WEST POINT — Ken “Buddy” Dill can’t point to one thing when asked to describe the difference at the plate between his junior and senior seasons.
The Oak Hill Academy standout admits he struggled the last part of the 2016. For someone who has played the game and loved it as long as Dill, the struggles affected him and left him thinking about what he could do to get back on track.
“I think I was way too mental,” Dill said. “I was trying to think everything through. I was trying to guess pitches, and you’re never going to out-guess the pitcher. I was trying to think too much instead of just doing it.”
Dill’s junior season left him wanting more for his final year at Oak Hill Academy. It also served as motivation for him to simplify his approach at the plate and in the field.
Dill accomplished both of that goal this past season. In addition to “seeing the ball” better, Dill said he “figured out his swing” and was able to have a memorable senior season.
Dill’s success played an integral role in another playoff appearance for Oak Hill Academy. His performance also helped him realize a goal and earn a scholarship to play baseball at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba.
For his accomplishments, Dill is The Dispatch’s Small Schools All-Area Player of the Year.
“I’m really excited about (playing at the next level),” Dill said. “I didn’t think about it too much while we were still playing because I wanted to focus on this past year. But I have been thinking about it a little bit more and I am really excited about it.
“I feel like I am going into a really good situation (at EMCC), and I think it will be a lot of fun.”
Dill plans to build on the things he did this season. Not only did he cut down on the number of times he struck out, but he said he tried to stay short and through the ball and go gap to gap. He said he tried to put the ball in play more as the Raiders’ No. 3 hitter to help the team have more success.
Dill said he didn’t tinker with his swing too much during the season. He admitted his swing got too long at times, but he tried to adjust on the next pitch. Dill said his goal was to get off to a fast start to his senior season to erase the memory of his junior year.
“I think I just went out this year and just tried to have fun with it and played the game and not think or worry too much,” Dill said.
Oak Hill Academy baseball coach Mitch Bohon said earlier in the season Dill is someone any coach would love to have on his team. He said he saw Dill mature following a junior season in which he might not have had as productive of a season at the plate as he wanted. This season, though, Bohon said Dill would let the ball travel and not try to spin off the ball and try to hit everything out.
“He worked the backside gap more this year than I had seen him in the last three years,” Bohon said. “He finally learned his swing and that it was OK to take a double or a single on an 0-2 count instead of trying to lift the ball and missing it.”
Dill, who also was a MAIS Senior All-Star in football and boys basketball, joined junior teammates Reiley Tate and Dylan Scott on the Class AA All-State squad. He was an integral part of the Raiders’ attack thanks to a .480 batting average with 45 hits, 16 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 40 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases.
Bohon said Dill matured a lot this season and stopped being a selfish player. He feels that maturation will continue in college in part because Dill loves baseball. Bohon believes Dill has so much room to grow as a player at EMCC.
“He has God-given tools,” Bohon said. “The way he works and as smart as he plays, he has a chance to make it big time at some point.
“He just has to stay humble, and he has to work harder than he ever thought he has thought he could.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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