This season, Cavaliers first basemen Anthony Miller hasn’t just been a standout on the college’s baseball team and the Jayhawk conference —Miller is also one of the top players in the nation. Miller is second in the nation in home runs with 20 and fourth in the nation in RBIs with 65. Miller has been chosen as KJCCC player of the week four times this season. Miller leads the Cavs in batting average, hits and slugging percentage. Miller and the loaded Cavs offense are looking to repeat as regional champions and advance to nationals to pursue a national title.
James Howey: How have you been able to have such a successful season as an individual?
Anthony Miller: I think that any success that I have had or the team has had is all due to practice every day and the drills that Horner, Canary and Shelley have put together for us and the time they spent making sure we are at our best when we leave the ballpark every day.
JH: What do you guys as a team really need to focus on down the stretch with the goal of repeating as regional champs?
AM: I think that all we need to do is continue to grow as a team and get closer and form that family-style bond, because with that, everything clicks and we all know what we have to do, and we go out and do it to the best of our ability.
JH: Talk about the play of two of your teammates, Ben Calvano and L.J. Hatch, two guys who are also having a great season and are right next to you in the lineup. What it is like playing with those guys?
AM: Both L.J. and Ben are just freaks on the field. Both of them have plus power, plus speed, with very good arms. It is very good to know that they are beside me in the lineup, and it’s a blast playing with them. They play hard, fast and set a good example to everyone on how the game is supposed to be played. They are two of the best all-around players I’ve ever played with.
JH: How has Coach Shelley helped you your two years here at Johnson County on and off the field?
AM: Coach Shelley has played a huge role in my life on and off the field, especially with helping me in my game and helping me make sure that I stay on top of my grades. He has taught me a lot about the game of baseball and has taught us all valuable life lessons. He’s a very successful head coach, and you can tell that each and every one of us means the world to him with the effort he puts in.
JH: What made you choose New Mexico State as the place you wanted to play at next year?
AM: New Mexico State was my choice because of the coaches and the school itself. It’s in a place with beautiful baseball weather, and the philosophy that the hitting coach has is something very similar to what ours is with coach Canary, and he has had a lot of success with what he teaches.
JH: Who is your favorite athlete?
AM: Carlos Beltran
JH: What is your favorite food?
AM: Grilled tilapia
JH: What is your favorite movie?
AM: Anything with Matt Damon
JH: Who is your favorite artist?
AM: Kings of Leon
JH: What is your dream job?
AM: Owning a baseball facility that offers anything a baseball player could