Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week: Owen Ross, Yorkville, baseball, senior

Name: Owen Ross

School: Yorkville, senior

Sport: Baseball

Why he was selected: Ross hit four homers during the week – three in a three-game sweep of Minooka in the Foxes’ drive toward their first Southwest Prairie West championship that they eventually clinched with a win over Oswego. Ross was voted by readers as the Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week. Here is his interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Welge: That sweep of Minooka, a good team, how were you guys able to do it and how much confidence does it give the team?

Ross: That was definitely the team we needed to beat the most to get the top spot in the conference and be able to hold it. We felt very confident going into that first game, we’d been playing great, everybody’s been hitting the ball. We had some of our best games against Minooka.

Welge: Your team has pitched well all year, but it seemed like you were really hitting well that week, right? You scored 33 runs over two games.

Ross: I would hope to be known for a good hitting team, too. Everybody did their job. We had that one windy day. Other than that, everybody stayed hot and put the barrel on the ball, and it landed in good places.

Welge: You must have been feeling pretty well at the plate yourself, right?

Ross: Conference games mean a lot, mindset changes how you play the game. I was really working on putting the ball in play and thankfully got under the ball a few times, put a solid swing on it.

Welge: That home run that you put on the football field, what do you remember about that?

Ross: That was a low and away fastball and [I] drove my back hip into it, I guess it carried out. I didn’t think it was a no-doubter, I guess it went where it went. I have no complaints.

Welge: Any other long home runs you remember?

Ross: I had a good ball, a 430-foot homer against Joliet Central. The second or third one at Minooka, at their place, that one was a good one, as well.

Welge: How motivated are you guys to have a deep playoff run? You reached a sectional final last year and could have got further.

Ross: We got 11 or 12 seniors that unfortunately had to go through that last year. We want it more than anything. We say it, play for every day. Our first day of the season was in Joliet and we plan on the last one being there [at state].

Welge: Are there are any big leaguers you like watching hit?

Ross: I’ve always liked Javier Baez with his strong, aggressive approach. Josh Donaldson has one of my favorite swings. Most power hitters I like watching.

Welge: Are you planning to play in college?

Ross: Yes, at Kirkwood Community College.