They can hardly remember a time when they didn’t know each other.
Cody Russell and Jon Jon Brown have been playing baseball since about the age of 3. All through tee-ball, youth leagues, and travel ball, the two either played on the same teams or at the same ballparks. Now, Russell and Brown are both 18-year-old seniors at Calvary Christian School and members of the Knights baseball team.
“We played together on some teams, and on C league and even A league we were not on the same team, but for All-Stars we would be on the same team again,” Brown said. “We even played on the same travel ball team.”
Because the two athletes have been playing baseball for so long either together or alongside each other, they have a close relationship. Russell has attended Calvary since elementary school, while Brown arrived for his last two years of middle school. With their history, the opportunity to play together for the Knights for all four years of high school has been a unique experience.
“It’s been pretty cool to come through high school playing together,” Russell said.
Sharing experiences on the baseball field has been a big part of the young athletes’ lives. They have also shared the same positions on the field. Both Russell and Brown have seen a lot of time playing middle infield positions. Each has the skills to play shortstop, and both are familiar with the view from the pitcher’s mound.
The Knights are returning four seniors who are part of the pitching rotation. Russell and Brown are among the starters, which also includes Nick Baker and Chris Wright. Russell, 5’9’” and a right-handed pitcher, claims his favorite pitch in his skillset is a slider. Brown, 5’11” and also right-handed, is partial to his curveball.
For the 2017 baseball season, Russell is playing centerfield, and Brown, who had been the starting second baseman since his freshman year, is anchoring the shortstop position. The new centerfielder admitted his favorite position to play is shortstop, but the team make-up changed from last season, allowing for an opening at centerfield. Russell agreed to the change not just to be a team player but also because he is looking beyond his senior year.
“I actually played centerfield when I was younger, and that’s what I am trying to play in college,” he said.
Calvary baseball coach Steve Smith sees the move to centerfield as a tactical decision that improves team performance while also showcasing Russell’s abilities.
“He gets great reads off of the bat and is able to cover both gaps extremely well,” Smith said. “He is just a really good athlete, has great speed and a strong arm, having hit 91 mph multiple times this offseason on run and gun throws. From a run prevention standpoint, with him in center it allows us to form a defense that is best suited for the type of pitching we have. We have a lot of pitchers that pitch to contact and rely on weak fly balls off of their off-speed pitches.”
For his part, Brown is good with moving over to become the primary shortstop for the Knights. This season he is also looking forward to pitching. That wasn’t always the case.
“I’ve been hesitant when he’s called me ‘cause I thought, ‘I’m not a pitcher,’ but we’ve started a Driveline program which has got my arm a lot stronger, more conditioned,” Brown said. “I’ve started liking pitching a lot more.”
Smith said Brown’s improvement came about as the baseball athlete took the coaching staff’s directions for offseason training seriously.
“With Jon Jon, two years ago it was to improve his arm strength as a middle infielder,” Smith said. “He really took it to heart and continued to long toss and lift weights through the summer. This season he was part of a group that went through our velocity program following the Driveline protocols with weighted balls and plyo work. His arm strength is now one of his strengths. He has gone from being a low 70s max velo guy in his sophomore year to touching 88 mph multiple times this summer. As a pitcher, Jon has always had a good feel for his off-speed pitches. This year we look for him to build off of his season last year as a pitcher when he was 4-1 with an ERA of 2.19 in 28 innings.”
So when you tally up the scores on their lives, the two seniors have many shared interests and experiences. They have known each other and played sports together for over a decade, attend the same school, and play the same positions. Russell and Brown are also the only two players on the team who have been with the Calvary baseball coach since Smith took over the program four years ago.
The Knights have been region champs the past three years. In 2015, the team set a school record for wins (24-7) and was the state runner up. Last season Calvary set another school record in wins (25-8) and made it to the state Final Four.
It’s been an impressive run, and it’s not over yet. Still, the significance of the situation is not lost on the Knights coach.
“This is a special senior class,” Smith said. “We have four returning seniors; all four are captains this year and are important contributors offensively, defensively, and on the mound. With Jon and Cody, they are the first two players to play for me from their freshman year through their senior season. There has been a personal bond with them, having spent so much time with them the last four years through the seasons and with what we do in the offseason. It has been a fun ride with them, and I have not given it much thought yet as to what it will be like not having them around every day, but we have unfinished business this year before I need to think about that. You won’t find too many guys that push each other as hard as they do. Watching them both grow as baseball players and young men has been a pleasure to play a small part in.”
When baseball season comes to an end and graduation takes place, there may still be another opportunity for the lives of Russell and Brown to coincide. They are hoping to attend college together with the possibility of joining forces again on a baseball field.
“There are some schools that are interested,” Brown said. “We would love to go somewhere and play together. Some are taking a look at us together.”
Even if things don’t turn out quite like they plan, it would take more than logistics to separate them.
“Oh, we’re best friends,” Russel said. “We do everything together. That may change some, but it’s who we are and have been for a long time.”
Columbus Valley/March 2017
Calvary Christian School
Written by: Beth Welch | Photos by George McDuffie
Seniors Looking for First State Championship
