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Passion for Baseball Drives Lewis 3/31/2005 by Courtney Dimling Like most college pitchers, Vanderbilt’s Jensen Lewis checks baseball statistics on the internet all the time, but they’re not his own. They’re his brother’s, Columbia University freshman pitcher Alex Lewis. “There’s a little bit of sibling rivalry,” Jensen explains, “but he’s always wanted to pave his own road, and he’s out there now. It’s cool now because we can get online and keep track of each other’s stats and stuff and call each other after games. Lewis currently ranks second among Southeastern Conference pitchers with an earned run average of 0.89, is second in victories at 5-0 and is tied for fourth in opposing batting average (.184) and batters struck out looking (16). Jensen and Alex grew up playing baseball together in Cincinnati, both taught early on by their mother. “Wherever I’d go, he’d go, and kind of vice-versa. We paralleled each other growing up, playing ball and other sports. We’d work off each other, and when I could come to his games, I would, and he’d be at a lot of my games. There was a lot of support.” While they always played together, the two-year age gap between the two kept them on separate teams most of their lives. It wasn’t until Jensen’s senior year at Anderson High School that they played on the same team. “We always had a good relationship, and we got a chance to play on the same varsity team my senior year? and ended up going to the state championship,” Jensen says with a smile. “That was a real kick for our parents, too, finally seeing us on the same team, going to the same game. It was really fun.” Their athletic careers have paralleled one another over the past eighteen years. And just as Jensen dreams of playing Major League baseball, his brother has similar aspirations. “He’s definitely on the same track with the same thought process, and I think he’s definitely got the talent to do it? He’s a driven kid. He’s got his goals in front of him and he knows what he wants to do.” As the two brothers continue to gain experience, they learn from one another. Jensen, who registered a career high of eleven strikeouts last season, clearly admires his brother’s ability. “Sometimes we play catch over the winter to stay in shape, and he’s gotten so much better. He’s got a really good curve ball–I throw a slider, he throws a curve ball–he’s actually a two-way guy, he plays 1st base too. He’s always been a better hitter than me too, and there’s always been some good natured animosity towards that,” Jensen laughs. “I always say, ‘You know, if I had your curve ball, I’d be pretty good.’ Then he goes, ‘Well man, if I had your change-up, I’d be pretty good.’ So I say, ‘Alright, well let’s work on this.'” But while his relationship with his brother pushed him to be a batter player, he’s always found motivation within himself. “I always had an inner motivation, an inner drive? probably the easiest way to say it is I’ve always had a passion. When other kids would go to the movie theater, I’d watch Wednesday night baseball. I always saw myself as a student of the game.” Jensen combines a strong combination of pride and humility, something many consider rare in top college athletes. “It’s been my dream to play major league baseball, and I’m confident that I’ll get there. But I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy being a kid and still having downtime? I know what I have ahead of me, and I’m excited at the opportunities. I always appreciate the time I’m given, the talent that God’s given me, and I’m just trying to make the best of it.” As for his brother, Alex and Jensen have shared a dream since they were young, proving how close they really are. “We’ve always had the dream that we, hopefully, can end up each in the World Series–I’m on the mound, he’s at the plate, and see what happens? that really would be something.” |
