Coe baseball, T.J. Deardorff seeking another NCAA regional run

T.J. Deardorff doesn’t recall exactly when he started organized baseball.

He definitely knows it was T-ball and estimated he was 4 years old. One other detail stands out to him.

“I actually do remember it for some reason, our team color was green,” Deardorff said with a laugh. “I don’t know why I remember that.”

Another memory is prevalent from those early years and one that impacted him as a Dubuque Senior prep and a current fifth-year senior for Coe.

“I was never our best guy,” Deardorff said about his strong youth teams. “I worked hard. I would practice outside of practice and always play hard in the game.

“I think the hard work and work ethic over the younger years and through high school carried over to now.”

Deardorff has been a reliable leader on the mound and in the field for the Kohawks, who face North Central (Ill.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III regional tournament Friday at Stevens Point, Wis. Coe reached the regional field for the second time since 2019 after winning the American Rivers Conference tournament Saturday.

The Kohawks (21-19) will send Deardorff to the mound, hoping for the same spark that he provided with a complete-game shutout against Luther to open the postseason.

“We felt really good about what he did against Luther,” Coe Coach Steve Cook said. “We feel real good running him out there tomorrow.”

If the past is any indication, Coe should like its chances. Deardorff is one of a few seniors that experienced the program’s last regional appearance, winning the tournament hosted by Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. He played a big role in that 2019 run.

“I threw in three of the four games,” Deardorff said. “It was like back-to-back-to-back days.

“I know I had to have success in order for us to win, because usually that year I’d go in with a lead or a tied game.”

Actually, he came out of the bullpen in all three Coe victories, including three innings in the Kohawks’ 4-3 triumph over Washington in the championship. Overall, he allowed just one run in seven innings, earning a win against the highly-ranked host.

“We’re really hoping his experience from 2019 and his role since is going to play well for us and the guys are able to feed off and lean on that,” Cook said. “I expect him to be pretty comfortable going out there and starting for us against North Central. I don’t think he’s going to waiver much in the moment.”

Deardorff serves as Coe’s ace and middle infielder. He was named second-team all-conference this season, earning A-R-C Pitcher of the Year and d3baseball.com All-America honors a year ago. He leads the team with 10 starts, posting a 3.28 earned-run average and striking out 64 batters in 71 1/3 innings pitched.

The right-hander has overcome lower-body injuries to win three of his last four appearances, striking out 23 during that stretch. He allowed just five hits and fanned six against the Norse.

“My past few starts have been good,” Deardorff said. “I’ve been feeling good all year. I just haven’t had the success that I’d like to have had. … Our defense is really starting to come around, and what I mean by that is the plays that are made behind me shows glimmers of previous fielders, who caught everything.

“After the end of the regular season and our conference tournament, it has definitely given me a lot of confidence going into this.”

Cook said he knew he was getting a “nice arm” and “two-way player” but couldn’t have predicted the total impact.

“It’s been his work ethic, his willingness to grow on the mound,” Cook said. “Learn a few tricks, if you will. We tweaked some mechanical things a little bit and he was willing to buy in and work at those. He put it all together with his natural athleticism. Things just started to come together for him, especially as a sophomore in 2019.

“He’s definitely worked to achieve what he’s attained, especially on the mound. It’s been pretty special.”

The winner between Coe and North Central (33-12) will face the winner between Wisconsin-Stevens Point (34-7) and Lawrence (26-11). The champion of the double-elimination bracket advances to a super regional best-of-3 series. Super regional winners advance to the D-III World Series June 3-8 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids

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