The Zion-Benton baseball coaches’ decision to promote Brayden Duran to the varsity team when he was a freshman didn’t come out of the blue.
They had heard about Duran’s exploits in middle school, including his participation on a 12-and-under national team.
“As a freshman, he especially made his mark by throwing a bunch of kids out from center field,” Zion-Benton coach Tim Schiappacasse said.
Duran has only gotten better since then. The 6-foot, 165-pound junior is not only a track-everything-down outfielder but also a highly productive middle-of-the-order hitter and a respected voice for the Zee-Bees (2-5, 0-1).
Heading into a North Suburban Conference game against Mundelein on Thursday, Duran was batting .500 with a 1.218 OPS, 12 extra-base hits, six runs scored and four stolen bases.
“Last year, he wasn’t afraid to do whatever the team needed him to do, and now he’s playing out of his mind,” Schiappacasse said. “The sky is the limit for him, and he’ll be the face of the program for the next two years.”
Duran, who hit .282 as a freshman and .318 as a sophomore, doesn’t take that for granted.
“I’ve definitely come a long way, but my mindset has never changed,” he said. “I’ve always been taught to aim high. When I first got up, I was nervous because I had heard about the conference. But as I played more, I kept coming back to the idea that it’s just me playing a game and that baseball is supposed to be fun.”
That doesn’t mean Duran isn’t putting in the work. He was a consistent presence in the weight room during the offseason.
“I’ve gotten bigger, faster and stronger, and it definitely shows,” he said. “Instead of weak little grounders getting through the infield, I’m hitting line drives with higher exit velocity that are coming off the bat hot. I’m hitting the ball further, and I feel more confident.”
That’s especially important during crucial moments in a game.
“My first two years, I was timid in those situations, and I was almost afraid to go up there with runners on base,” Duran said. “Now I know that I’ll get that runner in or advance that guy.”
Duran remains an excellent outfielder.
“I think my best attribute is reading and tracking fly balls,” he said. “Fielding has always come more easily to me, so it wasn’t really a big leap to play defense at this level. I’ve always played outfield, so not having to get used to a new position helped.”
Reflecting his stature in the program, Duran is also a co-captain with senior infielder Michael Gonzalez this season.
“He’s not the most talkative guy, but when he comes into the dugout from the outfield, he helps out a lot,” Gonzalez said. “He’s never said a bad thing about anyone, but he’s gotten more comfortable telling people what they’re doing wrong, and that’s a good thing.”
That played out during the Zee-Bees’ 3-2 loss to Antioch on April 1. On a play in the first inning, Duran’s teammate in right field decided against attempting to throw out a runner at home after catching a fly ball.
“Everyone was yelling for him not to throw it, but from my viewpoint, it looked like we could have had him,” Duran said. “When I came in, coach said that the next time I see something like that to be vocal and tell the guy to throw it. That’s my next step.”
Speaking of next steps, Duran has long hoped to continue playing baseball after high school, and he’s drawing interest.
“I’m starting to get letters and invites from coaches to go to camps on campuses, so that shows that I’m getting noticed more,” he said. “Since I started playing baseball, I’ve wanted to get to the next level and see how high I can go.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
