John Eberhardt is a 5-foot-7 inch, 160 pound smooth fielding infielder out of Pike HS and is also a member of the Pony Express travel baseball organization.  PBR recently sat down with Eberhardt and discussed his decision to attend Kentucky Wesleyan

 

PBR: What schools were you considering?
Eberhardt: I was considering IUSE, Franklin, Rio Grande, and many of the schools in the GLVC.

PBR: Why did you choose KY Wesleyan?
Eberhardt: I had a long term relationship with the coach, Coach Lillpop, and my oldest brother played with both Paul Richardson and Cory Wade who both attended KY Wesleyan.

PBR: Was it important to stay close to home?
Eberhardt: Staying close to home was semi-important to me because I wanted to be able to come home if I needed to because of my diabetes. 

PBR: You have had two brothers already go through the process what did they tell you to expect with recruiting? (Tres is playing at Xavier and Stevie is at Northern Kentucky)
Eberhardt: They told me that I needed to select a school that I could go to and do more than just play baseball.

PBR: What did your brothers tell you to expect when you get to college?
Eberhardt: They told me that I have not had conditioning until I went through college conditioning. They also told me that I will never have too much downtime and that I need to make good use of my personal time.

PBR: What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Eberhardt: The coaches expect me to come in and compete for playing time.

PBR: What were you expectations about recruiting heading into the summer?
Eberhardt: Because of my grades, I knew I had to focus on Division II and NAIA schools.

PBR: What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that you will help Kentucky Wesleyan?
Eberhardt: I feel that my fielding ability will be an asset that I will bring to KY Wesleyan the next fall.

PBR: How has travel baseball helped your development as a player?
Eberhardt: I feel that while playing travel baseball it has allowed for me to play against the top players around the country in my age group and play the game at a much faster that is similar to college.

PBR: Who has had the biggest impact on you as a baseball player?
Eberhardt: The person who has had the biggest impact on me has been my Father, Charles Eberhardt II.

PBR: Who is the toughest pitcher that you have face in Indiana?
Eberhardt: The toughest pitcher that I faced in Indiana has to be Christian Montgomery. (drafted in the 11th rd by the New York Mets in 2011)

 

PBR: What were your stats last season at Pike?

Eberhardt: .324 BA, 14 RBI, 14 Runs

PBR: What was your fondest memory from this past season of baseball?
Eberhardt: This past summer, I sent Coach Jon Richardson to retirement by becoming the first player in his twenty year coaching career to beat him in a race. And it wasn’t even close.