ALTAMONT — Dane and Kade Milleville share a lot of similarities.
Both are soon-to-be Altamont graduates. Both played baseball. Both wore the same jersey number.
The most important similarity, however, is the honor that was awarded to each of them following the conclusion of the National Trail Conference season. The father-son duo can proudly say they are both NTC Most Valuable Players, both earning the distinction as seniors for the Indians.
“It makes you pretty proud,” Dane said. “He’s worked really hard and he’s always excelled at pitching, but he’s really picked up with his bat and his defense has been outstanding, as well.”
“It’s cool,” Kade added. “It’s definitely nice to have somebody around where you can say he’s been there and done that through good and bad. He’s not going to shove advice down your ears, but he is going to be there if you need somebody to talk to about anything.”
Altamont finished the fall season with an 11-10 record. The Indians finished third in the conference tournament.
Kade, a Lake Land College baseball recruit, did his job both at the plate and on the mound, as Dane alluded to.
The right-hander threw 29 innings, allowing 36 hits, nine earned runs and six walks to 26 strikeouts on the bump. He had a 2-1 record with a 2.17 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.
Meanwhile, at the plate, Kade batted .479 with a 1.183 OPS, 35 hits, 13 doubles, 20 RBI and 22 runs scored.
“During the fall season, hitting-wise, I wanted to be the lead-off spark to let Brayden [Elam] and Zaine [Miller] have their chances to get me in. I didn’t worry about doing too much at the plate,” Kade said. “On the mound, when I go out, I’ve got the mentality that this hitter’s not going to be better than I am and I think I’ve always had that.”
The last two seasons, Kade has proven to be “the guy” for his team.
Dane said that’s been more so at the plate, where Kade has shown much improvement.
“He’s been ‘the guy,’ I think, the last couple of years that you want hitting when the game’s on the line,” Dane said.
When Dane was in high school, he too was a pitcher, but also played first base for the first three years of his career before transitioning to third base as a senior. Kade, on the other hand, plays shortstop whenever he’s not starting.
A lot has changed within the conference since Dane graduated.
The NTC has seen several teams join and consolidate, while Teutopolis left the league.
Dane said the biggest change for him is watching rather than playing.
“I was never really nervous playing; I’d much rather play,” he said. “Whenever you just have to sit and watch, you don’t have any control and it’s definitely different.”
Wearing the same number as his father was different for Kade.
As a freshman, he was relegated to picking a leftover jersey that the players ahead of him didn’t grab.
No. 10 was one of those numbers that wasn’t picked up and he hasn’t changed it since.
“I wore No. 6 for a long time until high school. As a freshman, I got the bottom-of-the-barrel jersey,” Kade said. “Dillan [Elam] had No. 6 when I was a sophomore and since I didn’t get that, I took No. 10.
“Dad had it and I liked the number, so I kept it since.”
Kade said that Dane does give him pointers from time to time, though he also tries to figure it out on his own.
“He wants what’s best for me and sometimes, that’s letting me figure things out on my own. If I have anything that I want to figure out or Dad sees anything, he’ll make sure to point it out and offer advice when needed,” Kade said.
Dane and Kade shared a laugh when asked who was better between the two.
Kade swears that he would strike Dane out on three pitches.
“I say all the time that I’d strike him out in three pitches; he thinks he’d hit a home run,” Kade said.