Baseball has taught senior Dylan Lacher how to deal with the swings and misses in life.
“With this being my senior year, it’s upsetting to be winless in section and not even have a chance at playoffs,” Lacher said. “It’s discouraging at times to lose games to the extent we do.”
Lacher is not playing in college, so it is tough to have his career ending like this.
“Your senior season is supposed to be special and memorable, but this season has been far from that,” he said.
Yet no matter the team’s record in any given season, Lacher has learned a lot from playing this sport.
“Baseball has taught me a lot about teamwork, dedication, and consistency,” Lacher said. “Baseball is very mentally draining, so it has made me to be mentally tough.”
Despite the challenges of this season, Lacher’s fielding has been positive. Lacher is considered essential on the team, as he plays first base, second base, third, right field, and left field.
“I play five positions, so I have to learn how to play defense differently for all of them,” Lacher said. “It can be challenging, but defense is my specialty.”
Lacher has played baseball since he was 4 years old and credits his parents for his exposure to baseball.
“My parents are the main reason that I got involved,” he said. “They got me into as many sports as possible, and baseball was the one I loved and stuck with.”
Lacher also credits his coaches over the years.
“My coaches have been able to guide me throughout the years and helped me improve overall as a player and person,” Lacher said.
He specifically talked about Assistant Coach Mark Peterson.
“He has a unique coaching technique, but I think that it has benefited me the most over my career,” Lacher said. “He helps us with the mental challenges of baseball, which always keeps me locked in games, no matter what the score is.”
Lacher continuously shows leadership, senior Bryce Jones said.
“We almost blew a 4-0 lead in a game against Norwin last year and Dylan told us that if we wanted to win, it was on us and we needed to listen to our coach,” Jones said. “That lit a fire under us and we were able to out the game.”
Senior Adam Ledbetter said Dylan is a leader through his actions on the field.
“He had a go-ahead triple in the top of the seventh inning against Central last season,” he said. “We can always count on him in big moments.”
In addition to the high school team, he has also played for the South Hills Devil Dogs AAU team.
“Playing for the Devil Dogs has helped improve my skills even more and has led to many out-of-school friendships,” he said.
But playing Baldwin baseball has allowed Lacher to create life lasting memories with high school teammates.
“My favorite memory from over the years was the Myrtle Beach trips,” Lacher said. “We all get together and have a great time playing and enjoying the beach.”
Lacher’s favorite in-game moment is unusual but left a lasting memory.
“Bryce Jones got a hit-and-run sign, which means he had to swing no matter what, but when he swung the bat, he missed and the ball hit him,” Lacher said.
Jones said that the moment is an unforgettable one.
“It hurt at the time, but after a while I laughed it out and the team found it funny,” Jones said.
“It was one of the moments that we will talk about when we see each other in the future.”
Not only has baseball brought Jones and Lacher closer together as friends, but it has done the same for their families.
“We are always with each other because of baseball, so it has brought us closer. But it has also made our parents become friends because they see each other a lot,” Jones said.
