New Season, New Hawks

After a challenging 5–18 season last year, Lakeland Hawks baseball is looking ahead as a new season begins.
The Hawks struggled to find consistency last season, finishing with five wins while facing tough competition throughout the year. The team also lost three seniors who were key contributors both offensively and defensively, leaving leadership and production gaps that younger players now have the opportunity to fill.
With those changes, the underclassmen have some big shoes to fill as the program looks to turn things around and improve on last year’s record. Last season tested the Hawks in every phase of the game. Pitching for the Hawks wasn’t productive at times, and defensive mistakes often showed in close games.
Despite the record, the returning players gained valuable experience that they can carry into this season. The lessons learned during difficult moments in the games have helped shape practices and preparation as the team gets ready for their first game.
For many of the underclassmen who saw playing time last year, that experience has already started to pay off. They’ve had the offseason to develop their skills, grow stronger, and build confidence heading into the new season.
Junior Parker Byrd believes the team’s work in the offseason has already made a difference.
“The team is more together and synchronized,” Byrd said. “We put in a lot of work in the offseason to develop more skills and get stronger.”
Byrd emphasized that the team’s focus is on building momentum early.
“We want to win game one and build off of it,” Senior Dreyden Smith said, “if we keep playing together throughout the whole season, we can reach our goals.”
Those goals are clear for the Hawks this year, win the district title and compete at the state level.
Byrd also understands the importance of trusting the work the team has already put in.
“Just trust the process,” Byrd said. “All the practice will come together and make us better. We just need to have a plan and execute it when we go into games.”
One player who could make a big impact this season is Jake Larcher, who is returning after recovering from an injury. According to teammates, Larcher has been putting in significant effort during the offseason and is expected to contribute on both sides of the ball with strong defense and offense.
Looking ahead at the schedule, Byrd pointed to one matchup that could set the tone for the season.
“Lewiston is the most important game,” he said. “We want to handle business early so we know what to expect by the time districts come around.”
LHS first game is on Mar. 14 at Gorton field at 12 and 2 pm.