The Lynnwood baseball team took some hard hits in 2011.
The Royals finished last in the Western Conference 3A and managed to record only five victories the entire season.
But the win-loss numbers didn’t tell the whole story of Lynnwood’s season as the Royals battled hard in most of their games. The Royals lost six contest by one run.
“We competed with a lot of teams last year,” fourth-year head coach Adam Villalobos said. “We couldn’t get any hitting going. The boys have been working in the offseason in the weight room and in the cages. We hope the hard work will pay off.”
Much like district and league rivals Meadowdale and Mountlake Terrace, the Royals bring back an experienced squad with seven returning starters. Villalobos expects the offense to be improved.
“There are going to be some tough spots in the lineup,” he said. “We have a lot of leadership and we’re not young. We should be able to compete.”
Senior Jordan Silva finished the season with a .478 average and seven home runs.
“He’s definitely the anchor of our good hitters,” Villalobos said. “I expect him to put up big numbers.
Another solid hitter and team leader is senior Blake Lord, who anchors the defense at shortstop.
“He’s good leader. He’s a vocal guy and a hard worker,” Villalobos said.
Either senior Chad Groesbeck or freshman Carson Hoerner will be playing second base.
“It’ll come down to who is swinging the bat,” Villalobos said. “We’ll throw Carson or Chad out there. They’re going to do well. Whoever is swinging a good stick at the time will get the spot.”
Silva is back at third base and senior Jeff Stanley is at first.
“Our defense is pretty good,” Villalobos said. “That’s what is going to keep us in games.”
Silva and Stanley also pitched extensively last season and Villalobos expects them to be the team’s main starters. “They both got their fair share of innings last year,” he said.
The right-handed Stanley has a good fastball, curveball and changeup. Silva, also a righthander, has a similar repertoire.
“He spots his pitches real well,” Villalobos said of Silva. “He’s gamer. He has a no fear attitude. He attacks the strike zone and gets hitters out.”
Villalobos isn’t ready to name a starting catcher and is expecting a robust competition among four players for the spot.
“It’ll probably be a game time decision,” he said. “We have four guys battling hard. You’ve got to win a spot.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
