By Matt Gade

605 Sports

RAPID CITY — Before the start of the season, Post 22 head coach Kelvin Torve wanted his third-year third baseman Aiden Roberts to be even more aggressive on offense.

That meant giving Roberts the green light to steal the next base as soon as he got on.

“He's an outstanding base runner, he can fly, and he knows what he's doing…he just is a maestro at stealing bases,” Torve said of Roberts. “I don't think I've given him maybe one or two steel signs all year. He goes on his own. 

“I wish he had been a little more aggressive at first base early on, but I left that up to him. I let him pick his spots. He reads the pitcher, he looks for tells and things like that. We just give him free rein. And it's worked out pretty well.”

Heading into the season, Roberts set his personal goal of breaking the single-season stolen bases record, which Roberts said he thinks is 65.

But at the Gopher Classic, in Minneapolis, Minn., Roberts did something he wasn’t expecting. 

He tied Carter Wevik’s career record of 106. And then on July 17, Roberts made it 107 during the Hardhats game at Sioux Falls West.

“It’s a pretty surreal moment,” Roberts said of the record. “I had just been working on it and working on stealing bags for the past three years. So it's just pretty awesome to break that record, and it was a great feeling. 

“I did not know about the career record. I've been trying to get to the single-season stolen base record, but I was not aware of the career record until I got there (at the Gopher Classic).”

Part of what has made Roberts so successful is getting on base. It doesn’t matter if he gets a hit, walks or is even hit-by-pitch, Roberts is going to do his best to get on base.

“I've been getting on base a lot more than I have in the past years. But I like to get on base with walks, or I have the most hit by pitches. So that helps me a lot,” Roberts said. “I tend to crowd the plate a little bit when I get two strikes. Just finding ways on (base) helps me get those stolen bags.”

Roberts added he bought an elbow pad for this season, knowing he was going to take those hit-by-pitches.

Post 22 leadoff batter Aiden Roberts hands his elbow pad to his first base coach Nic Ewing after getting on base during the Hardhats game against Missoula (Mont.) during on July 4 at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City during the Firecracker Tournament. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

“I honestly try to get hit. Sometimes, if I'm not feeling confident or if the kid's beating me at the plate, I'll try and get hit,” Roberts said. “It doesn't bother me. It hurts a little bit, but not for long. I'd rather be on base than walking back to the dugout.”

Torve said Roberts is just doing his job.

“He'll take a walk. He'll get hit. He knows what his job is, and that's to get on base and to score runs,” Torve said. “And the only thing that I wish he would have done better this year is bunt, but he didn't have to. He's been hitting well over .400 all year, and so is driving in big runs.”

Roberts bats leadoff for the Hardhats, and it is something Roberts said his teammates enjoy.

“They all like having me in front of them, because it gives them RBIs,” Roberts said. “So I get on and I steal second, steal third, and then they're able to run or hit me in and it gives them a lot of good RBIs.”

Torve echoed a similar sentiment.

“When you steal a base, it puts the defense on their heels,” Torve said. “When you steal the base, it takes the double play out of play. So it just is energizing for your team and demoralizing for the opponent. 

For Roberts to break the career record for the Hardhats, Torve noted how players have to play for three if not four years at the Hardhats level to be able to get a shot at those records.

Torve said three years ago, Roberts was called up to the Hardhats to fill in for an injury for what he thought would be maybe a week or two, but Roberts played so well that they kept him.

“Aiden had gotten a chance… and you couldn't get him out of the lineup, and he's been there ever since, literally every day since,” Torve said. “So it's just been a story that has been fun to watch because he is about as quiet and unassuming a player as there is. He's humble but yet he's got a heart of a lion.”

It was after that first year that Torve said they knew Roberts was too quick to be just waiting on first to be moved over.

“He's very competitive, and obviously he can run,” Torve said. “But especially, I wanted him to steal third base, and get more comfortable with it, because stealing third, if you’re not used to it, can be a little more intimidating, but in reality, it's probably easier than stealing second. I really tried to emphasize to him in fall ball, every time you get on second base, I want you standing on third —  just to get used to it. And he's been highly successful.”

Post 22's Aiden Roberts fields a throw to third during the Hardhats game against Missoula (Mont.) during the championship game Sunday, July 6 at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City during the Firecracker Tournament. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

Roberts, who will play college baseball at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas, next year, still has hopes of breaking the single-season record but knows it would take a lot of work and some luck.

Earlier this year, Roberts was also recognized as the recipient of the inaugural Clint Sargent Scholarship during senior night during the Firecracker Tournament.

For now, Roberts and the Hardhats are looking to make a deep run into the postseason. First, they must meet Spearfish Post 164 in a best 2-out-of-3 series to make the Class A state tournament in Watertown, with the first game scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday.