When it comes to sports, Barat Academy senior catcher Josh Guinn is all about putting a stop to things.
Guinn is no killjoy, mind you, unless of course you happen to be on the opposite side of the playing surface from Guinn and his team.
This season as the Eagles' No. 1 catcher, Guinn has helped the defense out to a stingy 4.3 runs per game allowed.
"I'm out there and I'm just all about blocking stuff," Guinn said. "That's pretty much it."
That isn't entirely true. Guinn is also hitting for a .379 batting average with three doubles and three RBI for Barat (11-3).
This all comes one season removed from Guinn being away from the game entirely.
After taking a full a season off, Guinn eased back into the game when he realized just what it meant to him.
"I played over the summer (for Barat's summer baseball program) and realized how much I loved the game and wanted to come back," Guinn said. "This is great. There isn't a whole lot of pressure on me because I have faced pressure before and this doesn't faze me."
The news of Guinn's pending return was a big deal for Barat's baseball coach.
"When Josh told me he wanted to come back and play, I knew it was big," Barat coach Jason Theodorakos said. "I knew he was going to be a key guy and an important part to what we were trying to do. He's been back there behind the dish and he's logged just about all of our innings."
It should be easy to see why Guinn was so valuable. That's because things like an early season baseball game wouldn't cause too many jitters for the 5-foot-8, 165-pound senior.
He was recently in a pressure-packed situation as the game-winning goaltender for the Wentzville Holt hockey team as the Indians defeated Rockwood Summit 3-2 in overtime to capture the Wickenheiser Cup title at the 21,000-seat Scottrade Center for Holt coach Glenn Thomas, who is the father of Guinn's Barat teammate, Billy Thomas.
The win came as the finishing touch to a season in which Guinn posted a 20-5-2 record and a 2.48 goals against average as a pool selection for the Indians.
"That was nerve-wracking, it was crazy for the first period," Guinn said. "Coming out for the second period, it was no big deal. It was just another hockey game."
That level-headed display from Guinn is something Theodorakos absolutely loves about his field general.
That demeanor is something Guinn has showed in abundance this season.
"He's done a phenomenal job handling our staff," Theodorakos said. "It's a lot of work with all of the bullpens he has to catch. On top of that, his (offensive output) has been tremendous. He's hitting the ball with consistency. Beyond that, he sets the stage with his hustle, running on the field, running off the field. It's pretty exciting because it makes everybody else better."
What Theodorakos sees as hustle, Guinn sees as just the drive to keep busy.
"I love the chance to get to do all of this stuff," Guinn said. "There were times when I was playing hockey and practicing baseball in the same day. I love sports and really wouldn't want it any other way. These are chances to make some great memories."
