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It’s often said competition breeds excellence.
So maybe that’s the secret for Springfield Catholic’s Ben Smith and Coleman Morrison.
“In the gym and in the offseason, our training, it’s always competing with each other,” Coleman said.
“We try to one-up each other every time,” Ben added.
Perhaps the biggest winner of this friendly rivalry is Catholic baseball, which is ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3.
“I think they bring an overwhelming confidence, when those guys are on the mound we feel like we’re at our best,” said Catholic Head Coach Courtney Spitz.
Both Ben and Coleman are known for their pitching.
The juniors both throw in the low 90s.
Ben has been especially sharp this year posting an ERA under two.
“When [Ben’s] on the mound, he’s able to throw three pitches at any count for a strike anytime,” Spitz said.
Meanwhile, nobody gets more excited to pitch than Coleman.
“Coleman is filled with so much energy and fire, I’ve not seen too many men pitch with the energy that he has,” Spitz said.
The dynamic duo will bring that energy to the mound at Mizzou.
“I committed [in] September of my freshman year,” Ben said.
“I committed about a week before Ben did,” Coleman said. “Obviously, now with Corona(virus) and the transfer commitment is kind of tough right now so it was nice to get it away then and I’m happy with my decision.”
The two Catholic teammates are happy to be Tigers together.
“With Mizzou and everything we’ve been able to build our relationship over the years and so we push each other every offseason and in season,” Ben said.
“I love the fact that he’s going up there with me and then as we’ve trained and worked against each other, work with each other throughout all of high school it’s nice to know that when we go to college, we’ll be able to do the same thing,” Coleman added.
Just after signing with Mizzou his freshman year – Ben had Tommy John surgery, but he says his arm is now better than ever.
The Fightin’ Irish will open Class 3 District 10 play later this week.
