After multiple stops throughout his baseball career, pitcher Kenny Pierson has found his way back home.
The 2015 Brookside graduate is now right down the road from his high school after signing with the Lake Erie Crushers.
“It’s definitely really exciting to be able to play close to home,” Pierson said. “I grew up watching some Crushers games and now I’m a Crusher myself. It’ll be cool to play in front of friends and family.”
After graduating from Brookside, Pierson played four years at Notre Dame College and has now played five years professionally. He pitched in the Pecos League and American Association before winding up in the Frontier League in 2021 with the Southern Illinois Miners.
He has played with the Washington Wild Things and Quebec Capitales since, helping Quebec repeat as Frontier League champions this past season. He went 2-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 2023.
The Crushers showed interest in the lefty following the season, and his manager in Quebec gave him the option to stay with the team or make the move to Lake Erie. He decided to come home.
“He was very nice about it, he left it up to me whether I wanted to return to Quebec or if I wanted to go with Lake Erie,” Pierson said. “I made the decision to take the opportunity to play close to home.”
Pierson has played all over the place since his college days ended in 2019. However, he didn’t expect that he would get this chance to play in Lorain County once again. He couldn’t happier that Lake Erie showed interest.
Playing in front of his friends and family is important for Pierson, but playing in this area has always been special to him. He gives pitching lessons to kids in the area and knows how much they look up to the players. Once upon a time, he was one of them.
“I think what’s special about it for me is I grew up playing here,” Pierson said. “I played high school ball here and now I get to play in front of those kids that are once where I used to be. It’ll be cool to be a role model for the little kids and all of the kids that I give lessons to as well. They can come up and watch me pitch during the summer now, so it’ll be a lot of fun.”
On the baseball side of it, this will be Pierson’s fourth season in the Frontier League and he has gotten better every year. His ERA has gone down each season while his playing time has gone up. He has experience winning at this level and pitching against these players in these stadiums.
Pierson is also looking to do his part to help the Crushers get over the hump. The team has had its ups and downs over the past few seasons, and he wants to help change that.
“I want to come in and make an impact,” Pierson said. “I just came off a championship run with Quebec and that was a lot of fun. I’ve been there, I’ve tasted it, I know what it’s like. I’m hoping I can bring a little bit of experience and presence to the clubhouse.”
“Not that I’m going to make all the difference, but hopefully my experience and some of my leadership qualities can help translate and get a run going this year for the Lake Erie Crushers.”
