VYPE: Brady, what position are you play for Grove and what’s the most difficult thing about it?
Brady Dalton: My position is pitcher, and I also play middle infield. Pitching is the most difficult of the those for me. Pitching requires more than just throwing hard. It requires efficiency in all aspects and understanding the player at bat, and knowing what pitch needs to be thrown and when. It requires a player to be confident and focused even when the calls aren’t going your way. When you are throwing strikes and getting outs it is awesome, but when you are struggling, the mound feels like you are on an island alone. I have loved playing baseball for as long as I can remember, and I am working hard to have the opportunity to play at the next level when I graduate.
VYPE: What do you love most about this team?
BD: We are competitive with each other. We push each other in practice and hold each other accountable when someone isn’t giving 100% and we pick each other up when someone isn’t having a good practice or just needs encouragement. Our goal this season is to do more than our best, we want to do what is required to win and hold each other to that standard.
VYPE: What’s the biggest improvement to your game coming into the new season?
BD: Strength training. I have learned that you don’t have to be the strongest person on the team to throw the hardest, but you have to power, and to have power you have to be strong. I spent a lot of time in the gym this summer and in off season and it has paid off. My fastball has more velocity with continued accuracy, and with that, I have been able to work on developing my other pitches to achieve the same accuracy.
VYPE: What lessons have you learned in athletics that will help you later in life?
BD: More than anything athletics has taught me that to be an elite athlete, discipline in required. It’s non-negotiable. Discipline requires me to do the work even when I don’t want to, and it will set any athlete apart from others.
VYPE: Favorite moment from any season?
BD: My favorite moment of the season last year was getting the opportunity to be the starting pitcher in game 1 of Regionals last year, as a freshman, against a really stacked Hilldale team. Being voted District Pitcher of the year was pretty cool too.
VYPE: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
BD: In my free time, I hang out with my friends. We play pickleball or go to the batting cages, stuff like that. I also enjoy working on my truck.
