Spencer Kober has discovered the enjoyable in baseball once more with state-bound Rochester Royals – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — This summer season, taking part in for the Rochester Royals, Spencer Kober, in a manner, rediscovered his love for baseball.

Kober, 19, a utility participant for the Royals and a 2024 graduate of Mayo High School, completed his first school baseball season at NJCAA Division II Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa, this previous spring.

The leap from highschool to varsity baseball was a giant one, he stated.

“I had an OK year, I’d say. I definitely struggled, it’s a huge adjustment from high school,” Kober stated. “It was a big eye opener, because I’ve always been one of the better kids, and once you get to college, everyone’s good.”

Townball was a pleasant change of tempo for him this summer season.

“It’s just more laid back, but at the same time, it’s very competitive, and you’ll run into — especially in our league — a lot of good pitchers,” Kober stated. “You can still get ready for the college season and just have fun. I think it’s just so much fun, and that’s just what I really needed this summer after college, just (to) have fun playing baseball.”

The Royals, who earned the third seed out of Section 1 within the Class A Minnesota Amateur Baseball State Tournament, face Air Freight Unlimited at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, at Barney Tadsen Field in Brownton, Minn. Rochester misplaced to Air Freight within the state match final 12 months and hopes to see a unique final result this time round.

“They’re going to be pretty good, probably some pretty good pitching,” Kober stated. “So I say, if we just play clean defense, field, make the plays that are supposed to be made, we’ll scratch a few runs across and hopefully win.”

During the common season, the Royals had bother producing a constant lineup and have been fortunate to assemble 9 or 15 gamers on some days. Kober stated they’ve had about 25 gamers each sport through the playoffs.

“(That) has been so nice,” Kober stated. “Towards playoff time, everyone is more committed, and that’s why I think we’re going to state, because we have all our guys there now and we’ve been able to put a good team on the field.”

In his second season with the Royals, Kober boasts a .338 common throughout 65 at-bats with 22 hits, 22 runs scored, 9 RBIs and one house run.

He will head again to highschool subsequent week, but when the Royals advance within the match, he stated he’ll come again for the video games as Estherville is a few two-and-a-half-hour drive from house. If the Royals advance, they’ll play the Moorhead Mudcats at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Walsh Field in Gaylord, Minn.

Growing up, Kober was a three-sport athlete taking part in soccer, hockey and baseball in an athletic household.

He began taking part in T-ball when he was 5 years previous, and ultimately progressed to youth baseball after which highschool with the Spartans earlier than heading off to play on the junior school stage.

Kober’s mother and father are undoubtedly two of his biggest sports activities influences. His mother, Jandra, performed hockey rising up and went on to be a golfer at Rochester Community and Technical College. His dad, Blake, who Kober says taught him every part he is aware of in regards to the sport, is a former baseball participant from Fairfax, Minn.

“I think he just instilled a good work ethic in me, and just really pushed me,” Kober stated. “He’s just always been my biggest fan.”

Kober’s youthful sister, Grace, who was a standout goaltender all through her highschool days with the Mayo ladies hockey staff, will play NCAA Division III hockey at Concordia College, in Moorhead, this fall.

“(My mom), she’s the one that got me and my sister into hockey,” Kober stated. “And my dad got me into football and baseball.”

Of all of the sports activities he’s performed, baseball was at all times his favourite.

“I was talking to schools for football more than I was for baseball, but I just liked baseball more,” he stated, pondering again to his school recruiting expertise.

When he’s not on the baseball discipline, Kober has spent his summer season constructing homes in Rochester and close by cities. He is deciding between two profession paths, both train science or entrepreneurship. If he continues taking part in baseball after his second season at Iowa Lakes, he’ll switch to a four-year faculty to pursue a certification in power and conditioning. If he determined to complete faculty after two years, he needs to start out his personal enterprise.

This season with the Royals taught him quite a bit, maybe most significantly, reminding him learn how to have enjoyable on the diamond by means of the highs and lows.

“The game is way too hard to put extra pressure on yourself, which is something I see with a lot of the young guys,” Kober stated. “And I feel it is one thing I’ve undoubtedly matured in quite a bit from final 12 months. … When issues aren’t going your manner, you may’t be your individual worst enemy.

“I just think the mental side of baseball really gets people, like that separates everyone. That’s something I’ve been really able to understand from college, because I struggled with it, and now I’m just having fun, even when things aren’t going my way. Just have fun.”