LYNNWOOD — It was a milestone moment in the history of Lynnwood High School baseball.
When the Royals defeated perennial Wesco South powerhouse Jackson 5-3 on April 4, it was a moment as rare as the dodo bird. No one’s quite sure when Lynnwood last beat the Timberwolves. It certainly wasn’t during coach Reggie Corns’ seven years in charge.
So how did the players react to their seminal victory?
“Just another win,” shrugged senior Jason Lotzer, who was on the mound for the final out against Jackson.
Lotzer’s attitude reflects a newfound confidence among the Royals, a confidence that’s been missing for some time. That confidence has Lynnwood in a lofty position no one outside the program expected.
Lynnwood has long been a baseball also-ran. Last season the Royals were a forgettable 5-11 in league and 7-16 overall. The three seasons before that Lynnwood combined to go 8-59. The sight of the Royals on the schedule had opponents salivating at the prospect of pumping up their stats.
The same story was expected again this season. In the Herald’s preseason coaches’ poll the Royals were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team Wesco South. When senior ace pitcher Alex Himes was unable to turn out because of personal issues, and when senior first baseman Steve Llewellyn suffered a broken wrist in the preseason, it seemed Lynnwood was in for another long year.
It’s been anything but. Lynnwood currently finds itself riding a five-game winning streak and tied with Jackson for first in the division at 6-2. At 7-3 overall the Royals have already matched last season’s win total with more than half the schedule remaining.
“It’s an amazing start,” said senior center fielder Karl Rodriguez, the team’s captain. “I’m really proud of the team. We worked really hard during the offseason and showed a lot of improvement.
“I think this is our year.”
It’s been a long time since a Royal has been able to utter those words.
The success has been particularly gratifying for Lynnwood’s seniors, who have suffered more than their share of losses since forming the core of the team as sophomores. Third baseman Ryan Desimone has been on fire at the plate, seemingly producing multiple hits every game, and he’s supported offensively by Rodriguez and Lotzer. Meanwhile, in Lotzer, John Mann and Logan Kiser the Royals have a trio of quality pitchers to choose from.
And while their success may be surprising the masses, it’s not surprising the Royals.
“Everybody on the team was knowing we were going to have a good season,” Rodriguez said. “Our confidence was so high. The offseason work, we knew we were going to do something this year.”
The Royals annouced that intention to the rest of the league with early victories over traditionally strong Jackson and Meadowdale.
The Jackson game in particular was a defining moment as the Royals scored five runs in the first inning, then held on to win 5-3. In seasons past Lynnwood would not have held that lead.
“That’s what this team hasn’t had in the past, being able to close out games we’re ahead in,” Corns said.
“The biggest thing is we have a belief that we can win,” Corns added. “That’s one of the biggest hurdles you have to overcome with athletics, the idea you can’t compete. This year we have the belief we can and probably should win, as opposed to just hoping we will do well.”
The result is a team that’s approaching games with a new attitude. In the past the Royals thought they had the ability to compete, but weren’t able to prove it.
“We had the talent, but we never put it together,” Lotzer said. “We never played as a team.”
But now the Royals have put it together, and they find themselves in position to challenge for a division title.
Despite the strong start, the Royals realize there’s still work to be done. Especially if Lynnwood wants to achieve its biggest goal, reaching the state tournament.
“It’s early,” Corns said. “It’s nice to be where we’re at, but we have a long way to go. Our tougher games come at the end of the year — we still have Kamiak and Shorewood and Mountlake Terrace as our last three sets of games. Those games will let us know the type of team we have.”
But at least one thing is known: This season those games will mean something for Lynnwood, too, not just for its opponents.
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