Photos by Amy Payne
In 1999, Drew Storen moved to Brownsburg with his family and got involved in Little League. It was there his life took a turn that would spark a career, a passion for a nonprofit, and a new business.
“I’ve always loved the game, but Brownsburg was a special place. It’s always been different. A team a year older than me and a year younger than me went to the World Series. It was a great group of talent and competition but also supportive parents, which is equally as important,” Storen said. “You played competitively against your buddies and then you came together to play against other teams.”
Storen went on to play for Brownsburg High School and was a member of the team that won the state championship in 2005.
“I think we were one of the first high schools with a fan section at baseball games. There was a great support system in the town. It’s really special and something you don’t see as much of anymore,” Storen said.
Right out of high school, the pitcher had opportunities in the Major League Baseball draft but chose to go to Stanford on a baseball scholarship and earn his degree in product design.
“I took the opportunity to get an education. I wanted baseball to be house money and not like my life depended on it, but after graduating, I was drafted to the Washington Nationals in 2009,” Storen said. “I went on to play for the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds before I retired in 2020.”
As a relief pitcher in MLB, Storen was living his dream — though he said he doesn’t know how he ever made it.
“I was lucky enough to get up there and have a career. I always wanted to do it, but I just kept my head down and kept playing,” he said.
When the MLB chapter was over, he had the chance to explore other passions too — namely, the nonprofit Brownsburg Youth Sports program.
Storen serves as chairman of the Project Campaign Cabinet. They’re working on developing a new youth sports complex that will feature 10 baseball and softball fields on 60 acres of land on the northeast side of Brownsburg.
The plans include a community walking path and playground space and, eventually, fields for other sports in the community.
When a friend asked Storen to get involved, they were in the beginning stages — not sure if it was going to happen.
“I really think this is something Brownsburg needs, and I think we’re coming up short as far as space for youth sports. To me, we were losing what really put Brownsburg on the map,” he said. “But we’re moving forward now.”
Looking back, he’s grateful for the time he spent in Brownsburg and everything Little League and high school baseball did for him — and now, he’s giving back.
“It was always on the radar — figuring out how to replace at least the main diamond in Brownsburg. I remember playing at Arbuckle Park as a kid. The place was always packed and not just with parents but people who came to watch our games,” Storen said. “This isn’t about the big business side of baseball. It’s tradition. You don’t have to be a major leaguer. You can be a kid that wants to go out and play and learn the game and make lifelong friends along with life lessons and growth as a person. This is important.”
He’s quick to point out, the youth sports complex is for everyone. For Storen, it’s also about green space, parks and places for the community to gather.
“This is not just about a baseball diamond. It’s another park in the community. Everyone will benefit. The diamond got the conversation started, but it’s really about having a place to go to play,” he said.
Today, in addition to coaching his two sons and pouring his energy into the development of Brownsburg Youth Sports and the future sports complex, Storen is co-founder of Field of Dreams Whiskey Co.
It’s a combination of Storen’s love for baseball, whiskey — he’s collected rare bourbons throughout his career — and the 1989 movie starring Kevin Costner, “Field of Dreams.”
“I take corn from the ‘Field of Dreams’ movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, and make bourbon. I used my project design degree to create the logo and partnered with my best childhood friend from Brownsburg Little League and another best friend from MLB and started the company,” Storen said.
The area is currently undergoing changes to further entice movie buffs and baseball fans.
“They had an MLB game there in 2021 with the White Sox and the Yankees. Now, it’s been put on pause because they’re building a permanent stadium, so hopefully, we’ll have more games in the next couple of years,” he said. “The field has always been maintained, and we work with the local farmers to harvest what we need for the bourbon. It’s sort of like combining all of my passions into one.”
In the process of it all coming together, he hopes others — particularly youth — find the passion for baseball or youth sports in general that he has had over the years.
“It’s extremely important for kids to be able to play with their friends. I think youth travel ball has turned into a professional sport pretty quickly, and it cuts some of these kids off from a great game and great life lessons,” he said. “We don’t want anyone to be shut out.”
For more information about Brownsburg Youth Sports and the future sports complex, visit brownsburgsports.org. For more about Field of Dreams Whiskey Co., visit drinkfieldofdreams.com.
