AUBURN | John Samuel Shenker picked up right where he left off on the baseball diamond two years ago.
Well, almost. After concentrating on football the past two seasons at Auburn, Shenker had a successful return to baseball this past weekend. But first he had a little rust to shake off back at the start of preseason practice in January.
“His first 15 at-bats were not as pretty,” Auburn coach Butch Thompson joked. “If our players hear this, they’re going to laugh. So will he. It just took a minute to see that live arm and get his timing down.
“But I thought his at-bats were really competitive for a first weekend. Kind of incredible, actually.”
It was an impressive debut for Shenker, who hit .429 with two runs scored and two RBI in the Tigers’ four-game sweep of Illinois-Chicago.
“You know, he got a double, he got a single, he got hit by a pitch, he drew a walk, he’s not just up there flailing,” Thompson said. “I have so much respect for him because this is a guy, two-plus years, hadn’t had a competitive at-bat, much less college.
“So this is a guy that’s been doing this for five weeks and hadn’t had at-bats in that long a period of time. I mean, you’re playing Division I baseball. I think anyone that’s played this sport or understands college baseball would tip their hat to him.”
Shenker didn’t play in Friday’s opener and was a late substitute at first base in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader before starting game two and then Sunday’s finale at designated hitter.
“I had confidence in myself that I could do it,” Shenker said. “I didn’t know how long it would take, but I knew it was something that I felt like I could overcome, being that delayed for so long. It was just a matter of time and how much I wanted to put in the work. I’m starting to see some success. Hopefully that continues.”
Shenker was a standout baseball and football player at Deerfield-Windsor High School in Albany, Ga., winning two GISA Class AAA state championships alongside current AU outfielder Steven Williams.
He signed with Auburn in the 2017 football class after originally committing to play baseball for the Tigers. He started having serious thoughts of becoming a two-sport athlete last spring, speaking with both head football coach Gus Malzahn and Thompson.
He hit for both Thompson and assistant Karl Nonemaker last summer and was invited back for a tryout after Auburn concluded its football season in the Outback Bowl Jan. 1.
“Well, the love of the game, for sure,” said Shenker on his decision to return to baseball. “When I stopped, the first year I came over here, it really hurt to watch the guys play that I was coming in here with to begin with. So that really was tough on me.
“I prayed about it and told my parents and tried to figure out the best time to do that, and I figured this year was the best time with me kind of figuring out the whole football thing. I knew my place there and I knew that this was a time that I could try to do both.”
Shenker will be doing both at the same time when Auburn begins spring practice March 16. He’s still discussing the logistics of that plan with Malzahn and Thompson, but football will remain a priority too, especially with the addition of new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who has a long history of productive tight ends.
Shenker has caught six passes for 61 yards the past two seasons combined including a 9-yard touchdown at Georgia in 2018 and a 6-yard touchdown at Texas A&M last season. But those number could improve dramatically in 2020 under Morris.
“I’ve talked to him (Morris) a pretty good bit about it, just trying to pick his mind and see how he thinks through things and plays and such,” Shenker said. “Yes, I’m hoping that’s how we work this spring, and we’ll see as we get into fall.”
Auburn hosts Oakland Wednesday night at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network+. The Tigers will host UCF for a three-game series this weekend.
