Big Man, BIG Impact

One pitch.

That’s on average all Thibodaux High School senior pitcher/first baseman Nick Ber estimates he sees in the strike zone per at-bat.

“When it comes to district play, I know that they aren’t going to give me too much to hit,” Ber said. “I know they are going to pitch around me if not intentionally walk me.”

The reason for the selectivity isn’t because Ber’s afraid to swing the bat, the opposite is actually true, as he’s worked his entire career to be more patient at the plate.

“He’s swinging at better pitches now,” Thibodaux coach Scott Abadie said. “He’s being more disciplined at the plate than he usually is.”

It’s also not because pitchers can’t find the hitter’s unusual strike zone, because of his massive 6-foot-6-inch and 200-pound frame.

The reason pitchers avoid Ber is because of his reputation and his track record.

They know that if they make a mistake, it will be deposited into the gap or over the fence. Welcome to life as one of the most known and feared high school sluggers in the Tri-parish area, a role Ber embraces and takes in stride. He knows it’s a show of respect.

“I just know that I need to stay patient up there,” Ber said. “I might only see one pitch an at-bat, or even a game. If they give me that pitch, I know that’s the pitch I need to jump on and hit.”

Towering above his peers is not anything new to Ber, as he said he’s always been the “tall and skinny” kid growing up.

But hitting towering line drives that travel in excess of 375 feet? That’s something that’s pretty new for the Thibodaux senior.

Ber said he’s come a long way from his humble beginnings as a little league player.

“I started playing when I was little,” he said. “I just stuck with it and so far things have turned out pretty good.”

From “sticking with it,” Ber arrived at Thibodaux as a 6-foot-2-inch freshman who had upside and good power, but he was still a bit of a free swinger at the plate.

Working under Abadie and the Tigers’ hitting coach, he learned patience, better being able to decipher when to swing and when to pull back and stay off pitches that weren’t in the strike zone.

As his patience grew, so did his body. He grew four inches throughout high school to push him to his current frame. So did his overall power, as he made the natural transformation from an old kid to a young man.

All of that combined with a better eye at the plate is a perfect storm for the inevitable, Ber stopped swinging and missing so often and started making more consistent and more solid contact.

That transformation is why when Ber “jumps” on a pitch these days, it flies a long, long way.

The Tigers’ towering slugger has 10 home runs so far in his senior season and has been one of the main offensive cogs in Thibodaux’s run, which has them out in front in the race to win the Bayou District Championship.

“It’s always exciting when he’s up there,” Abadie said. “It’s not even just that he hits the home runs. Nick just hits the baseball very, very hard. Because of that, you just know he’s going to be a tough out, because even when he mis-hits it, it’s still going to be a tough out.”

“I’ve definitely been practicing very hard at it,” Ber added. “And right now, everything is just coming together. It’s a good time right now at the plate. I feel good and I’m hitting it hard.”

If the hitting isn’t enough to impress someone, Ber also has another hobby on the diamond, pitching.

Ber has seen action on the mound in several games for the Tigers, including last Saturday when he pitched 5 1/3 innings to help push his team past South Terrebonne in a pivotal district matchup.

He got the win on the mound in that game.

But make no mistake about it, hitting is always the first love of Ber, he also hit two home runs at the plate against the Gators.

“I definitely prefer hitting, because it comes more natural to me,” Ber said. “Pitching hasn’t always been my strong suit over the years.”

With the prep baseball season drawing to a close, Ber’s success has drawn him collegiate interest.

He said he hasn’t made a decision about where to attend college, but confirmed he “definitely” wants to play baseball at the next level.

“That’s been my goal since I was a freshman here,” Ber said. “That’s definitely what I wanted to do.”

Once he gets there, Abadie said he believes colleges will be receiving a diamond in the rough.

Because as the coach knows better than anyone, all he needs is one pitch to make an impact on a game.

“I think he’ll be very successful on the next level,” Abadie said. “You can always use a hitter and he’s a great defensive first baseman and he can eat up some innings on the mound. He’ll be a good find. He’s a hard worker and he’s always been a good kid for us.”

THE SCIENCE OF HITTING

Breaking down Thibodaux High School standout Nick Ber’s powerful swing

EYES: “I’m just keeping my eye on the ball, pretty much. I’m trying to do the best that I can to see the pitch as early as I can as it comes off the pitcher’s hands. The sooner you can do that, the earlier you can figure out whether or not you have to swing.”

HEAD: “Your head is obviously pointed right at the pitcher, making sure, again, that I keep my eye on the baseball. In my mind, the biggest thing you’re trying to do is get your eyes on the pitch, so you can figure out mentally if you’re going to swing, then if you’re going to pull it or try and ride it where it’s pitched and take it the other way.”

HANDS: “My hands are gripped around the bat, but it’s a very loose grip. Relaxed muscles are able to perform more consistently than when they are tightened up or are tense. Tense muscles are when you start to lose control of the bat. I’m trying to keep a loose grip on the bat, which gives me a little more flexibility and a little more control over where my bat head goes once the pitch is thrown.”

ELBOW: “I don’t want to keep my back elbow up, because when I swing, I have a little hitch. I try and keep it comfortable like my coaches have been telling me. It’s been working out great from there. My back elbow is my right elbow and what I’m trying to do is keep it down as much as I can because it makes your swing more balanced.”

UPPER BODY/ABS: “Here, I’m standing up straight and making sure I’m using all of my upper body. When I’m standing up straight, my bat’s going straight to the ball, so I’m using every part of my body to try and generate power.”

KNEES: “The way that my knees are bent is by design. When I stand up tall, my backside tends to collapse when I swing. So I like to bend my knees more and get comfortable and just use that to be able to use my legs. I’m 6-foot-6, so I try to use my whole body when I swing, so the more I can get out of my legs, the better that will make my swing. I have a stronger base with my legs, so definitely, the more I bend my knees, the better it is for my swing.”

FEET: “My feet are spread very far apart. What I’m trying to do with that is I’m trying to get a good base for when I swing. I’m trying to set things up to where when I swing, I’m not lunging or falling over or anything, I’m just relaxed. That’s 100 percent for balance. My feet are pointed straight ahead, that’s pretty basic and is something most hitters do. When I step toward the baseball, everything comes together, pretty much.”

Big Man, BIG Impact