When Brady McGee went down with an injury, Lake didn’t know who was going to be their ace pitcher this spring, but now, Lake coach Fred Hampton has found their man in Jacob Lanier.
The senior pitcher has turned in his best season as a senior and has earned a scholarship to play baseball at Coahoma Community College.
Hampton said Lanier came a long way from when he moved to Lake from Newton County in his 10th grade year.
“He’s one guy I’m extremely proud of,” Hampton said. “He’s came a long way since when he first got here, and I know he’s going to be a great tool for them.”
At the end of last season, Lanier went to his coach and told him that he wanted to get to the next level.
“He told me a year or so ago he wanted to play college ball, and what did he need to do to get there?” Hampton said. “I told him he did exactly what I told him. That’s why he’s here today, signing with Coahoma.”
Lanier knew he needed to improve, and that’s why he reached out to his coach for help.
“I wasn’t the best player, and my size wasn’t there either,” Lanier said. “He said, first of all, my ACT, and it helped me a lot. If I have a good act, then the more they would want me to pitch for them. So I worked my butt off on the weights and in the cages pitching and finally got an offer.”
Lanier started playing baseball at 10 years old. While playing college baseball was a goal, he didn’t know he would get that opportunity.
“Not until a couple of weeks ago,” Lanier said. “A couple of weeks ago, I got my first offer, and I was like, oh, this is a real thing that could happen.”
Lanier said his parents have really helped push him to be the best he could be.
“They have really pushed me and like built me up whenever I was feeling low, but also bring me back down home to myself,” Lanier said. “And then the coaches pushed me like tremendously to where it from where I was when I got here at 10th grade to where I am now.”
Hampton sees a lot of potential in Lanier.
“He’s a great pitcher, a great competitor, and he’s going to throw a lot of strikes,” Hampton said. “He’s going to compete on the mounds and has three good pitches. He has a frame where you can gain weight. So he could definitely be a great, great asset for Coahoma.”
