Ty Fuller's baseball IQ, two-strike approach have boosted Clear Creek Amana

Being behind in the count can create a sense of urgency for some hitters, but Ty Fuller stays dialed in during those high-pressure situations at the plate for Clear Creek Amana baseball.

“His two-strike approach is second to none in the state of Iowa,” said CCA coach Bryan McCray. “He knows how to make adjustments, not only at-bats but pitch to pitch.”

The CCA junior has gained a reputation for making plays while facing a two-strike hole, and his calm demeanor mixed with confidence and aggressiveness has made things happen this season.

Fuller is having his best season since joining CCA baseball, a team that's ranked 11th in Class 3A with a record of 17-10. As of June 21, he was hitting .540 slash line. His 47 hits and 35 singles led the state of Iowa.

His attack in the batter's box is centered around trust in his hands and eyes.

“I get rid of any leg kick and a lot of times I just poke out singles, and that’s just all it takes sometimes,” Fuller said. “I never half-swing … I think that’s how I’m able to barrel up a lot of balls whether it’s 2-0, 3-1 or 0-2 or when I’m behind the count.”

The son of a former college player, Fuller has always had a knack for baseball since adopting the sport as his own at around 3 years old. That love for the game has translated over to CCA, where he’s become a first-guy-in, last-guy-out player for the Clippers. His work ethic is marked by a thirst for knowledge, and it's shown on the diamond.

"If you ask (my coaches), they'll tell you I ask a lot of questions if I don't understand, and that is one of the main reasons why I'm able to keep my IQ up," Fuller said. "You can't be afraid to learn because you have to be a student of the game."

Fuller takes pride in picking up on patterns and trusting his intuition while at the plate. On the defensive end, Fuller is the starting shortstop for the Clippers with time spent catching and pitching when needed.

“Ty is a kid whose baseball IQ is off the charts,” McCray said. “The thing at the plate is he’s just so versatile ... He can kind of do anything: He can hit for power, he can hit for average, he can spray it around the ballpark, he can pull it, he can bunt. The kid is just playing at a really high level right now. It is very difficult to get him out.”

The Clippers entered this season with one senior in a junior-heavy lineup, leaving a leadership hole on the team. Fuller filled that role.

“I knew that I had to step up and really be a leader because I do have varsity experience,” Fuller said. “And with that, I just know I have to be comfortable at the plate and I can’t be too tense because I know there's a lot of people watching and I don't want that to get to my head, so I just try to be comfortable and stay loose at all times."

Junior teammate Kaden Phan said Fuller sets the tone at the top of the order, which can be a game changer.

“This year, he’s really kind of stepped up mentally and he’s kind of taken the role as one of our team leaders and you can see it benefit on the field,” Phan said. “I don’t feel like there’s anyone better in the state than him at getting on base so it’s just great to have someone like that at the top of the lineup.”

Fuller said his swing hasn't changed much since joining the team as an eighth-grader. Instead, he said an increase in strength and constant repetition have helped him make adjustments. Over time, his confidence has skyrocketed.

“Obviously, I’ve had a lot of early success and just seeing the ball drop in the outfield, feeling the ball off the barrel, like knowing that I have done that a million times in the offseason, it’s really hard not to be confident in your skillset when you know you’re capable of doing great things."

That confidence has trickled down the lineup, with CCA winning 10 of its last 12 games.

"I think we have a lot of smart baseball players, especially our 1-2-3; me, Maclane Morgan and Kaden Phan ... but you can't look past the rest of our lineup who constantly moves runners, gets on base, and that just gives the whole team confidence," Fuller said.

Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at MARay@gannett.com, and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: How Ty Fuller has elevated his game for Clear Creek Amana baseball