NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks utility man Brady Bean finishes through a swing in an at bat during the Mavs' 6-1 win June 16 at Athletic Park over the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
Brady Bean is back for a second summer as a Medicine Hat Maverick and has brought a new approach to his game.
The Kennewick, Wash., product joined the Mavs in the middle of June due to an extended playoff run in his first year at the NCAA Div. I level with the Portland Pilots. They lost in the Western Conference Championship tournament to the San Diego Toreros, capping off a strong sophomore season for Bean, who put up a .321 average, tallying 44 hits, five home runs and 32 RBIs in 38 games.
Bean says he went into his first Div. I season with confidence and made it a focus to continue that confidence every day, not just when he was having success. He says he found some keys to winning at bats that helped him throughout the season.
“It’s all about being on time, getting my front foot up early and attacking fast balls and not missing them,” Bean said. “Also not complaining about not seeing fastballs or complaining about not getting good pitches to hit because I was getting good pitches andI just had to capitalize.
“I am learning that baseball isn’t getting easier though, it’s always a challenge. It’s still always tough to get up to string a good at bat together and compete. It’s always still tough.”
Last summer was his first season in Medicine Hat, where he had a .313 batting average and tallied 66 hits with six home runs and 35 home runs in 55 games as the Mavs’ everyday second baseman. He continued that offence into the playoffs, helping lead their push to Game 3 of the WBCL finals, slashing .355 in the playoffs with 11 hits, two home runs and five RBIs in eight post season games.
His efforts earned him the Mavs’ Unsung Hero award for the 2023 season. This summer, Bean says he’s focused on just playing smart baseball.
“Not as furious as the young freshmen I was, it’s a lot about just playing smart,” Bean said. “Having a good relationship with the coaches and having a lot of communication with the rest of the boys.”
He’s already established that connection with returning head coach Kevin Mitchell who has been impressed with how Bean has shown up as a more mature baseball player and person.
Mitchell says his early numbers aren’t reflective of where he is as a baseball player and he is looking forward to the impact he will make on the field, at the plate and in the locker room.
“I’m really proud of the way, coming in late, Brady has kind of assimilated himself with the group, a lot of new guys,” Mitchell said. “With the success that he had last summer, as well as the success he had this spring, there may be some perceived pressure that he’s feeling. We’ve talked about it, I don’t think it’s that he’s wearing that too hard.
“The balls just aren’t bouncing his way right now. But anytime you can have a guy like that on your team, it’s a good thing.”
In 13 games this season in the red and white, Bean has tallied 16 hits with nine RBIs for a .296 batting average entering play Friday. Looking back at the player Bean was last season to this campaign, where he’s playing a majority in the outfield, Mitchell has been impressed with his grown approach to the game.
“I was talking to him the other day in early work, we were out there in the outfield, and I’ve been really impressed with what seems to be a growth in his maturity,” Mitchell said. “That speaks to the level of competition he was playing at this spring and the success he had and just his presence and the way he carries himself. There’s a confidence to it that I am really glad to see and he deserves to have it.
“He looks very mature for his age, the kid is 19 years old and he carries himself like he’s been around a while, and that’ll serve him well.”
Bean and the Mavs were in action Friday at Okotoks against the Dawgs in their first matchup since Okotoks won the WCBL Finals last season over the Mavs.
That game was not complete by press time, visit medicinehatnews.com/sports for a full game story.
The Mavs are back at Okotoks on Saturday to face the Dawgs before they return to Athletic Park for a three-game homestand.
They host the Edmonton Prospects on Sunday for Bark the Park day, the Weyburn Beavers are in town for Canada Day on Monday and finish the stretch with a contest Tuesday against the Sylvan Lake Wranglers.
