By PHIL SANCHEZ
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
The Indiana high school baseball season is almost here, and the Noblesville Millers are looking to make some noise in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference this season.
“The HCC is tough every year,” said Noblesville head baseball coach Justin Keever. “Incredibly competitive and passionate. The league is filled with really good players and coaches who love their schools and have a tradition of success. This season may be the most talented the league has been from top to bottom, and I thought that same thing last year. The depth of electricity on the mound is unmatched.”
Keever, who also teaches math, has been the head coach of the Millers since 2004, after a few years of coaching at Avon High School.
“Multiple teams have the firepower to win a state championship,” Keever said. “Five of us (Fishers, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville) must first work to get out of Sectional 8, which we also share with a very talented Carmel program. It’s a must-see event, which we have the privilege of hosting this year at ‘The Dunk.’”
Keever will be leaning heavily on seniors Nolan Decker and Lucas Stephan, as well as juniors Trevor Corbett, Aiden Ramsey, Joe Glander, and sophomores Aiden Reynolds and Becket Doane.
“Baseball in this state continues to grow in talent and popularity,” Keever said. “The depth of talent has improved tremendously in my 20 years and continues [to grow], especially on the mound. Schools are making investments in facilities, and you are also seeing large private indoor facilities going up, that provide more opportunities for players to develop.”
Keever grew up in Monticello and attended Twin Lakes High School, where he played baseball and basketball, and was an All-State quarterback. He would go on to play baseball at Butler University, and is passionate about coaching.
“The daily preparation for something bigger, serving something bigger than yourself,” Keever said. “Building relationships with the players, teaching them the importance and impact of loving and investing in others, while pursuing daily improvement to close their capability gap, and of course, you love the competition. We chase winning as a means to pursue excellence in all aspects of our lives and can’t get there unless we love and serve each other. Our job as coaches is to love the players. Their job is to love each other. The maturation of those relationships and seeing it in action makes coaching incredibly rewarding.”
“We have incredible assistant coaches including Kevin Fitzgerald who has been with me since 2007,” Keever said. “Also, Scott Henson (3rd year, former head coach at HSE) and Bryce Worrell (2nd year, former assistant at Manchester College), Quinton Miller (9th year, former pitcher in the Pirates organization), Ben Yoder (9th year, former pitcher at Anderson University, and former player of mine ’12), Riley Benner (4th year, former player at Saint Joseph’s College), Axel Doran (former pitcher at UIndy), and Jeff Neidlinger (7th year).”
Keever and his wife Nikki have three children: Eagan (23, graduate from Franklin University), Dylan (19, freshman pitcher at IU-Kokomo) & Reagan (18, senior at NHS). The family loves everything Noblesville.
“There is no place like Noblesville,” Keever said. “It is an awesome community that honors where it came from while embracing what can make it better. It has an incredible following for the Millers in all sports. I often say, ‘There is no nation like Miller nation!’ Our administration here at Noblesville Schools works to make the student-athlete experience second to none and actively supports their coaches and programs. It’s a great place to live and work!”
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/sports/noblesville-head-baseball-coach-there-is-no-nation-like-miller-nation/