Roper Ball has always been athletic and successful on the baseball diamond, but a couple changes the former Nanih Waiya standout made between his freshman and sophomore seasons at East Central Community College jump-started him into of the biggest improvements of his career.
‘I thought things were going great,” Ball said of his 2020 season at ECCC. “It was a lot better than last year. I was just a totally different person and more comfortable at the plate.”
After playing about half of East Central’s games as a freshman and hitting .184 with just one extra-base hit, Ball came out smoking the ball this season, and was hitting .365 through 18 games with two doubles, two triples and a homer, when the NJCAA called a halt to the season due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
“It was a hard one to swallow for sure,” Ball said of the sudden end to the season. “I didn’t know it was over when it got cancelled for two weeks, but then they said it was for the season.”
But, despite being a sophomore, Ball said he doesn’t think he’s through wearing the East Central uniform.
“I think I’m going back,” he said. “In my mind I’m not finished with that program.” The NJCAA has given student athletes competing in spring sports an additional year of eligibility.
That’s something that excited ECCC head coach Neal Holliman, especially when it comes to Ball. “I’m tickled to have him for another year. There is no doubt that if he goes into next season with the same attitude (and work ethic) that he went into this year that he’s just going to continue to get better. He was having a great year.”
Ball plays middle infield for the Warriors. He saw time mostly at short as a freshman, but spent the majority of his time at second this season.
So, what was the change that helped Ball make the big improvement jump from his freshman to sophomore years?
“I got a lot stronger, to be honest,” he said. “I worked harder in the weight room and really improved my strength. I could really tell it when I hit the ball. I really think I squared up every ball I hit this year and had a lot more pop in my bat.”
And he said his extra-base hits didn’t come just because of his speed. “I hit one of those triples a really long way,” Ball said. “And the home run was just a line drive. The ball was really jumping off my bat.”
Ball, the son of Will and JJ, said his intention was to continue to focus to get better as he prepares for next season.
Holliman said Ball, whose two older brothers Stewart and Wyatt both played college baseball, has a baseball mindset.
“He understands the game,” Holliman said. “He know when to move runners along and also has the ability to steal bases. He is a high-motor guy.”
