During Tom Held's 15 seasons guiding the Defiance baseball program, it hasn't been surprising to see a player that played little on the varsity squad as a junior, burst on to the scene as a senior.

Joining that list in 2013 is senior pitcher/first baseman Weston Rivers.

Rivers, a 6-4, 240-pound left-handled hurler, has left many a batter shaking their head when walking back to the dugout after a strikeout this season. Held credits Rivers dedication and hard work following last spring as the reason the senior is having his breakout campaign.

"Weston has had the ability to be a big-time pitcher since he was a freshman, and over the years he's matured and his preparation toward the game has gotten so much better," said Held, whose Bulldogs are 11-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state in Division II. "Weston wasn't an everyday player as a junior, but he really benefitted from ACME this past summer, and he really came into his own. His work in the offseason is the reason he's where he is today."

Rivers also admits that getting in shape and dedicating himself to the game is paying off.

"I knew with AK (Anthony Kidston) graduating, that was going to leave a huge hole at pitcher and I wanted to step in and help keep the team winning," said Rivers. "This past summer, with Robert (Zeigler) not able to throw, I knew I was going to be the No. 1 pitcher for the ACME team, which was a big responsibility (Rivers helped lead Defiance to the state ACME title).

"I really started working hard in the summer and I kept working hard in the fall and all winter," continued Rivers. "I ran a lot more this fall then I ever had in my life and that's helped me tremendously. We also worked a lot on the mental part of the game, and now when I go out to the mound, I'm more focused and prepared to do my best."

While hard work and preparation have catapulted Rivers to the next level, what also sets him apart is a pitch you don't often see from a high school pitcher, especially one that's left-handed.

Rivers has been throwing a knuckle ball since he was in junior high, but it wasn't until this past summer that the Defiance coaches began to let Rivers throw them consistently in games.

"He's always had the knuckle ball, but we didn't let him throw it much because we were concerned about him getting behind in the count to hitters," Held said. "I have to give credit to ACME coach Bryn Lehman for calling that pitch for Weston a lot last summer, which really helped develop it into the weapon it's become."

Rivers, who is currently 4-0 on the season with a 0.26 ERA, enjoys throwing the knuckler to help set up his fastball and his curveball. Rivers is also working on a change-up in his spare time.

"My freshman year the coaches weren't going to let me throw it, but I talked them into it and I got to use it some," said Rivers, who has struck out 31 batters and walked just six in 262⁄3 innings this spring. "Over the years it's gotten better and last summer I got to throw it a lot. Right now it's a dominate pitch I love to throw.

"When it comes out of my hand, I can see that a lot of batters are shocked by how much it moves," added Rivers. "Coming from the left side, I think it's even more shocking to batters. I've also been surprised with how fast I've been able to throw it too, I hit 77 (miles per hour) on the radar gun. It's just really a big weapon for me."

Senior catcher Joe Keween, who has been catching Rivers since they were in junior high, also enjoys seeing the look on the faces of opposing players when the knuckle ball is called a strike.

"It's unusual for a high school pitcher to have a good knuckle ball, and it's even more unusual from a lefty," said Keween. "Over the years, Weston has gotten so much better with it, and what makes it so good is that his fastball is so much better and he can really locate it. The reaction by hitters and by the umpire is unbelievable. I tell the ump behind the plate before every game that Weston has a good knuckler, and I think most of the time they don't believe me until they see it."

While Rivers has stepped up his game on the mound, he's also continued to work hard as a hitter and in the field as a first baseman. The senior plays first when Zeigler is pitching, and he's also gotten more opportunity to hit as a senior. In 11 games, he's also been hit by a pitch six times.

"Last season I did terrible as a hitter and I knew I had a lot of work to do. I've been working as hard as I can," said Rivers, who is batting .214 with eight RBIs. "I want to be a guy that can come up in a big situation and get that big hit. I was bunting last year ... a big guy bunting? That's not right, so I've been trying to get better.

"At the start of the season I think I got hit four times in the first five games, so I looked at it and realized that the school record for getting hit by a pitch is 10 (set last season by Nick Vittorio)," added Rivers. "I thought to myself, we've got a lot of games left, why not go for the record? I like to crowd the plate when I hit, so I guess we'll see what happens when the season is over."

Following high school, Rivers will attend Lincoln Trail Junior College in Robinson, Ill., to play baseball and study criminal justice. Rivers is hoping someday to become a game warden or a wildlife officer after he's done playing baseball.

"I know there's a lot of wildlife there, with a lot of opportunity to hunt and fish," concluded Rivers. "After I graduate from high school, I'm really looking forward to playing college baseball, meeting new people and making the most of my opportunity. Hopefully I can go on to play Division I baseball or maybe even get drafted. I'm ready to do the work to make that happen."