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Versatility key for Westlake’s DuVall
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Versatility key for Westlake’s DuVall
Chaparrals star is Central Texas player of the year
Colby Gordon
Austin American-Statesman USA TODAY NETWORK
Nathan DuVall had the lifestyle of a bodybuilder in preparing for the high school baseball season.
Entering his third varsity year for Westlake, he lifted weights five days a week and ate at least six meals a day to get ready for the grueling slate that starts in early February and can run as long as into early June.
“My main goal was to put on as much weight as possible because you lose weight during the season,” DuVall said. “We worked out three times a week in baseball class, then I’d work out on our off days. It was a lot of lifting weights. I lifted as much as I could. Then I’d try to get as much food in my body as possible.”
It was a routine that paid off, as he went from 154 pounds last summer to 172 entering the season and developed durability that, combined with his talent and ability to perform in the clutch, helped him earn the American-Statesman’s Central Texas player of the year honor.
Excelling as a pitcher, shortstop and hitter, DuVall was a major reason the Chaparrals went 40-5, won a loaded, nine-team District 26-6A and advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 14 years.
“It was that he could do so many things,” said Westlake coach J.T. Blair, the Central Texas coach of the year. “He was so versatile. He could play wherever we needed him, whether that was third, shortstop, start a game pitching or come on in relief. He drove in big runs all year and got big base hit after big base hit. He did everything we asked him to do.”
DuVall hit .307 with an on-base percentage of .427, had 19 RBIs and scored 22 times while being a wizard in the infield, but he was most impressive on the mound.
More inside
See who made the American-Statesman’s All-Central Texas baseball team, 3C.
JOHN GUTIERREZ/SPECIAL TO AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Going 8-1 with three saves while splitting time between starting and relieving, he posted a 0.87 ERA and struck out 54 batters in 48 innings.
“My control of my curveball was key,” Du-Vall said.
“I could spot it where I wanted to. Nobody expects to see a first-pitch curveball, and that really got me ahead in counts.”
Getting out of numerous high-pressure situations, DuVall was at his best when it mattered most in late-game situations and the playoffs.
“I was trying to make as much fun with the circumstances as possible,” he said. “I loved it when (Blair) put me in when we were ahead by one or two runs and I had to close the door and win the games.”
Entering the season, DuVall had a sense that the Chaps could be something special, and he took advantage of the opportunity to be one of the team’s featured players. Westlake started the season 16-1 and after sweeping Lake Travis to begin district play was off and running.
“I knew we’d have a good team because a lot of our guys had been there a long time,” he said. “And I knew this would be my chance to show what I could do.”
And though DuVall could do a little bit of everything on the field, Blair noted that his intangibles made him special.
“He did a great job of leading,” Blair said. “That’s important on a team that had 23 seniors. ... The biggest thing about him is the way he competed. That was what made him so great.”
One of the bigger uncommitted recruits this spring, DuVall will make a college choice in the coming weeks.
But the experience of what he and the Chaps accomplished this season is something he’ll always treasure.
“It was so fun,” DuVall said. “Playing with all my friends, especially all of the seniors who had been together so long, it was just a great team to play with.”
Recent players of the year
2022: Kaeden Kent, Lake Travis SS 2021: Cameron O’Banan, Dripping Springs OF/P 2019: Brett Baty, Lake Travis 3B 2018: Brett Baty, Lake Travis 3B 2017: Alex DeLeon, Lago Vista C/P
JOHN GUTIERREZ/SPECIAL TO AMERICAN-STATESMAN
DUVALL
from page C1 to page C4
Hats off to Westlake’s Nathan DuVall, our Central Texas player of the year, who did it all in the Chaparrals’ run to the state tournament.
Follow the link below to view the article.
Versatility key for Westlake’s DuVall
Versatility key for Westlake’s DuVall
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALLChaparrals star is Central Texas player of the yea
statesman-tx.newsmemory.com
Versatility key for Westlake’s DuVall
Chaparrals star is Central Texas player of the year
Colby Gordon
Austin American-Statesman USA TODAY NETWORK
Nathan DuVall had the lifestyle of a bodybuilder in preparing for the high school baseball season.
Entering his third varsity year for Westlake, he lifted weights five days a week and ate at least six meals a day to get ready for the grueling slate that starts in early February and can run as long as into early June.
“My main goal was to put on as much weight as possible because you lose weight during the season,” DuVall said. “We worked out three times a week in baseball class, then I’d work out on our off days. It was a lot of lifting weights. I lifted as much as I could. Then I’d try to get as much food in my body as possible.”
It was a routine that paid off, as he went from 154 pounds last summer to 172 entering the season and developed durability that, combined with his talent and ability to perform in the clutch, helped him earn the American-Statesman’s Central Texas player of the year honor.
Excelling as a pitcher, shortstop and hitter, DuVall was a major reason the Chaparrals went 40-5, won a loaded, nine-team District 26-6A and advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 14 years.
“It was that he could do so many things,” said Westlake coach J.T. Blair, the Central Texas coach of the year. “He was so versatile. He could play wherever we needed him, whether that was third, shortstop, start a game pitching or come on in relief. He drove in big runs all year and got big base hit after big base hit. He did everything we asked him to do.”
DuVall hit .307 with an on-base percentage of .427, had 19 RBIs and scored 22 times while being a wizard in the infield, but he was most impressive on the mound.
More inside
See who made the American-Statesman’s All-Central Texas baseball team, 3C.
JOHN GUTIERREZ/SPECIAL TO AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Going 8-1 with three saves while splitting time between starting and relieving, he posted a 0.87 ERA and struck out 54 batters in 48 innings.
“My control of my curveball was key,” Du-Vall said.
“I could spot it where I wanted to. Nobody expects to see a first-pitch curveball, and that really got me ahead in counts.”
Getting out of numerous high-pressure situations, DuVall was at his best when it mattered most in late-game situations and the playoffs.
“I was trying to make as much fun with the circumstances as possible,” he said. “I loved it when (Blair) put me in when we were ahead by one or two runs and I had to close the door and win the games.”
Entering the season, DuVall had a sense that the Chaps could be something special, and he took advantage of the opportunity to be one of the team’s featured players. Westlake started the season 16-1 and after sweeping Lake Travis to begin district play was off and running.
“I knew we’d have a good team because a lot of our guys had been there a long time,” he said. “And I knew this would be my chance to show what I could do.”
And though DuVall could do a little bit of everything on the field, Blair noted that his intangibles made him special.
“He did a great job of leading,” Blair said. “That’s important on a team that had 23 seniors. ... The biggest thing about him is the way he competed. That was what made him so great.”
One of the bigger uncommitted recruits this spring, DuVall will make a college choice in the coming weeks.
But the experience of what he and the Chaps accomplished this season is something he’ll always treasure.
“It was so fun,” DuVall said. “Playing with all my friends, especially all of the seniors who had been together so long, it was just a great team to play with.”
Recent players of the year
2022: Kaeden Kent, Lake Travis SS 2021: Cameron O’Banan, Dripping Springs OF/P 2019: Brett Baty, Lake Travis 3B 2018: Brett Baty, Lake Travis 3B 2017: Alex DeLeon, Lago Vista C/P
JOHN GUTIERREZ/SPECIAL TO AMERICAN-STATESMAN
DUVALL
from page C1 to page C4
Hats off to Westlake’s Nathan DuVall, our Central Texas player of the year, who did it all in the Chaparrals’ run to the state tournament.
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