After facing high school pitchers for several years, Crown Point’s Billy Chidsey is ready for the next step.

The Purdue Northwest commit is getting an early start by spending this summer with the Lake County Corn Dogs.

“All of the pitchers are either already in college or going into college,” Chidsey said. “So I look at it as a learning opportunity for me to face some college arms and get ready for the fall.”

That’s the summer project for Chidsey, who is coming off a breakout senior season. He batted a team-high .487 with a .606 on-base percentage, a .667 slugging percentage, 28 RBIs and 31 runs scored for the Bulldogs (27-5), who lost to eventual Class 4A state champion Valparaiso in the regional final on June 7.

“I definitely enjoyed my senior year,” Chidsey said. “It was a great team and a great group of guys. We ended up a little short of what we wanted, but it was going to end at some point.”

Corn Dogs manager Justin Huisman, who was an assistant with Crown Point, said Chidsey’s disciplined approach at the plate helped him pile up those numbers. He walked 25 times and struck out just eight times.

“He’s not a real ‘rah-rah’ guy,” Huisman said. “He just went out there and took care of business. He was just consistent. He didn’t chase a lot of bad pitches, and that’s why he hit so well and got on base so much.”

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Chidsey also got stronger since his junior season, when he batted .288 with 14 RBIs. He grew about 2 inches and gained 25 pounds.

“Once my season ended for travel ball, I got in the weight room a lot more,” he said. “I was in there two times a day, five days a week, and that really elevated my game.

“After two or three months, I noticed a big jump in how hard I was consistently hitting balls and how fast I was.”

Crown Point teammate Logan Cotton, who is already in Bloomington to start his Indiana career, noticed Chidsey’s growth.“He was just an overall better athlete,” Cotton said. “He started progressing once he put on that muscle. The ball was moving a little differently, and his bat sounded different as well.”

Chidsey hopes he continues to make progress with the Corn Dogs and then at Purdue Northwest, where he will room with three former opponents, Munster’s Zach Wright and Lake Central’s Ryder Fernandez and Drew Kosteba.

Chidsey doesn’t know what position he will play at Purdue Northwest. He was initially recruited as a first baseman by coach Dave Griffin but said conversations throughout the past year have led him to believe he could end up elsewhere in the infield.

“I’ll play wherever the coach puts me,” Chidsey said. “As long as I’m in that lineup.”

To that end, Chidsey is determined to make the most of his opportunities in the Corn Dogs’ lineup this summer. He had two hits against Valparaiso Post 94 on Monday, shaking off a slump that had lingered since Crown Point’s season ended, and he knows he has to be aggressive at the plate against better pitchers.

“That’s just my mindset — taking advantage of their misses early — because once you get behind, they’re going to come at you with their best stuff,” Chidsey said.

Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.