By Chris Parker
Lockwood baseball returns five starters from last season’s 15-win team that claimed a district title for the first time since 2021.
Nik Thieman (senior) and Landry Ogden (sophomore) will be the top pitchers with Roper Gray (sophomore) behind the plate catching.
That quartet will also form the leadership core.
“Nik is our ace pitcher and our team leader. He’s got great velocity and excellent control on the mound. He’s a weapon with a bat in his hands and a fierce defender on defense,” Lockwood head coach Adam Grisham said. “Landry had to step up as a freshman last year and did so in a big way. He can play every position and was an all-state outfielder as a freshman. He was big for us on the mound, we expect bigger things this year. Roper is our guy behind the dish. Roper is a great catcher and our defense follows him.”
Thieman threw 55.1 innings with 68 strikeouts and a 4.55 ERA. He was also a big bat with a 1.241 OPS, 14 doubles, 33 Rbi and 26 runs scored. Ogden was second on the team with 37 innings pitched and 38 strikeouts leading to a 4.54 ERA. He hit .420 with a 1.009 OPS, 20 RBI and 28 runs scored. Gray hit .328 with 11 RBI and 12 runs scored.
Thieman and Ogden will also play shortstop depending on who is pitching. Reed Rath (freshman) and Ryan Wells (junior) are options at first base. Look for Wiley Freeman (freshman) at second base. Koen Lilienkamp (sophomore) will hold down third base.
In the outfield, look for Reed Parker (senior) in left, Kolton Kleeman (senior) in center and Sean Contreras (sophomore) in right.
“I expect to see a lot of competition with some young guys and some new,” Grisham said. “Our approach is going to be getting better every single day and getting ready for districts.”
Lockwood opens the season Mar. 22-25 at the Purdy Tournament.
