Kappelmann Goes Back to Back as WAC Baseball Player of the Year

J. Brooks Kappelmann, Liberal, Sr., Player of the Year

Brett Marshall

Perhaps the best way to explain how effective Brooks Kappelmann has been as a pitcher for the Liberal Redskins is to look at his earned-run-average.

This year, despite a modest 4-3 won-loss record (the Redskins were 3-5 in the WAC), Kappelmann’s ERA was an impressive 1.34. He recorded 77 strikes against just 14 walks

“I think the game slowed down more for me and I was able to just play,” said Kappelman, who earned his second consecutive WAC Player of the Year honor by the conference’s coaches. “It just seemed easier to make the right decisions and I was a lot smarter about getting the right pitch to throw and was more patient.”

Kappelmann said he worked more on better locating his fastball, which averages between 86 and 88 mph, but did hit 90 mph on a few occasions.

“I just was able to spot in better places, keeping it low and away from hitters,” Kappelmann said.

While also throwing a curve ball, and an occasional change-up, Kappelmann said he relies on the fastball as his go-to pitch.

When he was not on the mound, he was playing shortstop for the Redskins and he displayed his offensive skills throughout his senior campaign.

His batting average was a lofty .465 and he recorded 7 doubles and 6 triples with 23 RBIs in 23 games. He scored 28 runs and had 9 stolen bases.

“I worked on not swinging at so many curve balls and just the mental side of hitting improved for me,” Kappelman said. “I did a better job of waiting for my own pitch.”

In the field, Kappelmann said he felt he improved his range to run down balls both to his left and right.

“I was able to get to a lot more balls,” he said. “We had a really good first baseman, so I knew I just throw it there and he’d scoop it up.”

Kappelmann won two WAC awards in his final high school year, having been named the Football Player of the Year in the fall at quarterback to lead the Redskins to their best season in many years.

However, he will dispatch the helmet and pads and continue his baseball career at hometown Seward County Community College. He hopes to pitch and also play some in the field for the Saints.

Reaching this stage of his baseball career had Kappelmann recalling his first exposure to the game  when he was just 3 years old and playing on his older brother’s T-Ball team. He also served as the bat boy for the Semi-Pro Liberal BeeJays in the summer.

“I’ve just been around the game all my life,” said Kappelman, whose father, Brock, is the sports director at a local radio station and long-time voice of the Redskins and Saints.

Academically, Kappelmann said he has not made up his mind but has interests in education and finance, perhaps leaning toward teaching and coaching.

First Team All-Conference

	NAME	YEAR	POSITION	SCHOOL
1	J. Brooks Kappelmann	12	P/SS	Liberal
2	Carson Umphres	11	P/OF	Great Bend
3	Remmington Miller	12	P/2B	Dodge City
4	Nolan Dreher	12	P	Hays
5	Ian Premer	10	1B	Great Bend
6	Trenton Kern	10	UTIL	Great Bend
7	Zayden Martinez	12	P/OF	Liberal
8	Culden Plankenhorn	10	C/3B	Garden City
9	Lex Lummus	12	1B	Hays

Second Team All-Conference

	NAME	YEAR	POSITION	SHCOOL
1	JJ Grove	10	SS	Great Bend
2	Arec Mendoza	12	P/3B	Dodge City
3	Ethan Gomez	11	INF	Garden City
4	Koehn Ribordy	10	P/OF	Great Bend
5	Chase McGraw	12	P/SS	Garden City
6	Jonathan Cano	11	UTIL	Hays
7	Daxton Minton	10	UTIL	Great Bend
8	Marco Alonso	11	1B	Liberal
9	Carter Graham	11	P/3B	Hays