Baseball team concludes great season

By Jayden Hewitt
Sports Editor

The LCC baseball team wrapped up its season in Enid, Okla. on June 2 after a deep postseason run. The Stars lost 12-4 to Southeastern Community College in the NJCAA Division II World Series in the national semi-finals.

It was overall a successful season for LCC. The third-place national finish capped a 50-12 overall record. It was also the second straight World Series LCC has reached.

Two all-time individual records were broken during the season for the sweet swinging Stars. Sophomore infielder Hunter Lay broke the single-season home run record for LCC by belting 22 dingers. Lay hit .455 on the season and drove in 82 runs while nabbing 16 stolen bases as well.

Freshman infielder/outfielder Preston Leon broke the Stars’ single-season steals record with 41 bags swiped. Leon hit .372 with six home runs and 45 RBIs as well.

LCC’s offense was potent all season long and was led by MCCAA Western Conference Player of the Year Shane Juday. The sophomore infielder hit .410, slugged 11 home runs, drove in 78 runs and stole 15 bases.

Overall, the Stars hit 78 home runs, had a .371 batting average and a .588 slugging percentage as a team.

Other major contributors on offense included sophomore catcher Noah Bright (.370, 11 HRs, 67 RBIs), sophomore catcher/outfielder Jabin Bates (.355, four HRs, 42 RBIs), freshman outfielder Will Bowen (.374, five HRs, 48 RBIs) and infielder Chris Hege (.377, six HRs, 48 RBIs).

The Stars’ pitching staff also dominated on the year as well with a program record 455 strikeouts and a 4.20 team ERA, good for eighth in the country.

The pitching staff was highlighted by freshman pitcher Hunter Shaw, who led the team with a 1.58 ERA. Shaw also led the team in strikeouts with 88, innings pitched with 62 and two thirds, and four complete games. Shaw tallied a 9-2 record.

Other pitchers who contributed included Lukas Brewer (9-2, 2.91 ERA, 74 K’s), Elijah Stark, Gavin Walters, Braden Will Case and Nick Baker (5-0, 2.92 ERA). All contributed more than 30 innings each as well.

Left-handed pitcher Nick Baker posted a 5-0 record for the 2023 LCC Stars.   Photo by Jake Leslie

 

The Stars also had five players make the All-MCCAA team: Lay, Juday, Shaw, Bright and Brewer.

The same five were named to the MCCAA First Team All-Western Conference team, while Hege, Baker, Leon and Bates all made the Second Team. Walters was an honorable mention.

Shaw and Baker both made the MCCAA Western Conference All-Freshman team.