Mustangs Baseball 
Pioneer Press Player of the Year - 2007
Jacob Esch: Pioneer Press Baseball Player of the Year
A .495 batting average. A 4.0 GPA. He pitched Cretin-Derham Hall out of two jams in this season's Class AAA semifinals. And, the good news for the Raiders: He's a junior.
BY BRIAN MURPHY
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 06/19/2007 12:05:56 AM CDT
Jacob Esch led Cretin-Derham Hall in hitting and RBIs and was a perfect 8-0 on the mound in leading the Raiders to the 2007 Class AAA championship.
But his real value could be measured by the collective hush that fell over Siebert Field during last week's quarterfinal at the
With the game scoreless in the sixth inning against Hill-Murray, Esch drove a foul ball off his foot and crumpled to the dirt in pain. The thought of Esch being unable to resume the shutout he was pitching had Cretin fans cringing until he dusted himself off and assured the Raiders faithful all was right in their world.
Esch went on to post a gutsy complete-game victory, one of two he posted in the tournament, to solidify his selection as the Pioneer Press baseball player of the year.
Born: April 16, 1990, in
Height/weight: 6 feet 3, 170 pounds
Year: Junior
Family: Father, John; mother, Leah; brother, Sam, 12; sister, Olivia, 5
Grade-point average: 4.0
Favorite subjects: Calculus and chemistry
Hobbies/interests: Raiders football and basketball player counts a Joe Mauer rookie card as the jewel of his baseball card collection
Accomplishments: All-Suburban East Conference, Section 3AAA and state tournament player
He said it: "I just love winning. If I go 0 for 4 and we win 10-0, I'm happier than if I go 4 for 4 and we lose."
101 At-bats
50 Hits
.495 Batting average
10 Doubles
3 Triples
6 Home runs
46 RBIs
8-0 Pitching record
1.77 Earned-run average
37 Strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings
PATIENCE
Esch was a free-swinging hacker as a sophomore and struggled with his pitching control because of an inability to harness energy. "He's maturing as a player and a person, which is the next step, because he has the abilities," Raiders coach Jim O'Neill said. "Then you get into that Joe Mauer framework where you're just good mentally everywhere."
ARM STRENGTH
He hit 91 mph on the radar gun on the eve of the state tournament. Not bad for a scrawny junior. If Esch adds another inch and 15 more pounds to his frame by next season, his fastball would have more pop and his range at shortstop could expand even more. "He makes the backhanded play as good as anyone we've had," O'Neill said.
HEART
A control pitcher who will challenge quality hitters, Esch twice worked out of bases-loaded, one-out jams against Hill-Murray in the state quarterfinals. "I'm a competitor. I'm not going to be happy if someone else wins," he said.
EXPERIENCE
The Raiders lost 12 seniors to graduation, which leaves Esch as the unquestioned leader among six returning underclassmen. He is undefeated in three state tournament appearances, including two wins as a starter. "He's been in critical situations already. You look for that as a senior," O'Neill said.