By Byron Beers/Staff Writer

Chandon Vieweg is always on the move for the El Reno baseball team.
Wherever first-year head coach Jason Looper places his versatile senior, he gets solid production and that has been the case for the past two seasons.

Vieweg has seen action at nearly every infield position in his two years as a starter for the Indians, including time at catcher, second base, shortstop and third base. He has also been prominent to the pitching staff.

But it hasn’t just been a matter of learning new positions. Vieweg has had to learn from a new head coach for the third time in his career under Looper. Brandon Bowers coached Vieweg during his freshman season, while Mark Ward was the man in charge during his sophomore and junior years.

“Chandon has been a real versatile guy for us,” Looper said. “Last year he caught for us, played third base and played shortstop, and this year he’s played at second and third.”

But Vieweg’s frequent shifts and time under his third head coach hasn’t affected his productivity as a player.

“It hasn’t been really that difficult,” Vieweg said. “Every coach we’ve had has been good to us. Coach Looper helps me with everything. Him and Coach (Bo) Copeland both help me in the batting cage with my hitting.

“They have just picked up right where Coach Ward left off.”

The multi-purpose Vieweg is at his best when it comes to his hitting. Through 20 games, he leads El Reno in home runs with four and RBIs with 21. Vieweg is second behind fellow senior Joe Halley with a .431 batting average.

Vieweg has already equaled his home run output from a season ago and is just one off from his RBI total as a junior. Last year he finished with a .347 batting average.

Looper and assistant Bo Copeland have worked extensively with Vieweg on his ability to hit with two strikes and also with shortening up his swing and being able to hit to all parts of the field.

“He has swung the bat so well for us this year,” Looper said. “He’s had a hit in every game I think but three.

“We’ve really worked with him on shortening up his swing. He’s got a great swing but at times his swing would get real long and he would get behind balls so we just tried to shorten it up a little bit.

“In the past he’s been a dead pull hitter so we took an approach to the plate where he could use all facets of the game and hit to every part of the field. That’s been his biggest improvements as far as a hitter.

“He’s definitely been consistent at the plate this year.”

One would think that it would be easy for Vieweg to endure a slump with the bat with so much focus on playing multiple positions in the field, but that hasn’t been the case. He has shown the ability to not let his defensive play affect his approach to the plate.

“I really like playing everywhere on the field,” he said. “I just don’t think about that. I just go out there and do it because whenever I think too much is when I start to screw up.

“It helps a little more with being a senior and being able to help the other guys around me.”

The Indians, who through last Thursday were 9-12 overall and 3-6 in the Suburban Conference, will need to squeeze all they can from Vieweg over the next two to three weeks after Halley went down with a knee injury last week at Guthrie. Halley isn’t expected to return to the lineup until regionals get under way.

“I think it’s going to be tough,” Vieweg said. “We’re all going to have to step up and each of us will have to pull a little more weight than usual.

“Hopefully he will come back healthy and we can get through regionals.”
It hasn’t always been easy for Vieweg. He’s had to fill in at pitcher in some difficult situations, and now the Indians will look to him for more innings on the mound with Halley’s departure.

“He’s a very hard-working kid and he has a great personality,” Looper said. “He’s been stuck in some situations on the mound that hasn’t been ideal for him, but he always finds a way to bounce back.

“He’s a real down-to-earth kid and hard-nosed kid who really enjoys the game. He has always been a great teammate and has great character.”

“With whatever he chooses to do in the future he’s going to be successful,” Looper added. “He leads by example and goes out there day in and day out and gets the job done.”