The wait is over for fans of LeRoy High School baseball. After nearly two years, they are back and ready to continue the success they have been known for.
The last season this team played was very successful, but had many what ifs.
LeRoy lost a heartbreaker in the Class 1A Sectional final 1-0 to the eventual state champions, Ottawa Marquette. More on the game, and Ottawa Marquette can be found here: https://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-school/baseball/ottawa-marquette-holds-off-leroy-in-sectional-battle/article_693929aa-4e53-5403-afcd-eca57e9e6df1.html
Many of the players from that LeRoy team return this season, and they know they can do something special this year.
“I think everyone wants to get to another Sectional championship,” said senior infielder Ty Egan. “We have to focus on the Regional before that, but I think we can make a good run in the postseason.”
This senior class has been around a lot of winning Panther Hardball teams since they made it to high school. In 2019 the team won 23 games. The goal is always to get to 20 wins, and that should not change this year.
2019 was an incredible season for the Panthers. Their lineup was filled with talented upperclassmen, but the younger players were not so bad themselves.
Players to watch for this season are Ty Egan, Mason Buckles, Max Buckles and Logan Petersen. These players all started on the 2019 team, and made a huge impact while doing so.
Egan was an All-HOIC Honorable Mention, Mason Buckles was an incredible defensive player in the outfield, Max Buckles was All-HOIC First Team and Petersen was part of the News-Gazette All-Area First Team.
After taking a whole season off, many teams lost a lot of experience. LeRoy only lost two seniors from the cancelled season.
Enough about the past, the Panthers are looking forward to this season, and are glad to be back.
“It feels really good to be back. We’ve had a long offseason ever since COVID-19 knocked us out,” said infielder/pitcher Petersen. “Now we are back and ready to play.”
There is so much to the game of baseball that these players enjoy.
“The walkup songs, the dugout being full of energy and everyone just having fun makes this time of year so great,” said infielder/catcher Max Buckles. “We have fun here at LeRoy, but in the end we know it is all about winning.”
Now if you want to get to know about the walkup songs and the fun this team actually has, you will have to come out and catch a game for yourself. Everyone is welcome, but be sure to bring a mask.
LeRoy has already started their season off 1-0 with a win against St. Thomas More. They came back to win 7-3 after a slow start. More on the game can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz7LuLkB88M
“At first it felt weird getting back out there,” said infielder/pitcher Nathan Perry. “Once we started getting in a rhythm after the first couple of innings we started to get back our feel for the game.”
If it only took a few innings for the team to work off their rust after the long break, the opponents on the schedule for LeRoy may want to look out.
Leroy plays Armstrong at home at 4:30 today in their second game of the season.
This season looks to be another good year for LeRoy, and every player’s mindset seems to be the same.
“We are just trying to get back to where we were two years ago,” said Perry.
Keep up with the team by following Panther Hardball on Twitter, and myself as I continue writing about the season.
https://twitter.com/PantherHardball?s=20
https://twitter.com/SkylerGillespie?s=20
