By Ryne Turke
No cheering in the press box. That’s a principle rule most broadcasters learn their first day on the job. While my opinion on this motto has swayed over the last 15 years in the booth, the theory makes sense. The job of a journalist is to cover the action, not be a fan.
Still, year after year, there’s a handful of athletes I always find myself cheering for. Some have a knack for clutch moments, others might be the heart and soul of a roster, others are just a joy to watch play the game.
Nolan Decker is one of those rare athletes that checks all the boxes.
After four standout seasons on the diamond at Jacksonville High School, Decker, now a sophomore at Illinois College, made the decision to keep his talents in the 217.
It’s been quite the journey for Decker, who burst onto the Central State 8 baseball scene his freshman year with a .310 batting average, 10 extra base hits and 22 RBIs.
Decker says Jacksonville HS Head Coach Cory Bunner laid the groundwork for his work ethic and passion for the game.
“Coach Bunner challenged me each and every day. In practices, games, on and off the field. He held me to the same standards of a senior all four years I was in high school. Practices were hard, sometimes unenjoyable, but I got better each day. I’ll always be thankful for the time I got to spend with him.”
Decker credits JHS teammates Drew Ezard, Will Rohlk, Ryan Maul and Garrett Meyer for pushing him early in his career to create a special dynamic on the field.
When you watch a player like Decker, you can tell pretty quick the moment is never too big for him. Decker wants to bat in the bottom of the ninth or be on the mound with the game on the line.
One of Decker’s best performances came in his junior season, during the crosstown rivalry against Routt Catholic.
“The crosstown rivalry was electric. I got the start against Cory Ronan of Routt. It turned into a pitchers dual. I had a feel for all my pitches and when we scored our first run I knew the game was in the bag. Throwing a shutout in front of a fired up student section was a great feeling and one of my favorites as a Crimson.”
As the years flew by, Decker would transition from up and coming freshman, to a leader in the clubhouse. Decker recalls taking the field with his brother Anderson as a “career highlight”.
“He was a freshman and our staring second baseman. Watching him grow over the year was awesome to see and I’ll miss playing with him. The two of us even combined to throw a no-hitter.”
Decker’s career high school stats put him in line with the best players in the Central State 8 and one of top Crimson baseball players in the last decade.
331 AVG • 84 HITS • 89 RBI
12 WINS • 2.74 ERA
When his high school career came to an end, Decker says the jump down the road to Illinois College made perfect sense.
“Illinois College was the first school to offer me a spot on their team and I remembered that when I started my recruitment journey. They had just come off a conference title and I wanted to be part of a good team, in a place where I could see myself with a significant role early in my career.”
With a roster full of unique personalities, Illinois College Baseball Head Coach Jake Waddle says Decker tends to slide under the radar with his “down to business” and a “nose to the ground and work” attitude.
While Waddle feels Decker’s best skill is his ability to consistently get barrel on the ball, it’s his defensive versatility that makes him extremely valuable to the Blueboys.
“We’ve asked him to play first base and third base and those are completely different spots. He’s done a really good job dedicating himself to improve tremendously over at third, even though he’s probably a better first baseman. It’s a testament to his work ethic and skill. He’s a guy who has to be in the lineup for us with the way he hits.”
Despite the game being faster, the players much bigger and the chirping even louder, Decker says the hardest transition from high school to college baseball was adjusting from starter to reserve.
“Starting my freshman year with little chance to see the field really lit a fire under me. I’d never been a pinch hitter in my career and wanted to change that.
I worked harder than ever before and after practice I’d go out to Future Swings batting cages and hit for another hour with my dad.”
“Halfway through the conference schedule I started getting consistent opportunities. Coach Waddle prepared me mentally for those situations and showed he had confidence in me. I was pretty nervous, but I played loose and reminded myself I belong at this level.”
Decker would go on a thirteen game stretch late in the year that saw him hit .433 with a pair of home runs and 11 RBIs.
Coming into his current sophomore season as an everyday third baseman and cleanup hitter, Decker has torn the cover off the ball.
Through 22 games he owns a .341 AVG two home runs and 20RBIs and ranks among the top overall hitters in the Midwest Conference.
Waddle notes Decker is just scratching the surface of how good he could be.
“He’s going to continue getting better, which is crazy considering what he’s done in his first 100 college at bats. He will get more comfortable at third base and as he keeps working in the weigh room with Coach Bowman, we expect to see those power number increase.”
Decker speaks for himself and the rest of the Blueboys stating the overall goal is to make the conference tournament and a run after that.
“We look one weekend at a time and don’t overlook any team. We have a lot of work to do to make the tournament and when we start clicking as a team, watch out. We’re young and hungry for success.”
The Blueboys are currently 17-11.
