Breaking the mold

Coal City graduate Brandon Howard leads JJC with a .440 batting average and 23 doubles.
(Mike Dinovo/Special to The Herald News)

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JOLIET -- Brandon Howard may not be the prototypical leadoff hitter for a baseball team.

The former Coal City High School outfielder/pitcher doesn't walk much, but he hits for power.

That has led to an outstanding season for Howard, which in turn has paid dividends for Joliet Junior College. The Wolves (41-11) begin play at 10 a.m. today against Harper as the top seed in the six-team Region IV Division III Tournament at Waubonsee in Sugar Grove. Action in the double-elimination tournament concludes Sunday with the winner advancing to the Division III World Series May 17-22 in Tyler, Texas.

"Brandon's had a great year for us," King said. "He gets on base, hits for some pop and has done a lot for us offensively. He hits the ball hard most of the time."

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Howard enters the Region IV Tournament as the Wolves' leading hitter with a .440 average for a team-high 193 at-bats. He's tops with 23 doubles and has 3 triples and 4 homers to complement 41 RBIs. His slugging percentage is .653, an excellent mark for a leadoff hitter.

Although he has only 9 walks, Howard has struck out just 13 times. He's the team leader in hits with 85. Joliet Township graduate Ed Koncel, the Wolves' sophomore shortstop, is second with 63. Howard's 68 runs also are No. 1 on the team.

"I try to put the ball in play and hit it hard somewhere," said Howard, a right-handed hitter who also leads the Wolves in stolen bases with 24 in 28 attempts (.857 percentage). "I try to get things started for the rest of the batting order.

"I batted fourth at Coal City my senior season. It doesn't matter where I bat. I just want to win."

The JJC left fielder sets the table for the likes of Koncel (.384 average, 8 homers, 14 doubles, 7 triples, 53 RBIs), Minooka's Mike Voitik (.348, 12 doubles, 46 RBIs), Hector Belen (.399, 11 doubles, 54 RBIs) and catcher Casey Colbert (.308, 3 homers, 26 RBIs) from Providence Catholic.

JJC is averaging 7.7 runs compared to 3.5 for the opposition.

"Brandon really came on in the 2006 season," King said. "He made the all-World Series team. He had a very good World Series and produced some good numbers."

As a freshman in 2006, Howard was a key cog in a Wolves' team that finished 44-21, won a Region IV title and was third at the World Series.

But Howard, who played football (free safety, running back, kick returner) for Lenny Onsen at Coal City, didn't play for JJC last season because he was academically ineligible. It was a year in which the Wolves set a record for wins (47) and finished second at the Division III World Series in Texas.

"I missed not playing baseball last spring," Howard said. "I took some summer classes and was able to get back on track. I continued to train a lot, did some speed camps and lifted a lot of weights.

"I felt bad that I wasn't with the team in Texas last season. Everybody knew that the team was going to be good last season and I wanted to be a part of it.

Howard, who has been clocked at 4.43 on a track in the 40, didn't miss a beat when he came back.

"Baseball is my life and I wanted to make a good impression on my teammates for this year when I came back," Howard said. "By staying in good shape and remaining positive, it has made me a better player. I'm seeing the ball well.

"Baseball is like riding a bike, I guess. I just picked up where I left off. We're all excited about the Region IV Tournament and playing well in it."

Howard hopes that the Wolves, who recently had a 20-game winning streak snapped, can do that in the tournament. JJC is seeking a 12th Region IV championship in the last 15 years. A title this weekend would give the Wolves a third straight World Series appearance.

"There is pressure, especially since we've been ranked No. 1 in the country much of the season," said Howard, who is being recruited heavily by Division II Grand Valley State (Mich.). "But much of that pressure is pressure we put on ourselves. We realize that teams will be trying to beat us, regardless of the situation."

Years from now, Howard could be an answer to an area sports trivia question. As a senior in 2005, the All-Interstate Eight Conference selection was the only pitcher to beat Wilmington. The Wildcats were 41-1 and won a second Class A state championship in 2005.

"I remember when we beat Wilmington, it was a high-scoring game," Howard laughed. "I don't remember the score exactly. We were just happy to beat them."