Lehman’s Justin Vajgert hurls a pitch toward an opposing batter during a recent game. The Lobos are trying to make it back to the playoffs and prove their first-ever postseason appearance in 2010 was no fluke. Lehman must win its final two games to assure itself a playoff spot. (Photo by Judy Cooper)
by MARK CAUL
The sun was almost beginning to set and Lehman head baseball coach Toby Robinson still had his troops assembled on the field at their starting positions fielding ground balls with their practice slowly grinding to a halt with only two weeks remaining in the 2011 season.
With every crack of the bat, each player moved about the diamond as if they had a purpose. Apparently they do nowadays at Lehman.
“We want to get back to the playoffs and erase all the doubts people have about this team and our program,” junior pitcher/infielder Justin Vajgert said after a recent workout. “A lot of people thought last year was a fluke and didn’t give us any credit.
That really made us mad because we know how hard we worked to get to the playoffs last year. We don’t have any control over what people say, the only thing we can do is work hard and try to get back again this year. And once we get there we want to advance as far as we can.”
As the practice finally drew to a close, junior catcher Rudy Martinez ripped off his mask and helped assemble the rest of the Lobos in the middle of the field for one final pep talk.
“Being one of the leaders on this team, it’s part of my job to make sure the rest of this team is always focused and ready to do what Coach Robinson needs us to do,” Martinez said. “We won’t settle for anything less than making the playoffs.”
Despite a handful of big wins, Martinez added that there are still many doubters in the area who still aren’t quite sold on the Lobos.
“We made sure we made copies of what people were saying about us and gave one to every player on the day of the Canyon game,” said Martinez. “Whoever it was motivated us to do what we did.”
What transpired against Canyon was an instant classic in which the Lobos stormed back from a two-run deficit in the final inning to beat the Cougars 11-10 and stun a capacity crowd of onlookers.
Martinez doubled in the tying run and Cerda followed with a double of his own to cap the improbable comeback to propel themselves into third place in the district standings. It was a bold statement on how far the Lehman program has come in a less than a year.
“I don’t want to say we would have lost that game last year but we definitely wouldn’t have had the confidence to come from behind and win when we got behind,” freshman pitcher Hunter Lehman said. “This year, we believe we can win those types of games and we expect to win.”
If that wasn’t impressive enough, Robinson also saw his team emerge with a surprising two-game sweep of second-place Hays Rebels. Both Vajgert and Hunter Lehman were outstanding on the mound for the Lobos in that pair of wins.
It marked the first time in school history the Lobos have beaten their rival in baseball. But Robinson and his players have taken the wins in stride and are now just trying to focus on punching their ticket to the postseason.
“These three guys have all been a part of the reason we are in the playoff picture because of what they’ve brought to the table all year,” Robinson said. “Justin and Hunter got us back on track with a couple of big wins on the mound. And we have fed off of Rudy’s work ethic and energy he brings to the field everyday.”
Although this edition of Lobos have accomplished a great deal in a very topsy-turvy season filled with numerous ups-and-downs, their youth has shown at times during the season as they have played down to the level of their opponent in inopportune moments.
Days after the first win at Hays, the Lobos were run-ruled 12-2 at home by Lockhart. Surprisingly enough, Lehman has only beaten Lockhart once in five years.
“Lockhart always seems to play their best game against us every year,” said Robinson. “For whatever reason, we just haven‘t played well against them.”
Through it all, Lehman controls its own destiny over its final two games. Two wins in those games (at home against Clemens Thursday and at Lockhart next Friday) would secure a playoff spot.
But these Lobos have a different way of thinking and they had to look no farther than their head coach for incentive.
“Coach Robinson had these shirts made last year that said ‘Lobo Baseball - Make It A Playoff Tradition,’” Martinez said. “So that’s the mentality we’ve had this season. We want to win all three games. We don’t want to settle for fourth place when we can get third place.”
Vajgert agreed with his coach’s mentality.
“Last year I think we were just happy to be there,” Vajgert said. “This season we know we can compete with anybody when we are playing our game.”
