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Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Batting for the top spot
Ex-Calallen player in Home Run Challenge
By Lee Goddard
Caller-Times

David Pellerin/Caller-Times

Kevin Mitchell, formerly of Calallen High School, drilled 19 home runs in his senior season at McNeese State, located in Lake Charles, La.

   When Kevin Mitchell left Calallen High School, his 6-foot-4, 228-pound frame mustered only two regular season home runs during his senior year.
   But in the span of four years, and after nearly 20 pounds of workout-carved muscle, Mitchell is one of the NCAA's more prolific long-ball hitters, drilling 19 home runs in his senior season at McNeese State, located in Lake Charles, La.
   That turnaround has earned Mitchell the chance to close his college career with flair.
   Mitchell is one of eight participants who will compete Thursday in Omaha, Neb., in the second annual NCAA Home Run Challenge. The competition is a home run derby during the festivities to kick off the College World Series, and will be shown live on ESPN2 from 7 to 9 p.m.
   Mitchell had never even heard of the home run contest, let alone had thoughts of participating in it. But once McNeese State head coach Todd Butler told his first baseman about the contest, Mitchell said he wanted the chance to show his power.
   "I hadn't heard of it," said Mitchell, who has been practicing his home run stroke recently at Calallen High School. "But after the season, I was told I was nominated for it. That's when I started looking for it, getting pretty excited. I thought I might not make the challenge. But, when I found out about it, it was a pleasant surprise."

   The invitees were given the chance to appear based on total home runs and home runs hit per game this past season. The participants must have played in at least 75 percent of their team's games this year, and are seniors with no college eligibility remaining.
   Mitchell made the cut, and said he owes it to intensified workouts when he first went to college. While obviously a sizable player at Calallen, he made himself bigger and stronger at Alvin Community College in Alvin.
   "I started hitting the weights at Alvin," Mitchell said. "The weight did it for me. Being at Calallen, we just wanted to play baseball. We didn't want to lift."
   That began a change from 1997 when Mitchell, who was twice named a first-team Caller-Times All-Metro pitcher, was spraying more line drives at Calallen than decking home runs.
   'Mature in college'
   "We always knew he had that kind of power," Calallen coach Steve Chapman said. "He was more of a line drive hitter, and he had a good average. He matured in college and added that weight. He was a big boy here, too. But he got much bigger in college."

   The dividends of his added size soon became evident. As a junior at McNeese State, Mitchell had a .308 batting average with eight home runs.
   Nice numbers, but Butler, in his first season as the Cowboys coach, said he felt Mitchell, the team's captain, could do even better.
   "After seeing him in the fall, I told him I expected him to have at least a .400 average and 20 home runs, whether he wanted to or not," Butler said. "I wasn't surprised, and expected him to put up good numbers."
   Mitchell did exactly that. While he fell one home run short of Butler's wishes, he had a .415 average, only the fourth time in school history that a player hit better than .400. His batting average, home runs and slugging percentage all led the Southland Conference.
   Mitchell also set school records with three home runs and eight runs batted in during a game against Southeastern Louisiana. In addition to that performance, Mitchell had four other multiple home run games.
   All-conference honors
   That helped him earn all-conference honors for the second season, while making Louisville Slugger's All-American squad as a third-team member.
   Now Mitchell is honing his stroke for Thursday's nationally televised contest. As part of the challenge, Mitchell and the other participants can choose either a wooden or an aluminum bat.
   Aluminum bats are used in high school and college, while wooden bats are used in the major and minor leagues.
   There is a drawback in using aluminum in the contest; a home run will count as one point with the lighter aluminum bats, as opposed to 1.5 points with the wooden bats.
   So Mitchell has been taking his practice cuts for the past month with the heavier wooden bat. He said he still hasn't decided which he will select in Omaha, but he has until he steps to the plate on Thursday to make up his mind.
   "With the metal bats, you know it's either gone or its not," Mitchell said. "It's also got a pretty big sweet spot as opposed to the wooden bats. I haven't decided yet which I will use. I think I'll know on Wednesday, but I haven't swung an aluminum bat in over a month."
   Attention of pro scouts
   Using a wooden bat may grab the attention of pro scouts, many of whom will be in attendance for the College World Series. It gives Mitchell a chance to showcase himself and it also adds exposure to McNeese State and Calallen.
   "McNeese had never been to the College World Series," Butler said. "Just having a player there wearing the McNeese State uniform will be great. But he's such a great player from beginning to end. People will see him and realize just how good he is. Not only is it a credit to the program and the university, but to the person that he is."
   In a home run derby setting, Mitchell will get a chance to match clouts with some of the best home run hitters in college. Of the seven other competitors facing Mitchell in the home run derby, five hit more home runs during the regular season.
   Still, Butler warned not to count Mitchell out.
   "I think he's going to put on a display up there," Butler said. "It's going to be a great crowd, great atmosphere. I hope he wins it. I'm sure he'll win it. I have my money on Kevin Mitchell."


Contact Lee Goddard at 886-3613 or goddardl@caller.com

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