By Ken Hansard

Derby High School pitcher Max White wants to simplify things for his senior campaign. He has had a lot of past success, but when asked what he is most excited about when thinking about the upcoming season, he responded, “Just hanging out with the team and hopefully going back to state.” He is also looking forward to playing at Riverfront Stadium. “The field and the atmosphere there are amazing.”

White understands that, as a senior, he will naturally take on a larger role with this year’s Panthers, as the team will expect him to be a leader for his younger teammates. As a player, White takes a very grounded approach to his role with the team, “My role is as a pitcher who will hopefully give our team a good chance to win each game and also to eat up a lot of innings. One thing that I have made a point to improve is my command. My primarily goal is to keep runners off the bases, which means controlling what I can by not walking anyone.”

Control and command require execution, and to that end, White worked a lot in the off-season on his mechanics, specifically using plyometric balls in his training.

Last year, the Panthers finished first in the AVCTL’s Division I with a 9-3 record before finishing the season with a loss in the semi-finals at state. White, who threw a no-hitter against league rival Salina South last season, hopes that he can lead Derby back to state this season, and possibly take that next step towards winning it all.

Max is undecided about his plans for next year, but he knows that he wants to continue his career playing baseball at the collegiate level.