After earning a Second-Team All-Conference selection as a freshman after hitting .349, Eagle Grove’s Syrus Willard came into his sophomore campaign with aspirations for the First-Team and a batting average above .400.
“You’ve got to put in work,” the contact hitter admitted in a recent interview. “It’s not easy to get good at baseball.”
Luckily, Willard isn’t afraid of a little hard work.
His practice and patience paid off in a big way this season, and his otherworldly .462 batting average was the second best on the team. With that kind of average, he was an easy pick for this year’s Top of Iowa-West All-Conference First-Team.
“You just have to go in there and expect a hit,” Willard said when asked about his thought process in the batter’s box. “If you expect it, it’s most likely going to happen.”
Syrus also had eight appearances on the mound for the Eagles with a 2.23 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched.
The utility player spent a lot of his time in center field this season, but he also plays catcher and looks comfortable no matter where Coach Miller decides to place him on the field.
Most importantly, Willard usually appears to be having the time of his life playing the game he loves with his best friends.
“I love getting to play alongside my childhood buddies,” Willard declared. “It’s been cool getting to play with the upperclassmen that I grew up with.”
