Pitcher Turned Hitter Having Success for St. Peters Post 313

Although St. Peters Post 313’s Blake Hetelle was more interested in pitching than hitting during the high school baseball season, hitting became his forte this summer during the legion season.

Hetelle went 1-for-4 in ; a game St. Peters (12-12) lost 21-9. Hetelle, a designated hitter, has a .470 batting average this season.

“I’m going up there trying to make contact,” Hetelle said. “It’s nothing special. I try to build confidence and make big hits when people are on base so we can score runs.”

The designated hitter prefers to hit the ball into centerfield. He said the key is his hands.

“I just go up there thinking quick hands,” he said.   

Hetelle played baseball for four years for . He spent the last two at the varsity level. In the spring Hetelle went 4-1 as a pitcher and compiled a 3.59 ERA on a team that finished the season with a 15-12 mark. He earned all-Gateway Athletic Conference North honorable mention honors for his efforts. Hettelle did no batting for FZS his senior season.

“It was great,” he said on the all-conference recognition. “I didn’t work much with pitching in the last off-season but I really pulled it together.”

Hetelle started the legion season thinking he would be mainly a pitcher.

“(St. Peters Manager) Marty (Clements) told me I might also be playing first base,” Hetelle said. “I didn’t think I would do anything special at bat, but I’ve come around.”

The all-conference selection said he struggled with hitting in the beginning of the season but began to turn the tide mid-season.

“I just figured it out and started to make contact,” he said.

Hetelle had some success as a hitter in high school. He batted .382 as a junior on a FZS team that won more than 20 games and a district championship. He calls the season the highlight of his high school career.

Hetelle will attend next year on an academic scholarship. He’s planning on trying to make the baseball team as a walk on.