Hard work helps Renner thrive in leadoff role

Brady Renner did not start the year off as the West Aurora baseball team's leadoff man, but just a few games into this season, he was there.

In his first game in the No. 1 spot against Lockport, the junior center fielder had one of his best games of the season with 2 runs and 3 hits. All of the sudden, batting seventh wasn't an option anymore.

"It seemed like every time we looked up, he was on base, so we decided to move him to the top of the order," West Aurora coach John Reeves said. "Once he got there, he continued to do the same, so we left him there. It all worked out."

"It's always nice to start the game off with him," teammate Brian Kirhofer said. "You know you are going to get a quality at-bat with him several times a game."

It was a good move on West Aurora's part, as Renner is one of the top players in the area in batting average at .438, which is best on the Blackhawks. In 24 games and 80 at-bats, he has 35 hits, 27 runs, 10 doubles, 13 RBI, a .588 slugging percentage, 10 walks and a .511 on-base percentage, which also leads the team.

Renner, however, is not a stats kind of guy. He was genuinely shocked to find out some of his own numbers this year.

"I'm just trying to hit where it is pitched," Renner said. "I probably don't have too many pulled base hits, and with two strikes, I try to foul anything off until I take a good pitch."

His father, Neuqua Valley varsity baseball coach Robin Renner, never knows how his son is doing because Brady never talks about his own stats unless he is asked. Even then, Robin doesn't get too much of a response -- a one-word sentence at best.

"He doesn't tell me anything," said Renner, whose Wildcats won the Class AA state title last spring. "He doesn't do much self-promotion, which is a good thing. That's what I teach him."

It's pretty apparent where Brady got his baseball skills from. Robin was a standout shortstop for East Aurora, West Aurora's longtime rival.

To this day, Robin refuses to wear anything that says "West Aurora" on it. He once lost a bet a couple summers ago and was going to wear a Blackhawks T-shirt for Brady's summer league championship game, but the game was rained out.

"To this day, I've never worn anything West Aurora," Robin said. "I'm an East Aurora guy, and I can't do it."

Robin, however, supports his son and anything he does at West Aurora, which also includes playing soccer.

"This is certainly by far the best he's done," Robin said. "One of the best things he does is makes adjustments and figures things out quickly."

A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that Brady is a smart kid. He has a GPA of 3.6 and has received straight As in Reeves' U.S. history class.

"He's a good student," Reeves said. "It's the same thing in class. I've had him in class all year and I've gotten to know him. He's a hard-working student and does everything hard. You talk to his soccer coach, and he'll say the same thing. He doesn't know how not to work hard. It's been a joy to have him in class and on the team."

Reeves is happy for Brady, considering last year as a sophomore call-up, he played in just 5 games and mainly on defense after a key player was kicked off the team. His batting average last year was .250.

"He's been a nice surprise," Reeves said. "He works really hard at it and puts in a lot of extra time after practice. It's nice to see a guy who works so hard get rewarded."

It's unfortunate Robin doesn't get to see Brady play because both teams usually play on the same day. Robin was able to count exactly how many times he's seen his son play: against Lockport, almost all of Monday's game against Naperville Central and the last two innings of two other games.

Robin and Brady, however, are going to get a whole game with each other, as the Blackhawks and Wildcats will play in nonconference action this coming Monday. This will be the first time the two will compete against one another at the varsity level. They have been on opposite sides before during summer leagues.

"I never really think about it while we are playing, but before and after, I do," Brady said.

Robin hopes for the best for Brady next Monday. He just doesn't want to see the game on the line when his son is batting.

"It would kill me to have to hope he makes an out," Robin said. "But if this game gets rained out, I'll make sure we reschedule."