College Baseball: George Jenkins' Batcher develops into pitcher, helps SEU to World Series

FAYETTE, Mo. ― There wasn’t much emotion from Danny Batcher despite Southeastern baseball clinching a fifth straight NAIA National Tournament Opening Round championship in its history last week.

Batcher did participate in players bombarding each other on the mound before squelching each other following the 11-3 win over No. 2 Kansas Wesleyan at Estes Field at Central Methodist University.

But this was more so championship-berth etiquette.

A more composed Batcher, who was the starting pitcher in the clincher against Kansas Wesleyan who won his ninth game of the season in nine tries for the No. 1 team in the NAIA, then took some time to take in the fact that Southeastern is going for back-to-back NAIA titles and a third in six years.

“As a team, we’re expected win. … When I went into it, the emptions were really high, (and) I never really been in this situation other than high school,” Batcher said. “But after the game is over and we’re all kind of celebrating having a good time, finally at the airport it kind of all set in. I was like, ‘Man I just pitched in the championship game. I had all my teammates behind me. I was able to go out there and give everyone a sense of confidence.”

Batcher also called up his father following the game, expressing how euphoric the moment was for him, his family, friends, peers and of course, the Southeastern program. It’s not an accident that Batcher was talking to the man who helped him cultivate his dream of playing America’s pastime at a high level.

More:College Baseball: George Jenkins' Batcher helps Southeastern secure opening-round title

How it all started

Batcher was born in Paulding County, Georgia where he would always attend baseball games competed in by his brother, Justin Batcher. While other little kids would enjoy the experience of being at the game and playing with friends, Batcher was the one paying close attention to how the game was being played. Born into a family that was crazy about baseball, of course it was his father, Jerry Batcher, who took Batcher to experience these games.

At this point Batcher was hooked.

Batcher immediately began playing in Little League action with the Dallas Pirates every Friday at the game. He learned the basics from just playing the game, but there was one aspect of the game that both his brother and father taught him.

“When I was growing up, my dad always said, go out there and have some fun. Obviously winning or losing, you are going to feel a certain way about either one, but if you go out there and enjoy yourself and have fun, that’s what the game is to have fun ― that’s what we do it for,” Batcher said.

Batcher was — and still is to this day — enthused about the game that his parents would allow him to play in the house: It wasn’t abnormal for Batcher to be throwing a baseball to himself indoors.

Batcher’s father, who was also coaching the game, decided he wanted to coach his own son as he grew older — but at their house. Needing craft and guile to help reach his son's goal, he built a mound and installed a batting cage in the backyard where the trio would play the game for extended hours.

Pitching aspirations trump everything

Chicks dig the long ball. But Batcher was fascinated with the art of pitching by the time his freshman year at Paulding County High School rolled around where his coaching staff took heed of the interest and taught Batcher how to pitch.

Paulding County High’s pitching coach took the time to help augment Batcher’s pitching skills, including specifics on leg placement when live pitching.

But it was Batcher’s father who delved into the details and learned as much as possible to help his son fine-tune his skill set.

“Once he saw I took an interesting in pitching, he read multiple books and watched multiple videos on pitching and tried to learn as much as he could to help me which is where I got most of my pitching from,” Batcher said.

From there, Batcher's father found new drills to practice. And if it was raining, Batcher found himself inside continuing his baseball activity.

This rigorous work eventually helped when a decision was made to move out of state. Before his junior year, Batcher and his family moved to Lakeland where he attended George Jenkins and played baseball. His senior season, the Georgia native led the Eagles to the state semifinals and earned The Ledger’s Pitcher of the Year thanks to his 11-0 record with a 0.54 ERA and 95 strikeouts.

Batcher’s success meant a full scholarship to West Virginia University the following baseball season in 2020. But he felt as though the program was too much about business, and coming from a background where joy was preached when playing the game, it was time for Batcher to seek that elsewhere.

He would go on to play JuCo ball at the State College of Florida in Bradenton for two years and then to Florida Gulf Coast University last year.

An injury impacted how Batcher played last year, though. He had a pinch in his rotator cuff he suffered the summer before attending Florida Gulf Coast, which played a part in the local pitcher going through the motions when baseball season rolled around, Batcher said. Batcher said he strengthened his arm but when the spring transpired, his arm wasn’t in shape.

Then he transferred to Southeastern in 2022 and the area coaching staff mentally got him back on track.

“When I got here, coach (Adrian) Dinkel and coach (Connor) Dailey really kind of helped me get back into really what I enjoy doing, which is pitching,” Batcher said.

But Batcher needed to earn his stripes. He started out in the bullpen and applied all the instruction and advice Dinkel and Dailey implored him to do. He earned more chances to relieve before being tasked to start.

Heading into the World Series, Batcher racked up a perfect 9-0 record with 2.71 ERA and 77 strikeouts. His toolbox comprises a fastball (mid to upper 80s mph,) changeup (75-80), curveball (70) and slider (74-76 mph).

“They taught me to have confidence mostly,” Batcher said. “What coach Dinkel liked to say was that I had something called beat dog syndrome, which means I really came from a place that didn’t take care of me. I really feel like I wasn’t wanted there. And when I came here, they really took me in and helped me get out of where I was.. … (They) really made me enjoy being a baseball player and a pitcher.’

Batcher and his team have already landed in Lewiston, Idaho where the NAIA World Series will be played. Southeastern (55-4) has been throwing and taking batting practice in an effort to gear up for the World Series.

And the furor is still there.

“I can’t express how excited I am. ... I’m very excited,” Batcher said.