While he has been a three-sport athlete his entire life, Seth Borden’s favorite game hasn’t change over the past 15 years.
As a 3-year-old, he and his brother, Cole, and father, Paul, would work on baseball skills in Brownstown.
Fast forward to this past spring, and the three were all on the same team one last time, as Seth completed his senior season with his brother and dad on the Braves’ varsity coaching staff.
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In his final campaign with the Braves, Borden had a superb season.
Borden filled a variety of roles for the Braves, as he led the team in hitting, was the regular shortstop and pitched in 13 games.
He set the school record for runs scored in a season this spring, crossing home plate 41 times, and helped the Braves eclipse 20 wins. Only three other Brownstown baseball teams in school history have accomplished that feat.
Borden was named All-Mid-Southern Conference and the team’s most valuable player at the end of the season.
For all of his accomplishments this season, The Tribune has named Borden the 2019 Jackson County Baseball Player of the Year.
Going into Borden’s final season, Braves varsity coach Brandon Tormoehlen knew he had the ability to have a big season. Borden had 43 hits his junior year with a .443 average and made the All-MSC team.
The main thing Tormoehlen wanted to see out of Borden wasn’t tangible.
“The biggest thing with Seth was challenging him to become a better leader,” Tormoehlen said. “I got back from basic training last year about the third week of August and heard from coach (Reed) May and (Dave) Benter that he had become a better leader in both football and basketball. Benter said that he had grown up a lot as far as maturity. He was coming in and working at his game on his own.
“He and I had many conversations where I told him what he needed to do if he wanted to play at the next level. I think he finally realized that’s what he wanted to do and put the work in to make sure he could do it.”
Borden had a slow start to his season but was able to work through it and put up solid numbers.
“He just kept grinding. He started off slow, especially on offense,” Tormoehlen said. “I think the first two weeks, he wasn’t hitting the way he wanted to. He made some adjustments. It was the same with his pitching. The first few outings, he was a little rusty, but he kept working at it, whether it was bullpen, flat ground, whatever it was. He got to a point where he was able to finish really strong.”
Borden, who batted in the No. 2 spot, finished with a county-leading 35 hits and a batting average of .407. He totaled seven doubles, four triples and two home runs while batting in 30 runs.
“I put the ball in play better,” Borden said. “I was able to work from gap to gap. I got a lot stronger from my sophomore year to senior year. I was getting more doubles and triples as a senior.
“My sophomore year, I hit in the nine hole, so if I got on base, I had Carson Lambring, Ty Maxie or Sy Zickler behind me. My junior year, I led off most of the games and had good hitters behind me then. I got faster and was able to steal more bases to get in scoring position.”
Borden’s on-base percentage was .518, and he stole 26 bases while scoring 41 runs.
“I never took him out of the two hole because he was our best hitter all year,” Tormoehlen said. “Even when he wasn’t getting hits, he was finding ways to get on. He was still getting on and helping the team.”
On the mound, Borden pitched in 13 games for the Braves and picked up three wins. The biggest pitching victory for both his season and career was a shutout against Providence. On the season, he pitched 25 innings and had 29 strikeouts.
Borden will continue his career at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. DuPage is a National Junior College Athletic Association school that plays in the North Central Community College Conference.
The Chaparrals went 27-18-1 this past spring, including 8-4 in conference play.
Borden said he’s excited for the opportunities ahead of him.
“My brother started talking about (playing college baseball) a few years ago, and it made me want to do it that much more. I wanted to be better than him,” he said. “They are looking for athletes. They want guys to be able to run, bunt and hit — a little bit of everything. They have a fast team. They have a young coaching staff, so hopefully, I will fit in well with them.”
Tormoehlen said DuPage is getting a guy who still has his best baseball ahead of him.
“They are getting an athlete,” he said. “Now, he’s at a point where he will just focus on baseball. When you get a kid that is 6-2, 6-3 that is throwing low 80s across the diamond and can run a 6.8 or 6.9, I know their coach fairly well, and I told him they need to look at him on the mound, too. When he’s on, he’s pretty tough. They are getting a kid that is pretty raw athletically but is one that if he keeps working at it has his best baseball yet to come.”
