​Eagles Are State Bound After Win Over Warriors

Eagles Are State Bound After Win Over Warriors

5/30/2021

by John Unrein

     Grain Valley Eagle first baseman Kaden Jeffries sat in the dugout prior to the game looking down with his head on his bat. Minutes passed and Eagles head baseball coach Brian Driskell considered checking on whether his clean up hitter was okay. Turns out Jeffries was only gathering his thoughts and visualizing doing good things during the Class 5 Quarterfinal playoff round versus the Smithville Warriors. The Eagles would win the contest by a score of 7-3 on May 29th at Blue Springs South baseball stadium.
     The precedence placed on envisioning positive things paid off for Jeffries in the top of the fourth inning. Jeffries pulled a fastball down the right field line well over the 325 foot sign. The no doubt home run left the entire Grain Valley bench waiting for Jeffries at home plate. A raucous celebration ensued on the way back to the dugout as the Eagles moved ahead 4-0 at that point in the game. Jeffries would end up with three runs batted in total in providing offensive muscle for his team.
     Grain Valley’s confidence was a high point due to scoring at least one run in each of the first four innings. The Eagles dugout was louder than it had been at any point during the season. To say that Eagles came to play would have been an understatement. A sentiment echoed by Jeffries who held true to being a young man of few words.
     “The more chances I get to see the baseball throughout at-bats during the game the better I feel about my swing. Today was no different. I knew the baseball was gone (on the home run) as soon as it left my bat,” Jeffries said.
     “Getting to go to Springfield next and getting to travel with the boys was the best thing about today.”
     Equally as impressive to Jeffries fireworks at the plate was the effort on the mound by starting pitcher Cole Keller. The senior hurler would strikeout five Warrior batters and only surrender one hit across four innings of work. Keller would work top to bottom and both sides of the plate with his fastball and secondary offerings. The fastball would be Keller’s go to pitch when in trouble or needing to put away hitters.
     “I leaned on my fastball today until the second time through the lineup when I turned to my curveball. My breaking stuff felt good out of my hand, and I relied on my defense behind me to help keep them scoreless when I was pitching,” Keller said.
     “KJ (Kaden Jeffries) is a special player. We have seen him hit balls over and off the wall all year. Bown showed up as well in relief. He is smart and is not necessarily going to overpower you with his stuff. I think he has like seven different pitches, and he locates all of them really well.”
     Keller continued, “I have never been to the semifinals before, and we will approach it like it is just another game. We will take this one step at a time with our focus being on preparation.”
     Bown has shown his mettle throughout the season for Grain Valley. The senior has gotten ready to pitch in relief on short notice, through a nagging injury, and with a fearless mentality when he steps on the hill. Bown was no different in the two and one-third innings he delivered for his team in the win against the Warriors. A Smithville team that refused to go away quietly, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make things interesting as the game progressed.
     Bown fought back emotion to stay composed in sharing his postgame thoughts.
     “There are no words to describe this feeling right now. It is awesome. I walked that guy and gave up a run initially. To get to go to the semifinals is unreal. We all have each other’s back and that is special.”
     Driskell approached his team during preparation the day prior to the game in their film room with what he told them may sound corny but asked that they participate with faith in what was being asked. The Eagles were asked to close their eyes and focus on the first three innings of the game going well before something going sideways in the middle of the contest. The last thing requested by Driskell was to focus on how they would finish the game through any adversity they faced before picturing a jubilant celebration. Driskell would turn on the lights and tell his team to go get it done.
     “This was an incredible game today. I am a little bit lost for words. We played outstanding team baseball today. We did have a couple of hiccups and glitches as well. We missed a couple of signs that could have scored some runs. I am excited that we get to move forward,” Driskell said.
     “Jeffries is coachable and has been a consummate professional at the plate. He is a kid that has not shrunk in the moment.”
     Driskell added, “Keller did a great job as well. He told me before the game that he had four solid innings for us and that is what he ended up delivering. I am proud of Cole’s effort and what this team has accomplished.”
     Grain Valley (26-8) will next travel to US Baseball Park in Ozark for their matchup against Rockwood Summit (17-14) on June 4th at 11:00 am.