Lutheran West has big shoes to fill at the front of its pitching rotation, but the Longhorns have plenty of young talent ready to compete.
Last spring, Lutheran West finished 11-9 overall and 6-6 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division.
“I am excited about our group as we head towards opening day,” said Lutheran West coach Thomas Balla. “Although we lost of our ace from last year and a few top-of-the-lineup bats, we have a young group that has the ability to step in and fill key roles in our lineup. Our success will be predicated on our focus and mindset of continual growth every day in practice.”
Losing its No. 1 pitcher and several other starters leaves the Longhorns a bit inexperienced, but Balla will lean on his four returning starters to keep the team grounded while the younger players settle ito their roles.
“Our biggest challenges this year are our inexperience and pitching depth,” Balla said. “We have a lot of guys who will be seeing their first full time varsity action. I fully expect those guys to step up to the challenge, battle, and learn from mistakes and from at bat to at bat. If we can blend our youth with our key returners, we can have a really balanced lineup 1-9.”
Among those key returners are Eric Dill, Adam Flachbart, Dominick Hall, and Bryce Groppe.
Dill is a junior first baseman and pitcher.
“Eric is as even keel as they come, both on the mound and in the batter’s box,” Balla said. “We look forward to Eric separating himself as one of the best players in our conference.”
Flachbart is a junior infielder/outfielder who is projected to start at shortstop.
“After a big sophomore season, Adam will be tasked with holding down the middle of our defense and I can wait to watch him attack pitches all year long,” Balla said.
Groppe is a junior right fielder.
“With a strong arm and great speed, Bryce does a phenomenal job patrolling the outfield for us,” Balla said.
Hall, a senior, can play in the dirt or out in the outfield.
“Dom is as consistent as they come,” Balla said. “A team leader in RBIs from last season, we are looking forward to him having an even bigger impact this year in the middle of our lineup.”
The rest of Lutheran West’s projected starting lineup includes catcher Lucas Demko, second baseman Brandon Schneider, third baseman Jacob Montagu, left fielder Steven Alferink, and center fielder Jonathan Barnes.
Alferink will see his first varsity action as a freshman, but Balla already has seen him play above his grade level.
“The ceiling for this kid is incredible,” Balla said. “Going into his first varsity action, I don’t expect Steven to look like a freshman as he will make a big impact in the outfield, on the mound, and at the plate.”
Montagu and Demko also will play key roles for the Longhorns.
“Jacob loves baseball and is very intentional in his approach to getting better every day. I look for big things on the mound and at the plate,” Balla said. “I truly believe our team stops and goes with (Demko). If he can stay locked in behind the plate, we have the ability to be really good.”
Schneider, Barnes, and Brendan Middendorf all have shown promise in the preseason.
“Brandon is excellent defensively and his bat has looked great this offseason. If he can translate it to varsity pitching, look for a big spring from him,” Balla said. “(Barnes) can go get it in the outfield, and he is gritty at the plate. JB is a team guy through and through and will do whatever it takes to help us win. Brendan has taken a tremendous leap on the mound from last year to this year. Unfortunately, he is dealing with a fracture in his hand, but I am confident that he can contribute when fully healed.”
Despite their youth, the Longhorns enter the 2023 season with a balanced lineup and a focus to create hardship for opponents whether at the plate or in the field.
“A big goal of ours is to put forth a lineup that allows a pitcher and a defense no easy outs,” Balla said. “We want to work the pitcher deep in counts and put the pressure on the defense and force them to make 21 outs in the field to beat us. In addition, Dill and Flachbart, anchoring the middle of our lineup as returning all-conference performers will be a big asset.”
Lutheran West’s coaching staff has preached playing hard and competing for seven innings while also minimizing mistakes.
Yet, the team’s success hinges on how quickly its younger players adapt to their new roles.
“Simply put, we need to grow up fast,” Balla said. “I continually tell our guys that our age or lack of varsity experience will never become an excuse for us. We have to learn to play through the inevitable mistakes we will make and learn how to fight through and use failure as a tool for learning.”
