Brian Dunn's mental, physical toughness is a plus for Hernando.
By FRANK PASTOR
Published April 29, 2004
BROOKSVILLE - Want tough?
Picture a catcher taking a knee to the side of the head, then smacking the back of his head on the dirt during a home-plate collision and holding on to the ball for the out.
And staying in the game.
One inning after being hit in the head by a pitch.
Want tougher?
Envision that same player keeping his composure on the mound while pitching a three-hitter without his best stuff as his teammates boot seemingly every ball hit to them during a two-run loss to a seemingly inferior opponent.
Whether it is physical or mental toughness, Hernando senior Brian Dunn fits the bill.
"Mentally, I'm more there than physically," Dunn said. "Physically, I'm trying to get there."
Hernando (10-12) likely will need both as it prepares for the Class 3A, District 6 tournament Wednesday at Pasco. Dunn will pitch the Leopards' semifinal against South Sumter, then return behind the plate for Thursday's final if Hernando advances.
"He's going to help you win being on the mound or behind the plate," Hernando coach Tim Sims said. "He can play the battery position, either one of them, and do it real well."
Though he was batting a disappointing .283 entering Tuesday's game at Ridgewood, Dunn has been consistent behind the plate and surprisingly effective on the mound. He had not pitched in almost four years - since an all-star game as a 15-year-old - but compiled a 2-3 record and 1.37 ERA, second-best in the county, in a team-high 302/3 innings.
Forced into the rotation after Hernando lost six pitchers from last season to graduation, transfer, injury or academic ineligibility, Dunn has responded better than anyone hoped.
"He controls the tempo of the game," Sims said. "He locates the best, pitches the best of any of our throwers. He locates as good as anybody in the area, and that's not bad from a guy who's a catcher."
Actually, Dunn is a shortstop. At least, he was as a freshman. Academically ineligible to play as a sophomore, he was moved to catcher the following summer and has played there since.
It is the position he hopes to play in college despite the April 17 collision with James Kellogg of Crystal River that left Dunn with a concussion, headaches and nosebleeds.
"That was the hardest collision I've seen in quite some time at home plate," Sims said.
Dunn finished the game at third base but missed the next three games. After nagging his doctor for a week, he was allowed to return to practice Tuesday.
He attributed his toughness to his desire to play in college and to step out of the shadow of his older brother, Jason, a Hernando graduate who went on to play at Central Florida Community College.
"You don't play college ball just letting people blow by you and stuff like that; you've got to step up your game and just play to win," Dunn said. "Mentally, toughness just comes from being the underdog all my life with Jason and stuff."
With his older brother off to college, Dunn finally has made a name for himself. And he didn't do it by staying on the ground after the collision.
"I blacked out, and they were talking to me on my back for three to four minutes," Dunn said. "I said, "Get me up, man, I look like a punk.' "
No, that's tough.
- Frank Pastor can be reached at 800 333-7505, ext. 1430. Send e-mail to pastor@sptimes.com
