Robbie Ross following his dad's footsteps

Lexington Christian Academy’s Robbie Ross is one of six kids and the son of a former minor league player – and he can hold his own.

His dad, Chuck Ross, was drafted as a catcher out of high school in 1975 by the Milwaukee Brewers. He played four years in Milwaukee and one full season with the Baltimore Orioles.

He joked that he first recognized Robbie’s talent when the 4-year-old would peg his brothers and sisters while they ran in the yard. “He enjoyed throwing at moving targets and he could do it on the money.”

Robbie had a natural talent, according to his father. “We kept grooming him as a first baseman or outfielder but he was always a pretty natural pitcher and his speed and coordination helped him stand out.”

But his parents didn’t force baseball and kept him off of travel teams when he was young. Instead, his dad said they just let him be a kid.

Robbie was a small child and really didn’t grow much until he was 14 to 15 years old, when he grew several inches and widened out, Chuck said. And his fastball started picking up steam. At that point, friends who are pro scouts encouraged Chuck to start “turning it up” and Robbie went into travel baseball when he was 16.

LCA coach Keith Galloway first saw Robbie play in 2005 in summer league. “He has an overall athleticism and speed and also played outfield,” he said. “He can cover a tremendous amount of ground in center field.”

Robbie was home-schooled until third grade, when he began attending Trinity Christian Academy, a small school with a good academic program. He enrolled at LCA as a sophomore in the 2005-2006 school year.

“Since that time we’ve seen him mature into a leader,” Galloway said. “He’s a fun-loving type of person. He’s a mature spiritual leader as well as a vocal leader. He’s fun to be around but has also taken on a serious tone to leadership.”

The left-handed pitcher had a 4-5 record and a 2.90 ERA last spring with 67 strikeouts and 12 walks in 42 innings. He hit .370 and had 34 runs for LCA as a junior.

“We’re in one of the toughest districts in our state,” Galloway said. “There are five teams and the last four out of five years the state champ came from our district. We won state championship in 2005.”

And LCA is off to a good start this season, Galloway said. Their record is 17-4 as a team and they are ranked in the top 10 in the state. Robbie is 3-1 with a no decision. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is 44 strikeouts to 4 walked and he has a 0.72 ERA, according to Galloway.

“I like to battle,” Robbie said. “I never give up no matter what the score is. I thrive off those moments when they need it the most. When it’s a great hitter I don’t back off. I’m going to go inside because I want to get him out.”

And he maintains his focus even when he’s not in season.

“I want to get as strong as I can off season,” he said. “I’m working for something that can help me out later on in life. If God’s given this to me why would I sit around?”

This winter he added 10 pounds to his 180-pound, 5-foot-11-inch frame through a program combining physical therapy with core strengthening, endurance and flexibility training. “My body got bigger and I can recover quicker after a game,” he said. “I got a mile on my fastball and I’m more consistent. I’m also getting a lot more speed.”

He has a fastball up to 93 with a good slider and a good command of the strike zone.

Cross-training also comes in the form of the high school’s soccer team, which helps him with endurance and strengthening.

Robbie’s strong commitment to sports goes along with his strong commitment to religion. “I write Bible verses in my hats and say a prayer before every game,” he said. “He’s given it all and he can take it away with one pitch.”

His play at the East Coast Professional Showcase in Lakeland, Fla., last summer was defining for him. “I struck out a lot of guys. Everything was clicking that night and I was just in the zone. Sometimes you just have those games,” he said. “I found out I could throw against players who were some of the best.”

Robbie is heading to University of Kentucky in the fall. He admires the coaches and said he’s wanted to be a Wildcat since he was younger. Although the school is less than 8 miles from his family’s home, Robbie is eager to see where it can take him: “It’s a great school and they could possibly go to the World Series. They have a lot of really good players.”