SPRINGFIELD – Andrew Miller is spending the summer reconnecting with old friends.
The Springfield Drifters pitcher spent the first 12 years of his life in Pleasant Hill before moving to the coast, where he graduated from Knappa High School. A decade after moving away, Miller is running into people he knew during his time in Pleasant Hill.
“Some of my closest, lifelong friends have come out to watch games,” he said. “Most of my deepest relationships have ties to the Eugene and Springfield area. I spent summers here and worked at Dutch Bros., so a lot of friends from there have come out to watch, too. It has been cool to see people I didn’t know if I would see again.”
Miller’s dad, Kirk, was Pleasant Hill’s football coach before leaving to become athletic director at Knappa. He also coached at Regis, Harrisburg, and Churchill high schools.
“I will be at random places and someone will say ‘Hey I know your dad’,” Miller said. “I ran into one of my dad’s former players the other day and some Pleasant Hill coaches have come out to games. There are a lot of connections and some acquaintances you don’t get to create unless you go through something like this.”
The 5-foot-11, 225-pound right-hander has a 5.64 ERA with one save in 13 games for the Drifters (9-21), who are back at Hamlin Sports Complex to face Walla Walla through Thursday before hosting Corvallis on Friday through Sunday.
Miller, who has struck out 26 in 22 1/3 innings, recently got to face off against his older brother, Kaleb, who is an assistant coach at Clark Community College and third-base coach for the Portland Pickles in the WCL.
“Truthfully, this is a dream come true,” Miller said. “If you had told me my freshman year in college that I would be playing in the West Coast League for Springfield, I would have told you that you are nuts.”
Miller starred in baseball and basketball at Knappa, never losing a league game in either sport during his four years with the Loggers. He also played football as a sophomore at linebacker.
“We made it to the state semifinals in football that year and I had quite a bit of success toward the tail end of the year, but I liked football, I didn’t love it,” he said. “I was hoping to play college baseball so I spent my falls playing more baseball. Growing up, football was the biggest sport for me, but middle school was when I started loving baseball more.”
Miller had a few offers to play baseball at the NAIA and junior college levels, but chose to walk on at George Fox University in Newberg.
He was battling an injury when he arrived on campus and was throwing about 79 miles an hour when he did not make the roster cut as a freshman. He returned the following spring to make the team.
“The coaches gave me a little bit of rope to grow and that was really cool,” Miller said. “I came back my sophomore year throwing a little harder and then my junior year I was throwing harder and getting better with instruction from coaches. I didn’t really have an identity yet as a pitcher, but my senior year I took on a deeper role on and off the field. I think if you take care of the guys off the field, it will show on the field. I had a pretty good senior season, but the relationships I made at George Fox were way more important than anything I did on the baseball side.”
Miller had six saves in 18 appearances during the spring while accumulating a 2.40 ERA. He struck out 31 in 30 innings as a senior.
“I was not in the closer role to start the year, but they gave me a late-game scenario against Pacific Lutheran early in conference play and I closed it out for my first save,” he said. “After that, that was the role I owned. It felt awesome to have that responsibility and handle the pressure of being thrown in late-game scenarios when guys are counting on you. I had a lot of fun this year.”
Miller still has one year of eligibility in college because he did not play his freshman year. He has been recruited by Iona, Charleston Southern, and William & Mary among other schools, but hopes to find a spot closer to home to play his final college season.
After that, Miller plans to attend law school after graduating from George Fox with honors while majoring in History and Politics. He interned at Employment Law Professionals Northwest in Sherwood and already has taken the Law School Admission Test.
“My ‘why’ for being an attorney, it’s not about the money, it is about fighting for people who don’t have a voice for themselves and that is redeeming when you look in the mirror and see what you are doing with your time,” Miller said.
Miller said he is enjoying his time in Springfield as he spends one last summer playing ball with his friends.
“Showing up to the yard every day and chatting with the guys, it is so cool to be here,” he said. “My kids aren’t going to remember my ERA, but they will remember the friends I bring around them and that is the cool part about being with these guys and building relationships, many of which will likely be lifelong friends.”
