The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elyria’s Inman impresses in summer league
Marques Inman is the type of player who refuses to be outworked.
Just ask Elyria baseball coach Ed Piazza.
“Marques was the type of player that nobody was going to outwork him. If he had a weakness, he worked on it in the offseason and got better every year,” Piazza said.
Inman, who’s heading into his sophomore year at West Virginia, has spent his summer with the DC Grays of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. Just as he did with his high school and college teams, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound first baseman has made quite a splash in his first season with the Grays.
In 40 games this summer, Inman has a .333 batting average to go along with 51 hits, fourth-most in the league, and a league-best 15 doubles. He leads the Grays with 26 RBI and has 26 runs, three home runs, and five stolen bases to add to his already impressive résumé.
“My goals were really just to try to better myself as much as I can — figuring my swing out, fixing things, working on different positions to play,” Inman said. “I think I’ve done pretty well with that so far, but I still have work to do.”
It’s that attitude — that drive to always be a better player and a better person — that Piazza said is why the former Pioneer’s collegiate success is nothing of a shock.
“Seeing him succeed at the collegiate level doesn’t surprise me because of the work ethic and type of kid he is,” Piazza said. “But the pride I have for the chance to coach a great kid and watch him go after his dreams, words can’t describe.”
It came as no surprise to anyone, then, that Inman was selected to play in the CRCBL All-Star game July
13, helping his South Division top the North, 5-1, at Shirley Povich Field in Bethesda, Md.
“It was pretty cool … meeting new people,” Inman said. “There were a lot of really good players from all over the country. It was a good experience. It was real laid back and everyone was just having fun.”
While they couldn’t make the trip to watch him in the All-Star game, Inman attributes his success to his parents and grandparents, who travel to as many games as possible. He added having the support of the Elyria community is important to him as he works to be a positive reflection of his hometown.
“I’ve been playing baseball ever since I could walk. I’ve always had a ball or a bat in my hand, and what keeps me going is my grandparents, my parents that support me so very much and the whole city of Elyria,” Inman said. “I’m fortunate enough to still have my grandparents
around where they can still come to my games and stuff like that. It’s special. It’s very special to have parents of mine that are so supportive, and grandparents as well.”
In his time at Elyria, Piazza said Inman stood out as a leader, leading by example and helping build the program by working out with younger players and helping whenever needed.
“(He is) a silent leader,” Piazza said. “He would pick up kids to work out and help the younger guys make adjustments.
“Coaching him, you knew he was going to be ready to play every day. It’s great for the program and the younger kids want to be like him.”
One of the most important lessons Inman learned while playing high school baseball was the need for hard work in achieving success, and he said playing at Elyria forces you to play with a chip on your shoulder.
“Nobody is going to give
you stuff in life, so it was just one of those things where you just have to play a little more gritty, a little harder,” Inman said.
As he sets his sights on his sophomore season at WVU and beyond, Inman knows the work he has to put in despite having such a successful freshman year, and he is ready to do what it takes to become the best baseball player, and more importantly, the best person he can be.
“For me, it’s going to be my bat. But I just have to keep on working no matter what,” Inman said.
“I swing a pretty good bat, but I have to get better, and there’s much more room for improvement. If I just keep on progressing with that, and then defensively as well, I should be OK.
“Of course my stats should be going up and everything else should be going up, but really I just want to make sure I’m getting better as a person as well as a baseball player.”