Like everyone who has played baseball, Tyler Bernstein isn’t immune from slumps.
Sure enough, the Deerfield senior went through a rough patch early this season. Bernstein’s track record suggested he would eventually shake free from his struggles, and he did. But perhaps most telling is his clear-eyed, self-assured approach to it.
“I knew in my mind that ultimately I would have to hit my way out and that good things would happen soon,” he said.
Bernstein’s breakout was a three-run homer he launched in the Warriors’ signature win against highly regarded Downers Grove North during a spring break trip to Nashville.
“I got a nice ball to hit, and hitting it out was the result of positive thoughts,” he said.
The 6-3, 195-pound Bernstein bounced back and entered the final weekend of the regular season batting .239 and leading Deerfield (9-22) with 12 extra-base hits.
There also was a lesson to be learned by any of the talented sophomores and juniors among Bernstein’s teammates. That group will be the Warriors’ core next season and could be better equipped to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of a long season after watching Bernstein.
“He does a great job motivating us to try our hardest, going all the way back to the offseason in our weight room workouts,” Deerfield sophomore outfielder Will Swender said. “He always has a good mindset and makes sure our minds are right before games.”
It wasn’t long ago that Bernstein was on the receiving end of guidance from his older brother Ben, who graduated from Deerfield in 2022 and attends Tulane.
“During my freshman and sophomore years, I used to go to the gym with him, and he would teach me all of the basics,” Bernstein said. “The strength aspect helps hit the ball harder. The only way to get better is by getting stronger.”
Indeed, strength and power are cornerstones of Bernstein’s profile. He’s arguably the Warriors’ most dangerous hitter.
“He hits the ball really hard, which makes pitchers have to attack him differently,” Deerfield coach Mark Januszewski said.
Bernstein, the Warriors’ primary first baseman, has a pretty simple approach at the plate, one that’s centered on turning off the outside noise.
“When I’m up there, I try to keep my mind blank or pick out one little mechanical thing to do,” he said. “I make sure that I get my hips going in my swing. I try to go up there and hit the ball hard, and the ball will find a nice place to get down.”
Hitting the ball hard and producing runs aren’t the only ways Bernstein distinguishes himself. He has also become effective in short relief, recording a 1.73 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings of work entering this week.
“When he’s been in there, he’s thrown really well,” Januszewski said. “He chucks it up there pretty good.”
Bernstein’s pitching outings are brief, but he takes his craft seriously, to the point that he has adjusted his repertoire to account for what was working and what wasn’t.
“My curve is pretty good, but my change-up wasn’t all that dependable,” he said. “So I’ve developed a sinker the last few outings.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
