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Baseball Indians face major rebuilding effort

3/17/2017

By Dan Manley
Advocate Sports Editor
Rob Ledington isn’t a guy to be discouraged.

But he is a realist.

Talking about the 2017 Montgomery County baseball team, it’s easy to understand why the coach knows the Tribe has their work cut out for them.

This is a team that lost a lot through graduation from a team that went 19-10. It’s a team that is young and inexperienced and thin in several areas.

The Indians are also a team that will be virtually untested on the pitching mound and lost a key component when sophomore Jonathan Kosier decided to not come out for the team this year.

But Rob Ledington is a guy whose glass is always half full.
What the Indians have is a group of players with a reasonable amount of ability, great attitudes, a desire to succeed and a lot of that good old fashioned attribute known as character.

In the sport of baseball, that can sometimes carry you a long way.
“There are certainly a lot of things to like about this team,” Ledington said. “Paul Wise is a good place to start.”

Wise is the obvious team leader along with seniors E.J. Mohr, Devon Martin and Andrew Toy.

Wise, who’ll anchor the infield at shortstop and probably hit in the third or fourth spot in the order, is an all-regional talent who, if healthy, can make the jump to all-state caliber.

And he’s only a junior.
Senior catcher Devon Martin is another mainstay.

“He’s just gotten better every year and is really dependable behind the plate, which we really need with an inexperienced pitching staff.”
Junior Aaron Toy and sophomore Luke Fuller are the likely infielders to land at second and third, though it’s still a question mark as to who fits in the best at which spot.

Elijah (E.J.) Mohr returns from an injury and could end up at second base or elsewhere and gives the Tribe a solid bat in the lineup wherever he fits in defensively or as a designated hitter.

The Tribe will turn to freshman Tyler Jacobs in centerfield and the odds are that by mid-season the combination of Martin, Wise, Fuller or Toy and Jacobs will give Montgomery County a really solid up-the-middle defense with both ability and some baseball savvy.

Sophomore Ty Eads is a likely starter in left field with twin Jay battling Laken Robertson and Travis Toy and Aaron Toy for the rightfield spot.
Those three players, Robertson and Travis and Aaron Toy are also competing for the job at first base.

Kosier would have been the Tribe’s most over-powering pitcher. Ledington says the key will be for his hurlers to throw strikes and learn to pitch.

Wise has the most experience on the mound but may well be limited to late-game relief due to his role at shortstop.

Luke Fuller, Hayden Chism, who returns after sitting out last year, along with senior Cam Smith, who is out for the first time, and Travis Toy, Tyler Jacobs, Laken Robertson and Mason Roberts.

E.J. Mohr, David Toy and Ben McDonald are also players who’ll get a chance at some time on the mound.

Sophomores Boone Hart and Braxton Hundley will also be battling for playing time in the infield and behind the plate, respectively.
“We’re not going to walk out on the field in the first few games and have everything set,” Ledington said. “Even though this group has really worked hard in the pre-season, we need to let them get on the field in competitive situations to find out our best lineup.

“And that could take several games.”

The Indians have had a lot of 6 a.m. practices this year and Ledington said the players have really responded by being on time, working hard and then being back at school and ready to go in the classroom on time.
Montgomery County is sure to have an uphill battle against a Clark County team that is one of the top teams in the region, a Bourbon County team that should be improved and a Paris team that has some good, young athletes.

“This is always going to be a tough district, one where almost every year a team that could be competitive in the region doesn’t make it out.”
In addition to a strong group of seniors who graduated, Ledington and his staff are dealing with the loss of five seniors who chose not to play, all potential starters.

That has left the junior varsity squad short on players and that has forced Ledington to do something he hasn’t done in his 30-year coaching career—bring up eighth graders to the junior varsity.

“We may struggle this year but it’ll be great experience for these young players.”

The Indians are scheduled to open the season at home against Fleming County next Monday. They’ll host Lexington Sayre Tuesday and then play a home district game with Paris Thursday before going on the road to Boyd County on Friday.

In addition to the challenging district schedule the Indians will play home and home games with Fleming County, Boyd County, Corbin, Madison Southern, Rockcastle County, Madison Central, Sayre, Western Hills, Harrison County, Estill County, Mason County and Lexington Bryan Station.