and athletic career at Ivy Tech Community College.

Get to Know Your Recruit

Name: Brock Thornton

School: Coldwater High School

College: Ivy Tech Community College

Major: Business with the intention of going into Real Estate and hopefully owning his own business

Favorite Food: Venison

Favorite Dessert: Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Favorite Movie: Pulp Fiction

Favorite TV Show: Rick and Morty

Hobbies: “I love to hunt and fish. One of my best memories is being with my dad when he got his big buck, we were just sitting in a tree stand and this big buck walked within 5 yards of us. Just a special moment to be there with him when that happened.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Coldwater's Brock Thornton signs with Ivy Tech Baseball