As a high school pitcher, Jake Layman never let opponents see what was going in his head, whether he was getting shelled or throwing a shutout. It was part of what his parents, former college athletes themselves, had taught Layman and his four brothers.
"We helped prepare him for the emotional battle that it takes in any type of career," Tim Layman said earlier this week. "It's not always about athleticism and those things. Emotionally, are you resilient enough to handle the ups and downs? You can't live on your last game, your last stat sheet.