Hunter Parish's coach says it's like having a coach on the field with the Old Mill junior behind the plate.
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The batter squared around to bunt and popped the ball up.
Without delay,
Hunter Parish bounced out of his squatting position, tossed his mask aside and scrambled after the baseball. Parish snagged the ball in full stride while crashing into the fence. The catcher quickly jumped to his feet and threw a strike to second base to mow down a runner who was trying to tag up from first. The double play was critical in a one-run game in the sixth inning.
Parish didn't hold back his excitement. He threw a fist pump in the air; he yelled words of encouragement to his teammates.
That play epitomizes Parish as a player and teammate. The junior on the
Old Mill (Millersville, Md.) baseball team goes all out in whatever he does on the diamond. He does it all for the greater good of his team.
"That's the kind of stuff he does for us all the time," Old Mill baseball coach Charlie Chaffin said.
Parish has a passion for the game. His coach notes that his player's intensity and grittiness are unparalleled.
The 17-year-old has been playing baseball since he was 4. Has he been that talented of a baseball player all the way up to this point in his career?
"I'd like to think so," Parish said. "I work hard for it."
Parish with his brother Tyler, who has autism.
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Parish has dedicated himself to becoming a polished catcher. He didn't pick up the position until he was 11 when the starting catcher on his team got injured. The coach asked the players who would be interested in learning how to catch. Parish was the first kid to raise his hand. Wise decision.
After hitting .174 with 17 RBIs last season, Parish wanted to improve during the offseason. In his second season starting, Parish is off to a strong junior campaign. He's hitting .333 with more confidence at the plate.
The 6-foot, 185-pound Parish has worked on his plate discipline and has a good sense of the strike zone.
"I don't try to do too much that often," Parish said. "I don't always try to pull the ball, I stay even throughout the field."
He's a doubles hitter who has some added pop in his bat.
"He has a very, very key-orientated offensive approach," Chaffin said. "He's probably more happy to hit a sacrifice fly than he is to get a base hit. He always has an approach at the plate, always has a plan. He always knows what he needs to get done."
Chaffin added as good as Parish has been offensively, he's probably better on the defensive side. But if you ask Parish, he insists he's a better offensive player. Who says you can't be good at both?
"Over the course of the winter, we worked a lot on hitting with my summer team and then other times we would work alone with the catcher coach or you would have to do catching drills with yourself," Parish said.
Chaffin has entrusted Parish with the duties of calling his own pitches and pickoff plays this season. Parish has the freedom to dictate the game how he sees fit.
"It's like having an extra coach with him," Chaffin said.
Parish — who patterns his game after such greats as Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Yadier Molina — has cannon for an arm, throwing out runners at a 31 percent clip. Controlling the runner game is one of Parish's specialties.
Parish excels as a player as well as a teammate. He's a captain on this year's Old Mill team, the only junior to hold that rank.
"I feel like I have a big voice," Parish said. "I have an influence on these guys and I want to make sure I get the most out of it."
Parish plays on three teams during the year: his regular high school team in the spring, for the select showcase team Rawlings A's Prospects of Maryland in the summer as well as a fall high school team.
Between his three teams, Parish figures he plays between 80-100 games per year.
Parish has worked as hard on his offense
as he has his defense, raising his
average in his junior season.
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With the Rawlings team, Parish competes in a number of showcase events, including Perfect Game USA tournaments and camps where top-notch college coaches frequent.
"You're able to see the competition, what you're up against, how hard you need to work to get at that level and to be better than them," Parish said.
Parish is hoping to attract college looks this summer while playing for the Rawlings A's Prospects. He plans on sending out some highlight tapes to colleges. A number of Division I and II schools are on Parish's radar, including Maryland and Florida Southern College.
"I don't know where he's going to end up, but I definitely think he's got a shot to play Division I," Chaffin said. "A lot will depend on where he wants to go with his academics."
Since Parish is an extremely talented student as well, he will have his choice of school academic-wise. He sports a 4.68 weighted grade point average — which ranks him 15th in his class. Parish is in his first year of taking part in the International Baccalaureate program, where he's taking high-level courses.
Parish is involved in National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and volunteers quite a bit through his school. He works during the summer with Opportunity Builders, Inc., in Millersville, Md., helping adults with disabilities train for and find jobs. Parish also donates his time to the Maryland Special Olympics working with the athletes during floor hockey games.
Assisting disabled adults is close to Parish's heart since his 21-year-old brother, Tyler, has autism.
"Not that many people understand how they live," Parish said. "They're actually like really smart, and people don't understand that."
Parish really enjoys volunteering and doing nice deeds around his community.
"It makes me feel good," Parish said. "It's just nice; it keeps you stress-free. It's a nice and easy time. Nice to know you're helping others."
Chaffin has been coaching for 25 years, working with thousands of student-athletes. He calls Parish one of the best kids he's ever had the pleasure of coaching.
"At the end of the day, when this is all said and done, I'm going to end up being a better coach because I had the benefit of working with him," Chaffin said. "He's a kid you get once in your career as a coach. I really do think he's a really special person."
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Parish hopes to play baseball in college and should have a good shot with his hard work on the field and in the classroom where he holds a 4.68 weighted GPA.
Courtesy photo
