Another Greenback standout inks with Beavers

While it came time to assemble his 2010 recruiting class, Pratt Community College baseball coach Ryan Schmidt didn’t have to go far to sign three players that he expects to make an immediate impact.

Pratt High School senior Brad Richardson recently signed a national letter of intent to continue his career at PCC, making him the third Greenback to sign with the Beavers this year, as PHS teammates Skylar Angood and Brady Batman signed earlier this spring. The three will join another former Greenback – 2009 graduate Jake Strecker - on the Beaver roster next year.

Richardson is a big part of the Greenbacks’ success this season, as his pitching, hitting and defense have helped PHS compile a 15-3 record and climb to No. 4 in the latest Class 4A poll.

The son of Scott and Brenda Richardson of Pratt, he earned All-League honors as a junior, then helped the Pratt 86ers finish as state runners-up last summer.

At PHS, Richardson has spent the majority of his time pitching and playing third base, though Schmidt says he’ll likely play in the outfield at PCC.

“He’s another one of those versatile guys. I think he’s going to end up in the outfield,” Schmidt said. “I know he plays on the infield some for the high school, but I think the outfield where he likes to play. He’s a good athlete and can run the ball down.”

Schmidt also expects Richardson to make an impact at the plate. As a junior, he hit over .400 and scored 29 runs for the Greenbacks, who went 16-2 and finished as Class 4A Regional Runners-Up.

“The thing we really like seeing out of him is his bat speed. He’s got some serious juice,” Schmidt said. “He just needs to know what he’s doing up there and just get more at-bats, and it’s really going to pay off for him. We’re very excited about his athleticism. We think he’s going to be a great addition here. He brings a lot to the table.”

PHS coach Pat Stivers has seen what Richardson can do at the high school level, and he expects the success to continue at PCC.

“I think PCC is a good fit for him, and it’s nice that all three of these guys are going to be together for their juco baseball experience,” Stivers said, referring to Angood, Batman and Richardson.

“He’s pretty much started senior legion baseball since he was a freshman. He has consistently hit .400 or better. He’s a good contact hitter and has a good sense of the strike zone,” Stivers said of Richardson. “He has the ability and understanding of the game. He’s looking forward to playing college baseball and this is the first step. It’s something I think he’s really going to enjoy.”

Richardson is confident that he has made the right decision in choosing to become a Beaver for the next two years.

“I chose PCC because it’s close to home and I’ve got a place to stay,” he said. “I’ve been to some home games and it’s a nice field now that they got it redone. It ought to be fun.”

For the past four years, Richardson has found success playing football, basketball and baseball at PHS, and his ability as a three-sport athlete is just one of the things that appeals to Schmidt and the rest of the PCC coaching staff.

“In high school, he was an athlete. He played three sports and excelled at all three,” Schmidt said of Richardson. “He’s coming from successful programs in all three sports. We like to recruit high character guys that compete at high levels in high school, and that’s what he does.”