By Nate Gannon

Ask Nolan Earley his biggest asset on the baseball field, and there is no hesitation. Attitude. The standout Anderson High outfielder prides himself on playing hard and approaching the game the right way.

“I think my biggest asset is the way I play the game,” Earley said.  “I work hard, run out every ball, sprint on and off the field.  I just play the game hard.”

As one of only three juniors named to the 2008 Class 4A All-State first team, Earley’s attitude is evidently producing results. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound standout made a strong impression as a freshman on varsity when he batted .361 with 17 RBI and 42 runs. Earley made marked improvements as a sophomore, raising his average to .429 as he was named first-team North Central Conference. 

But his hard work really came together last spring when Earley exploded for astronomical statistics, including a .488 average, 47 RBI, and over 40 runs scored.

That kind of production might be enough to make the average high school player satisfied, but Earley is clearly not average. Rather than talk about his strengths as a ballplayer, he instead mentions his strength and speed as targeted areas of improvement. Earley said his older brother, Michael, who’s an infielder at Indiana University, has been instrumental in his development.

“I get [my work ethic] from my family, especially from my brother,” Earley said.  “He’s a division one player too, and he tells me what I need to do and need to work on.  He gets me motivated to become a better player.”

His attitude to work hard and always improve has helped Earley fit in on his summer team, the Indiana Bulls.

“They teach you to play the game the right way,” said Earley of the Bulls. “If you don’t come out and play everyday, you’re sitting on the bench.”

While Earley has entertained ideas of playing professionally, he is grounded in the present, devoting his attention to summer ball and narrowing his college search.

“I’ve had thoughts to play in the pros but I’m just going to take it one step at a time… My personal goal for the summer is to choose a good college that’s the best fit for me.  Then next year with high school, I want to have a great season—a winning season, and do whatever it takes for the team to win.”

And as always, there is still work to be done. “I need to keep working hard, keep practicing and perfecting basically everything,” he said.