THE SOUTHPAW: Fairfield's Hershberger sets example in field, dugout and classroom

Apr. 28—GOSHEN — A cool, calm demeanor greets the baseball diamond whenever Fairfield junior Alec Hershberger marches out to the mound for the Falcons on game day.

Once he takes his place a top the hill, the way he carries himself during an outing oozes a confidence you don't find in every 16 year old.

While Hershberger doesn't always show a ton of emotion while pitching, his passion for the game of baseball is unparalleled.

A southpaw with a very deceptive delivery to the plate, the 6'1", 180-pound ace has already had an incredibly impressive high school career and continues to work on his craft in the offseason on travel ball teams during the summer months.

His efforts have opened the eyes of colleges at every level, ranging from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, to Purdue in West Lafayette.

And while it's one thing to be the ultimate example as a talented baseball player, Hershberger's also the ultimate person and teammate as well.

"He makes not only himself better, but the team better," said Fairfield head coach Darin Kauffman of Hershberger. "His attitude, his work ethic — when you talk about a perfect player and perfect kid, that's Alec Hershberger. He does everything the right way."

BASEBALL ORIENTED

To become the type of baseball player Hershberger has morphed into over the years, other distractions have to be left behind.

One of the biggest distractions that can sometimes be harmful to an athlete's growth is the participation in other sports.

Hershberger knew some years ago that baseball was what he wanted to focus all of his attention toward, and he's effectively chased his goals within the sport ever since.

"Baseball's been my main sport for a while," Hershberger said. "You know, I played some basketball through middle school and early high school, but baseball has always been my main focus. Around seventh or eighth grade, I decided (baseball) is what I wanted to do. I felt like I was really good at it, and I believed I could play at the next level."

A lot of Hershberger's passion for the game of baseball stems from the feeling he gets when on the mound. Every sport is strategic, but sometimes the mental game of cat and mouse during a game on the diamond rivals everything else.

Nobody knows that more than Hershberger.

"One of the biggest things for me is the mental side of the game," Hershberger said. "I love being able to outthink the other team as I'm pitching on the mound. Just knowing what situation to throw what in is a huge thing for me.

"I love to be able to control the game. I can throw what I want whenever I want, while at the same time, helping my team out. It's a cool feeling."

Hershberger has the ability to play in the field and bat when needed, but his main focus remains on the bump.

With a talented and experienced team behind him this season, Hershberger knows his mindset can mostly stay on rival batters as opposed to his place in the batter's box or in the field.

"I'll bat some and play first base or the outfield, but I don't do it a whole lot," Hershberger said. "We have a great team this year. Everybody's amazing, so we don't have to have too many extra guys playing. It's really nice to be able to focus on pitching knowing that everybody else has my back. No matter what spot we're in, we are a great team all around."

A DECEPTIVE DELIVERY

Hershberger's unique ability to be such a successful facilitator comes from the left hander's delivery that makes it very difficult for hitters to pick up on.

During his delivery, the ball is rarely visible until the junior releases it. By then, it's too late for a lot of the area's hitters to make a play. Because of this, Hershberger racks up the strikeouts game-in and game-out.

"I think it definitely keeps hitters off balance," said Hershberger of his side-winding delivery. "I think it makes it a little more rare (for opposing hitters) too because you don't see a lot of lefties, especially one's that throw harder. It's definitely a different thing for hitters to see when you have a hard-throwing lefty up there."

"He does a really good job of hiding the ball," Kauffman added. "When he's going through his wind up, he twists his body toward the mound, and the hitters can't really get a good feel when he comes across his body like that. ... It's hard to catch him in practice, and the guys don't like to hit him in practice. The number one thing they say about him is how well he hides the ball, and then it's just there. It's a tough challenge for anybody."

GROWTH ON THE MOUND

Hershberger's made a lot of strides over the last couple of years refining his three-pitch rotation.

His fastball is now in the upper 80's, and his curveball and changeup continue to show increased movement. Sometimes, a breaking ball is the perfect follow up for a heater, especially with a delivery like Hershberger's.

"My velocity on my fastball has jumped a lot," Hershberger said. "My freshman year, I was throwing low 80's. Last year, I bumped it up to mid 80's and now I'm in the upper 80's. So its definitely progressed a lot over the last couple of years.

"My curveball has really progressed a lot as well. It used to be a little loopy, but now it has a lot sharper of a break on it. It moves downward, but it also has some run to it. It cuts in on a righty and also goes down, which I think makes it a really good back-door curve/slider."

Hershberger hopes his fastball creeps into the low 90's before his high school career ends. Along with that, adding another pitch or two to his rundown will be in the plans as well.

"I think it'd be good to maybe start working a cutter in a little bit," Hershberger said. "Just to get some more hard movement toward the plate so I can continue to keep hitters off balance and not just pitch a regular fastball when I'm trying to throw strikes."

His overall progression on the mound during parts of two seasons on Fairfield's varsity baseball team has been evident in the scorebook.

As a sophomore last season, Hershberger pitched 54.2 innings, giving up 21 runs (seven earned) on 25 hits. He showcased very good command on the mound, striking out 97 batters while only walking 19 during 10 starts in 2021.

Hershberger has gotten off to an even stronger start his junior campaign, allowing just three earned runs on nine hits through 24 innings pitched. He has already collected 50 strikeouts through four starts to go along with just eight walks.

From a career standpoint, the Fairfield hurler has put together a 0.89 earned run average while striking out 147 batters during 78 innings pitched.

"He's put a lot of work into this," Kauffman said. "His composure on the mound is excellent. Even when he gives up a couple of hits or leaves a couple balls up every once in a while, you will not notice that anything bothers him. His maturity level is at the top."

A FUTURE IN COLLEGE BASEBALL

All of the tools and characteristics that shape Hershberger into who he is as both a player and a person make him a coveted asset for a number of college baseball programs.

As of now, Hershberger has garnered interest from Eastern Illinois, Taylor University, Toledo, Purdue as a preferred walk-on, Ball State, Indiana State and Valparaiso.

Earlier this season, a scout from Wright State watched him pitch as well.

"I think it'll be up to the summer to see how I develop," said Hershberger of his recruiting process. "(My development) will play a big part in where I decide to go. ... At some points, the recruiting process can be confusing and a bit daunting if you're thinking that you have to make a decision right away. But I know I can take my time and make it my own timeline.

"There's so many people that are committing super early, and if that's for them, that's great. But for me, I want to take my time and really make sure I find where I want to go."

Hershberger's baseball attributes alone will land him a scholarship somewhere when his playing days at Fairfield come to an end. However, his skills in the classroom — a 3.9 grade point average — and his stance as a top-notch teammate on and off the diamond will also make him a quality addition to any dugout at the collegiate level.

"I think the sky's the limit for him," Kauffman said. "I think he's going to be able to make his choice of where he wants to go to school, and he'll have a lot of opportunities. With his grades and his skill, he'll be set with where he wants to go. I tell these college recruiters that get a hold of me that whoever gets him is getting a kid that's going to make everyone better around him. Not only because of his skill, but because of the type of kid he is.

"He's a huge leader for us, and he's always a good representation of our program out on the mound. He leads us in many ways on and off the field, and I'm just glad he's only a junior."

Evan Lepak can be reached at evan.lepak@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240326. Follow him on Twitter @EvanMPLepak.