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Aaron ShipmanBrooks County High SchoolQuitman, Georgia by Robert Preston Jr. photography by Micki K Photography |
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For the first time since he joined the Brooks County Trojans, Aaron Shipman will take the field without his older brother, Robert III. The two are one year apart in school and have played together on the Trojans’ squad for the last three years. Robert, who was featured in In The Game last spring, graduated from high school in 2009 and is currently a member of the University of Georgia baseball team. Aaron is now a senior and has his chance to step outside of his brother’s shadow and lead the Trojans. Aaron played last summer without Robert at his side (because he had graduated, Robert couldn’t play summer ball). “I had my best summer last year, and I hope to continue that this year,” he says. During 2009, Robert was unquestionably the team leader. The lefty hit .468 with eight home runs, 30 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He was also 2-2 with a 3.77 ERA and 82 strikeouts. Robert was a model of consistency while at Brooks County, batting .460 as a sophomore and .405 as a junior. It’s not easy to replace that kind of production, and it’s even worse when it’s your own brother whose absence created that void. Aaron, however, remains unaffected. He’s been preparing for this season the whole year. He doesn’t play any other sports, choosing instead to focus solely on baseball. “If I wanted to play something else, I could. My dad wouldn’t be happy about it, but he would let me,” laughs Aaron. (His father, Robert Shipman Jr., is the Brooks County head baseball coach.) Aaron and his mother, Neshelle, have talked about the opportunity that Aaron has before him. “Yeah, we’ve talked. She’s told me that it’s my time to shine,” he says. At the same time, it’s bittersweet taking the field without Robert. “I’m going to miss playing with him – I’ll miss seeing those balls travel over the fence. We used to joke around a lot. We had our arguments, but we had fun playing together,” says Aaron. Last year’s Trojans started out strong but fell apart near the end of the season, finishing fifth in the region and missing the playoffs. That doesn’t sit well with Aaron. If the ‘10 Trojans are going to be successful, they must play as a team and work together. “I want our team to be closer. We’ve got to have a stronger bond. We started out good but dropped a few important region games. We didn’t have enough leadership. I want to finish strong this year,” says Aaron. Aaron is one of four returning starters from last season. He knows that they have to step up and lead the team, and he’s more than ready for the task. “We’ve got to avoid the pitfalls from last year. We’ve got to be there from start to finish,” he says. Aaron wants to lead by example and help his team make the playoffs. He and his father have talked about leadership, and Aaron understands what’s at stake. |
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Coach Shipman believes the pieces are in place to make a postseason run. Brooks is young and inexperienced. Teams like that aren’t supposed to win a lot of games, but a young, scrappy team is often the most dangerous. Young players don’t know they shouldn’t be winning and they may not know enough to be intimidated by the preseason favorites. It’s that kind of team that comes out of nowhere and forces themselves into contention. “We’re going to fight this year. We’re going to be a pesky team. I like our lineup. We’re going to make contact and put a lot of pressure on people. We aren’t going to strikeout a lot, which means we’ll be putting the ball in play,” says Coach Shipman. If hitters can make contact and force the defense to make plays, eventually, runs are going to cross the plate. Aaron is going to be one of the key run-producers for the Trojans. He’s a five-tool lead-off hitter who knows how to get on base and disrupt the game. Last season, Aaron hit .416 with three home runs and 30 walks. He covers the 60-yard dash in 6.3 seconds and refuses to stay still once he gets on base. “Oh, I love to run,” he says. Aaron has developed more power this year and is a legitimate home run threat every time he steps in the box. “He can throw the ball 90 mph from the outfield to any of the infield positions. He hits for a high average, and he has more power this year. He can run down balls in the gaps. He has a plus arm and a plus glove. Our biggest weakness would be that we don’t have enough of him,” says Coach Shipman. The outfield isn’t the only place that big arm comes into play. Aaron is an important part of the Trojans’ pitching rotation, though he admits that pitching isn’t his favorite position. He would rather be in his usual spot out in center field, but his stuff is just too good to not run out there on the mound every week. Like Robert, Aaron is a lefty who is capable of hitting 90 and above from the mound. His velocity has jumped from 82 mph as a freshman to consistently in the high 80s as a senior. Aaron tops out at 91 and routinely hangs around 88. If you can throw that hard from the left side in high school, like it or not, you’re going to be pitching. That’s the situation Aaron has found himself in. “I would rather play center. You get to run around, and you don’t have the pressure on you to throw strikes. I have a pretty good cut fastball and curve, but I struggle some with my location. I have my good days and my terrible days. I just hope when I’m out there, it’s one of my good days,” he chuckles. Coach Shipman says Aaron’s struggles with control have come as his velocity has increased. “He had great command as a freshman and sophomore. When his velocity jumped, he lost a little control. We’re working hard on his confidence right now,” says Coach Shipman. Whatever those struggles are, they must not be too bad. Aaron has signed a scholarship to play baseball at Mercer University. Mercer recruited him as both an outfielder and a pitcher, so he’s going to have a lot of time over the next four years to work on his command. That is, if he doesn’t sign a professional contract first. Aaron is one of the hottest baseball commodities in the area, and scouts from the professional ranks have descended upon Quitman to watch him practice. The day before In The Game spoke with Aaron, a scout from the Toronto Blue Jays had been at practice. Coach Shipman knows all too well how the pro game works; he was taken in the 10th round of the 1987 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers and played a few years of minor league ball with the Tigers and Twins. Coach Shipman has mixed emotions about his son going pro. If he’s taken in the early rounds, the money can be very, very good. In the later rounds – not so much. “If he wants to go to school, we will be encouraged by that. If he wants to go pro, we will be encouraged as well. It will be his decision,” he comments. Coach Shipman knows the value of an education from Mercer, and if Aaron does sign, he hopes the amount of the contract will be more than the price tag of a Mercer education. “He’s got four years at Mercer paid for. The dollar value of the contract will have to be equal or more than his education,” laughs the coach. In the end, though, he will leave the decision to Aaron. At the moment, Aaron’s plans are to go to Mercer. “I signed with Mercer because it’s a great school, and I have the chance to play right away. I’m planning on going to college. But if I get drafted high enough, I would go pro,” says Aaron. Before Aaron has to worry about signing a pro contract or playing college baseball in Macon, there is the matter of improving upon Brooks County’s 2009 season. He wants to finish his career with a playoff berth, and his father/coach wants the same thing. “We’ve had some introverted players in the past, but this team really gets along. We work hard but we have fun. They are very supportive of each other. I think we’re a playoff team. I’ve got a bunch of kids this year that just won’t quit,” says Coach Shipman. • Georgiadogs.com and ghsfha.org contributed to this article. Worth NotingAaron played soccer until he was in middle school, but he gave up his career on the pitch to focus on baseball. He also tried to play football when he was in the eighth grade. “I was a wide receiver and it was horrible,” laughs Aaron. He injured his ankle and played just two football games. After Aaron graduates, there is one more Shipman son—Eric, a sophomore who also plays football and basketball. Eric was one of the top defensive players on a Brooks County team that went 9-3 this year. “He hasn’t concentrated on baseball like Aaron and Robert. He could be good if he wanted to,” says Coach Shipman. | |
