Denning heading to D-1

Growing up on the local diamonds, Easton Denning never cared much about staying in one position. He just cared about one goal: Playing D-1 ball.

During his final season at Warren County, the Pioneers leaned on him just about everywhere. First base had always been home, but when injuries, circumstances and the grind of a long season demanded something different, Denning moved to the middle infield. When the Pioneers needed innings on the mound, he took the ball there too.

Wherever he played, the production followed and the hitting never slowed down.

Denning hit .437 as a senior, blasting nine home runs and driving in 39 runs. Nearly half of his hits went for extra bases as he finished with 21 extra-base hits among his 45 knocks. More importantly, he proved something that would continue to define his baseball career.

Whatever the team needed, he was willing to do it.

Two years later, that same mindset has helped Denning go from a star in Warren County to a breakout bat forVolunteer State now has him on the path to D-1 ball at Lindenwood University.

The former Pioneer recently announced his commitment to Lindenwood after putting together two standout seasons at Vol State. While his sophomore campaign grabbed headlines with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs, Denning's success at the junior college level was built on much more than power.

He arrived in Gallatin and immediately became a productive piece of the lineup, hitting .344 as a freshman while driving in 61 runs. Instead of experiencing the growing pains many players face when moving from high school to college baseball, Denning looked comfortable almost immediately.

Looking back, he believes the biggest improvements came after he got there.

"I would say the biggest jump from my freshman year to my sophomore year would be a combination of increasing my confidence and maturity as a player," said Denning. "At times during my freshman year, when I would get a good pitch to hit I would get jumpy or overeager which would make me miss pitches I should've hit.

"This past year, I was much better at slowing the game down and allowing my tools to show rather than trying to force them. This, along with other factors such as working hard in the weight room and countless swings in the cages, made my jump a possibility."

The numbers back it up.

While the home run total tripled from five to 15, Denning didn't become a hitter consumed with chasing power. His strikeouts dropped, his on-base percentage climbed and his overall production remained remarkably steady while adding a new dimension to his game.

The approach sounds familiar to anybody who watched him at Warren County.

Denning credits much of his development to the countless extra swings he took with coaches after practice, work that helped prepare him for the demands of college baseball.

"I was very blessed during my time at Warren County. I had a number of great coaches and they all helped me in so many ways," said Denning. "One of the biggest keys to my success over the years was the ability to get extra reps. Often after practice the coaches would let us stay after for a few minutes to get some extra swings in. That really gave me the ability to make big jumps that I would not have been able to make without those valuable reps."

Those extra reps eventually turned into a college career that has continued to trend upward.

Over two seasons at Vol State, Denning hit .333 with 20 home runs, 113 RBIs and a .626 slugging percentage while establishing himself as one of the program's most dangerous offensive threats. Along the way, he continued proving the same lesson he learned years ago in Warren County - improvement rarely happens by accident.

"As far as anyone that is looking to play at the next level, I would always tell them to get every rep they can," said Denning. "Use every resource that you have because almost everyone has something that you can learn from whether good or bad."

Now comes the next challenge.

Like many junior college standouts, Denning had options as he looked for a Division I home. It didn't take long for OVC school in Missouri to separate itself from the pack.

"Lindenwood was high on my list from the moment I stepped on campus," said Denning. "They have really nice facilities and I really liked the area that it was in. However, the biggest selling point for me was the coaches. I trust all the coaches there with my career and I believe that they can help me get the most out of myself.

"I think they can make me the best player I can be which in the end is why I decided to commit. I am just excited to get up there and prove myself at another level. Competing at the highest level possible has always been my goal so I am looking forward to going out there to compete and see how I stack up against the best."

For a player who spent his high school career moving wherever he was needed, the destination has changed, yet the goal never has.

Denning has made it to D-1 baseball.