Henderson signs with Pittsburg State baseball

Louisburg High School first baseman Austin Henderson is getting a chance to achieve his dream when he found out last week that he earned a spot on the Pittsburg State baseball team. 

Baseball is in Austin Henderson’s blood.

Like many young athletes across the country, Henderson has played the game he loves since he was small and always had aspirations of playing college baseball one day. Once the high school baseball season was over in May, he has been looking for that right fit.

He found that perfect place last week.

Henderson earned a spot with the Pittsburg State baseball team and the recent Louisburg High School graduate is looking forward to hitting the field with the NCAA Division II program.

“Since I was little I knew I wanted to play baseball at the college level so when the coach offered me a spot it was crazy because a dream became a reality,” Henderson said.

That coach is Tom Myers, who was hired to take over the Gorillas program last month. The Gorillas finished 15-33 last season, but Henderson is excited to learn under Myers, who led Central Missouri State to the NCAA Tournament six times.

After speaking with Myers during his college visit, the choice was an easy one for Henderson.

“Pitt State is an awesome school and when I took my visit it felt just like home,” Henderson said. “Coach Myers is an awesome guy and he is a winner. I can’t wait to play under him.”

Henderson also had some guidance from former Louisburg baseball coach Jeff Lohse, who played for the Gorilla baseball team himself. Lohse coached Henderson his first three years in high school.

“I really want to thank coach Lohse for all his help,” Henderson said. “He was a huge part in all this and he really helped me out a lot with the recruiting process.”

Henderson had a strong final season for Louisburg as he earned honorable mention all-Frontier League honors at first base. He also provided a lot of power in the middle of the lineup for the Wildcats.

He finished the season with a .348 average and had 24 hits in 77 plate appearances. Henderson added six doubles and three home runs on the season to go along with 16 RBIs. He also walked eight and struck out just nine times.

Although Henderson played a lot of first base for the Wildcats, that won’t necessarily be his position at Pittsburg State. The Gorillas coaches want to try him in a couple different spots and Henderson is happy to give it a try.

“After speaking with coach Myers, he wants to see me play more around the field and try third base and the outfield,” Henderson said. “As for playing time, it isn’t guaranteed and he said the best player plays and if I work hard then it will be a possibility for me to play right away. He doesn’t want to make the decision to redshirt me or not until the end of winter when he can gauge where I am at.”