He may not always be in the spotlight, but what Talan Dutenhoeffer contributes to the Aberdeen Smittys does not go unnoticed.

From his defense behind the plate as an every day catcher, to his production from the bottom of the batting order, Dutenhoeffer plays a key role for the American Legion baseball squad.

“He has been an iron man for us behind the dish,” said Smittys coach Nathan Gonnelly. “With that being said, not only is he a brick wall, but he has also been productive for us on offense. Having a guy like that on your team goes a long way, especially at the catcher position.”

Being a catcher can be a demanding position, from blocking balls to handling pitchers and throwing out baserunners, to the constant crouching behind the plate.

“It’s just kind of three years in a row where I’ve had to be the main catcher,” Dutenhoeffer said. “It definitely takes a toll on my knees and everything, but it hasn’t gotten too bad, yet.”

Dutenhoeffer is a valuable source of information. He pays close attention to the umpire’s strike zones and tries to relay that to his teammates when they come up to bat.

“It’s really helpful, because you get all the inside information and then you pass that along on the team, but every ump is different,” Dutenhoeffer said. “It’s hard to be consistent, too.”

Still, Dutenhoeffer is the one individual on the field that has a better idea of the strike zone on a given day more than any other player.

“With certain umps, they like to call the outside, if the batters aren’t going to swing at it, just keep pounding that same spot and just keep getting the same strike call,” Dutenhoeffer said.

That’s only one piece of what Dutenhoeffer has to process. When runners get on base, he tries to keep track of tendencies about who likes to steal.

“As my job, I almost have to know all the base runners,” Dutenhoeffer said, “and know what they’re going to do.”

Making quick game-time decisions is nothing new for Dutenhoeffer, who was a key member of the Aberdeen Cougars hockey squad.

“Baseball and hockey are both games of adjustments,” Dutenhoeffer said. “In hockey, there’s way more stuff that could happen than baseball. Hockey is a read and react sport.”

Dutenhoeffer said hockey is a bit tougher to master for the simple fact that players use skates instead of cleats.

“I think hockey is a little bit harder to get good at than baseball,” Dutenhoeffer said. “You have to learn how to skate, and a lot of people can’t do that to start with.”

He is able to draw on past experiences in hockey to help him in tight situations in baseball, like when the Smittys need a big hit.

“When there’s some big spots and you really need a run, I get kind of nervous,” Dutenhoeffer said, “but once you step in that batter’s box, everything kind of goes blank and you just focus on hitting the ball.”

He reflected back on a pair of key victories over Sioux Falls late in the hockey season.

“Those were big wins that we needed. They were kind of nerve-wrecking going into it,” Dutenhoeffer said.
“And then when it gets close within the last minute, it’s like, oh my gosh, this minute feels like it’s taking 10 minutes.”

Dutenhoeffer said a key is not to overthink the moment and just go out and compete.

“You have to take deep breaths and almost treat it like it’s any other game, honestly,” he said. “Don’t even worry about the outcome or the reward until it’s the end of the game. Just go out there, and just play and do what you love.”

The Smittys have had a solid start to their season and Dutenhoeffer has been part of the season why. The team’s success has rubbed on his offensive production as well.

“I think even just for like myself, the past couple years I’ve kind of started off the season slow, but this season I feel a lot more confident in the batter’s box,” Dutenhoeffer said. “Just the energy is a lot different when you come up to the Legion level.”

Dutenhoeffer, who will attend Lake Area Tech this fall, also gets a few opportunities to take the mound for the Smittys. That is a completely different role, but still requires knowledge of the situation.

“It’s stressful, but it’s fun,” he said, “and you just have to really read the batters and even how they’re swinging the bat can really affect your next pitch and what you’re going to do.”

Dutenhoeffer said the Smittys have their sites set on hosting the regional tournament with a bigger goal following that.

“If you can win your regions you can go on to the state tournament,” Dutenhoeffer said. “We should be able to make a run in the state tournament this season.”

Dutenhoeffer knows what it feels like to win a state title. He was a member of the 2021 Bantam State A championship hockey squad.

“That was a big accomplishment for all of us,” Dutenhoeffer said.

He plans to continue to do his part to help the Smittys on their quest this summer, and he’s just fine if it comes from the bottom part of the lineup.

“I’ve always kind of believed it doesn’t really matter where you’re at in the order. Basically, wherever you are, runners are coming to come on and you’ve got to do your job,” Dutenhoeffer said. “You have to get on base, move the baserunner, score the runs. I mean anybody at any position or at any place in the lineup is going to have to do that.”