Brock Stewart joined Inside Edge during our first season. His focus on grades (4.33 GPA, 33 ACT) and baseball turned into a great opportunity to attend and play baseball at Maryville University. We sat down with him to hear what it’s like to play baseball in college.
First, congratulations. It’s so exciting to see you playing at the next level. You’ve been at Maryville University for a few weeks now. What do you think about the experience so far?
I have felt very welcomed here. The baseball staff let the freshman have a week to get settled in before starting scheduled lifts and practice, which was a really nice transition. Baseball has been very exciting since practice started and I love how I have so much freedom and more responsibility than in high school.
I am busy pretty much from sunrise to sundown. On my busy days, I’m in class from 8 AM until 11 AM. Then, I race to the gym so I can lift weights before heading back to class at 1 PM. Baseball practice starts at 2 and we normally get done at around 5:30. When practice wraps ups, I usually work on homework for about an hour. So yeah, it can be pretty busy. It’s crazy but in a really good way
You guys are playing fall baseball now. What do you think about it so far?
It’s been a great experience. We had individual workouts before the actual team practices began and those were more specific skill work and instruction. We have played a few inter-squads, so we’re just getting into competition. It’s fun getting into the swing of things with college competition and learning how baseball works at this level.
How did you end up playing at Maryville?
I liked the school and I had a buddy playing on the baseball team, so I reached out to an assistant coach to let him know that I was interested. He and I chatted for a bit, and then he invited me to an upcoming camp. I showed up at camp and did a really good job. I hit great and played at several different positions to show my versatility. When camp ended, Coach Evers pulled me aside and told me that I would get a call soon. He called a few days later and I committed during that conversation.
Way to go get what you wanted. That’s such a great lesson for young players. Looking back over the 6 seasons you played with Inside Edge, do any memories stand out?
My most memorable experience is a high school (Lee’s Summit West) playing against Platte County. This was a great game for me because two IE teammates played for Platte and I was just coming back from a 2 ½ week injury break. I had not swung a bat since the last game I played in, so I was a little rusty. My first at-bat of the game, I went down 0-1, and I remember stepping out of the box and telling myself to just relax. I looked out to left field and saw my buddy and IE teammate Nolan Saale standing there. I stepped back in, and on the next pitch, I hit a home run to left-center–right over Nolan’s head. That was my first home run for the season! Rounding third, my other IE teammate, Dalton Riechers, joked with me about it. That home run kick-started a great season at the plate. Plus, it was awesome to compete against Nolan and Dalton.
That’s a great story. It’s always fun to get to compete against teammates. What does your time playing at IE mean to you now that you are playing in college?
Inside Edge helped me get to where I am now, and for that I am grateful. I don’t think I would be here without the help of my coaches, especially John Boenker, Dave Mitchell, and Dave Silvestri. They always believed in me and tried to teach me the right way to play the game, which I think that they have done phenomenally. I can’t thank those guys enough.
In closing, what advice would you give to a young IE player?
My best advice for a younger player would be to play loose and take in everything you hear from the coaches. They have so much to share. But, you also have to learn how to use only what works for you. It takes a while to be able to do that, but just keep grinding; you’ll get it! To me, that’s what being coachable is really all about–taking in advice and turning it into your own actions.