Alabama commit JD Dix helps lead Whitefish Bay to state title

Finally this year, the much-awaited Whitefish Bay baseball state championship arrived. The Blue Dukes have been one of the best baseball teams in the state for about three to four years now. They've had many players go on and play Division I level games. But, Whitefish Bay hasn't won in the playoffs each year until now and JD Dix knows this state title is very important.

"It's really strange," Dix said. "After the sadness of last season with all our players, I think it was a good comeback year for them. The only word I can use is - like living in another world."

Dix, who promised to go to Alabama from the Class of 2024, has been on varsity since his freshman year. He knows the skills that helped Blue Dukes in past years, people who gave their all to team. For Dix, this particularly means Brady Counsell who was an older student when he started school. He learned a lot from him during the time they played together in one season.

Dix said playing freshman year helped him decide he really wanted to do this when he's older. Counsell was dedicated and it gave Dix hope that he could succeed too.

Dix decided to join Alabama's team in his freshman year, but he had no choice than waiting for two more years before getting that final victory of the baseball season in high school. During that time, he learned how to be a leader. This year, as a junior student, he was prepared to join seniors Jack Counsell and Austin Wienke in guiding the team.

It wasn’t easy. There were many young players and boys from Dix's class without much varsity experience. But this worked well in favor of Whitefish Bay.

"I believe we surely had more failures this year," Dix said. "I think we failed many times and that helped make our team win at last. That's what made it special, we didn't win every single game. I believe the first two seasons, my freshman and sophomore year I only lost twice or three times in a whole year."

This year, the Blue Dukes team lost seven games during their usual playing time. But like Dix said, it made the team closer. Jack, Dix and Weinke helped lead them well enough to try for state championships.

After getting to state, their quarterfinal win over Menomonee Falls showed Dix that the Blue Dukes could really win everything. Whitefish Bay made the first four points in a game and later won 7-5. The Blue Dukes defeated Stevens Point and won against Hortonville in the state title game with a 5-1 score.

Dix performed very well during the run. This year, the shortstop batted .373 and had an OPS of 1.159 with 25 RBIs. His performance shows how much effort Dix has put into his baseball training. ```</s> That growth occurred far earlier than his high school time.

The student who joined the Crimson Tide at first liked swimming more than baseball. But when he moved to Wisconsin, he decided to focus only on playing baseball. Dix joined the Hitters baseball program and began to see what his real potential was.

"I saw a lot of things happening well and that can happen in the future. So, I focused more on growth," said Dix.

Dix became a switch hitter, inspired to do so because of the player he enjoyed watching the most: Francisco Lindor. Lindor helped him to want playing shortstop too. Also, the reason is that shortstops can move a lot during games. Dix was attracted to that position because of how it allowed you to move around the infield.

Dix said, "Shortstop is the best position on the field, not being unfair or anything."

Now he's one of the top shortstops in America and is expected to be picked early in the 2024 MLB player draft. Dix is the sole promise from a state in the north that Alabama has for its 2024 group of recruits.

That fact makes Dix proud and motivated. He can't play all year like basketball players from the South or West coast so he makes sure that when he gets to face those players on a big level, he is prepared. Also, there is a feeling of joy for being part of many skilled players emerging from Wisconsin.

"There are many men from Wisconsin on a big list and more are getting taller too," Dix said.

Men like Jarred Kelenic, Gavin Lux, Owen Miller and Noah Miller along with his own teammates at Whitefish Bay are making Wisconsin proud. Now, Dix is part of that team but he still has one more year to play baseball in high school.

Now it's his time to be leader for the Blue Dukes, and with their state championship win now he has to lead in defending it.