Talented infielder Gary Kirkland gives the Chesterton baseball a boost as the only sophomore on the varsity roster

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

The quick, sure hands, sharp reflexes and fluid athleticism that make him a natural shortstop capable of making more than just the routine plays eased Gary Kirkland’s to his new position.
The only sophomore on Chesterton’s baseball roster, Kirkland said he enjoys playing third base for the first time. Long, slender and baby-faced, Kirkland is more than holding his own at the plate as well for the 15-4 Trojans.
Batting .347 with a .426 on base percentage, Kirkland has as many walks (11) as strikeouts and is batting out of the No. 6 hole much of the time.
Infielder/pitcher John Knight, along with Caden Hackett the only sophomores on varsity last season, is impressed with how smoothly Kirkland has blended in.
Knight called Kirkland, “very confident. He’s a great baseball player. He plays with a swagger almost. He makes the plays. He always makes the plays. He’s doing very well for being a sophomore on the varsity level.”
Kirkland can bunt and has scored 20 runs and driven in 13. He made the roster more with the future than the present in mind, according to third-year Chesterton baseball coach John Bogner.
“It was more about the pieces we’re going to need moving forward,” Bogner said. “We’ve got to bring him along faster. He’s still sophomore-ish, but he’s doing very well for himself. He’s still learning. He works hard, he’s got some ability and he’s coachable. When you tell him something, he doesn’t look sideways at you.”
As well as Kirkland is doing now, there is reason to believe his contributions will keep pace and then some with his growing body.
“He’s going to gain some weight,” Bogner said. “He’s going to hit the weight room, and he’s only playing baseball, so he’s going to be with us 10 months of the year.”
Seeing how a pair of Division I recruits, Troy Barrett (Purdue) and Rob Czarniecki (Kentucky) go about becoming better baseball players on a daily basis can only benefit Kirkland’s development and the near future of the Chesterton program. In turn, Kirkland’s talent improves the chances of this becoming a memorable season for the seniors.
“I look forward to him over the next couple of years and he’ll have a good supporting cast, too,” Bogner said. “He’s got some freshmen and sophomores who are making huge strides as well. It’ll eventually be his job to be Rob and Troy, bringing guys up to speed.”
For his final two seasons, Kirkland projects as the program’s starting shortstop, a position manned by senior Ethan Glassman, and as a pitcher, where he has appeared in three games this season.
Once he’s the one being looked up, Kirkland plans to treat the younger players just as he’s being treated now.
Of being the lone sophomore, Kirkland said, “There’s a lot of pressure, but it’s pretty fun. Teammates make it great. Everyone’s always equal around here.”
And everyone makes significant contributions. In a 2-0 win over Hobart, his two-strike single drove home the second run and doubled later in the game.
With two strikes, he shortened up on the bat, spread his stance, crouched and made solid contact.
“The two-strike approach helped a lot there,” Kirkland.
And he has helped the varsity baseball team already as a sophomore playing against older, more physically mature players, not an easy accomplishment, especially in a league as competitive as the DAC.