Fifty Division 1 schools call your phone the second you start your junior year. Coaches reach out from the Big Ten, Big Twelve, Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coastal Conference, all wanting you to come make their program better. Major League Baseball teams are reaching out to show you they are interested. Your name is Beckett Doane and this is the moment you’ve worked for.
Doane is one of the top pitching phenoms in not only the state. He’s made multiple national top-50 prospect boards, and he isn’t there by accident. The junior lefthander says a lot of behind the scenes work goes into the talent he has developed.
“It’s a lot of early mornings and late nights just working to figure things out,” Doane said.
Miller head baseball coach Justin Keever has had a front row seat for the work that Doane puts in. He’s witnessed everything Doane does when the game-night lights aren’t shining that sets him apart.
“Beckett does all the little things when no one is watching,” Keever said. “It’s his goal to be great.”
Doane says baseball is a passion that required a commitment from him from a very young age. And from the moment he first stepped on the mound, he says that the sport has guided in more than just athletics.
“I got into baseball with my dad and my brother. I‘ve been playing baseball for as long as I could walk,” Doane said. “It taught me hard work, to be mentally strong, and to be an overall better person.”
One of the first teams to reach out to Doane was Mississippi State University. One of the top programs in the SEC, the Bulldogs are viewed as one of the most prestigious baseball schools in the world, with a College World Series championship in 2021. When he considered his values and goals, he says his college choice wasn’t a difficult one to make.
“I realized Mississippi State was my home,” Doane said. “The coaches were amazing and I love the town. It felt a lot like Noblesville. The fanbase holds 24 of the 25 records for attendance, so I’m excited about the fanbase.”
For Keever, watching Doane pitch brings a thrill that is rare on a high school diamond. And even though he is the lefty’s coach, Keever says he has learned a lot from Doane.
“Beckett encourages me,” Keever said. “Because he’s always on the brink of something awesome.”
For sophomore Garrett Dixon, the catcher for the Millers, it’s Doane’s work ethic that sets him apart.
“He wakes up every morning at five, stretches and eats like a pro athlete. He does everything a pro does. His mindset and work ethic is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
There is a reason Doane works like a professional, he doesn’t plan on being done with baseball after college. His hope is that Major League Baseball (MLB) is part of his future.
“I’ve thought about the MLB a lot. I’ve been working towards that, and there is a chance I get drafted out of high school,” Doane said. “If that happens, I will grind through the minor league and hopefully make it to the major leagues.”
