Jake Brosius makes huge strides as Coe seeks American Rivers Conference baseball tournament repeat

CEDAR RAPIDS — Coe’s Jake Brosius said he doesn’t watch a lot of baseball.

He admitted that he watched former Cedar Rapids Kernel and Los Angeles Angels all-star Mike Trout, emulating his approach after Trout’s fast and assertive style.

Brosius received a boost when he realized he was roaming the same grass of Perfect Game Field during last year’s postseason.

“I figured that out,” Brosius said. “I was kind of shocked. It put it in perspective what we were doing there. It was pretty cool.”

Brosius finds himself back in that position. He will step into center field at Veterans Memorial Stadium when No. 4 Coe faces No. 5 Dubuque Thursday in the opening round of the American Rivers Conference tournament. The championship event begins at 11 a.m. with the title game set for 2 p.m. Saturday. The Kohawks won last year’s crown, advancing to the NCAA regional championship.

The former Dubuque Wahlert prep has been a jack-of-all-trades batter, helping lead the Kohawks offense. Brosius made huge strides from an ordinary freshman year that fell short of his personal high standards. He said he felt he could have played better and was motivated to do more.

“I kind of struggled a little bit last year but I focused on my hitting,” said Brosius, who worked with Coe Coach Steve Cook and assistant coach A.J. Reuter. “We changed up the swing a little bit. I changed my two-strike approach. I just tried to focus on putting the ball in play and force the other team to make plays and get on base as much as I can. I really wanted to turn that around to see what I could produce for the team this year.

“It was kind of a long process but the tweaks we made in my swing found what I was comfortable with and over time they were able to help me produce the swing I have now.”

The statistics have been outstanding for Brosius. He has improved almost all of his numbers, hitting .357, which is almost 100 points higher. Brosius has 55 hits with 82 total bases, 15 extra-base hits, 34 runs, 36 RBIs and a .406 on-base percentage. He’s dropped slightly in bases on balls but he also cut his strikeouts from 31 last season to just 10 so far this year.

“The biggest thing for me is confidence going up there,” Brosius said. “I know what my ability is and what I can do. I go up there confident, knowing I can find a barrel and the majority of the time I feel like I’m better than the kid on the mound pitching against me, so that is a big factor to most of my success this year.”

Brosius has generated more power, hitting five home runs, eight doubles and two triples. He only had one home run a year ago, leading to some good-natured ribbing from teammate Reid Rausch. When he surpassed that total before returning from the team’s trip to Florida, Brosius recognized the rewards from his offseason work.

“Down in Florida, I was starting to find my groove,” Brosius said. “This year, I had two (home runs) down in Florida. I was able to rub it in his (Rausch’s) face a little bit. That was pretty fun.”

His ability to get on base is just part of his impact on Coe’s offense. Brosius can put pressure on opposing batteries and defenses with his legs. He has stolen 31 bases in 33 attempts, getting into scoring position for teammates.

“I love running,” Brosius said. “I’ve always been a fan of stealing bases.

“Just the chance to get guys in scoring position.”

Coe entered this tournament as the No. 5 seed and went 4-0 to win its fourth Iowa Conference/American Rivers Conference tournament title. The Kohawks rank second in the league in batting and pitching, so they are optimistic.

“I feel like we’re in a similar position to last year,” Brosius said. “We’re all going into this pretty confident, knowing we could pull it out.”

“We have to keep the bats hot. Our pitchers will do their thing. We’re confident in those guys. We just have to swing it.”

American Rivers Conference baseball tournament

At Veterans Memorial Stadium and Mount Mercy

Thursday’s games

11 a.m. — Loras vs. Wartburg at Mount Mercy

11 a.m. — Coe vs. Dubuque at Memorial Stadium

2 p.m. — Coe-Dubuque winner vs. Buena Vista at Memorial Stadidum

3 p.m. — Loars-Wartburg loser vs. Coe-Dubuque loser at Mount Mercy

5 p.m. — Loras-Wartburg winner vs. Luther at Memorial Stadium

Friday’s games

(All games at Veterans Memorial Stadium)

Noon — Winners’ bracket final

3 p.m. — TBD

6 p.m. — TBD

Saturday’s games

(All games at Memorial Stadium)

11 a.m. — TBD

2 p.m. — Championship

5 p.m. — Championship, if necessary

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com