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The key is to keep it going. Last season Graham started 3-3 before finishing 5-18. This year’s team has a different feel to it, though. The Falcons are loaded with varsity experience. They’re familiar with Lewis and his system.
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As for Lewis, he’s also adjusted to high school baseball after spending 20 seasons coaching the Wittenberg Tigers.
“(Last season) was tough in that the game was different. The game was a little slower,” Lewis said. “And I was trying to be a first-year athletic director, too. That was a challenge in itself. There were a lot of factors that maybe went into our struggles. But I look at it as learning opportunities.”
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The Falcons have three seniors in Jim Stickley, Logan Black and Chandler Jones-Stroud. Stickley can play second base, shortstop and third base and is also a relief pitcher. “He’ll be a big factor in what we do,” said Lewis.
Jones-Stroud, who missed last season with an ACL tear suffered in football, is a utility player who will see more time as the season progresses.
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Black is 2-0 with 11 strikeouts and a 0.64 ERA in 11 innings. He threw 76 pitches in a 4-0 defeat of Bellefontaine on Thursday. A good number of Falcons will see time on the mound this season and so far Black has stood out the most.
“We’ve used a lot of guys just trying to get innings,” Lewis said. “I don’t know if can say anybody is a No. 1 right now because no one has seen a lot of time, but (Black) sure pitched like one (Thursday night). He was lights out.”
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Offensively, junior catcher and infielder Josh Lewis leads the team with a .636 average with seven hits in 11 at-bats. He hit .354 last season.
“He was on fire from the first game and he’s kind of continued that,” coach Lewis said. “He’s been a three-year starter so he’s a real good player. I think basically playing one game a week has been tough getting in a groove. That’s a good sign their practice (habits) have been coming into their games.”
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Junior outfielder and pitcher Logan Thompson, the team’s No. 4 hitter, is batting .500. Black is hitting .400 at the No. 2 spot, junior infielder and pitcher Chase Adams is hitting .375 at lead-off and sophomore outfielder and pitcher Brady Anderson .333.
A season ago Graham finished 2-11 in the Central Buckeye Conference Mad River Division. The Falcons are confident they will move up the standings.
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“Last year we had a lot of guys with the first varsity playing time they had seen in any sport,” Lewis said. “ There’s a big jump from junior varsity to varsity. … They all have a desire to be better every day. They come and they work hard. That’s what we’ve been trying to preach to them. Give us 100 percent. Be a good teammate. Be coachable. They’ve really bought into that.”
GRAHAM BASEBALL
Coach: Jay Lewis
Next game: 5 p.m. Mon., hosts Urbana
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