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Millard West's Mason Koch commits to bright future with Creighton baseball

By Jon Nyatawa, 05/06/21, 8:15AM CDT

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Millard West's Mason Koch said he didn't make any dramatic changes last fall, when he enjoyed a string of breakout performances that likely solidified a spot on the radar of Creighton's coaching staff.

He just stopped over-thinking. He let his pitches do the work.

The junior right-hander emerged last fall on the select baseball scene with Nebraska Prospects and has since worked his way into a closing role for Millard West. Now he's a CU pledge. Koch announced his commitment to the Jays last week.

"I kind of just let myself loose in the fall and it turned out pretty well," Koch said. "Before, I was worried about, oh, if I don't put this in the perfect spot it'll get pieced up. But then in the fall, I just said, if I get shelled, I get shelled."

He did not get shelled. His fastball velocity elevated to the upper 80s — he'll hit the low 90s at times now, too. He saw tighter breaks on his off-speed pitches, particularly a slider that he regularly uses to complement his heater.

Koch has recorded a 3.15 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 20 innings for the Wildcats this spring.

"He's a smart kid who likes to compete, and he's really been excelling as a closer," Millard West coach Steve Frey said. "He's been a real nice surprise for us. I'm excited to see what he can do for the rest of the spring, next year and down the road after high school."

Koch is now the eighth known member of Creighton's 2022 recruiting class.

He joins three other metro-area commits in the class — outfielder Devin Jones (Millard West), shortstop Maddux Fleck (Millard West) and right-handed pitcher Ben Ayala (Elkhorn). Outfielder Tommy Ulatowski (Chicago), left-hander Shane Curtin (La Grange, Illinois), infielder Jack Scheri (LaSalle, Illinois) and outfielder Cuyler Zukowski (Madison, Wisconsin) are also in the 2022 group.

Koch said Creighton's recent success, its close proximity to home and its academic profile were a few of the major factors he considered when making his decision.

He still has some time to work to prepare himself for that next step, but he's looking forward to it. He noted that he and Creighton 2021 signee Hogan Helligso, out of Elkhorn South, spent a lot of time working out together this past offseason.

There's a lot of potential for the Jays, Koch said.

"They've got a good program," he said. "And it's going to be really good in the future here."