Preview: Lincolnview Lancers baseball

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Some great talent was lost to graduation but that doesn’t mean the cupboard is bare for Lincolnview head baseball coach Eric Fishpaw.

Jaden Youtsey (first team All-Ohio), Thad Walker, Reece Farmer, Ethan Kemler, Brayden Evans, Sam Meyers and Braxton Fox have moved on from a team that went 21-4 (7-1 NWC) last season and finished No. 2 in the final Division IV Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll.

“Last year’s team was the best in school history in terms of wins with 21 and it was a very special class,” Fishpaw said. “We still return six guys with a varsity letter (RHP Gavin Carter, LPH/1B Landon Price, CF/LHP Cole Binkley, junior 1B/2B Clayton Leeth, junior 3B Creed Jessee, and RHP/C/SS Collin Overholt). Returning six varsity letter winners for this season has me excited for this group that is hungry to take the next step.”

“We will be young this season, but I like the guys we have and their passion for baseball,” Fishpaw added. “They love to work and we hope to contend for a Northwest Conference championship and a tournament run.”

Fishpaw also noted that all six letter winners will likely be starters, with juniors Aaron Cavinder and Spencer Richey, sophomore Carson Fox and freshman Dane Ebel and Jared Kesler in the mix for starting positions and significant playing time.

If the 2020 season is played in at least an abbreviated form, pitching shouldn’t be an issue for the Lancers. In fact, it should be a team strength.

The pitching staff includes Price, a sophomore who recently committed to play at Ohio State; Carter, the team’s lone senior who holds the school record for pitching wins in a career with 19, and Overholt, a junior who was an All-Ohio selection as a freshman and had a 4-0 pitching record last season.

“I would describe our pitching staff as experienced and confident,” Fishpaw stated. “Between the three pitchers, they were a combined 14-2 on the mound in 2019. All three are confident and have good command on the mound with high velocities on their fastballs.”

“To add to this rotation we have Jessee, Leeth, Aaron Cavinder, Dane Ebel, and Carson Fox and Cole Binkley. We have a lot of options to put on the mound which is a good thing to have.”

At the plate, Overholt, Carter, Jessee and Leeth are talented hitters, while Binkley and Fox have a significant amount of experience and are more than capable of putting the ball in play.

“I am confident that we can hit and produce offensively, but it will have to be proven,” Fishpaw said.

As is the case with virtually all other teams, the long layoff caused by COVID-19 is a big concern for Fishpaw.

“I am concerned about arm care and conditioning of the arm for our pitchers,” Fishpaw explained. “We got some good work in over the offseason with guys that were not in a winter sport. As for the start of practice, we were able to get in 15 practices.”

“We were even fortunate enough to get outside a few times to hit on the field and do some fielding work. Of our inside practices, we got a lot of swing work in our Community Center.”

For now, practices are scheduled to resume on May 4, as long as schools are back in session. Games could begin as early as May 9.