After a couple of run-throughs, Mr. Miller switched Korrey out for Brett, making me relax just a smidge. Brett didn't seem like a mean person, but he didn't exactly give off friendly vibes.
Mr. Miller changed him out too, letting everyone get some time to show off their skills, and practice. He had us switch to backhand, practicing that as well. I could see how effective this drill was to see where everyone's standard was while practicing at the same time.
We did a few more fielding drills before taking a quick water break. We came back to Mr. Miller who was getting some help setting up a batting practice net. That was somewhat normal. I've seen them being used before, but I was confused on why he was setting up two batting tees, placing a baseball on both.
"Should we go get our bats?" Chase, a senior, asked.
Mr. Miller nodded, still setting up. "Get your complete batting gear. Helmets. Bat. Batting gloves. Shin guard if you wear one."
We went back to the bags and grabbed everything, leaving our gloves and hats behind.
Mr. Miller looked at us when he was done setting up. "This drill may be familiar to some of you, but I'll go over it so everyone knows what my expectations are." He gestured for me to hand over my bat. I complied. He lined up like he was batting right-handed. "This is the inside, outside drill. Basically you'll be practicing your reflexes, trying to hit whichever tee I call out."
Mr. Miller started to demonstrate. "As soon as you start you stride like so." He lifted his left leg and held it for a second. "This is when I'll call 'in' or 'out'. Should be self-explanatory on which ball you should hit." He straightened up and pointed at the 'in' tee. "This is set lower so it shouldn't get in your way for the 'out' pitch. When hitting an inside pitch, keep your hands close to your body. Make sure the bat head is in front of your hands on contact. If not, you'll be late, and will probably just foul the ball off."
Mr. Miller explanation was spot on and I felt like this was something I already knew. Almost instinctively. I had practice batting so much that I knew where my hands had to be and how my swing should be.
He went on to talk about how to hit an outside pitch. "Use the same stride; don't be striding at the pitch. Keep your bat leveled, don't drop the bat head towards the ground." He spoke a little more about where your feet should be pointed before going on to say: "This drill is a little advanced so don't be surprised if you don't get it right away. Just focus on your swing."
"Should Jake go first?" Brett asked.
I froze as all eyes drifted to me.
Mr. Miller handed me my bat back. "How about we save Jake for last? Everyone should at least get a turn and then we can compare it to Jake."
I felt embarrassed and happy all at the same time. Embarrassed by everyone staring at me, but happy that I would be so good at a drill that a coach wanted me to be the example.
"Do you think his batting is better than Korrey's?" Brett asked plainly.
Before Mr. Miller could say anything, Korrey stepped up. "Of course. Jake is on a different level than those of us coming from JV. My awards mean nothing in front of him." He looked at Mr. Miller. "How about I go first?"
Mr. Miller nodded and stood off to the side of the net. "Sure. Ten swings per person. We'll go a couple of rounds through. Try to improve on each set."
Everyone shuffled around to lineup. I headed to the back of the line.
Surprisingly, Andy followed, standing in the second to last spot. He looked back at me as Korrey began his turn. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Yea. Why?"
He got closer and lowered his voice. "You can't mess up now."
"Huh?" I was thoroughly confused. I mean...I didn't plan to mess up, but why can't I now?
He nodded in the direction of the drill. Korrey was successfully showing off why he won offensive mvp for the JV team last season. "He might have sounded like he was defending you against Brett by saying you were the best, but it was just a ploy." He got closer again, making me slightly anxious. "Look at him now. Hitting each ball perfectly off the tee. Now if you go up and miss, it's almost like he's better than you. Get it?"
I slowly nodded. "I understand." Then stepped away for some space and gave him a smile. "But you don't have to worry about me. This is my kind of drill. I won't mess up."
Andy stared at me for a second longer before giving a short nod. We both watched Korrey performed, clearly showing that he was a good hitter. Purely based on his reflexes and swing.
I wasn't worried after watching him. He was good, but I was definitely better. He held his leg in the air a little bit longer, showing that he needed extra time to make his decision. It wasn't too noticeable, but maybe Mr. Miller will be able to tell the difference when it's my turn.
After Korrey, there was Brett. Also decent, but not as good as Korrey and definitely not as good as me.
Korrey came behind me to lineup again. "Hey, don't mind Brett. He doesn't think before he speaks. He just says what's on his mind, uncaring about how it may be perceived."
I nodded and focused on the drill.
"This drill was a lot tougher than I thought." Korrey kept speaking even though I had my back to him. "Timing and moving your hands accordingly makes it difficult to make it seem natural."
I glanced back at him. "You think so?"
He frowned. "Have you done this drill before?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Then you'll see when it's your turn."
By now, Brett was done and lined up behind Korrey. Seeing the two of them together, facing me, I was uncomfortable. I really regret not being in the same group as Noah. Then again...Noah might have start a fight or something.
We moved though the line, everyone's skills varied on this drill. From Korrey's excellent showing to the freshmen's making mistakes. There was a clear distinction between where everyone's level was.