SPRINGFIELD — There are throwback jerseys, old uniforms that never go out of style. There are also throwback players, guys who play the game the right way, excelling in the fundamentals.

To Miami University baseball coach Dan Simonds, Adam Eaton is one of those players. The 2007 Springfield Kenton Ridge graduate led the RedHawks in every hitting category as a junior in 2010, batting .368 with 13 home runs, 55 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.

“He’s a throwback guy in that he hustles and takes extra bases,” Simonds said. “He’ll hit a pop-up, and he’s running hard. He makes great catches and is reckless when it comes to his body.”

That extends to taking one for the team. Eaton was hit by pitches 47 times in the last two seasons.

“He’s very tough when it comes to stuff like that,” Simonds said. “There weren’t many times it kept him out of the lineup.”

Simonds believes Eaton could be an even better professional player, and he may soon get the chance. The first round of the Major League Baseball draft took place Monday, June 7, and Eaton could be selected today between rounds four and 10.

Eaton knows there’s no guarantee he’ll be drafted. He always has the option of returning to Miami for his senior year.

“I think if I do get the chance, I’ll do well,” Eaton said. “I’ve worked hard all my life to get where I’m at. I think I’ll continue to work hard at the next level if I get the chance.”

Eaton worked out June 1 with about 20 other prospects for the Arizona Diamondbacks at their stadium, Chase Field, in Phoenix.

“It was fun to get out there at a major league park,” Eaton said. “It was a good break. I actually didn’t think about the draft. I just thought about playing ball.”

Eaton had the stuff to pitch. He won the regional championship game in 2007 for Kenton Ridge despite not having pitched all season because of a back injury. Miami planned to use him as a Sunday starter this season, but Eaton had a sore elbow during preseason practices and that plan was shelved.

Maybe it’s for the best. With the way Eaton swung the bat, it’s hard to imagine him being much better on the mound.

“The way he puts pressure on the opposing team, we couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Simonds said. “He just continued to get better every year.”

As a freshman, Eaton tended to push the ball, Simonds said, and that limited his power. Simonds told him to trust his hands.

“He’s got some of the strongest hands I’ve ever coached,” Simonds said.

Scouts have told Eaton he won’t hit as many home runs in professional baseball. He didn’t hit any as a freshman, then hit 11 as a sophomore and 13 this past season.

“I didn’t lift a weight until my sophomore year,” Eaton said. “I always laid off the weights. I just had baseball muscle from swinging the bat and throwing. Finding the weight room really helped me in the batter’s box. I learned how to use my muscles and get more torque out of what I have.”

Scouts have compared Eaton to Lenny Dykstra, a 5-10 center fielder for the Mets and Phillies in the late 1980s and early ’90s.

“I’m not blessed with the God-given ability to be 6-3 and have a beautiful swing and knock the ball out of the ballpark,” Eaton said. “I have to be scrappy and do the little things. I take pride in that. I wouldn’t be where I am without my dad telling me how the game is supposed to be played.

“I feel the game is supposed to be played hard.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0351 or djablonski@coxohio.com.