IVCC hurler to play with IV Pistol Shrimp this summer

Johnny Riva can count on feeling right at home at Schweickert Stadium’s home plate this spring and summer.

The La Salle-Peru High School graduate and current IVCC Eagles pitcher has signed to play with the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, the hometown Prospect League team of top college players. Their 56-game season will start in May.

The stadium – home to both the Pistol Shrimp and to the Eagles -- is practically in Riva's backyard. He's grown up comfortable on an outdoor diamond and an indoor basketball court, but the latter consumed his attention in recent years.

He absorbed the game of basketball as a boy tagging along when his father, John, coached L-P basketball. “I was just around basketball, at practices, at the bench, bringing players water. It had been my thing.” He followed that passion to North Central College last year, but as that interest waned, he looked for a chance to return to the other sport he’d played in high school – and found it at IVCC.

Playing alongside friends on a men’s softball team also convinced him to switch sports and got him “back into the baseball mood. I felt like I’d never left! It was great being on the field with friends from high school. I think it’s the best decision I’ve made!”

He caught the notice of Eagles now-head coach Nick Harsted, which led to an Eagles tryout. “I was interested right away,” Harsted recalled. “In baseball, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefty pitcher can be a game changer! I knew early on that Johnny had potential at this level and the next.”

That potential and Harsted’s endorsement excited team owner John Jakiemiec. “Coach Harsted believed in him and praised his work ethic and physical abilities, and a coach doesn’t recommend a player to us unless he has a high level of ability. We’re looking forward to harnessing the abilities we know he has, and we expect Johnny will continue to improve his command, his velocity and his understanding of the game.”

Riva’s collegiate league teammates already include five Illinois Valley players from Spring Valley, Morris and Ottawa, and he’ll be playing with and against Division 1 and Division 2- ranked players from around the country, all eager for a shot at next-level-up minor league or professional ball, Jakiemiec said.

Harsted is conscious that Riva skipped some fundamental years on the diamond. “Taking two years away in his high school senior year and his college freshman year isn’t easy. Those are some of the most important developmental years as an athlete. There will be a learning curve and Johnny knows that.”

“I’m looking to play baseball at the highest level,” Riva acknowledged, “but ultimately, I’ll take it step by step, have a good season, and see where it takes me. I want to keep enjoying the game, be part of the chemistry we can bring on the field and help my team as best I can. It's nice to be in my hometown and put on a show for fans and hometown fans. I want to keep bringing excitement to the younger kids, as I did pretty well through high school.”

 The Pistol Shrimp organization can provide something Harsted lacks: pitching coach Mark Sheehan. “This summer, Johnny will get to work with a great pitching coach and many more elite-level coaches. Here, we are still in the building process and a true pitching coach is something we lack. He needs elite coaching to allow him to reach his full potential, and he’ll get that with the Pistol Shrimp,” Harsted said.