A memorable early indication that Kyle Abrahamson one day would develop into a hitter who would do some damage for his high school baseball team came when he was 10 years old. The experience terrified him to the bone.

Kyle’s mother had purchased a hitting lesson with Hall of Fame living legend George Brett, the greatest, most adored baseball player in this region of the country. The balls he hit during the lesson came out of the hand of the Kansas City Royals legend himself. One more toss, one more swing and the lesson would end.

“On the last pitch I hit him on the forehead and he had to get six stitches above his eye,” Abrahamson said. “My dad contacted him and asked him how he was.”

Even a third baseman with cat-quick reflexes, phenomenal hand-eye coordination and a lifetime of stopping searing baseballs with a glove and sending them in the other direction with a bat needs to follow the rules of safety and use the protective netting.

“He peeked out to watch the hit and it came back and hit him in the forehead,” Abrahamson said. “I just remembered him going on the ground. I was worried. I was scared for my life.”

The last thing a 10-year-old wants on his back is a target put there by taking down a legend.

“I was just shocked that I hit him,” Abrahamson said. “I had never hit anybody in the head like that. I was just scared and glad he was OK.”

Free State High’s thickly built, strong, left-handed-hitting right fielder has not forgotten how to hit the ball hard. He lashed a two-run double in the first inning and singled to center and scored in the fourth, helping to drive Free State to a 9-2 victory Tuesday against visiting Lawrence High.

Abrahamson came away from the Brett lesson with more than a memory.

“The one thing I took away from it was I was gripping on the bat too hard and he told me to treat it like a tube of toothpaste and if you squeeze too hard it will come out (too fast), so have a loose grip up there,” he said.

Since Brett brought 3,154 big-league hits, 1,119 of the extra-base variety, worth of credibility to the advice, the young hitter never thought twice about wondering whether that would work.

“I would always death-grip it until that,” Abrahamson said.

Tense muscles get in the way of flexibility, whether they get that way from squeezing the bat too hard or trying too hard to prove you belong. Free State coach Mike Hill spoke to the latter issue.

“When you’re a sophomore and you get your first opportunity at the varsity level, you’re going to overdo it. And he did overdo it,” Hill said. “When he’s pressing, he’s going to pull everything because he’s anxious and he’s pulling off it.”

Abrahamson understands the value of using the entire field, which he did nicely Tuesday.

“Work middle of the field and hit the ball whichever side of the plate the ball is pitched on,” he said.

He’s putting those words into action.

“It’s been really good to see him progress in that regard,” Hill said. “You could see it in batting practice, in his rounds, and he’s transitioning that into the game. Using the whole field is what makes any hitter successful and that’s really helped him. So he’s done a nice job of making sure his hands stay inside the ball and using the entire field.”

Abrahamson had plenty of company in that regard Tuesday, when Firebirds hitters struck out just once.