By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Lebanon has been a consistent resident among Ozark Conference contenders over the last half-decade. The Yellowjackets have placed fourth or higher dating back to 2013, the year of their last district championship.
They have bowed out in the district semifinals in the four seasons since, but the focus stays the same.
“We always have the goal of winning a conference and district championship,” said head coach Dustin Young. “We keep that goal regardless of what we have coming back. A run to the postseason will take care of itself as long as we get better every day. ”
Lebanon brings back six players that saw varsity time on last year’s 13-9 squad. The sixth year under Young will feature plenty of youth, but he doesn’t want that to carry a negative connotation.
“You hear the word ‘young’ and think inexperienced, but that’s not really the case since so many guys got varsity experience last year.”
Five seniors left and that creates openings at catcher, designated hitter, and in the pitching rotation, but for those that carry the weight of this campaign, the proof is in the accolades.
Missouri Southern commit Cole McBride is back for his senior campaign as the reigning Ozark Conference Co-Most Valuable Player. A Second Team All-State selection, McBride is the most seasoned hitter and pitcher on the team.
He put up 25 RBI and eight home runs with a .362 average while going 5-1 in eight starts on the mound. He struck out a team-high 49 batters and carried a 1.98 ERA.
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Keaton Winfrey, and All-OC honorable mention and Evangel commit, will back up McBride in the rotation. He posted a 2-1 mark with a 1.75 ERA while fanning 23 as a junior.
Those two will lead the effort to replace a lot of innings that left with the 2017 class. With a handful of players wrapped up in other sports, Young has primarily been focused on building arm strength as much as possible.
Fortunately for the Yellowjackets, weight training has never been a cause for concern. The school boasts one of the area’s most well-known strength programs. They are banking on that regiment to leave its mark on the offense once again.
The only player to homer other than McBride last year was Tyler Paul (OF), who made a name for himself as freshman with an All-OC season. Fellow conference honorees Wyatt Milliken (Sr., 1B) and Jayton Cromer (Jr., SS/3B) will also be key factors in the order.
With a majority of outfielders also putting in work on the mound, positions may need to be shuffled on an almost game-by-game basis. What Young does with those positions could go a long way towards determining whether this is the year Lebanon can break through.
“We believe no one should content thinking they are going to be a starter on a regular basis,” said Young. “They need to compete in order to maximize their talent as best as they can.”
