THE DRILL: Freshman Krew Schneider is making a big impact for MCC baseball
May 7—SLAYTON — He may just be a freshman, but he has already emerged as one of the best area ballplayers.
That freshman is Krew Schneider, a standout pitcher and batter for the Murray County Central baseball team and he is described by coach Paul Counter as his best player.
He is in his second season on the varsity roster, having dazzled as an eighth grader last season. That year, he split time playing pitcher and third base and he had a .425 batting average as a batter and got two wins as a pitcher.
He's picking up where he left off from last season at the plate and he's taken a larger role on the MCC pitching staff.
Through nine games this season, Schneider has nine hits, nine runs batted in (RBI) and a home run on a .333 batting average at the plate and he has a 4-1 record, 42 strikeouts and a 2.74 earned run average (ERA) on the mound.
His signature pitch is his fastball, a pitch he can currently throw at around 80 miles per hour, and he will sometimes mix it up with a curveball every once in a while.
He said his pitching strategy depends on the batter he's facing and the type of pitches they're chasing.
"What I try to do is I just try to go in sequences," he said. "I try to, if they're laying on the fastball, I'll probably throw it again and if they're chasing everything, I'll probably throw a curveball in the dirt just hoping they chase it."
At the plate, Schneider describes himself as a contact hitter who just wants to reach base as much as possible. It is an area of his game he said has seen a lot of improvement.
Schneider is a hard-working player who has always had a bat and a ball in his hands. He loves the game of baseball, one of the many reasons why he's already made such a big impact on the Rebels.
"I think I can make this impact because I've been putting a lot of time in over the winter and I've just loved the game so much," he said. "And I just play it all the time and I practice and practice and practice."
Last season, the Rebels went 15-3 overall and only lost once in Red Rock Conference play. Despite graduating plenty of talent from that team, the Rebels have kept on rolling, as they currently hold a 7-2 overall record and a 6-1 record in conference play this season.
For Schneider, he is just getting started. With three more years of high school ball ahead of him, he will continue to emerge as one of the top players in the area as his strong development carries on.
"It's helped me looking up to the older guys because they know everything," he said on his development thus far. "They've been through a lot and they helped me get through stuff and they show that everything's alright. Even if you make an error, it's just one play."
Schneider, who also plays football and basketball for the Rebels, was interviewed at a recent MCC baseball practice. His full video can be found on dglobe.com, but here is a sample of our interview.
QUESTION: What are some things the team is focusing on at this point in the season?
ANSWER: "We're focusing during practice, a lot of bass running, just doing more ground balls, making sure we don't make the mental errors. We go through a lot of situations and we just try to get all the mental errors out of the way."
QUESTION: Who is your biggest inspiration in sports?
ANSWER: "My biggest inspiration is probably my dad, I've always looked up to him. He played all the sports I did, and I just love to do what he loves to do."
QUESTION: What is something unique about you that most other people do not know?
ANSWER: "Something unique about me is I broke my collarbone, and I have a plate inside of me and it's been a lot and (it's) a little tight every once in a while. That happened my eighth grade year playing football, that kept me out for probably six to eight weeks. I made it back just in time for basketball that year and I just kept on going."
