By ISAAC DEER
TopSports.news
After spending two years at Barton County Community College, Washburn Rural product Shawn Marquis settled nicely into MIAA competition with Newman University’s baseball program in the 2022-2023 campaign.
Shawn Marquis
For Marquis, experiencing a new city and culture in the Sunflower State intrigued him. With the junior being raised in Topeka and spending two years in Great Bend, he liked the idea of spending the rest of his collegiate career in Wichita.
With a stellar supporting cast around him, a comfortable situation in Wichita and helpful coaching, Marquis achieved a milestone by hitting over 300 for the first time in his collegiate career.
“Newman was always a nice option for me, and with Wichita not being too far from home was great,” Marquis said. “It was also another area I’ve never been to a lot before, and I wanted that new experience. In terms of comfort, the coaches were great and really helpful every step of the way. Moving in was awesome.”
It wasn’t a completely smooth transition for Marquis in the fall. The outfielder picked up a sprained ankle and a pulled hamstring during the fall. In the back of his mind, he didn’t want to lose a spot. But his hard work, an excellent developing plan and determination to get back on the field assisted Marquis in earning his time.
“I had my injury issues almost the entire fall,” Marquis said. “Unfortunately, one day I was playing catch and stepped on a ball from a group next to us, sprained my ankle and was taken out for a week and a half. Then when I got back, I was running the bases and pulled my hammy, which took me out for another week and a half.
“By the end of the fall, when exit meetings came around, they said, ‘You’ll be getting some time, but you’re probably not going to be an everyday type of guy.’ ”
With the minor setbacks in the fall, Marquis knew having a solid perception of himself would be necessary. Knowing his setbacks would hurt his everyday playing chances; he didn’t let his shaky fall mess with his spirit.
“Honestly, when they told me I wasn’t going to be an everyday guy, I wasn’t surprised,” Marquis said. “We had a left fielder who had been there for three years who was hitting close to or over .300 all three years prior to me showing up. We had a center fielder who had a great fall, who is a great athlete and had a great year as well.
“And then our right fielder made big strides from the year before. If I was going to get any time, right field was my best chance. But in the fall, he swung it like Ken Griffey Jr. and was voted unanimously as our team MVP.”
Marquis felt self-doubt but had to remain strong for himself and his teammates.
“It was like, 'Are you kidding me? I can’t catch a break,' ” Marquis said. “But at the same time, when guys are out there performing like that in front of you, it pushes you to get better. Accepting giving up a position is not hard when you realize you worked as hard as possible. They just straight up beat me for it.”
Marquis had to earn his spot everywhere he’s been. Whether it was in little league, at Washburn Rural, Barton or Newman, Marquis wasn’t handed a golden ticket.
“Baseball is a game, and it’s fun when you’re young, but at a certain point, it turns into a very cutthroat business,” Marquis said. “The guys that are running the team that you’re on now are no longer somebody’s dad who doesn’t make any money from it. Now the people who run the team you’re on do this for a job. They won’t put somebody out there who won’t help their team win.
“You never know what’s going to happen. In my first year at Barton, I didn’t start off as an everyday starter. This year I wasn’t supposed to be an everyday starter, but weird things happen in baseball. Injuries and slumps happen, which could open the door for the next guy. Baseball is just one of those sports where you can’t just give up.”
The team recognized that Marquis would help contribute to the team’s success. Despite everything that went wrong for him, the junior was still able to start in 35 games with 133 at-bats. Marquis had 43 hits, 24 RBI, 13 stolen bases and drew 19 walks.
The biggest accomplishment for Marquis was hitting over .300. Marquis slashed a .323 batting average and had a tremendous breakout game against Southeastern Oklahoma, where he picked up five hits.
“I’ve made some adjustments to my game throughout the years,” said Marquis, who will play a final season with the Jets in 2024. “I’d say my freshman year, I was a little heavier set and was more power-oriented at the plate. Other than that year, it’s been the same type of scrappy play at the plate. I have a hit-and-run style of play, and I play good defense.
“The coaches I have now really let me excel in playing my type of baseball. They let me be myself, and that really helped me this year.”
