2018 Spring Preview: Lincoln Baseball

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By Justin Sampson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

Lincoln Athletics have enjoyed an unprecedented run of success over the last three years, one that includes two state tournament berths in football, All-State placements in golf, a final four appearance in spring softball and two more in baseball.

Will Lynde, who has coached at the school for 23 years, echoed that which anyone that has paid attention already knows.

“This has been by far the most talented group of athletes to ever come through Lincoln High School,” he said.

The Cardinals entered the Class 2 Final Four last year with one loss before falling to eventual state champion Mansfield and finishing third for the second straight year. After a combined 55-6 record the last two seasons, they will vie for their third trip to O’Fallon this spring.

Six seniors are gone, but three All-State honorees return: seniors Derek Stephens (C/P) and Grant Eifert (OF/P) and sophomore Jackson Beaman (SS/P).

Stephens, a four-year starter and two-time All-State selection, belted a team-high 42 RBI on 39 hits with a .415 average and three home runs. He will most often anchor the backstop but also plans to factor into the pitching mix.

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Eifert is the other First Team member and two-time honoree as an outfielder. He drove in 33 runs and carried a .359 average as a junior and will be near the top of the rotation on the mound as well.

Fellow senior Corbin Reese returns with the heaviest innings load, a badge he is expected to wear again in 2018. The No. 1 hurler collected 57 strikeouts and posted an 8-0 record in eight appearances with a 1.79 ERA.

The entire staff carried a svelte 1.62 ERA last spring, and the amount of experience returning is reason enough for Lynde to believe Lincoln can match or surpass their 2017 accomplishments.

“With what we’ve got coming back, especially our pitching depth, our expectation is to get back to the final four,” he said. “Every returning kid started a game at one point last year and played significant innings including the state tournament.”

Beaman started both contests in O’Fallon at shortstop as a freshman before earning an All-State Honorable Mention. There will be a gap at that spot when Beaman is asked to pitch, but as he looks to build on his 2.95 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 19 innings from last season, Lynde considers it worth the sacrifice.

The coach called Beaman, a point guard in the winter and quarterback in the fall, the most athletic player Lincoln will field. His speed will come into play often after swiping a team-high 16 bases in 2017.

Seniors Tyler Betts (P) and Dominic Simmons (OF), an All-State athlete in football, also expect to be primary contributors.

The biggest challenge for Lincoln will be finding replacements at second and third base, but the postseason familiarity and number of quality arms has Lynde talking about 2018 with great anticipation. The Cardinals have lived the post-district life in recent years, but want to secure that elusive state championship.

“It’s what every coach dreams about. They want to get to final fours. A lot work so hard for years and never get there. I sat down at the coaches clinic last month and a coach from Mansfield said the same thing. It’s just as much about talent as anything else.”

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