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Student of the Game: Strake Jesuit's Stratton's process a successful one
STRAKE JESUIT SENIOR GARRETT STRATTON TRUSTS THE PROCESS. IT’S WHAT HIS SUCCESS IS PREDICATED UPON.
“I like to focus on what I can control,” the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Rice-signee said. “That means being a better pitcher than I was last year, and that starts with being bigger, stronger, having more control, and throwing harder. Ultimately, I know if I do those things, and I feel I have, then I’m going to have even more success.”
In his first stint on varsity last season, Stratton topped out at a remarkable 94 miles per hour. The right-hander was 10-3 with a 2.29 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings in helping the Crusaders to their first State Tournament appearance.
During the offseason, he hungered for more. He worked on getting a better feel on his breaking pitches. He stressed better command.
Instead of bullying hitters, he wants more finesse and tighter location. He focused primarily on recovery, adding 5 to 10 pounds of muscle.
“I’d really like to be in position to where I can pitch deeper into our season and still be at my best,” Stratton said. “Last year, I felt like I kind of ran out of gas at the end. I feel I’m in a better place than I was last year.”
Stratton has always been a natural. As a young kid, he gravitated toward pitching.
“I could either have the ball thrown at me or throw the ball at people,” he said. “I’ve always been able to throw hard.”
In 2020, after COVID-19 canceled the baseball season, Stratton had months of doing little else but refining his pitching.
“I really fell in love with the process and made the strides I needed to make that year,” he said.
He had a standout summer with his Houston travel ball team. Rice University saw it and offered Stratton long before he’d even thrown a varsity pitch.
“I’m just doing what I can do and executing each pitch,” Stratton said. “As long as I do that, I’m confident I can have the success I want to have.”
VYPE 2022 Baseball Preview: No. 3 Strake Jesuit Crusaders
Welcome to the 2022 baseball season.
The season got started this week with non-district games beginning across the city. VYPE has previewed 22 public school teams in the city. Check out the season preview for the No. 3 Strake Jesuit Crusaders.
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t was a historic year for the Strake Jesuit Crusaders as Raul Garcia-Rameau’s squad advanced to the State Semifinals for the first time in school history in the public-school classification.
The Crusaders got hot at the right time after finishing third in District 23-6A play. With five returning starters, Strake Jesuit should be back in the Region III conversation as a favorite.
Every great team needs an ace and Garrett Stratton is just that. He was the Houston-area Pitcher of the Year and a second-team, all-state selection.
The Rice-signee has some help on the staff with Trey Duffield and Kade Baron ready to take the pearl at any time. Duffield is a stud in the outfield and at the plate and will play his college ball at Rice.
Baron will play at Texas Wesleyan. Shane Pellegrino will anchor the hot corner and is headed to Washington U. in St. Louis. Alvin and Shadow Creek will battle for district supremacy, but the ‘Saders are in it for the long game.