The Anderson Hockett baseball program has been around for a long time. For 85 years, it has brought the top players from Madison County together to compete against other elite athletes from around the state.

Current Greenfield-Central coach and former Pendleton Heights star Travis Keesling is leading Hockett Post 127 this year, attempting to continue the tradition established by the late John Miles.

“I’m enjoying myself,” Keesling said. “It’s kind of coaching by committee because each of us have some things this summer that we’ve got to take care of. We’ve got several other coaches stepping in to help us out.”

Keesling’s path to the head coaching position has been somewhat unusual. He’s now played or managed in three different towns in the area, but there’s a simple reason behind it: He loves the game of baseball.

“I enjoy coaching. I enjoy teaching the game of baseball,” Keesling said. “With the Hockett team, we have so much talent. So they’re easy to coach. I just enjoy coaching, and I try to do it as much as I can not only to be around the game of baseball but to improve my skills as well.”

The concept of American Legion baseball is so unique that Keesling understands what a rare opportunity he had in 1994 and ’95 when he was a member of the team and the opportunity his players have now. It’s great for players to be able to get together to work on their skills during the summer, but to do so with other elite players in the area is a special, uncommon chance.

“The best thing about it was getting to play with a lot of talented guys,” Keesling said. “The guys that I played with and the guys that are playing now are real good guys, but they’re talented ballplayers as well, and that’s fun to be a part of.”

Hockett has had some early success on the diamond this season, winning five of its first eight games and is in a good position to make a run in the John Miles Memorial Holiday Tournament this weekend.

The talent of players such as Highland’s Trevor Humes, Elwood’s Jacob Dunnichay and Lapel’s Devon Silvey, among others, has molded together quite nicely in the first month of competition, and Keesling hopes it continues.

“We want to go out there, play ball and win games,” he said. “When you’ve got a talented group like we do, it’s a whole different ballgame. But at the same time, it’s summer, and I want these guys to have fun, to enjoy themselves and to get better.”

It’s no secret that the Hockett baseball program was almost lost before this season started. So a committed coach is something the Miles family and Hockett really needs. Keesling said he would like to continue to be a part of the tradition and history of Post 127 but offered no guarantees.

“There is so much that goes into managing this team. So myself and everybody involved are going to sit down at the end of the summer and see where we want to go,” Keesling said. “But I’m enjoying myself, and I can see myself being involved in the Hockett program in some capacity.”

Keesling also wouldn’t rule out coaching at the college ranks at some point in the near future.

“I’ve thought about that (coaching in college), but I’m just going to take what’s presented to me,” he said. “I’m perfectly content coaching high school baseball, but somewhere down the road, if an opportunity presents itself, I’ll look at that. But if I never jump up into the college ranks, you’ll never hear a complaint out of me.”