Freed Steps Up to Lead Lumberjacks Baseball Team
First-year Valley Lumberjacks Head Baseball Coach Lou Freed isn’t a novice in coaching baseball; he has been in and around his eight senior baseball players since they were in T-Ball. Freed is elated to be their coach in their final baseball careers.
“We have eight senior players that I have been around since their T-ball days, and I couldn’t be more excited to coach them again,” said Coach Freed. “These guys are more than kids playing baseball; they are friends, and it will show in their unselfish play. I can’t be any more excited to be able to coach my two sons as well.”
However, the loss of four-year starter Colby Bucher, who was a an All-OVAC and a key contributor to the program, as well as Griffin Pigott, the only other graduated player.
Besides the loss of Bucher and Pigott, the Lumberjacks lost both their head and assistant coaches, Jeremy and Perry Bucher, respectively. However, Freed was not too far away and helped out over the summers. He has worked tirelessly, from T-Ball to the present, in helping get the Lumberjack players ready to play.
He has eight seniors with returning senior lettermen Tyler Kocher, Ty Freed, Caden Palmer and Ethan Greathouse all back and ready to make names. They have also added seniors Dave Morgan and Austin Lowe, back from a two-year absence, as well as first-year senior player Levi Streets to lead his big 12 team.
Kocher is back for his fourth straight season as the man behind the plate, while Greathouse has been the man on the mound that will throw as many innings as he can. With these two battery-mates holding down two key positions, you better throw in Ty Freed, who has been the leader in center-field, while Morgan has been the man at second for the past several seasons, and Palmer at first, who had held down first base when Bucher wasn’t pitching or playing short-stop.
But Freed can now put another pair of senior returners into key positions with Morgan in right field and Lowe in left field to solidify an all senior-laden outfield. Morgan is yet another pitching arm that the coach can use when needed.
But the key for Coach Freed is to where he can put first-year senior Levi Streets. Streets is an natural athlete than can do a lot of things well, so the coach is going to have him play a little left field and use his speed as a base-runner as much as he can when he doesn’t start.
Freed will work him into the line-up as soon as Streets can show he can deliver in the clutch like, he has in football and basketball.
Freed can use letterman Abe Satterfield at shortstop and to close out games when Greathouse isn’t on the mound and at short-stop. “Its nice to be able to flip-flop two outstanding players and not miss a beat,” said Coach Freed.
Also you can bet returning lettermen Levi Anderson will find and outfield position, while good-looking freshman Logan Bassett will hold down the hot-spot at third base and be used as another arm at the mound too.
The final player is sophomore Trace Freed. He is the younger son of the coach, and will be helping his dad coach and keep the book and do the stats.
The younger Freed will see some action when needed.
It’s too early to tell how the Lumberjacks will do, but after watching them practice, its going to be fun watching these dirty-dozen perform on the field and at the plate. They all love the game and each other, and will have each others back, and that’s a no-brainer.
Not seeing any live pitching will hurt these guys, but when you are loaded with seniors, it will be an easy fix.
If Kocher and Greathouse can do what they do, as well as they have in season past, the Lumberjacks will be in the game every night, and if the elder Freed can continue to play a huge role, as well as the other five seniors, the Valley faithful will be out in big numbers to watch their beloved Lumberjacks win some ball games.
And, if first-year Levi Streets can utilize his athleticism in baseball too, watch out, the Lumberjacks will be ready to chop-down their opponents.
Valley opens its season against Cameron March 21 in Dragon territory, then at Doddridge March 23, before hosting Tyler Consolidated March 24 in a double-header, followed by county rival Paden City, March 26.