”Baseball is my first love”
Kris Henderson is interested in diamond futures.
Specifically his own diamond future.
The Central Valley left-handed pitcher unabashedly loves baseball and wants to continue playing the game after he graduates next month. To give himself the best shot at landing a spot on a college roster, the senior gave up playing basketball to devote himself to winter workouts.
“(Skipping the basketball season) wasn’t that difficult for me,” Henderson said. “I wanted to devote myself to baseball because it really is my first love.”
Henderson helped the Bears reach the regional tournament a year ago – even earning All-Region honors as a sharpshooting guard. But basketball success came at a baseball cost.
“I ended up starting a week late and wound up having arm trouble all season long,” Henderson said. “Starting late, I probably pushed too hard, too soon.”
The senior pitcher/first baseman spent the winter working out with other CV baseball players in a warehouse just off the Gonzaga University campus.
“The Gonzaga pitching coach and hitting coaches were always there and were always giving us tips,” Henderson said. “I was able to throw all winter off the indoor mound with a coach watching me and helping me with my mechanics. That helped a lot.
“And we would get in a lot of hitting, both off a pitching machine and off live arms. Hitting off a live arm is so much better.”
Henderson benefited from the extra winter work, starting on a tear at the plate that has yet to cool off. He was 4-for-4 with three doubles and four runs batted in the Bears’ season opener at Hanford and homered in each of the first three Greater Spokane League games.
“Hitting all winter really helped,” Henderson said. “I’ve had a lot of confidence at the plate all season long.”
Even with opposing pitchers trying to pitch around the hot-hitting lefty.
“Pitchers have been trying to pitch me away a lot,” he said. “But that really doesn’t bother me. I like to go with the pitch and hit to the opposite field. I think that really helps me. If I went up to the plate looking to pull the ball all the time I’d be in trouble. If I use the whole field, I’m more effective.”
Being free of arm trouble also has made a big difference, he said.
“I’ve been able to just go out and pitch,” he said. “That’s my favorite part of the game.”
Henderson, who has a sidearm delivery, has been effective with four pitches this season: a four-seam and a two-seam fastball, a breaking ball that’s a cross between a slider and curveball, and a straight change.
“I’ve been able to throw the two-seam fastball inside against right-handers,” he said. “The ball tends to move back toward the inside corner. I’ve had pretty good command with all of my pitches. The only one that has given me trouble is the change-up. That pitch tends to drop in the dirt sometimes.”
Being both a starter and a reliever this season has been fine.
“I’ve been starting one game a week and then coming back to pitch relief three or four times, whenever I’ve been needed,” he said. “I kind of like pitching in relief. When you start, you have to pace yourself because you know you’re going to be out there for a while. When you come on in relief, you can just go for it. You don’t have to hold anything back. That gives you a feeling of power out there.”
Henderson said he wants to play for a college where he has a chance to pitch and play every day.
“The longer I can postpone having to choose between pitching and playing every day, the better,” he said. “I’ve been talking to Big Bend Community College about playing down there.”
Meanwhile, the Bears find themselves on the bubble going into the final week of the regular season. Central Valley’s season finale with Ferris was postponed because of rain Tuesday, and the Bears have their league bye for the remainder of the week, meaning the team would be idle while the rest of the league sorted itself out.
“If we beat Ferris, we’re pretty much in,” Henderson explained. “Right now we’re No. 6 and in the playoffs, but if we lose, we have to sit around the rest of the week and wait to see what the rest of the league does before we know if we’re in or not.”