By: Brandon Teela
Redwood’s Joey Volchko, 22, started the 2020 baseball season relatively unknown. Coming off a pretty successful basketball season Volchko was ready to suit up for the Ranger baseball team, but before he could: Covid-19 hit.
In the beginning of quarantine, Volchko didn’t know where to start. He recalls that, “it was a lot of sitting around, a lot of video games, and a lot of movies. Not a whole lot of baseball.” However this lifestyle would soon change getting an offer to play for a scout league here in the valley.
Joey began training daily, mainly with his dad and his little brother just down the street of his house at Ridgeview Middle School. Throwing daily, lifitng, and conditioning. His progress became rapid and gained attention from a few coaches a couple of which he started throwing with weekly.
Starting out the summer with an 83-84 mph fastball, Joey was seen as a high potential player by many schools. He started gaining looks from schools such as USC, and UCSB. However, Volchko was just getting started. He began working with a pitching coach weekly, Jared Thompson, who quickly elevated his game.
With the help of who he calls, “the best coaches in the valley”, Volchko took his base of 84 mph up to 89-90 mph in just under two months. More and more schools began to take notice with names that now boasted Stanford, Oregon, and Arizona University. Volchko never let these type of schools get into his head, his mom always preaches the importance of school and he remained on that path making sure to always have academics as his first priority. He says, “My mom really makes sure I stay on top of my grades and schoolwork, she’s always taught me that.”
He goes on more about how his parents were the biggest influences in his life growing up. He explains that they were both basketball players at the collegiate level and athletics were basically expected at a young age based off the pure love of sport from the both of his parents.
Volchko is driven by something more than just having fun for the game of baseball. He says “I’m motivated everyday because I want to be great, my end goal is to play professional baseball as long as I possibly can.”
Throughout the summer Joey saw opportunities show themselves and he never looked back. He says, “The key was really just finding the right coach to work with. It was inevitable from there.” He had coaches calling him and scouts texting him and takes little credit. He says, “My coaches Jared Thompson and Karlan Andrews have pushed me to new limits, they have been mentors and have helped me a lot.”
Volchko’s experience at Redwood, though very limited, has impacted his career because of teammates and coaches that are experienced in recruiting. Volchko explains his confidence in the Redwood program because of past products of the school. Volchko says, “I feel like I have a great chance here because of guys like Aaron Hill, Hunter Bryan, and even guys like Luke Jewett.”
Senior teammate, leader, and Oregon State baseball commit, Diego Alverado, expresses validation to Joey’s work. Alverado says, “Joey doesn’t care about anything. He just wants to grind.” Alverado goes on to explain that is how Redwood is bred, all work little play.
This can be seen by the schools success over the last decade. Winning the Central Section Championship in 2015, multiple WYL championships, and arguably most impressive the promotion to Division 1.
Alverado said that what made Volchko different from many is his physicals: “He’s just grown and matured mentally and physically, and it shows.” Alverado goes on to say that Joey’s grind is not much different from the rest of the team, he says “just like everybody else. It’s a nonstop grind, we’re trying to make it out.”
This is another thing Volchko has had a great luxury of, older teammates that can lead by example. With multiple teammates that have gone on to commit to highly regarded division 1 baseball programs he has people that love the game as much as him. Alverado said the last piece of advice he would give Joey is, “Don’t worry about anything or anyone else. Just keep grinding because having the opportunity to make a career out of the game you love is more than worth it.”
Redwood has been huge in this process, without coaches, teammates, and friends, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.
Joey Volchko, ’23, on how Redwood has impacted his baseball career
As the summer came to a close and he became more and more settled in school, Volchko decided it would be best to commit this summer. He says that his parents gave him a lot of freedom during the recruitment process and did not pressure him into any decisions. As he looked over his options he decided that Stanford University would most give him what he wanted, a chance at the MLB.
Redwood Varsity Head Coach, Dan Hydash, was far from surprised when speaking about the commitment to Stanford. Hydash explains that though he is only a sophomore, he has seen Joey “grow for years, and from a baseball standpoint, I’d already seen it all.” Hydash says that though Joey was unable to participate at the varsity level last season due to early ending from Covid, “We expect him to be a big contributor.”
He’s an ultra athletic player, and the way he handles and carries himself on and off the field- its impressive. I’ve always loved his demeanor because he can handle so many things positive or negative, and that’s what makes him a great ball player.
Coach Hydash on what impresses him most about Volchko.
Hydash goes on to explain that a big part of the success from the Redwood program is the trust him and his coaches share with his players. “At Redwood, our coaches are not just talking, they know from personal experience the work it takes to get to the next level, because they’ve been there.”
Volchko says he chose Stanford because they share a lot of the same beliefs as himself. Stanford is very academically demanding and focuses on more than just baseball, which is what Joey was looking for. “My ultimate goal is the MLB, but I want to go to a great school that can back me up. I think Stanford gives me the best chance at both.”
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