Nick Cerda will be one of many reasons the Lehman baseball team should be in prime position for its best season ever in 2012. Cerda led Central Texas with 10 homers this season, while batting .449 and collecting 47 runs batted in. (Photo by Judy Cooper)
by JASON GORDON
Times have never been better in the history of the Lehman baseball program.
After several lean years shortly after the school opened, the trend has certainly been shooting skyward of late.
Three seasons ago, the Lobos missed the playoffs on the final day of the season, but in each of the past two years Lehman has clinched a postseason berth in its final game.
Despite the fact the Lobos ran into two absolute juggernauts in the opening round in 2010 and 2011 – eventual state champion Brenham and Boerne Champion, a team that boasted a starting lineup in which nearly every player batted over .400 – Lehman head coach Toby Robinson said there’s never been a better time to be a Lobo baseball player.
“My goal has always been to get the kids geared toward playing a high level of baseball,” Robinson said. “We play high-level tournaments, like at Dallas Jesuit, to get exposure outside of the area, I really encourage our kids to play summer ball and more and more of them have been doing that. We’re definitely getting stronger as a program. Things are really starting to come around. It’s a fun time to be a Lehman baseball player.”
The fun may just be beginning.
Lehman loses only three seniors off its 2011 team – Joey Hernandez, Chris Tello and Braxton Rico.
Returning will be All-Everything shortstop/pitcher Nick Cerda, who led Central Texas with 10 home runs and was second with 47 runs batted in while batting .449, Justin Vajgert, who was 8-2 on the mound – including 4-1 in district play – and batted .389, third baseman/pitcher/catcher Hunter Lehman (.333 average), the second baseman tandem of Xavier Solis and DJ Trejo, pitcher/first baseman Justin Penney, who was a solid contributor as a freshman, catcher Rudy Martinez (.340 average, 25 runs scored), and outfielders Jacob Urea (.325 average) and Aaron Sheckler (.350 average).
“Next year should be our best year,” Robinson said. “We have 11 guys coming back. Some experienced the playoffs both years. Those two playoff losses lit a fire under them. Since the Monday we got back from the Champion series they got in there and started working.”
Robinson added that seeing how a state championship team like Brenham, which is currently ranked No. 1 in Class 4A this season, performed, and seeing squads like Boerne Champion and Smithson Valley this season, both of which captured district titles and are still alive in the playoffs, helped his young team.
“The playoffs were a great experience,” Robinson said. “We got to see what you can become when you put in the time and work hard. We want the Lehman baseball program to get to that same level where we’re competing for championship rings”
