Hardegree aiming for next level after tryout with Royals
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Former Northwest catcher Blake Hardegree clobbers a second-inning home run against Lindenwood during an April 4 victory in game two of a doubleheader. Hardegree had a tryout with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday as he tries to keep his career alive.
Blake Hardegree stepped onto the field at Kauffman Stadium, showed his talent from the same spot an American League All-Star flashes his own, and took his shot.
A three-year player for Northwest, Hardegree was invited to a private tryout with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound catcher, who serves as the bench coach for the St. Joseph Mustangs, refuses to give up on playing at the next level.
“I did really well,” Hardegree said. “I got told a lot of things, like I was a good catcher, I need to work on my batting, obviously, like always. It was a great experience.”
It all started during a four-game series with Central Missouri in early March in Warrensburg when a scout with the Royals approached Hardegree, who played just one game in the set and went 1-for-3.
“I caught really well and he saw my defense, he saw my BP and I was hitting really good BP,” Hardegree said. “He came up to me after the game and he told me he liked the way I catch, liked the way I run the team. I told him I was worried about hitting, and he was like, ‘Oh, we have guys who can teach you how to hit.’
“After that, I got an email from him saying to call him ASAP, and he was like, ‘Hey man, I want to invite you to this tryout at Kauffman. There’s going to be about 30 guys there and we want you to be one of those guys because we figure we can use some catching.’”
As the season wore on, Hardegree maintained contact with the club before receiving an invitation to Saturday’s private tryout alongside about 30 other players, roughly half of which were pitchers. Hardegree was familiar with just one other player — fellow catcher Tanner Lubach, who finished his career with Nebraska as the Huskers’ three-year starting catcher and a second team All-Big Ten honoree.
The tryout featured nothing out of the ordinary — warmups, timed 60-yard sprints, measured pop times for catchers and several rounds of batting practice. Everything ended with Hardegree and the other catchers working bullpens with pitchers.
“At the very end, they were talking to us all and they said they wish they could draft us all,” Hardegree said. “They said to ‘Wait until after the draft, we can’t guarantee a phone call or anything.’”
Hardegree hit just .172 his senior season with the Bearcats, but understands he has what professional scouts may be more concerned with behind the dish: an ability to handle a pitching staff and control a defense.
From behind the plate, Hardegree nailed nine of 20 attempted base stealers in 2015, nearly eclipsing a 50 percent success rate, while committing just three errors.
“I think that’s a huge part when you have a staff wanting to throw to you, that’s a lot of trust in you,” Hardegree said. “Then when you have guys saying they love what you do because you keep runners from stealing, you keep them close. That really helps the defense relax a little bit more so they can do their job without stressing out.
“Just giving your team a lot of confidence, I think that’s a huge part of being a defensive catcher.”
Prior to his three-year stint with Northwest, which included a redshirt season in 2013 before compiling a .261/.330/.326 line as a junior, Hardegree was an all-conference talent for Oklahoma Panhandle State. He put together a .333 batting average and led the team in on-base percentage at .400 as a freshman, earning a spot on the All-Heartland Conference second team.
Hardegree said he doesn’t expect to be selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which begins June 8. Royals personnel suggested that if he isn’t selected, he should continue to play by trying out for independent league teams, such as the Kansas City T-Bones. The hope — for both the Royals and Hardegree — is that his bat could continue to develop in the smaller professional leagues while the organization keeps him on its radar.
But regardless what happens June 8 through June 10, whether or not Hardegree receives a call from the Royals or any other MLB organization, his sights are set on moving forward. And he sure didn’t mind stepping onto the grass at Kauffman Stadium, either.
“Oh my gosh, it was awesome,” Hardegree said. “Playing on that field, throwing down where Salvador Perez throws down, catching where he catches, taking BP … it’s definitely an experience I won’t forget. It was cool.
“Everybody wants to play pro ball, but being able to do that was a blessing. I never even thought I’d be able to continue with some of those guys, but then being one of those guys that they’re thinking about picking up is just an awesome compliment in general.”
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Blake Hardegree, a three-year player for Northwest, took part in a private tryout with the Kansas City Royals on Saturday in an effort to play at the next level.
