By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
2021 proved to be another successful outing for Lebanon baseball.
The Yellowjackets posted an 18-8 record, falling to Joplin in the district tournament.
Longtime head coach Dustin Young was pleased with his team’s development during the season.
“I am extremely proud of how hard the young men played all year and overcame numerous challenges we were faced with throughout the year,” Young said. “After not having a season during the 2020 spring, I felt that our guys learned things very quickly and were able to shake the rust off extremely quickly.”
A quintet of graduates depart the program in John Greenwood, Hunter Honey, Drew McBride, Isaac Ledbetter and Logan Wise.
Greenwood, an all-state honoree, will continue his baseball career this season at State Fair Community College.
”Last year’s group was a lot of fun to be around due to the brotherhood they created and the work ethic they brought to the yard each day,” Young said. “The 2021 class consisted of five young men that were tremendous leaders and tireless workers that enjoyed playing with each other and left our program in great shape.”
Despite losing five starters, Young believes Lebanon’s returning core is well-poised to step up and fill the void.
“This season will feature a nice blend of experienced players at the varsity level and those that are experiencing that level for the first time,” Young said. “We expect our guys to play the game the right way and look for continued improvement throughout the year.”
CLICK HERE FOR LINKS TO ALL OF THE SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
Leading the charge for the Yellowjackets will be senior Zack Stewart (.425 BA, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 5 SB, 4-1-1, 3.38 ERA).
Stewart, a 6-foot-2 infielder/pitcher, was an all-state, all-conference and all-district selection in 2021.
The Ozark Conference MVP has signed to play at Missouri State University next season.
“Zack has tremendous power from the left side,” Young said. “He hits the ball with authority to all parts of the field and hits for high average, as well. He will be called upon to get several innings for us on the mound this year, and when not on the mound, he projects as our starting shortstop.”
Stewart is joined by fellow returning classmates Bennett Schnitzer (.416 BA, 2 HR, 21 RBI), Justin Dameron (.281 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI), Ian Carr (.148 BA, 5 RBI), Collin Wilson (.163 BA, 8 RBI, 3 SB), Max Groce, Drew Truelove (1-2-1, 6.11 ERA), and Andrew Dent (.333 BA, 5 RBI).
Schnitzer, a 6-foot-4 infielder, earned all-conference and all-district honors in 2021.
“Bennett offers middle of the order power and offers great defense at the first base position,” Young said.
Dameron, a 5-foot-9 catcher, was a 2021 all-conference selection and has signed with North Central Missouri College.
“Justin caught every varsity inning for us last year,” Young said. “He is a tough kid that handles a staff extremely well. He has great gap to gap power and will hit for a high average for us this year.”
Carr, a 6-foot-3 outfielder, has signed with Ottawa University.
“Ian is an Ottawa University signee that offers good pop from the right side and good defense in the outfield,” Young said. “He will add nice depth to our lineup and can be a run producer wherever he is.”
Wilson and Groce are a pair of 6-foot outfielders Young is expecting to develop into significant contributors this season.
“Collin is a great all-around athlete,” Young said. “He can chase down many baseballs in the outfield, has tremendous speed, and has a lot of pop offensively. Max is a pitcher/outfielder that has good sprint speed and very good stuff on the mound. He is able to go gap to gap offensively and offers us some speed while on the base paths.”
Young expects Truelove, a 5-foot-11 pitcher/outfielder, to once again throw big innings for the team and contribute both defense and speed for the Yellowjackets.
Dent, a 5-foot-9 infielder, sustained an ACL injury over the winter and is currently rehabbing.
Lebanon also returns junior pitcher Keaton Mizer (6-0-1, 3.53 ERA), junior pitcher/infielder Payton Wehner (1-0-0, 7.22 ERA) and sophomore infielder/catcher Gavin Smith (.286 BA, 4 RBI).
Newcomers to the varsity roster include seniors Brendan Black, Ty O’Neil and Peyton Mitchell; juniors Parker Wehner, Ashton Coryell and Cade Muscia; and sophomores Cole Dustin and Hoyt Honey.
“We are excited about the group that we have this season,” Young said. “They are hardworking young men that attempt to maximize their potential every time they step on the field. We have a nice blend of guys with varsity experience and newcomers to the varsity level that can make an immediate impact and help us tremendously.”
With the right mix of talent and experience throughout the roster, Young believes his team’s overall depth could pay big dividends this season.
“We believe that our depth will be a strength for us,” Young said. “We will have several experienced arms capable of throwing big innings for us and several options offensively that can help create runs. At this point last year, we weren’t exactly sure what our team would look like after not having a season in 2020. Having a 2021 season has allowed us to be more familiar with these young men.”
Lebanon opens its season March 18 at home against Columbia Rock Bridge.
9:00 – Lebanon
