Pistol Shrimp’s Payton Knoll making the most of his summer opportunity

For former Ottawa High School baseball standout Payton Knoll, the chance to play this summer for the Prospect League’s Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp has given him a chance to not only gain valuable experience but has also provided some extra work and helped fine tune his skills on the mound.

Knoll, a two-time Times All-Area baseball first team selection with the Pirates, played this spring at Kankakee Community College, appearing in just three games with five strikeouts in two innings of work.

“I was trying to be a two-way player at Kankakee, pitching and hitting, so this summer I wanted to really concentrate more on the pitching side of things because that’s going to be my main position moving forward,” said Knoll, who has transferred to Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Michigan and will pitch for the Cougars in 2025. “This summer I’ve just focused on my pitching, and I feel I’m more relaxed mentally knowing that the batting stuff isn’t something I have to keep working on or worrying about as well. If I could go back to the beginning of my college season I would have just concentrated on pitching.”

In eight appearances, including one start, with the playoff bound Pistol Shrimp this summer the left-handed Knoll has struck out 10 batters in 9 2/3 innings.

“I came and watched the Pistol Shrimp all the time when I was in high school,” Knoll said. “So I asked my college coach at Kankakee, who had a connection with [Pistol Shrimp manager] John [Jakiemiec], this spring if trying out to play for them this summer would be an option. Then one day this spring while I was working out, I received a text from John that I’d been added to the roster. I was pretty excited.”

Knoll said getting a chance to pitch against players from bigger schools has helped him better understand what he needs to do and what he needs to continue to work on.

“It’s been a great learning experience for me facing batters that play at the higher levels, you know, D-I guys,” Knoll said. “It gives you an idea of the things you have to do to be able to be good at that level.”

While the start of the season was a little tough on the soft-spoken Knoll, he said it didn’t take long for him to feel comfortable on the team and in his role.

“The bus rides are a blast,” Knoll said. “The very first trip we had was a little awkward because we really didn’t all know each other, but by the time we got to where we were going and finished our first game, I think we all got to know each other. It didn’t take long for this to feel like a team.”

So, who is Knoll’s favorite Major League player to follow, and which Pistol Shrimp teammate does he enjoy watching play?

“I’ve always liked the Chicago Cubs, and I’ve always been an Anthony Rizzo follower,” Knoll said. “When he went to the New York Yankees, yeah, that hurt, but he’s still one of my favorites to watch play.

“As far as this team goes, I love watching [Millikin University’s] Kyle Gibson hit. He is just one of those guys that seems to hit the ball hard almost every at-bat and is a very tough out. Being his teammate is great because I don’t have to pitch to him.”