This year's Llano High School baseball team added a scrimmage against an opponent that ended the Yellow Jackets' season year ago – Wall.
The contest simply reinforced what head coach Todd Doucet said is the main reason why Llano's athletic program is so successful.
'A lot of our kids are just true competitors,' he said. 'We had a great football season. It's taken us a little time to actually get the baseball side going and getting them to understand what we're actually trying to do, but this is our fourth scrimmage, and we're babystepping, and it's getting better every single time we go out.'
Fans were treated to an array of pitchers and a couple of catchers. Junior Austin Humphries was first on the mound and behind the plate was sophomore Cash Lynch. Both were a big part of last year's team and had big roles for the football team. Other pitchers include juniors Grayson Lilie and Jordan Miller and freshman Lucas McClintock. Ricky Aviles was next had the scrimmage not reached the time limit.
'McClintock pitched real well today,' Doucet said.
Lynch was the starting catcher as a true freshman last year. Even then he showed that he could be a wall behind the plate to get to balls that were out of the strike zone, help settle the pitcher, and help set the defense.
'It's just unbelievable, and now he catches like an upperclassman,' the coach said. 'So we're real proud of the way that he's coming along. He's starting to hit the ball, too. So the way he's starting to hit has been pleasant.'
Llano has seven returning lettermen, including seniors Colton Bailey, Carter Bick-ett and Logan Van Pelt and junior Will Morris.
Doucet noted that Bailey, who's a multiyear letterman, is a tremendous pitcher, too.
'We'll need guys who've been around to give us innings and throw strikes,' he said.
The team will lean heavily on Bailey, Bickett, Humphries and Lynch.
'Basically, they're captain- type guys, who are the bases of our baseball team,' the coach said. 'I think success in football and being tough will also pay dividends going into the baseball season.'
The task doesn't get easier as District 5-3A has teams that boast talented pitching, solid defenses and the ability to turn a game in their favor on a single swing.
Doucet noted that Ingram Tom Moore returns three talented pitchers including senior Maverick Delgado (40), who had an ERA of 2.68. Two years ago, Delgado gave up one hit to Llano to lead the Warriors to a 1-0 win. Ingram had four hits. Other Ingram pitchers this season include senior Aiden Rendon and junior Josh Collins.
'Ingram may be the team to beat because they have so many pitchers,' the coach said.
What makes Blanco dangerous is head coach Bryan Wyatt, who has been in coaching a little longer than Doucet, who is in his 35th year of coaching and his eighth at the helm of the Llano program.
' Blanco is so well coached,' Doucet said. 'They're always top level. Everybody in this district has gotten competitive. Comfort's going to be good. Florence will be good this year and Brady is always our rival. So yeah, so it's gonna be a tough district. Everybody's going to be good.'
