Henry Stried makes his mark for Zion-Benton baseball, like father — who is Zion’s fire chief, like his father

Like father, like son.

For Henry Stried, one of the area’s top pitchers, that means leaving a lasting imprint while wearing a Zion-Benton baseball uniform.

His father, Justin, did that as a first baseman in the mid-1990s.

“I’ve always felt that it’s great to be a Zee-Bee,” Henry Stried said. “To walk the same halls as my parents and to wear the same uniform that my dad did means a lot.”

Baseball isn’t the Stried family’s only enduring link to the community.

Justin Stried, who hit .440 as a Zion-Benton senior in 1996, is Zion’s fire chief, a job his father, Mike, held before his retirement.

“Going back a long way, we’ve always been Zee-Bees,” Justin Stried said. “Baseball has always been a big part of our lives, and to follow in my dad’s footsteps into fire service makes me proud.”

Justin Stried, who has the same feeling when Henry Stried is on the mound, coached his son in the past but is content to watch as a fan these days. Seeing Henry Stried work his way through an outing isn’t always relaxing, however.

“It gets pretty nerve-wracking watching him when he gets into tough spots,” Justin Stried said.

Henry Stried, however, is typically in control. The Wisconsin-La Crosse recruit’s 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame can intimidate before the ball even leaves his hand. Once it does, there is an unmistakable power aspect present. He hit 91 mph on his fastball in offseason workouts and struck out 73 batters last season, recording one of the highest single-season totals in program history.

Henry Stried has three other pitches that he’s comfortable throwing to any hitter in any situation, and everything was working in his first outing this season. He struck out 11 and allowed just one hit over 4 ⅔ innings in a 3-1 win against Harvard on Wednesday.

“He’s a really strong kid who really competes out there, but he’s also smart,” Zion-Benton coach Tim Schiappacasse said. “I trust him to shake something off if he feels like something else will work, and he can ramp up the fastball if he needs it.”

The strength element Schiappacasse referenced is far beyond the level usually associated with baseball players. Henry Stried has bench-pressed as much as 315 pounds and dead-lifted 520 pounds. That strength and careful arm care give him great stamina.

“He uses his strength to fall back on when most other pitchers would be getting tired,” Schiappacasse said.

Henry Stried added a slider to his repertoire last season.

“I’ve become pretty confident changing speeds in any situation, and the slider was a great addition,” he said. “It’s slower than most other sliders, and there’s quite a bit of horizontal break.”

Even when Henry Stried isn’t physically involved with baseball, it’s rarely far from his mind. He and his father have a sizable memorabilia collection.

There are a few shelves in Henry Stried’s bedroom devoted to baseball relics, with cards comprising the majority of the space. But he said the most prized piece is a baseball, signed by Mike Trout, commemorating the Angels star’s 2012 American League Rookie of the Year and 2014 American League Most Valuable Player honors.

Justin Stried said he is partial to a baseball signed by Hank Aaron, and he also has a display of Cubs memorabilia in his office.

Baseball has formed the backbone of many family vacations and outings, too, helping fuel a passion for the sport that figures to be long-lasting.

“I love everything about it, and it’s been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Henry Stried said. “For now, I’m focused on continuing to improve and working to pitch for as long as I possibly can.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.