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Preseason Preview: Westminster Looks For a Third Consecutive State Championship

February 14, 2013

By Ethan Silverman
Missouri Scouting Director

Westminster Christian Academy has been on quite a roll the past two years, with dominating back-to-back state championship seasons. Will there be a third-peat in 2013? It looks the Preseason No. 4 ranked team has a pretty good chance. 

Sure Westminster lost a chunk of offense with the graduation of Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year OF Tate Matheny and 3B Luke Turner, but they return a talented crop of juniors, including Midwest Future Game participants and Mizzou commits SS Shane Benes and C Brett Bond, who should be the offensive leaders for Westminster this season. Benes and Bond combined for 74 RBIs and 27 extra base hitslast year as sophomores. Combined with the complimentary pieces of junior outfielders Jordan Smith and Collin Einerston, Westminster is poised to put up some impressive numbers once again. 

On the mound, experience will be key to making a run at states again, led by a trio of senior pitchers. LHP Ben Lovell will once again lead the pitching staff. Last season Lovell went a perfect 10-0 with 69 strikeouts and 1.00 ERA in 56 innings pitched. While he doesn’t throw hard, Lovell knows how to pitch, not just throw, while strategically get batters out. Another LHP Davis Vanderslice is a solid No. 2 arm behind Lovell, going 8-0 with 51 strikeouts in 53.3 innings last year. Look for RHP Ben Mitchell to be a big part of the staff and provide a third quality arm on the mound.

As they have the past few years, Lutheran South will be a team trying to knock off Westminster, and always provides an exciting, well played game, but when the dust settles, we expect to see Westminster with their third consecutive state championship, this time as a Class Four team.

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