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Seth Borden, Brownstown Central, senior
Fielding/pitching: 25 IP, 29 K, 21 H, 10 ER, 3.6 ERA, 3-1 pitching record, .882 fielding, 29 putouts, 62 assists
Batting: .407 BA, .518 OBP, 35 H, (7 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR), 30 RBI, 41 R, 26 SB
Honors: School-record runs scored in a season, All-Mid-Southern Conference, BC most valuable player, BC leading hitter
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Isaiah Wineinger, Brownstown Central, junior
Pitching/fielding: 30.1 IP, 28 K, 29 H, 16 ER, 12 W, 4.74 ERA, .930 fielding, 25 PO, 55 A
Batting: .355 BA, .455 OBP, 33 H (9 2B, 2 3B), 24 RBI, 31 R
Other honors: All-MSC honorable mention
Matthew Garland, Brownstown Central, senior
Fielding: .874, 33 PO, 43 A
Batting: .360 BA, .416 OBP, 31 H (2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR), 30 RBI, 13 R, 11 SB
Other honors: All-MSC, BC mental attitude award
Matthew Bell, Brownstown Central, senior
Pitching/fielding: 42.1 IP, 31 K, 44 H, 14 W, 17 ER, 3.61 ERA, 8-2 record, .971 fielding, 23 PO
Batting: .293 BA, .436 OBP, 22 H (2 2B, 2 3B), 13 RBI, 19 R, 12 SB
Jake Roberts, Seymour, junior
Pitching: 3-0 record, 16 IP, 12 K, 15 H, 12 W, 7 ER, 3.06 ERA
Batting: .378 BA, .352 OBP, 31 H (8 2B, 9 HR), 33 RBI, 17 R
Other honors: Second all-time for home runs in a season and fourth-most RBI in a season at SHS, All-Hoosier Hills Conference, SHS hustler award, SHS hitter of the year.
R.J. Kleber, Seymour, senior
Fielding/pitching: .955 fielding, 33 A, 30 PO, 8.3 IP, 2 saves, 3 K, 3 W, 9 H, 3 R, 1 ER, .84 ERA
Batting: .341 BA, .451 OBP, 29 H (7 2B), 7 RBI, 25 SB, 32 R
Other honors: All-district, All-HHC honorable mention, third in a season and career for stolen bases, SHS most valuable player, SHS .500 club, SHS golden glove
Devin Hill, Seymour, senior
Pitching/fielding: .965 fielding, 133 PO
Batting: .366 BA, .443 OBP, 30 H (7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR), 25 RBI, 22 R
Other honor: SHS golden glove
Takumi Nishiwaki, Seymour, senior
Fielding: .922 fielding, 32 PO, 39 A
Batting: .397 BA, .474 OBP, 30 H (2 2B), 16 RBI, 22 SB, 23 R
Other honors: Fifth in career stolen bases at SHS, SHS .500 club, SHS QAB champion
Brayden Wilson, Seymour, sophomore
Fielding: .982 fielding, 102 PO
Batting: .374 BA, .482 OBP, 26 H (6 2B), 10 RBI
Other honors: SHS .500 club, SHS golden glove
Jack Marksberry, Trinity Lutheran, sophomore
Pitching/fielding: 5-2 record, 40 IP, 57 K, 36 H, 23 W, 19 ER, 3.33 ERA, 101 PO, 17 A
Batting: .363 BA, .561 OBP, 31 H (3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR), 17 RBI, 24 R, 10 SB
Other honors: Class A Sectional 61 champions, TL co-most valuable player
Tyler Goecker, Trinity Lutheran, sophomore
Pitching/fielding: 2-3 record, 23 IP, 28 K, 19 H, 11 W, 11 ER, 3.35 ERA, 94 PO, 26 A
Batting: .371 BA, .437 OBP, 23 H (2 2B) 10 RBI, 20 R, 10 SB
Other honors: Class A Sectional 61 champions, TL co-most valuable player
Lawson Woods, Trinity Lutheran, sophomore
Pitching/fielding: 61 IP, 61 K, 60 H, 49 W, 4.13 ERA, 3-6 record, 15 PO, 26 A
Batting: .319 BA, .404 OBP, 22 H (3 2B, 2 3B) 8 RBI, 20 SB, 19 R
Other honor: Class A Sectional 61 champions
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Isaac Horton, Brownstown Central, junior
Clay Chastain, Brownstown Central, junior
Clayton Barger, Brownstown Central, junior
Logan Brewer, Crothersville, senior
Hunter Ahlbrand, Seymour, senior
Matthew Moore, Seymour, junior
Braden Christopher, Seymour, junior
Trent Shoemaker, Trinity Lutheran, senior
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