It’s a different mode for Trevor Fenters.
The Valparaiso junior does plenty of damage at the plate. But when he gets on the mound, something really clicks for him.
“I love pitching,” Fenters said. “I feel so much better when I’m pitching. It’s just so exciting. You get in this mindset when you’re pitching, it’s just so much fun.
“Pregame, you just have to lock in. You get dialed in the zone. After a couple of innings, you’re throwing good, you just feel great. When you’re throwing good, there’s no better feeling.”
In that case, Fenters must be feeling quite good this season. The right-hander was 4-1, tied with junior Caden Crowell for the team lead in wins, with a 1.82 ERA entering the Vikings’ game against Knox on Friday. He had a team-high 48 strikeouts and just 10 walks over a team-high 42 1/3 innings.
Fenters, also a corner infielder, was batting .367 with three homers and 24 RBIs, pacing Valparaiso in both of the latter categories as well.
Clearly, he has been instrumental in an excellent season for the Vikings (19-2, 13-1), one that has featured their first Duneland Athletic Conference title since 2002, a season when Jeff Samardzija was on the roster.
“I’ve just been trying to get ahead of hitters, not throw as many balls,” Fenters said of his pitching. “The slider has been working a lot early in the count. I’ve noticed throughout the season that more teams are sitting on fastball, so I want to pitch backward a little bit more. It’s been working good recently.”
Fenters was particularly important for the Vikings at the beginning of the season when Crowell, a Notre Dame commit, was recovering from a biceps strain.
“Trevor’s stepped up big,” Valparaiso coach Todd Evans said. “Caden was coming back, we had him on a return-to-play protocol, and Trevor stepped up big. He faced the three big teams in the conference early in the year — Chesterton, Lake Central, Crown Point — and he just showed what he can do.
“It’s been very impressive what he can do on the mound and in the batter’s box. Him and Caden have been at the top of our statistical categories on the mound and in the batter’s box. I don’t think anyone knew who Trevor was before this year, and he’s only a junior. I think they’ll remember him going into next year and hopefully the rest of this year.”
Last season, Fenters was more of a secondary player for the Vikings, who open Class 4A Crown Point Sectional play Wednesday against DAC rival Crown Point, having won their second sectional title in three seasons in 2023.
He posted a 4.88 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 15 walks in 37 1/3 innings and hit .258 with a homer and 13 RBIs as a sophomore.
“After last year, it was a little rough for me,” Fenters said of his offense. “I had a rough start. So this year I’ve just been working on trying to have a better approach, just looking for a pitch I can hit, try not to get behind in the count. When I swing early in the count, get the pitch I want, I usually have more success. If I go down two strikes, I have to fight off a pitcher’s pitch.”
The 6-foot-3 Fenters has been harnessing his developing physical tools. He said he was around 5-10 and 215 pounds as a freshman with “a little chubbiness on me.” He hit a growth spurt and slimmed down to about 180 pounds last season before building back up in the weight room to 205.
Fenters said he also “built on the confidence” he gained after a “big summer” with his travel team.
Evans agreed the mental component has factored into the significant strides Fenters has made this season.
“His confidence has grown exponentially,” Evans said. “He knows he can compete with these guys at a high level. He’s worked extremely hard to get stronger and faster. He just knows that he can compete.
“He works fast on the mound with confidence, and in the box he knows his approach and what he needs to do to be successful, and he sticks to it. … There’s not much emotion out of Trevor. He’s all business when he’s on the mound. It’s fun to watch when he gets going. It really is.”
Junior catcher Max Reaume has enjoyed working with Fenters from a young age.
“First off, Trevor’s a great guy,” Reaume said. “You can’t ask for a better teammate than Trevor. I’ve caught Trevor for multiple years now. He’s eaten up a ton of innings, a bunch of valuable innings that we needed. He’s going to continue to do that for us through the postseason.
“Trevor pounds the zone, throws multiple pitches for strikes. He’s someone I definitely don’t want to hit off of right now. But he definitely makes my job easy behind the plate. You can’t ask for much more.”
Playing with a tightly knit group, Fenters aims to extend the season for as long as possible with the Vikings, who have never won a regional championship. He hopes the DAC title is just the beginning.
“For our guys, it’s great,” Fenters said. “We love coming out and competing every day. We love being around each other. We pick each other up. Especially since last time we won it was so long ago, it’s a great feeling. It’s just so fun coming out with these guys. It’s what I look forward to the most every day. We’re just ready to keep going further and further.”
